Afternoon on 3 - Beethoven Plus - Episode 4

Presented by Fiona Talkington. 1.00pm Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert Beethoven Plus A run of concerts recorded at LSO St Luke's, featuring a complete series of Beethoven's string quartets coupled with masterpieces of the genre by Haydn and Bartok. 4/8. Nicknamed the Sunrise, Haydn's Fourth Quartet in his final set of six has a resounding optimism from the glorious opening theme to the dancing finale. The Royal String Quartet follow this lively opener with another great crowd pleaser, Beethoven's sonorous Op 74. Haydn: Quartet in B flat, Op 76 No 4 (Sunrise) Beethoven: Quartet in E flat, Op 74 (Harp) 2.00pm British Symphony Series David Matthews's Sixth Symphony was premiered at the 2007 BBC Proms and here's another chance to hear that performance alongside one of the inspirations behind Matthews's work, Vaughan Williams's Sixth. Plus brand new recordings of Christmas choral music by John Gardner, who celebrated his ninetieth birthday in 2007. Gardner: When Christ was born of Mary free BBC Singers Stephen Cleobury (conductor) Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 6 BBC Philharmonic Vassily Sinaisky (conductor) Matthews: Berceuse for Dresden Raphael Wallfisch (cello) BBC Philharmonic Garry Walker (conductor) Gardner: The Turning Year, Op 19 BBC Singers Stephen Cleobury (conductor) Tippett: Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli BBC Symphony Orchestra Andrew Davis (conductor) Matthews: Symphony No 6 BBC National Orchestra of Wales Jac van Steen (conductor) Gardner: Sunny bank; There is no rose BBC Singers Stephen Cleobury (conductor) Prokofiev: Symphony No 5 BBC National Orchestra of Wales Jac van Steen (conductor).