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Conductor Sakari Oramo on music and making magic

Tom Service talks to Last Night of the Proms conductor Sakari Oramo about his musical journey, and composer Julian Nott talks about creating the iconic theme to Wallace & Gromit.

Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend!

Tom's guest is Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Fresh from conducting this year's Last Night of the Proms, Sakari talks about his journey into conducting and why a conductor needs the awareness of a pilot, the sensitivity of a social worker and the heart of an artist.

Plus - want to be a conductor like Sakari? A new video game, 'Maestro', gives players the chance to conduct an orchestra from their sofa - giving players a chance to play levels from Berlioz and Verdi to John Williams and Vivaldi. Tom tries out his armchair conducting on the game and speaks to the team's in-house conductor Gena Liévano about how they made the musical gameplay experience as life-like as possible.

Also, this Autumn marks the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking animation studio Aardman, who have created classics from Morph and Shaun the Sheep to the much-loved Wallace and Gromit. Composer Julian Nott talks about how he created the iconic theme and musical world of the Wallace and Gromit films.

29 days left to listen

3 hours

Last on

Today09:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Thomas Adès

    The Thieves (Dante, Part 1: Inferno)

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Thomas Adès: Dante, Pt. I “Inferno”: XII. The Thieves—devoured by reptiles.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 1.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat - 3rd mvt: Rondo

    Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout. Performer: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Trad.

    My Lagan Love

    Performer: Joseph Havlat. Music Arranger: Joseph Havlat. Singer: Lotte Betts-Dean.
    • KIN.
    • Delphian Records.
    • 28.

  • Claude Debussy

    Clair de lune (from Suite bergamasque)

    Music Arranger: Thibault Bertin-Maghit. Ensemble: collectif9.
    • Vagues et ombres.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 4.

  • Steve Reich

    Tehillim (Part 2)

    Choir: Synergy Vocals. Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Stefan Asbury.
    • Steve Reich.
    • DG.
    • 13.

  • Amy Beach

    Symphony in E Minor, 'Gaelic' - 2nd mvt Alla siciliana

    Conductor: Joseph Bastian. Orchestra: Münchner Symphoniker.
    • Beach: Works.
    • Solo Musica.
    • 2.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Sonata No 31 in A flat major, H XVI 46 (3rd mvt, Presto)

    Performer: Emanuel Ax.
    • Sony Classical.

  • Samuel Barber

    Violin Concerto Op.14 (2nd mvt, Andante)

    Performer: Geneva Lewis. Orchestra: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gemma New.
    • Barber & Glass: Violin Concertos - Zorn: Partita For the Firebird.
    • Delos.
    • 2.

  • Gioachino Rossini

    La Danza (Les soirées musicales)

    Music Arranger: Matteo Carcassi. Singer: Giulia Semenzato. Performer: Jadran Duncumb.
    • Corde di Luna: Romantics songs and canzonette.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 1.

  • Emanuele Barbella

    Mandolin Concerto in D major

    Performer: Avi Avital. Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • Concertos.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 7-9.

  • Dora Pejačević

    Symphony in F sharp minor Op.41 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sakari Oramo.
    • Chandos.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43: I. Allegretto

    Conductor: Sakari Oramo. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
    • Sibelius : Symphonies Nos 2 & 4.
    • Warner Classics International.
    • 1.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Piano Trio No.4 in E minor, Op.90 - 3rd mvt

    Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Performer: Lars Vogt.
    • Dvořák: Piano Trios Nos. 3 & 4.
    • Ondine.
    • 7.

  • Tommaso Traetta

    Ifigenia in Tauride - Sinfonia

    Orchestra: Les Talens Lyriques. Conductor: Christophe Rousset.
    • Traetta: Ifigenia in Tauride.
    • Aparté.
    • 1.

  • Arcangelo Corelli

    Violin Sonata in F major, Op.5 No.4 - 2nd mvt (Version for Flute)

    Performer: Anna Besson. Performer: Myriam Rignol. Performer: Jean Rondeau.
    • Corelli & Quentin: Flute Sonatas.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 2.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony No. 4 in C minor 'Tragic' - 4th mvt

    Conductor: Paavo Järvi. Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.
    • Schubert: Symphonies Vol. 1: No. 7 & No. 4.
    • Sony Music Labels Inc..
    • 6.

  • Studio Orchestra

    Requiem - Dies Irae

  • Studio Orchestra

    Symphony no 9 - From the New World

  • Orazio Benevoli

    Regna terrae

    Choir: Le Concert Spirituel. Conductor: Hervé Niquet.
    • Alpha.

  • Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen

    Shine You No More

    Performer: Max Baillie. Performer: Ellie Consta. Performer: Alistair Vennart. Performer: Hadewych van Gent. Performer: Sam Becker. Performer: Leif Kaner‐Lidström.
    • Shine You No More (Arr. Parkin).
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No. 1 in C Minor - 3rd mvt

    Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic.
    • Brahms: Symphonies Nos 1 - 4.
    • Warner Classics International.
    • 13.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Clarinet Concerto, K.622 - 3rd mvt Rondo

    Performer: Romain Guyot. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
    • MIrare.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    Nocturne No. 16 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 No. 2

    Performer: Benjamin Grosvenor.
    • Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 8.

  • Morton Gould

    Boogie Woogie Etude

    Performer: Benjamin Grosvenor.
    • DECCA.

  • Arnold Bax

    Dance of Wild Irravel (4 Orchestral Sketches)

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
    • Chandos.

Broadcast

  • Today09:00
    BBC Radio 3