King Priam
From the Royal Festival Hall, continuing the Endless
Parade season. Tippett's second opera is based on Homer's account of the fall of the ancient city of Troy. The powerful story weaves together threads of human love, choice, responsibility and the nature of war. King Priam was first heard in 1962 to mark the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, alongside Britten's War
Requiem. Tonight's concert performance is introduced by Chris de Souza .
King Priam ...DAVID WILSON JOHNSON (baritone)
BBC Singers, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conductor David Atherton
Parti
7.50 Homer Today
Oliver Taplin investigates the response of contemporary artists to Homer's work.
8.10 Part 2
8.40 A Sound Read
Ivan Hewett is joined by Nicholas
Spice, editor of the London Review of Books, and by Miles Kington to review recently released books on music including Keeping Time - Readings in Jazz, a collection of essays on Haydn, and Vikram Seth 's new novel, An Equal Music.
9.00 Part 3
+ Brian Kay 's Opera of the Week: p42