Original version

BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

Record Review

Magazines & Reviews

Music: Classical

A thorough look at the week's classical music releases, plus news and recommendations.

A thorough look at the week's classical music releases, plus news and the Radio 3 Disc of the Week recommendation.

Record Review: Andrew McGregor with Mahan Esfahani and Simon Heighes

Andrew McGregor with Mahan Esfahani and Simon Heighes

BBC Radio 3 - Record Review, Andrew McGregor with Mahan Esfahani and Simon Heighes

Building a Library: Mahan Esfahani surveys the recordings of Franck's Violin Sonata

Building a Library: Mahan Esfahani on recordings of Franck's Violin Sonata; as part of National Album Day Andrew talks to Simon Heighes about the history of the record album

with Andrew McGregor

09.30
Building a Library: Mahan Esfahani surveys the recordings of Franck's Violin Sonata

The Sonata in A major by César Franck is one the greatest sonatas for violin and piano ever written. It was written in 1886, when César Franck was 63, as a wedding present for the 31-year-old violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. The piece is cyclic in that all the movements share common thematic threads. And it has attracted some of the finest violin and piano duos into the recording studio over the years 

10.30
As part of National Album Day Andrew talks to Simon Heighes about the history of the classical record album from its early days as a physical album in which to store your 78s, to the recording of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto by Nathan Milstein in 1948 which was the first classical long-playing record. With the expansion in playing time, artists and producers were suddenly able to play around with themes, concepts and narratives which gave us some much loved albums which remain in the catalogue to this day. They discuss some classic albums of the past and ponder on the continuing popularity of the album in the age of streaming where in theory the whole catalogue of recorded classical music is now at our finger tips.

11.45
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Disc of the Week

This programme is part of BBC Music’s support for the first ever National Album Day, which takes place on Saturday 13th October with programming on Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 5 Live, 6 Music, BBC One and BBC Four across the week or on the day itself.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Record Review

Andrew McGregor with Mahan Esfahani and Simon Heighes

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3