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

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Afternoon Concert

Music: Classical

Unique performances with BBC Orchestras, Choirs and other great orchestras

Unique performances with BBC Orchestras, Choirs and other great orchestras from around the world

Afternoon Concert: Opera Matinee: Rameau's Les Boreades

Canada 150: La Nef

Opera Matinee: Rameau's Les Boreades

BBC Radio 3 - Afternoon Concert, Opera Matinee: Rameau's Les Boreades

Rameau's Les Boreades from the Utrecht Early Music Festival, introduced by Hannah French.

Rameau's Les Boreades recorded live at the Utrecht Early Music Festival. Introduced by Hannah French.

Rameau Les Boréades, opera in five parts
Hannah French introduces this performance of Rameau's last tragédies en musique, recorded at the Utrecht Early Music Festival.  
 
Jean Philippe Rameau's Les Boréades, is an appropriate work to play in this week of Afternoon Concerts which feature Radio France's orchestras since it was at the Maison de la Radio in Paris, that the ORTF gave the modern premiere of a version of Rameau's opera in 1964. 
Les Boréades (The Descendants of Boreas) explores the idea of mutual love between Alphise, queen of Bactria, and Abaris, a foreigner of unknown origin who has been brought up by the high priest of Apollo. From the romping horns in the prelude through the many ballet scenes to the presentation of a magic arrow by Cupid to Alphise and on to the end, where darkness gives way to light, this is Rameau at his most colourful.  The coup de théâtre is perhaps the moment that the arrow is used to quell the rage of the Boreads: they want to be feared but can they be loved? 

Alphise: Deborah Cachet (soprano)
Sémire, L'Amour, Polimnie: Caroline Weynants (soprano)
Abaris: Juan Sancho (tenor)
Calisis: Benedikt Kristjánsson (tenor)
Adamas: Benoit Arnould (baritone)
Borée: Nicolas Brooymans (bass)
Borilée: Tomás Selc (bass)
Apollon: Lukaš Zeman (bass)
Collegium Vocale 1704 and Collegium 1704
Václav Luks (conductor)

then at approx 4pm more from this week's featured French orchestras

Barber:  School for Scandal, op. 5, overture
Orchestre National de France, Lan Shui (conductor)

Bernstein:  Symphony No. 2 ('The Age of Anxiety'), for piano and orchestra  (1965 version)
Kirill Gerstein (piano)
Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Petrenko (conductor)

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