The Early Music Show

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

Music: Classical: Early Music

Performance and news from the world of early music.

An exploration of early music, looking at early developments in musical performance and composition in Britain and abroad. UK only: please note that not all episodes are podcast.

The Early Music Show: Music in 18th-century Portugal (1/2)

Music in 18th-century Portugal

Music in 18th-century Portugal (1/2)

BBC Radio 3 - The Early Music Show, Music in 18th-century Portugal (1/2)

How the Portuguese royal court sought to rediscover the country's 'Age of Discovery'.

An exploration of the music that was at the heart of the church and the royal court in 18th-century Portugal. Presented by Hannah French, with contributions from Marcos Magalhães.

The first of two programmes exploring the music of 18th-century Portugal. This programme delves into the music heard in the royal court and opera houses of 18th-century Lisbon.  

Marcos Magalhães, director of the ensemble Os Músicos do Tejo takes us on a tour of the city, from the theatre of São Carlos, to the district of Bairro Alto, where soprano super-star Luísa Todi lived and sang; to the modern-day Praça do Comércio, near which the old royal palace was located, before its destruction in the earthquake of 1755. 

The 18th century saw the Portuguese court consciously try to rediscover the grandness of their 15th- and 16th-century predecessors during the so-called ‘Age of Discoveries’, when the Portuguese first established their overseas empire. With it came a musical heritage that was both inspired by those of Italy and France, but also sought to bring Portuguese talent to the fore.

Presented by Hannah French.

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.

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The Early Music Show

Music in 18th-century Portugal (1/2)

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