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Composer of the WeekEpisodes

  1. Monday16:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Melting PotGeorge Gershwin (1898-1937)

    1/5Donald Macleod explores the early life of George Gershwin.(R)

  2. Tuesday16:00
    BBC Radio 3

    He Rhapsodises BluesGeorge Gershwin (1898-1937)

    2/5Donald Macleod explores the years after Gershwin’s huge success with Rhapsody in Blue.(R)

  3. Wednesday16:00
    BBC Radio 3

    An American in ParisGeorge Gershwin (1898-1937)

    3/5Donald Macleod explores George Gershwin’s time in Paris in the spring of 1928.(R)

  4. Next Thursday16:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Gershwin in HollywoodGeorge Gershwin (1898-1937)

    4/5Donald Macleod tells the story of George Gershwin’s first experience of Hollywood.(R)

  5. Next Friday16:00
    BBC Radio 3

    The First Great American OperaGeorge Gershwin (1898-1937)

    5/5Donald Macleod focuses on the origins and evolution of Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess.(R)

  6. Mon 13 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    One Way TicketFryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

    1/5The wunderkind from Warsaw tries to make an impression on Paris’s exclusive salons.

  7. Tue 14 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Misadventures in LoveFryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

    2/5Donald Macleod follows a period of crisis in Chopin’s career and romantic life.

  8. Wed 15 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Keeping Up AppearancesFryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

    3/5Chopin and his lover George Sand escape the prying eyes of Paris. With Donald Macleod.

  9. Thu 16 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Boiling PointFryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

    4/5Cracks start to show in Chopin’s relationship with George Sand. With Donald Macleod.

  10. Fri 17 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Flying SoloFryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

    5/5Donald Macleod explores Chopin’s return to the stage in his turbulent final years.

  11. Mon 20 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    The Esterhaza OperaJoseph Haydn (1732-1809)

    1/5Donald Macleod explores how his employer’s obsession fuelled his own musical growth.

  12. Tue 21 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    ViennaJoseph Haydn (1732-1809)

    2/5Donald Macleod explores Haydn’s trips from Esterhaza to Vienna.

  13. Wed 22 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    AmadeusJoseph Haydn (1732-1809)

    3/5Donald Macleod explores the friendship between Haydn and Mozart.

  14. Thu 23 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Spreading FameJoseph Haydn (1732-1809)

    4/5Donald Macleod explores Haydn’s growing popularity throughout Europe.

  15. Fri 24 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    "Sad to be a slave"Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

    5/5Donald Macleod explores how Haydn grew frustrated at his life in Esterhaza.

  16. Mon 27 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    It takes a villageCamille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

    1/5Saint‑Saëns’s early musical gifts take shape in a home headed by two brilliant women.

  17. Tue 28 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    To the salon!Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

    2/5Saint‑Saëns steps into Paris’s salons as Donald Macleod follows his early career.

  18. Wed 29 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Love and WarCamille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

    3/5Donald Macleod follows Saint-Saëns as teaching, ambition and politics reshape his world.

  19. Thu 30 Apr 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Triumph and TragedyCamille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

    4/5Saint-Saëns faces turmoil as his personal life takes a turn. With Donald Macleod.

  20. Fri 1 May 202616:00
    BBC Radio 3

    Travelling ManCamille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

    5/5Donald Macleod follows Saint‑Saëns on the travels that shaped his later music.