Triumph and Tragedy

Available for 29 days

Donald Macleod finds Saint‑Saëns at a moment when public success and private upheaval collide. Today, he explores the composer’s enforced stay in London during the Commune, the friendships and opportunities that follow his return to Paris, and the swift courtship and marriage that bring new pressures into his life. As Saint‑Saëns begins to look towards the theatre, Donald charts how these shifts lead to works that reveal a growing confidence and a deepening sense of artistic possibility, even as loss and change continue to shape his personal world. A Voice by the Cedar Tree Tyler Duncan, baritone Erika Switzer, piano Saint‑Saëns: Romance in C major, Op. 48 Dong‑Suk Kang, violin Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Antoni Wit, conductor Saint‑Saëns: Romance, Op. 36 Francis Orval, horn Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg Louis de Froment, conductor Saint‑Saëns: Le Déluge – Prelude New Philharmonia Orchestra Pierre Dervaux, conductor Ulf Hoelscher, violin Samson et Dalila – “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” Agnes Baltsa, mezzo‑soprano (Dalila) José Carreras, tenor (Samson) Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Sir Colin Davis, conductor Requiem, Op. 54 – I. Requiem & Kyrie; II. Dies Irae Tinuke Olafimihan, soprano Catherine Wyn‑Rogers, mezzo‑soprano Anthony Roden, tenor Simon Kirkbride, bass East London Chorus, Harlow Chorus, Hertfordshire Chorus London Philharmonic Orchestra James O’Donnell, organ Geoffrey Simon, conductor Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales and West.