The Apprentice Conductor

Available for 28 days

Martin Handley continues his four-part series attempting to demystify the role of the conductor - an activity that the late, great Bernard Haitink described as "arranging the air". In this second episode, with the help of conductors Mark Wigglesworth, Sofi Jeannin, Jakub Hrusa, Dalia Stasevska, Harry Christophers, Trevor Pinnock, and the indomitable 99-year old Herbert Blomstedt, Martin investigates how one learns to become a conductor - including a visit to one of Professor Sian Edwards' conducting classes at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Martin also asks how conductors actually get to grips with a musical score, including Dalia Stasevska's approach to the world premiere of Josephine Stephenson's new work "That the sunrise not leave us unmoved" for this year's First Night of the Proms. And he also discovers some of the pitfalls conductors encounter early in their careers. Including top recordings of music by Johannes Brahms, Igor Stravinsky, Jean Sibelius, Tomas Luis de Victoria, Dmitri Shostakovich, Josephine Stephenson, Bohuslav Martinu and Franz Schubert. To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Matters".