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Winter Balls

Donald Macleod visits the home of Jane Austen with historian Amanda Vickery to discuss Britain's passion for dancing during the Regency era, especially during the festive period.

Donald Macleod visits the home of Jane Austen with historian Amanda Vickery, to discover some of the seasonal customs and Christmas music of late-Georgian Britain.

Today they discuss a regular and popular feature of the social season in December: Christmas dances. We’ll hear how Jane Austen enjoyed dancing at grand stately homes and also within the more humble surroundings of the family drawing-room, with the furniture pushed back to make room. Balls were a perfect occasion to court the attentions of a future husband or wife, and we also hear about Jane Austen’s own Christmastide romance.

Cimarosa: L'Olimpiade: Sinfonia
Les Talens Lyriques, directed by Christophe Rousset

Thomas Wilson: Wellington's Triumph
The Fortuna Trio

Thomas Straight: Trip to Vauxhall, Sailor Laddie
The Birmingham Baroque Collective

Weber (orch Berlioz): Aufforderung zum Tanz
Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Handel: Messiah (end of Part 1)
Arleen Auger, soprano
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano
The English Concert Choir
The English Concert, directed by Trevor Pinnock

17 days left to listen

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Domenico Cimarosa

    L' Olimpiade (Sinfonia)

    Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES SPECTACLES : CVS143.
    • CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES SPECTACLES.
    • 1.
  • Thomas Wilson

    Wellington's Triumph

    Ensemble: Fortuna Trio.
  • Thomas Straight

    Trip to Vauxhall

    Ensemble: The Birmingham Baroque Collective.
  • Thomas Straight

    Sailor Laddie

    Ensemble: The Birmingham Baroque Collective.
  • Carl Maria von Weber

    Invitation to the Dance

    Orchestrator: Hector Berlioz. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 419-070-2.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 1.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Messiah, Part 1 (excerpts)

    Singer: Arleen Augér. Singer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Singer: Michael Chance. Singer: Howard Crook. Singer: John Tomlinson. Choir: The English Concert Choir. Orchestra: The English Concert. Director: Trevor Pinnock.
    • DG ARCHIV : 4775904.
    • DG ARCHIV.
    • 13.

Broadcast

  • Tue 23 Dec 2025 16:00

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