Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

The Classical Master

Kate Molleson surveys the Third Symphony by Sibelius and the period it was composed - a work which led one critic to call Sibelius a Classical Master.

Kate Molleson surveys the Third Symphony by Sibelius and the period it was composed - a work which led one critic to call Sibelius a Classical Master. The Second Symphony by Sibelius had proved to be very popular, so when it came to Sibelius composing his Third Symphony, there was a lot of pressure to get it right. He looked to develop his compositional language further, but in doing so, created a work which at first did not appeal to his Finnish audience.

Valse triste, Op 44 No 1
Âé¶¹Éç National Orchestra of Wales
Thomas Søndergård, conductor

Kyllikki, Op 41 No 3
Janne Mertanen, piano

Symphony No 3 in C, Op 52 (excerpt)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

The Captive Queen, Op 48
Dominante Choir
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vänska, conductor

Erloschen (The fire had died out)
Tom Krause, baritone [KROW-zuh]
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano

Symphony No 3 in C, Op 52 (excerpt)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Release date:

59 minutes

Broadcast

  • Tue 3 Mar 2026 16:00

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.