Contemporary crossovers
Tenor Nicky Spence explores the deep and often-overlooked connections between classical music and the world of musical theatre.
Tenor Nicky Spence explores the deep and often-overlooked connections between classical music and the world of musical theatre.
In Episode 3, Nicky considers the influence of classical music on musical theatre from the 1980s to the present day, delving into the operatic roots of 鈥榮ung-through鈥� musicals such as Les Miserables and Hadestown, as well as exploring musicals based on the lives of classical composers.
Nicky talks to the star soprano Ren茅e Fleming, who has performed both operatic and musical theatre roles, about the joys and challenges of working across the two disciplines.
Nicky and his husband, the pianist Dylan Perez, also perform musical excerpts from Schubert's Die sch枚ne M眉llerin and Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years, drawing out hidden connections.
Produced by Rachel Gill for 麻豆社 Audio.
Last on
More episodes
Next
Coming soon
Music Played
-
![]()
Cole Porter
Another Op'nin', Another Show (Kiss Me Kate)
Ensemble: 2000 New Broadway Cast.- DRG.
-
![]()
Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom of the Opera: Act 2 Entr'acte (Original London Cast Recording)
Orchestra: Phantom Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Reed.- Polydor.
-
![]()
Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau
Gavotte et six doubles RCT 5/7: Gavotte (excerpt)
Performer: Bruce Liu.- Deutsche Grammophon.
-
![]()
Claude鈥怣ichel Sch枚nberg
Castle on a Cloud (Les Mis茅rables)
Composer: Alain Boublil. Singer: Zoe Hart. Orchestra: The Les Miserables Orchestra. Conductor: Martin Koch.- First Night Records.
-
![]()
Giacomo Puccini
Humming Chorus (Madam Butterfly)
Choir: Chorus of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.- Warner Classics.
-
![]()
Claude鈥怣ichel Sch枚nberg
Bring Him Home (Les Mis茅rables)
Composer: Alain Boublil. Singer: Colm Wilkinson. Orchestra: The Les Miserables Orchestra. Conductor: Martin Koch.- First Night Records.
-
![]()
Giacomo Puccini
S矛, mi chiamano Mim矛' (La boh猫me)
Singer: Ren茅e Fleming. Orchestra: Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. Conductor: Marco Armiliato.- Decca.
-
![]()
Adam Guettel
Fable (The Light in the Piazza)
Performer: Joseph Thalken. Singer: Ren茅e Fleming. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Rob Fisher.- Decca.
-
![]()
Traditional English
Over the hills and far away (The Beggar's Opera)
Lyricist: John Gay. Music Arranger: Johann Christoph Pepusch. Singer: Paul Elliott. Singer: Patrizia Kwella. Ensemble: The Broadside Band. Director: Jeremy Barlow.- Harmonia Mundi.
-
![]()
Ana茂s Mitchell
Way Down Hadestown (Hadestown)
Ensemble: Hadestown Original Broadway Company. Director: Liam Robinson.- Sing It Again Records.
-
![]()
Franz Schubert
Die liebe Farbe (Die sch枚ne M眉llerin)
Composer: Wilhelm M眉ller. Performer: Dylan Perez. Singer: Nicky Spence. -
![]()
Jason Robert Brown
Still Hurting (The Last Five Years)
Performer: Dylan Perez. Singer: Nicky Spence. -
![]()
Dave Malloy
Not Alone (adapted from Moment Musical in D flat major, Op 16, No 5)
Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov. Singer: Gabriel Ebert. Singer: Nikki M. James. Director: Or Matias.- Ghostlight Records.
-
![]()
Jeanine Tesori
Lay Down Your Head (Violet)
Composer: Brian Crawley. Singer: Ren茅e Fleming. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Rob Fisher.- Decca.
-
![]()
Stephen Schwartz
Overture (Schikaneder)
Orchestra: Orchestra of the United Stages of Vienna. Conductor: Koen Schoots.- HitSquad Records.
-
![]()
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ein M盲dchen oder Weibchen (Die Zauberfl枚te)
Composer: Emanuel Schikaneder. Singer: Hanno M眉ller鈥怋rachmann. Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.- Deutsche Grammophon.
-
![]()
Stephen Sondheim
Broadway Baby (Follies)
Performer: Dylan Perez. Singer: Nicky Spence.
Broadcast
- Sun 19 Apr 2026 15:00麻豆社 Radio 3
Knock on wood 鈥� six stunning wooden concert halls around the world
Steel and concrete can't beat good old wood to produce the best sounds for music.
The evolution of video game music
Tom Service traces the rise of an exciting new genre, from bleeps to responsive scores.
Why music can literally make us lose track of time
Try our psychoacoustic experiment to see how tempo can affect your timekeeping abilities.
Podcast
-
![]()
Music Matters
The stories that matter, the people that matter, the music that matters
