1727: Season of the Violin
1727, Cremona. Master violin maker Antonio Stradivari hones his work, while across Italy, composers and performers reshape what the instrument can do.
1727, Cremona. In a quiet workshop in northern Italy, Antonio Stradivari completes one of the final instruments of his long career. Even in old age, his violins set a standard that players and makers will pursue for centuries.
This programme traces the rise of the violin from modest dance instrument to the defining voice of classical music. Alongside makers such as Stradivari, composer鈥憄erformers including Corelli, Tartini and Vivaldi develop new techniques and new forms, shaping the evolution of the concerto. As instruments improve and virtuosity increases, the solo violinist emerges as a commanding musical presence.
Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new 麻豆社 Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For Episodes 9 to 16, Gillian welcomes Suzannah Lipscomb to help her explore the fascinating stories and rich sound worlds of the Late Renaissance and Baroque.
Producer: Zerlina Vulliamy
Contributor: Joshua Bell
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for 麻豆社 Audio: Emma Harding
Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the 麻豆社 National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.
MUSIC DETAILS
Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in E major, RV269 鈥淪pring鈥� 鈥� iii. Allegro
Rachel Podger (violin)
Brecon Baroque
Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in G minor, RV315 鈥淪ummer鈥� 鈥� iii. Presto
Th茅otime Langlois de Swarte (violin)
Le Consort
Giuseppe Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor 鈥淒evil鈥檚 Trill鈥�
Joshua Bell (violin)
John Constable (harpsichord)
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso No. 8 鈥淐hristmas Concerto鈥�
Amandine Beyer (violin)
Gli Incogniti
Giuseppe Torelli: Trumpet Concerto in D major 鈥� i. Allegro
Alison Balsom (trumpet)
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Thomas Klug (conductor)
Caroline Shaw: Entr鈥檃cte for Strings
Chaos String Quartet
麻豆社 recording
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons 鈥� Winter (RV297)
Adrian Chandler (violin)
La Serenissima
Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor 鈥� iii. Finale
Nicola Benedetti (violin)
麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra
Ji艡铆 B臎lohl谩vek (conductor)
To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask 麻豆社 Sounds to play Key Changes."
On radio
Broadcast
- Sat 11 Jul 2026 13:00麻豆社 Radio 3