Suzanne Pederson begins with a performance of Robert Schumann’s extroverted Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44, which is one of the major works of the nineteenth century. Leonard Bernstein (piano) accompanies the Juilliard Quartet. Louis Spohr was a pioneer of early Romanticism. The Adagio in Louis Spohr’s Sonata Concertante in D major, Op. 115, is haunting and illustrates why Paganini referred to Spohr as ‘the most important singer for the violin’. Sophie Langdon (violin), Hugh Webb (harp). Next, Bedřich Smetana’s popular autobiographical and nationalistic String Quartet in E minor – From My Life, JB 1:105, will be presented by the Endellion String Quartet. The musical development of the young Alexander Zemlinsky was encouraged by Brahms. Zemlinsky’s Clarinet Trio in D minor, Op. 3, is a work of strong passions that concludes with an energetically cheerful rondo. This final work will be played by Ensemble Liaison.

Anne Kelly and John Pederson present a program devoted to Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842), who was an Italian-born composer of operas and sacred music. Works include (i) Medee Overture (ii) Ave Maria (iii) Symphony in D major (iv) Requiem in C minor – Dies Irae (v) March in F major A feast of great works by a great composer!

Peter Trevaskis begins with Robert Schumann’s poetic cycle Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), Op. 82, a grossly underrated work from the composer’s later years. It will be played by the pianist Andreas Bach, whose monumental performances serve as a bridge between the ancient and modern worlds. Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring began in 1944 as an American ballet that incorporated relatable, accessible elements of the Americana style to increase the music’s appeal to the public. The suite from this ballet will be presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Northey. Fauré’s warm and delicate Dolly Suite was written as a piano duet, but we will listen to the orchestrated arrangement performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier. Jacques Ibert, known for his eclectic style, was a Prix de Rome winner. The Ballad of Reading Gaol, which is considered to be Ibert’s first mature work, is a musical evocation of Oscar Wilde’s poem of the same name. Adriano conducts the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava). Ferdinand Hérold was a French composer renowned for his operas and ballets. Hérold’s opéra comique Zampa, or The Marble Bride, concerns the heartbroken lover of a sailor who turns to piracy. The Overture is a staple of the orchestral repertoire. The New Philharmonia Orchestra is conducted by Richard Bonynge. As the final musical offering, the Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden, directed by Silvio Varviso, with considerable Germanic strength, will present the divine Grail Chorus from Wagner’s Parsifal.

The Benaud Trio, formed in Melbourne in 2005, have developed a fantastic savoir-faire with both classical and non-classical works. They understand that not all music is deadly serious. Suzanne Pederson presents a program featuring works performed by Australia’s Benaud Trio. They include (i) Ross Edwards – Piano Trio (ii) Paul Schoenfield – Café Music (iii) Nicole Murphy – Spinning Top (iv) Paul Stanhope – Piano Trio – Dolcissimo Uscignolo

Keith Hempton presents three major works. ‘We Shall See Him as He Is’ by John Tavener was commissioned to mark the 900th Anniversary of Chester Cathedral. The work is in thirteen movements, and the text records several incidents in Christ’s life as recounted by his disciple John. At one point, we may hear a monumental climax, and the next, a moment of rapt calm. However, there is no lack of sincerity to be found in the music. Another enduring work by Tavener is ‘The Protecting Veil’. Tavener attempted to restore Western music’s spiritual dimension. The BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Beethoven composed his Mass in C major to satisfy a commission by Joseph Haydn’s employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Esterhazy was hoping for a Mass in the vein of the late Haydn Masses. Haydn had set the standards, and Beethoven’s Mass received a mixed reception and disapproval from the Prince. Beethoven had moulded tradition to suit his innovative style, venturing into the realms of the romantic. Beethoven’s Mass leaned toward a more personal, introspective sentiment than that of Haydn. Beethoven melded the spiritual with the symphonic to create a masterpiece, and history would yield a much more positive judgement than the undervaluation of Esterházy. By the twentieth century, the Mass had firmly established itself in the choral canon. Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique, Eliot Gardiner (conductor). As long as they love music, both the deeply devout and the deeply doubtful will enjoy the last work in this program, Vivaldi’s Gloria, a work of irresistible joy and radiant spirituality. Soloists, King’s Consort directed by Robert King.

Phillip Virgo presents a program recorded by 5MBS volunteers at the Elder Hall Lunch Series on 22 May 2026. (i) Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’ Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra Luke Dollman, conductor (ii) Beethoven – Duo No. 1 in C major, WoO 27/1 Rob Nairn, double bass Heidi von Bernewitz, viola

Yvonne Schwerdt presents a program of French chamber music which includes the following works: (i) Florent Schmitt: Suite en rocaille, Op. 84 (1934) – a work which heralds the charm and graces of the Louis XV style – Mirage Quintet (ii) Camille Saint-Saëns: Clarinet Sonata, Op. 167 – a masterpiece full of impishness, elegance and discreet lyricism – Craig Hill (clarinet) & Robert Chamberlain (piano) (iii) Francis Poulenc: Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon (1926) – Mozartian and a tonic for ageing minds and senses! – Alexandre Tharaud (piano), Olivier Doise (oboe) & Laurent Lefèvre (bassoon) Other composers include Debussy and Hahn. A good program to keep in mind!

Stephen Taylor begins with a masterwork by a master composer. In 1910, during the twilight of Romanticism, despite the new musical endeavours taking place in the world around him, Max Bruch composed his Eight Pieces, Op. 83, a work which belongs wholly to the world of Schumann and Brahms. Bruch was seventy years old when he produced this opus. It is a work of autumnal maturity which favours rich, mellow instrumentation. We will listen to a selection of four pieces presented by: Svetlana Bogosavljević, cello David Griffiths, clarinet Timothy Young, piano For admirers of great violin playing, we will hear Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV 1042, with soloist David Oistrakh. The pleasure Dvořák took in composing his Drobnosti (Miniatures), Op. 75a, is obvious in every bar. This work, for the unusual combination of two violins and a viola, consists of four contrasting movements. It will be presented by members of the Vlach Quartet Prague. The Sixth Symphony by Glazunov, with its dramatic outer movements, its delightful two inner movements, and colourful orchestration, demonstrates the composer’s fertile imagination, making it one of his most popular works. We will listen to a fine performance by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Anissimov. András Schiff’s reputation as a great interpreter of Schubert is long established. As the final work in this program, Schiff presents a superb performance of Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in F minor, D. 625.

Sue Fitch commences her program with an exquisite French gem. The stated goal of Jean Françaix was to ‘give pleasure’. A neoclassical composer, his works had abundant Gallic wit and charm. The Wind Quintet No. 1 by Françaix is quintessentially French, and it will be performed by the Wind Quintet of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. The violinist Nigel Kennedy is a great interpreter, and André Previn was a leading conductor of British music. Together with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, this performance of William Walton’s Violin Concerto should not be missed. Place it in your diary. Followers of melodious minimalism will enjoy Michael Nyman’s minimalist music from the film The Diary of Anne Frank. Lyrical, sublime and more eloquent than words, it is played by the Australian pianist Sally Whitwell. Henryk Górecki’s First String Quartet, Already It Is Dusk, of 1988 draws on influences from the avant-garde, folk music and early music. It gets its title from a song by a Renaissance Polish composer which is incorporated in the work. The work is in one movement that alternates between energy and calm, covering a lot of ground in its short duration. It will be played by the Royal String Quartet. Bartók wrote his accessible and enduringly popular Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, in New York in 1943. It is full of the rhythms of his native Hungary together with relentless Big Apple energy. There is not one dull moment in this piece! Erich Leinsdorf conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Michael Owen begins with the 1812 Overture, Op. 49, by Tchaikovsky, a work best known for its climactic volley of cannon fire, ringing chimes, and a brass fanfare finale which commemorates Russia’s successful defence against French invasion in 1812. Following the 1812 Overture, Tchaikovsky used three Ukrainian folk tunes to great effect in his joyous Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17. This symphony was nicknamed ‘Little Russian’ because, at the time, Ukraine was frequently called ‘Little Russia’. It caused a sensation at its premiere. Louis Spohr heard a Spanish soldier play his native melodies on a guitar, and he drew on this for a number of his works, including his Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in E minor, WoO 20, which we will hear played by the clarinettist Sharon Kam and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, ‘Emperor’, is a concerto on a grand scale. It was composed during his middle or ‘heroic’ period. Beethoven dedicated it to his patron and friend, Archduke Rudolf of Austria. This final work will be presented by Peter Rösel (piano) and the Berlin Sinfonie.

In this program, Anne Kelly and John Pederson feature the music of Jacques-Martin Hotteterre. Jacques-Martin Hotteterre (1674–1763) was a French composer, flautist, instrument manufacturer, and teacher, and the most celebrated member of a family of wind instrument manufacturers and flautists, with strong connections to the French Court during the reign of Louis XIV. When spirits are low, the music of Jacques-Martin Hotteterre is guaranteed to raise them! The works include: (i) Suite No. 3 in D major (ii) Suite for flute and continuo (iii) Deuxième Suite de Pièces à Deux Dessus (iv) Suite No. 3 in D minor A great program. Place it in your diary.

Christopher Stone presents Mussorgsky’s monumental historical drama Khovanshchina in the version completed by Rimsky-Korsakov. The plot concerns the 1682 uprising, in which the conservative Old Believer faction opposed the reform-minded Tsar Peter the Great’s intention to Westernise Russia. After three hours of operatic action, the Old Believers were defeated, and many took part in a mass suicide rather than submit to the forces of Peter the Great. Through the unfolding of a complex narrative and a succession of grand spectacles, this opera seems to capture the tragic essence of history. Understandably, the work requires substantial orchestral and choral forces. Vladimir Atlantov, tenor Vladimir Popov, baritone Vienna State Opera Chorus Slovak Philharmonic Choir Vienna Boys’ Choir Vienna State Opera Orchestra Claudio Abbado, conductor