Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842)

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of composer, Luigi
Cherubini


An octogenarian when he died in 1842, Cherubini's long life
places him alongside three giants of the age, Mozart, Haydn and
Beethoven. When he was born in 1760, Mozart was four years old,
and Haydn was in his thirties. Beethoven was born a decade after
Cherubini. Standing among these luminaries, all of whom he
admired, Cherubini was a composer, conductor, teacher,
administrator, theorist and music publisher, who enjoyed a much
higher standing in his own lifetime than his present day
reputation might suggest. Beethoven and latterly Wagner are just
two of a long list of notables who hugely admired his music.
These days it's perhaps through his masses that many people come
to his music, so it may be a surprise to discover that he
followed the fashion of his day, and produced a considerable
number of successful operas. This week Donald Macleod follows
Cherubini's progress from his Florentine childhood to Paris,
where he was to settle and see his theatrical ambitions realised,
in addition to taking on the directorship of the Paris
Conservatoire, a position which gave him considerable influence
over successive generations.


Music Featured:


Lo sposo di tre e marito di nessuna, Overture Il Giocatore:,
Intermezzo Mass in F minor (Chimay) (excerpt) Sonata for
harpsichord no 3 in B flat major Nemo gaudeat in festo septem
dolorum BV virginis a 8 voci Il Giulio Sabino, Sinfonia (3rd mvt)
Horn sonata No 2 in F major Symphony in D major (1st mvt, Largo –
Allegro) Mass No 2 in D minor (Kyrie) Il Giulio Sabino, Act 1:
Aria, I mesti affetti miei Overture in G major Lodoïska, Act 1:
Aria, Triomphons avec noblesse Démophon, Overture Lodoiska, Act 2
(excerpts) Eliza, ou Le voyage aux glaciers du Mont St. Bernard,
Overture Clytemnestre, recit Aux lois d’Agamemnon Marcia per il
signore Baron di Braun Faniska, Overture Chant sur la mort de
Joseph Haydn (excerpt) Les deux journées, ou le porteur d’eau,
Act 2 (excerpt) Medea, Act 3 Finale Les Abencérages, Overture
Anacréon, Overture Requiem No 1 in C minor (excerpt) String
Quartet No 2 (1st mvt, Lent – Allegro) Requiem No 2 in D minor
for male chorus & orchestra (Agnus Dei)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC
Cymru Wales


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Luigi Cherubini
(1760-1842) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0011bml


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z