Early Music Show

Lucie Skeaping and conductor Stephen Rice explore the music of the Franco-Flemish composer Pierre de Manchicourt, who died 450 years ago today.

Lucie Skeaping is joined by harpsichordist Martin Perkins to explore the music 18th-century audiences in Birmingham and the Midlands would have known. The programme includes rarely heard works by John Pixell, Richard Mudge, Joseph Harris, Barnabas Gunn, Jeremiah Clark of Worcester and Capel Bond.

Lucie Skeaping explores the origins of Klezmer, a musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe, with musicologist Dr Alexander Knapp. Played by professional musicians called 'klezmorim', the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations. Compared with most other European folk music styles, little is known about the history of klezmer music, but research now traces it back to medieval times through synagogue chant and modes.

Lucie Skeaping looks at how the bassoon developed from its forerunner - the curtel, dulcian or bajon, with the help of experts Maggie Kilbey and Andrew Watts.

Sophie Yates visits the Royal Academy of Music in London to explore Rameau's mastery of dance music in his works for the theatre. She's joined by the art historian Clare Hornsby, the dancer and choreographer Christopher Tudor and the composer and harpsichordist David Gordon, to examine an engraving which boasts a fascinating genesis and which has an intriguing link to Rameau's opera Castor and Pollux.

Clare Salaman is fascinated by the continuing debate about authenticity - or Historically Informed Practice (H.I.P) - in Early Music. How can we be sure that performances are historically accurate, and how important is it that they are? Clare talks to Cat Mackintosh about early developments in performance practice pioneered by David Munrow and his contemporaries, and about Cat's own work with the Academy of Ancient Music and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The baroque violinist Bjarte Eike tells her about his unique approach with his group Barokksolistene, and Clare talks to David McGuinness about his eclectic and sometimes surprising work with Concerto Caledonia.

Lucie Skeaping introduces a selection of music by one of the most engaging and important Venetian composers, Giovanni Gabrieli, who died in August 1612. Gabrieli spent his life working in Venice and held the esteemed position of organist at both St. Marks and San Rocco, so some of the musicians and singers must have worked in both establishments too. It is unclear exactly what compositions Gabrieli wrote specifically for the Scuole di San Rocco, but there are some interesting clues left to us by the English traveller Thomas Coryate.

In 1702, the 19-year-old Philip V of Spain came from his native France to Naples for a month. For this occasion, the Neopolitan based composer Alessandro Scarlatti was joined by the other great Italian composer of the day, Arcangelo Corelli, with mixed results! Catherine Bott explores the stories that surround the music and entertainments put on for this occasion.

Sophie Yates visits The Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments in Edinburgh to play extracts from Rameau's Pièces de clavecin on three extraordinary double-manual French harpsichords made in the late 1700s and fully restored to playing condition. She talks to the museum's curator, Darryl Martin, about the history of the instruments, and to harpsichord maker Andrew Garlick about how they each produce their own unique sound.

Piers Adams continues to celebrate CPE Bach's 300th anniversary year with a visit to Berlin's Charlottenburg Palace, where Emanuel Bach arrived as an optimistic 26 year old to join the court of Prussia's flute-playing King Frederick the Great.

Lucie Skeaping celebrates the life and music of English composer Robert Fayrfax who flourished in the early 1500s and was born 550 years ago. More of Fayrfax's music survives than of any other English composer of the period, largely due to the existence of two large Tudor choir books in which his works were collected. Lucie takes a look at one of these choir books housed in Lambeth Palace library with the help of musicologist David Skinner.

Guillaume Dufay was a 15th century composer, born in what is now northern France, who spent most of his career touring Europe, working in some of the most important and influential centres of his day. He found himself in the middle of many of the major political struggles comfronting the 15th century which inevitably had a profound impact both on his life and music. Lucie Skeaping reflects on Dufay's Europe.

In July 1772 Dr Charles Burney set off on his second European journey to gather information for his proposed mighty publication of A History of Music. Lucie Skeaping interviews musician and publisher Ian Gammie about Burney's musical perambulations through Germany and The Netherlands, and chooses music by some of the composers he met along the way.

Lucie Skeaping talks to members of the Hilliard Ensemble as they celebrate their 40th anniversary, and plays a selection of their many recordings.

Catherine Bott visits Bath with bass-baritone Raimund Herincx to learn about the celebrated 18th century castrato, teacher and composer, Venanzio Rauzzini.