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American composer John Adams in the studio and classical music in Bluey

Tom Service chats to American composer John Adams about his incredible career, plus, Joff Bush, composer of Bluey talks about bringing classical music to kids all over the world.

Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack to start the weekend!

American composer John Adams is, one of the world's greatest living composers, and his music from Nixon in China to Shaker Loops to Short Ride in a Fast Machine are some of the most performed contemporary works today. The Times said “If American music has a living epitome, it is John Adams”. He's also a much in demand conductor and is in the UK to lead the Hallé orchestra in several concerts of his own music and more - he chats to Tom about his music, cultural life in America, why he's not a political composer and why he believes all children are musical.

Tom also chats to another composer, Joff Bush, the composer for the much loved Australian kids cartoon 'Bluey'. Joff's scores for Bluey fuse his new music with reimagined versions of classical favourites, from Holst's Jupiter to Mozart's Rondo alla Turca or Pachelbel's Canon, and are opening up classical music to a whole generation. Tom chats to Joff about his music for the series and the release of 'Bluey's First Ever Piano Book' which starts little ones playing the piano using games, imagination and stories from Bluey’s world.

Plus ahead of tonight’s clock change in the UK, neuropsychologist Catherine Loveday explores the link between sleep and music and whether we can really use music to help us get a better night’s sleep

22 days left to listen

3 hours

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Missa in C Minor K.427 [Unfinished] (Credo; Credo in unum Deum)

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Conductor: John Butt.
    • Mozart: Mass in C Minor - C.P.E. Bach: Heilig ist Gott.
    • Linn Records.
    • 9.
  • Antonín Dvořák

    Piano Quintet no.2 in A major Op.81 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Boris Giltburg. Ensemble: Pavel Haas Quartet.
    • SUPRAPHON.
  • Arvo Pärt

    Hymn to a Great City

    Performer: Georgijs Osokins. Performer: Martha Argerich.
    • Arvo Pärt: Hymn to a Great City for 2 Pianos.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 1.
  • Jean‐Philippe Rameau

    Entrée de Polymnie (Les Boréades)

    Orchestra: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • Archiv.
  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony no.2 in B flat major D.125 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: B’Rock Orchestra. Conductor: René Jacobs.
    • Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 4.
  • Emmanuel Séjourné

    Marimba Concerto (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester. Conductor: Johannes Schlaefli.
    • Concertos on Marimba.
    • Oehms Classics.
    • 6.
  • William Byrd

    O God, the proud are risen

    Choir: Tallis Scholars. Director: Peter Phillips.
    • GIMELL.
  • Trad.

    The Coolin

    Music Arranger: Joan Trimble. Ensemble: Far Flung Trio.
    • Umbrellas.
    • Orchid Classics.
    • 115.
  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Keyboard Sonata in D major Kk.491

    Performer: Javier Perianes.
    • Scarlatti.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 1.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Symphony no.5 in E minor Op.64 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Karina Canellakis.
    • LPO.
  • John Adams

    Slonimsky's Earbox

    Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Kent Nagano.
    • Nonesuch.
  • John Adams

    Meister Eckhardt and Quackie (Harmonielehre)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: John Adams.
    • The John Adams Edition.
    • Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • 3.
  • John Adams

    Short ride in a fast machine

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Alan Gilbert.
    • The John Adams Edition.
    • Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • 104.
  • Camille Saint‐Saëns

    Bassoon Sonata Op.168 (3rd mvt)

    Music Arranger: Roger Helou. Performer: Rui Lopes. Ensemble: Gringolts Quartet.
    • Camille Saint-Saëns: Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 168: III. Adagio – Allegr.
    • Prospero Classical.
    • 1.
  • Louise Bertin

    Fausto (Act 2; Cavatina. Palpita nel seno gelido il cor)

    Singer: Karina Gauvin. Orchestra: Les Talens Lyriques. Conductor: Christophe Rousset.
    • Louise Bertin: Fausto.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 16.
  • Johann David Heinichen

    Dresden concerto in D major S.226

    Ensemble: Ensemble Diderot.
    • Travel Concertos.
    • Audax Records.
    • 10.
  • Johann Strauss II

    Tritsch-Tratsch Polka

    Music Arranger: Georges Cziffra. Performer: Yuja Wang.
    • Yuja Wang - Fantasia.
    • DG.
    • 10.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Ode to Joy (Symphony no.9)

    Music Arranger: Joff Bush. Ensemble: The Bluey Music Team.
  • Gustav Holst

    Jupiter (The Planets)

    Music Arranger: Joff Bush. Performer: The Bluey Music Team.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Concerto no.5 in E flat major Op.73 'Emperor' (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Leif Ove Andsnes. Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
    • The Beethoven Journey.
    • Sony Classics.
    • 3.
  • Mason Bates

    Attack Decay Sustain Release

    Orchestra: Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Conductor: Gil Rose.
    • Mason Bates: Mothership.
    • BMOP/sound.
    • 3.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Goldberg Variations BWV.988 (Aria)

    Music Arranger: Martin Fröst. Performer: Martin Fröst. Performer: Sebastien Dubé.
    • B.A.C.H..
    • Sony Classical.
    • 1.
  • Francis Poulenc

    Sinfonietta (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de Lille. Conductor: Alexandre Bloch.
    • Poulenc: La voix humaine.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 24.
  • Danish String Quartet

    Old Reinlender from Sonndala

    Performer: Chaos String Quartet.
    • ѿý recording.
  • Claude Debussy

    Prelude l'apres midi d'un faun

    Music Arranger: Isao Tomita. Performer: Isao Tomita.
    • RCA.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Ein deutsches Requiem Op.45 (Selig sind, die da Leid tragen)

    Orchestra: Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 1.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano sonata in E minor H.16.34 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Paul Lewis.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Ottorino Respighi

    Bergamasca (Ancient Airs and Dances)

    Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Henry Raudales.
    • Respighi: Antiche danze ed arie per liuto & Gli uccelli.
    • CPO.
    • 204.

Broadcast

  • Last Saturday 09:00