BBC Radio 3 Classical Highlights

Ottorino Respighi's "Roman Festivals," the final installment of his "Roman Triptych," is a vivid orchestral showpiece completed in 1928. It programmatically depicts scenes of ancient and contemporary Roman life, from the brutal spectacle of gladiatorial games to the joyous chaos of an Epiphany festival in the Piazza Navona. The work is renowned for its demanding orchestration and was considered by Respighi himself to be the pinnacle of his exploration of orchestral color and sonority. The broadcast is a collaborative effort involving the BBC's own ensembles and partners from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a network of public service media organizations across Europe. This partnership allows for the sharing of live and specially recorded concerts, bringing a diverse range of performances to a wide international audience. Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, who passed away in December 2024, had a monumental year in early 2024, winning three Grammy Awards. Two of these awards recognized his collaborative albums "As We Speak," a fusion of Indian classical music, bluegrass, and Western classical, and "This Moment," the first studio album in over 45 years from his pioneering world-music group, Shakti. Melbourne-based keyboardist and composer Finn Rees is a rising figure in the contemporary jazz scene. His debut solo album, "Dawn Is a Melody," released in 2024, has been praised for its blend of spiritual jazz, psychedelic soul, and lush orchestral arrangements, drawing comparisons to the work of Alice Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. The album showcases his work with some of Melbourne's top musicians.