Women's Words and Voices
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform from their home, Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, under the baton of one of the world's most exciting young conductors, Marta Gardolinska.
The concert opens fittingly with Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz's Overture for orchestra. Bacewicz was a trailblazer in early 20th-century music, a celebrated female composer who wrote the work in 1943 when her country was under Nazi occupation. The sense of struggle and combat is heard within the piece with the opening rumble of the timpani, the beat of the snare drum and the brass instruments playing fanfares. The work also contains a musical message of hope, with the Morse code for the letter V, dot-dot-dot-dash, beaten out on the timpani, symbolising victory.
The orchestra then welcomes BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Johan Dalene to perform Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. Swedish-born Johan, who is 20 years old, began playing the violin when he was four and made his concerto debut three years later. Mendelssohn wrote the work for his friend Ferdinand David, and the piece has become treasured by soloists and audiences worldwide for its lyrical melodies, fine craftsmanship and charm.
The concert ends with the orchestra performing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony in F minor. Tchaikovsky began this work after his catastrophic marriage, which lasted just two months, to his former student Antonina Miliukova. Emerging from a profound period of writer's block, struggling with his sexuality, and battling against a heavy bout of depression, it is perhaps unsurprising that the music is urgent, supercharged and, at points, violent.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Malory Towers
Based on the hugely popular book series of the same name by Enid Blyton, Malory Towers is a live-action series following 12-year-old Darrell Rivers as she leaves home for the first time to attend an all-girls' boarding school. Set in the 1940s on the sun-drenched cliffs of the Cornish coast, Malory Towers explores this nostalgic world of midnight feasts, lacrosse, pranks, and lasting friendships. For a contemporary audience, the show is both aspirational and inspirational, telling the story of universal experiences include shifting cliques, FOMO, bullying, crushes, peer pressure, and self-doubt. The girls keep an eye on each other and, like a family, are forever connected by their shared experiences.
Bob's Burgers
The series follows Bob who runs Bob's Burgers, with the help of his wife and their three kids. Bob has big ideas about burgers, but the rest of the clan falls short on service. Despite the greasy counters and lousy location, the Belchers are determined to make every "Grand Re-Re-Re-opening" a success. Bob's wife, Linda, stands by her man and often does so by bursting into song. Their eldest daughter, 13-year-old Tina has a slight obsession with boys and zombies. Middle child Gene is an aspiring musician with a thirst for life. Louise is the bunny ears-wearing youngest daughter with an off-kilter sense of humor that makes her somewhat of a liability in the kitchen – and with the public.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American comedy series about four friends in their late 20s with clear sociopathic tendencies who run an unsuccessful Irish bar, "Paddy's Pub," in South Philadelphia. The series deals with a variety of controversial topics, including abortion, gun control, physical disabilities, racism, sexism, religion, the Israeli/Palestinian situation, terrorism, transsexuality, slavery, incest, sexual harassment in education, the homeless, statutory rape, drug addiction, pedophilia, child abuse, mental illness, gay rights and dumpster babies.
Murderbot
Based on Martha Wells' book series The Murderbot Diaries, an action-packed story about self-hacking security android who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.
