Broadcast highlights

Radio highlights

 Who Was Carlos Kleiber?

 Saturday 26 September 12.15pm

 The conductor Carlos Kleiber was something of an enigma. The recipient of unending praise during his lifetime, he never gave an interview and performed very infrequently. Indeed, Herbert von Karajan once claimed that Kleiber – essentially a freelance conductor who never joined a company – could only be cajoled out of reclusion 'when his freezer is empty'. Talking to the few who knew Kleiber well, Ivan Hewett attempts to reveal the man behind the myth.

Gilberto Gil

Saturday 26 September, 3pm

Brazilian singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil has led a colourful life – not only is he one of his homeland’s most influential musicians ever, he was also thrown in jail by the military government in the late 1960s before – more than 30 years later – becoming the country’s Minister of Culture. Monica Vasconcelos introduces a solo, guitar-only performance given by Gil at London's Barbican.

Alla Francesca at the 2009 York Early Music Festival

Sunday 27 September, 1pm

In a programme exploring the impact of the Black Death on early music, Catherine Bott introduces highlights of a concert given by the French ensemble Alla Francesca in the Chapter House of York Minster as part of the York Early Music Festival 2009. The music includes settings of Hebrew prayers, anonymous songs from the Jewish community, and sequences of instrumental and vocal music by Machaut.

TV highlights

 Death In Venice: A Musical Journey With Louis Lortie

 Tuesday 22 September, 5.50pm

One of the latest projects of Montreal-born pianist Louis Lortie has been a ‘visual concert’ inspired by Venice, produced in collaboration with the film-maker Mathieu Roy. Here the musician undertakes a musical journey, sharing his passion and fascination for the magical city.

 Leeds International Piano Competition

 Friday 25 September, 7.30pm

With its previous winners including Murray Perahia and Artur Pizarro, it’s small wonder why the Leeds International Piano Competition attracts top-grade pianists from across the globe. This week’s helping is the second of six visits to the competition. Your host is the ever-avuncular Huw Edwards.