Sir Thomas Beecham: Episode III

By Frank Byrne,

Sam Wisman

Published April 29, 2024 at 2:52 PM CDT

The favorite composers for Sir Thomas Beecham were Haydn and Mozart. While he could lead enormous Wagner operas with skill and flair, Sir Thomas was fascinated by these great musicians and their perfectly crafted masterpieces. In today’s show we will hear Haydn’s Symphony No. 100, the “Military Symphony,” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, the “Prague” Symphony. We’ll also hear an excerpt from an historic opera recording that Beecham made in Berlin.

Compositions and Recordings

Symphony No. 100 "Military"
by Franz Josef Haydn
Haydn London Symphonies
Sir Thomas Beecham and The Royal Philharmonic

Magic Flute Overture
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Magic Flute
Sir Thomas Beecham and The Royal Philharmonic

Symphony No. 38 "Prague"
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Beecham Conducts Mozart
Sir Thomas Beecham and The Royal Philharmonic

From the Archives with Frank Byrne

Frank Byrne

Frank Byrne is the host of From the Archives on 91.9 Classical KC.

Sam Wisman

Sam Wisman is a Senior Producer for 91.9 Classical KC and a backup announcer for KCUR 89.3. Email him at samwisman@classicalkc.org.