1. Sunday 3 January 2010 at 3 pm

The Love of Three Tenors ?

Following our Top Diva debate last year, in which first place in the audience voting went to Dame Janet Baker, Humphrey turns his attention to the male voice and appraises the varied qualities of the  operatic heroes with whom he’s worked over the past half-century. They include the original “three tenors”: Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti; the “battling”  baritones Hvorostovsky and Terfel,  who twenty years  ago in Cardiff fought for the title “Singer of the World”; and a host of other great names, among them Thomas Allen, Franco Bonisolli, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Robert Lloyd, Benjamin Luxon, Peter Pears, Ruggero Raimondi and Sam Ramey. Come to listen, then cast your vote in this up-market  survey (not to be confused with “The X-Factor”).

2. Sunday 21 February 2010 at 3 pm

Concerto ! Three Centuries of Struggle

An exploration of classical music’s most popular form, all the way from its origins in the perfect baroque symmetry of J.S.Bach via the drama and high spirits  of Mozart, the grandeur of Beethoven, the poetry of Brahms and the romantic passion of Tchaikovsky to the modern-day genius of   Gershwin and Walton. Illustrated with concerto performances  from Humphrey’s personal video archive. Among the  world-renowned  soloists are the cellist Mischa Maisky,  violinists Kyung-Wha Chung, Gidon Kremer and Anne-Sophie Mutter and  pianists Claudio Arrau,   Alfred Brendel,  Peter Donohoe, Murray Perahia and Kystian Zimerman.

3. Sunday 21 March 2010 at 3 pm

Marvellous Mariinsky – St Petersburg’s Theatrical Jewel

A portrait of the great opera and ballet theatre in St Petersburg, known in the Soviet era as the Kirov. For the last 20 years its musical director and driving force has been the powerful figure of Valery Gergiev, with whom Humphrey worked  on live tv relays of  Boris Godunov and War and Peace. There will  be scenes from both operas and then, in a departure from the regular format,  Humphrey will be joined on the platform by noted film-makers Margy Kinmonth and Maureen Murray; they will introduce a complete screening of their sumptuous ITV “Special” Mariinksy Theatre, which is narrated by Maestro Gergiev and features Anna Netrebko, Maya Plisetskaya and guest tenor Placido Domingo in  ballet and opera masterpieces premiered in this historic 225 year old theatre. 

Tickets: £10 each or £27 for the season - on sale soon