Once Upon A Time... The Brothers Grimm

As part of the BBC's 'Once Upon a Time...' week, Elizabeth Alker continues her celebration of the fairy tale with concert performances and specially recorded performances of pieces inspired by the folk collections of the German Grimm Brothers and France's Charles Perrault. Also in today, more from lutenist Thomas Dunford’s recent series of concerts from LSO St. Luke’s. Including:

Engelbert Humperdinck
Hansel and Gretel Suite
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier (conductor)

From LSO St. Luke’s - Thomas Dunford and Friends:
Robert de Visse
Sarabande en ré mineur Chaconne
Eric Satie
Gnossienne 1
Thomas Dunford (lute)

Sergei Prokofiev
Movements from Cinderella (arranged by Yevgeny Sudbin for piano 4 hands)
Yevgeny Sudbin &
Bella Sudbin (piano)

Maurice Ravel
Mother Goose (full ballet version)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Kristian Sallinen (conductor)

From LSO St. Luke’s - Thomas Dunford and Friends:
John Dowland
Semper Dowland Semper Dolens
Mrs Winter’s Jump
Thomas Dunford (lute)

Gustav Mahler
Cantata: Song of Lamentation (Das klagende Lied)
(original three part 1893 version)
Chen Reiss (soprano)
Stefanie Irányi (alto)
Attilio Glaser (tenor)
Dominik Wagner (baritone)
Czech Philharmonic Choir, Brno
Dominik Pernica (conductor of of the offstage orchestra)
Brno Philharmonic
Dennis Russell Davies (conductor)

The BBC’s ‘Once Upon a Time…’ week celebrates fairytales and storytelling in partnership with the British Library. On BBC Radio 3 Edith Bowman explores fairytales and fantasy in 'Sound of Cinema', actors Pearce Quigley and Lydia Wilson delve into the worlds of princesses, frogs, and spells in 'Words & Music', Sara Mohr-Pietsch charts a course to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in 'Music Map', and Elizabeth Alker presents music inspired by enchanted lands, magical creatures, and timeless tales, in 'Classical Live' and 'Unclassified'. Just search ‘Once Upon a Time…’ in BBC Sounds. The British Library’s major new exhibition Fairy Tales runs from 27th March – 23rd August 2026.