BBC Radio 3 announces Mozart season

BBC Radio 3 has confirmed plans to clear its schedule in early January for a season devoted to the music of Mozart.

The Genius of Mozart season, which follows similar celebrations of Bach and Beethoven, will feature the composer's complete works, along with documentaries and live performances.

Roger Wright, the Radio 3 controller, said that the "all-encompassing season" - due to run from January 1 to 12 - would celebrate the work of "a prolific genius". The Austrian composer produced more than 600 known pieces of music before his death in 1791, at the age of 35.

In the season, Radio 3 will broadcast Sir Peter Hall's 1983 production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, which was later turned into an Oscar-winning film.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will present a programme showcasing her favourite Mozart arias, while BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers will perform his music at venues across the UK.

Other highlights include A History Of Mozart In A Dozen Objects and a special edition of Private Passions, featuring guests picking their favourite Mozart compositions.

Anyone listening live to the season online will also be able to enjoy Mozart with crystal clarity via the new HD Sound format, which was officially launched this month.

"After the groundbreaking success of The Beethoven Experience and A Bach Christmas we're thrilled to announce our all-encompassing Mozart season, building on Radio 3's unchallenged track record in using its whole schedule to celebrate the music of a composer," said Wright.

"Mozart was a prolific genius, so we hope that new audiences will join Radio 3 and BBC Four on air and online for what promises to be a really entertaining and informative 12 days."

The Mozart season will be joined in January by landmark new series Music Planet, in which Andy Kershaw will return to the station to present a companion series to BBC One's Human Planet.

Writing on the Radio 3 blog, Wright added: "What all these programming initiatives have in common is that they are all different ways in which to draw attention to what Radio 3 does on a daily basis.

"Live music (be it classical, jazz or world), debate, discussion, drama, recommendations, music sequences and music in context - it’s all there regularly on Radio 3 - and so these special series are consistent with the station's output throughout the rest of the year and I hope that they introduce more listeners to Radio 3 and its rich and varied programming."