Jess Gillam with... Anne Sofie von Otter

This Classical Life

Jess Gillam swaps favourite music with the mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter

Anne Sofie is one of classical music's most celebrated singers with a huge back catalogue of recordings, and she's also known for her huge versatility and musical curiosity working with artists from conductors Claudio Abbado and Giuseppe Sinopoli to Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau and Rufus Wainwright.

Today though she's listening to other people's recordings, as she and Jess sat down together to listen to a Janacek fanfare and a headphone blasting piece of Verdi. Jess picks a Nina Simone track that left them both speechless, while Anne Sofie brought along a ravishing piece by Rameau and (quite literally) turned up the volume on a barnstorming Beyoncé track.

Playlist:

JANACEK: Sinfonietta, 1st mvt 'Sokol Fanfare' [Vienna Philharmonic, Charles Mackerras (conductor)] JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON: Good Night, Day [Hildur Guðnadóttir (cello), Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra, Anthony Weeden (conductor)] BEYONCÉ: Countdown RAMEAU: Les Boréades, Act 4 Entrée de Polymie [Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski (cond)] VERDI: Requiem, Dies Irae (into Tuba Mirum) [Coro y Orchestra dell’Accademia Nationale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano (conductor)] NINA SIMONE: Little Girl Blue BENGAN JANSON: I’ve Found a New Baby