Andrew McGregor with Suzanne Aspden and William Mival
A round-up of the best new classical recordings plus, in Building a Library, Suzanne Aspden compares recordings of Handel's Israel in Egypt and picks a favourite.
with Andrew McGregor.
09.30
Building a Library: Suzanne Aspden compares recordings of Handel's Israel in Egypt and picks a favourite.
Handel was a very successful composer of Italian opera until a rival opera company split the audience for Italian opera in London. So Handel started looking for new audiences by writing oratorios in English. Israel in Egypt along with Messiah has texts compiled from Biblical verses. Also, like Messiah, it contains more choruses than his other oratorios. This may explain its initial lack of success. In fact, Handel revised the work, adding Italian-style arias of the kind contemporary audiences enjoyed. Today it is these very dramatic and pictorial choruses which ensure its continued popularity with choirs and audiences alike.
10.40
William Mival has been listening to new releases of orchestral music by Bartok, Richard Strauss and Schoenberg, including a new recording of Suk's monumental Asrael Symphony
11.25
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Recording of the Week.
Last on
Music Played
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Georg Philipp Telemann
Concerto for Violin and Traverso in E Minor, TWV 52:e3
Performer: Jean Brégnac. Ensemble: Les Accents. Director: Thibault Noally.- Bach & Co.
- 貹é.
- 102.
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Herbert Howells
Cello Concerto ii) Threnody. Lento calmato - Assai teneramente
Performer: Guy Johnston. Ensemble: Britten Sinfonia. Conductor: Christopher Seaman.- Howells: Cello Concerto, An English Mass.
- Kings College Cambridge.
- 202.
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Thomas Arne
Recitative: Saturnia (The Judgment Of Paris)
Singer: Mary Bevan. Singer: Susanna Fairbairn. Singer: Gillian Ramm. Ensemble: The Brook Street Band. Conductor: John Andrews.- Dutton Epoch.
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Thomas Arne
Air: Gentle swain! (The Judgment Of Paris)
Singer: Mary Bevan. Singer: Susanna Fairbairn. Singer: Gillian Ramm. Ensemble: The Brook Street Band. Conductor: John Andrews.- Dutton Epoch.
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Stewart Goodyear
Callaloo, II Mento
Performer: Stewart Goodyear. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Wayne Marshall.- Orchid Classics.
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Johannes Brahms
Piano Quintet in B minor Op. 115 iv) Con moto
Performer: Reto Bieri. Ensemble: Meta4.- ECM.
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Gérard Pesson
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Performer: Reto Bieri. Ensemble: Meta4.- ECM.
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Max Richter
The Four Seasons Recomposed: Autumn I
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi. Performer: Fenella Humphreys. Conductor: Ben Palmer. Orchestra: Covent Garden Sinfonia.- Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter.
- Rubicon Classics.
- 107.
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Gustav Mahler
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen (Rückert)
Singer: Renée Fleming. Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christian Thielemann.- Decca.
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Jacques Offenbach
Couplets de la lettre "Ô mon cher amant, je te jure" (La Périchole)
Ensemble: Cast. Choir: Chorus of the National Opera of Bordeaux. Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.- Bru Zane.
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Jacques Offenbach
Finale: "Oh ! là ! hé !... holà ! de là-bas"(La Périchole)
Ensemble: Cast. Choir: Chorus of the National Opera of Bordeaux. Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.- Bru Zane.
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Jacques Offenbach
Couplets de la griserie "Ah ! quel dîner je viens de faire !" (La Périchole)
Ensemble: Cast. Choir: Chorus of the National Opera of Bordeaux. Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.- Bru Zane.
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Jacques Offenbach
Suite du Finale "Ah ! les autres étaient bien gris" (La Périchole)
Ensemble: Cast. Choir: Chorus of the National Opera of Bordeaux. Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.- Bru Zane.
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Jacques Offenbach
Duetto du mariage "Je dois vous prévenir, madame" (La Périchole)
Ensemble: Cast. Choir: Chorus of the National Opera of Bordeaux. Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.- Bru Zane.
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Jacques Offenbach
Suite du Finale "Mon Dieu !... que de cérémonie !..." (La Périchole)
Ensemble: Cast. Choir: Chorus of the National Opera of Bordeaux. Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.- Bru Zane.
Record Review
9.00am
Bach & Co – Music by J S Bach, Graun, Telemann etc
Claire Sottovia (violin)
Jean Brégnac (traverso)
Emmanuel Laporte (oboe)
Sébastien Marq (recorder)
Les Accents
Thibault Noally (violin and direction)
Aparté AP 206
Howells: Cello Concerto & An English Mass
Guy Johnston (cello)
Stephen Cleobury (organ)
King's College Choir Cambridge
King's Voices
Britten Sinfonia
Christopher Seaman (conductor)
Kings College KGS0032 (2 Hybrid SACDs)
Arne: The Judgment of Paris
Mary Bevan (Venus)
Susanna Fairbairn (Pallas)
Gillian Ramm (Juno)
Ed Lyon (Paris)
Anthony Gregory (Mercury)
Andrew Mahon (bass)
The Brook Street Band
John Andrews
Dutton Epoch CDLX 7361 (Hybrid SACD)
Gershwin & Goodyear – Goodyear: Callaloo, Piano Sonata and Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Stewart Goodyear (piano)
Chineke! Orchestra
Wayne Marshall (conductor)
Orchid Classics ORC 100100
9.30am – Building a Library – Suzanne Aspden on Handel's Israel in Egypt, HWV54
Composer: George Frideric Handel
Reviewer: Suzanne Aspden
Recommended Recording:
Nancy Argenta (soprano)
Emily van Evera (soprano)
Timothy Wilson (counter-tenor)
Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor)
David Thomas (bass)
Jeremy White (bass)
Taverner Choir & Players
Andrew Parrott (conductor)
Erato 5621552 (2 CDs)
Other Recommended Recording:
Julia Doyle (soprano)
Maria Valdmaa (soprano)
David Allsopp (counter tenor)
James Gilchrist (tenor)
Roderick Williams (bass)
Peter Harvey (bass)
Netherlands Chamber Choir & Le Concert Lorrain
Roy Goodman (conductor)
Etcetera KTC1517 (2 CDs)
10.20am – New Releases
Max Richter: Recomposed - The Four Seasons, Vasks, Pärt
Fenella Humphreys (violin)
Covent Garden Sinfonia
Ben Palmer (conductor)
Rubicon RCD1015
Quasi Morendo – Brahms Clarinet Quintet and music by Pesson & Sciarrino
Reto Bieri (clarinet)
Meta4
ECM 4818082
Schumann, Brahms, Mahler - Lieder
Renée Fleming (soprano)
Hartmut Höll (piano)
Münchner Philharmoniker
Christian Thielemann (conductor)
Decca 4832335
10.45 am – New Releases – William Mival on new orchestral releases
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Der Rosenkavalier Suite
Royal Scottish National Orchestra,
Thomas Søndergård (conductor)
Linn CKD 510
Richard Strauss: Concertante Works
Tasmin Little (violin)
Julie Price (bassoon)
Michael McHale (piano)
鶹 Symphony Orchestra
Michael Collins (conductor and clarinet)
Chandos CHAN 20034
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht & Honegger: Symphony No. 2
Baltic Chamber Orchestra
Emmanuel Leducq –Barôme (conductor)
Rubicon RCD1043
Suk: Asrael & A Fairy Tale
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Jiří Bělohlávek (conductor)
Decca 4834781 (2 CDs)
Bartók: The Wooden Prince & The Miraculous Mandarin Suite
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Susanna Mälkki (conductor)
BIS BIS2328 ( Hybrid SACD)
11.25am – Record of the Week
Offenbach: La Périchole
Aude Extrémo (La Périchole)
Stanislas de Barbeyrac (Piquillo)
Alexandre Duhamel (Don Andres de Ribeira)
Éric Huchet (Don Miguel de Panatellas)
Marc Mauillon (Don Pedro de Hinoyosa)
Enguerrand de Hys (Premier Notaire/Le Marquis)
François Pardailhé (Second Notaire)
Olivia Doray (Guadalena/Manealita)
Julie Pasturaud (Berginella/Frasquinella)
Mélodie Ruvio (Mastrilla/Ninetta)
Adriana Bignagni Lesca (Brambilla)
Jean Sclavis (Un Prionnier)
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Chœur de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux
Marc Minkowski (conductor)
Zane BZ1036 (2 CDs)Broadcast
- Sat 22 Jun 2019 09:00鶹 Radio 3
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