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Building a Library: Rodgers and Hammerstein: Carousel

With Andrew McGregor. Including Building a Library: Rodgers and Hammerstein: Carousel; A report from a new recording of Verdi's Aida; Disc of the Week.

with Andrew McGregor

0930
Edward Seckerson compares available versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel and makes a personal recommendation.

After 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein had a problem. How could they possibly follow the phenomenal Broadway success of Oklahoma!? Two years later, the story of fairground barker Billy Bigelow and millworker Julie Jordan in 19th-century Maine was their answer. Carousel, with its themes of despair, illegitimacy, childhood misery and the redemptive power of love, prompted Stephen Sondheim to declare 'whilst Oklahoma! is about a picnic, Carousel is about life.'

Carousel's string of unforgettable numbers ("June is Bustin' Out All Over", "If I Loved You", "When the Children are Asleep" and "You'll Never Walk Alone") struck a chord with wartime audiences. Fifty years on, it can be seen as one of the great stage works of the 20th century.

1045
Nowadays studio recordings of grand opera by major record companies seem almost like a thing of the past. So when Warner Classics announced that they were recording the grandest of all grand operas, Verdi's Aida, CD Review decided it had to be there to report on the sessions. Andrew McGregor went to Rome to eavesdrop on this recording, made in the fabled acoustics of Santa Cecilia's concert hall. Conductor Antonio Pappano leads a stellar cast including Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ludovic Tessier and Erwin Schrott. Includes interviews with the artists and extracts from the new recording, due to be released in the autumn.

1145
Andrew selects an outstanding disc of the week.

3 hours, 12 minutes

Last on

Sat 4 Jul 2015 09:00
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Building a Library: Britten: Les Illuminations

Next

Building a Library: Brahms Cello Sonata No 2 in F, Op 99

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Clip

Music Played

  • Aaron Copland

    Symphony No. 3: 4th mvt Fanfare

    Orchestra: Oregon Symphony. Conductor: Carlos Kalmar.
    • Pentatone: PTC 5186 481.
    • Pentatone.
    • 6.

  • Randall Thompson

    Alleluia For Chorus

    Choir: Polyphony. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • Hyperion: CDA67929.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1.

  • David Lang

    The difficulty of crossing a field (the first telling)

    Performer: Beverly O'Regan Thiele. Performer: Douglas Kinney Frost. Performer: Laquita Mitchell. Ensemble: Harlem String Quartet.

  • Spain.Traditional

    El Cant Dels Ocells [catalonian]

    Performer: Mieczysław Horszowski. Performer: Pau Casals.
    • Minuet Records: 428408.
    • Minuet Records.
    • 10.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Unfinished sonata (1945)

    Performer: Linus Roth. Performer: Joe Gallardo.
    • Challenge Classics.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Symphony No. 8 In C Minor Op.65

    Conductor: Yevgeny Mravinsky. Orchestra: Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Praga Digitals: PRD/DSD 350 120.
    • Praga Digitals.
    • 3.

  • Mieczyslaw Weinberg

    Concertino Op.42 For Violin And Strings (iii)

    Performer: Linus Roth. Orchestra: Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn. Conductor: Ruben Gazarian.
    • Warner Classics: 0825646155019.
    • Challenge Classics.
    • 7.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Suite No. 5 In C Minor Bwv.1011 For Cello Solo

    Performer: David Watkin.
    • Resonus Classics RES10147.
    • Resonus Classics.
    • 13.

9.00am

Spirit of the American Range

ANTHEIL: A Jazz Symphony

COPLAND: Symphony No. 3

PISTON: The Incredible Flutist: Suite

The Oregon Symphony, Carlos Kalmar

PENTATONE PTC5186481 (Hybrid SACD)

Ìý

American Polyphony

BARBER, S: Agnus Dei; Reincarnations Op. 16; Twelfth Night; To Be Sung on the Water Op. 42; Heaven-Haven: A Nun Takes the Veil Op. 13, No. 1; The Virgin Martyrs Op. 8 No. 1; Let Down the Bars, O Death Op. 8 No. 2

BERNSTEIN: Missa Brevis

COPLAND: Four Motets

THOMPSON, R: Alleluia; Fare Well 'When I lie where shades of darkness'

David Allsopp (countertenor), Christopher Lowrey (countertenor), Robert Millett (percussion), Polyphony, Stephen Layton (conductor)

HYPERION CDA67929 (CD)

Ìý

LANG, D: The difficulty of crossing a field

Beverly O’Regan Thiele, Laquita Mitchell, Jay O Sanders, Harlem String Quartet, Douglas Kinney Frost

CANTALOUPE CA21107 (CD)

Ìý

Pablo Casals: A Concert At The White House

CASALS: El Cant dels Ocells (Song of the birds)

COUPERIN, F: Pieces en Concert for Cello & Strings

HAYDN: Piano Trio No. 39 in G major, Hob.XV:25 'Gypsy'

MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor Op. 49

SCHUMANN: Adagio and Allegro in A flat major Op. 70

Pablo Casals (cello), Mieczyslaw Horszowski (piano), Alfred Cortot (piano), Jacques Thibaut (violin), Alexander Schneider (violin)

MINUET 428408 (CD mid-price)

9.30am Building a Library

Edward Seckerson joins Andrew live in the studio to compare recordings of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel and make a personal recommendation.

Ìý

Top Recommendation:

Ìý

Carousel – Film Soundtrack

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN: Carousel, Original Motion Picture Sountrack

Gordon Mcrae (Billy Bigelow), Shirley Jones (Julie Jordan), 20th Century Orchestra, Alfred Newman (conductor)

Angel 7243 5 27352 2Ìý (DOWNLOAD ONLY)

Ìý

Next week’s Building a Library is on Brahms’ Cello Sonata No. 2

10.40am

Wartime Consolations

HARTMANN, K: Concerto Funebre for violin & string orchestra

SHOSTAKOVICH: Unfinished Sonata (1945) for Violin and Piano

WEINBERG: Concertino Op. 42; Rhapsody on Moldavian Op. 47, No. 3

Linus Roth (violin), Jose Gallardo (piano), Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, Ruben Gazarian

CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72680 (Hybrid SACD)

Ìý

Yevgeny Mravinsky conducts Shostakovich & Scriabin

SCRIABIN: Symphony No. 4 - 'Le Poeme de l'extase' Op. 54

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 8 in C minor Op. 65

Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Yevgeny Mravinsky (conductor)

PRAGA DSD350120 (Hybrid SACD)

Ìý

Shostakovich Plays Shostakovich

SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet & strings Op. 35; Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major Op. 102; Cello Sonata in D minor Op. 40; Fantastic Dances (3) Op. 5; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 1 in C major; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 4 in E minor; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 5 in D major; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 6 in B minor; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 13 in F sharp major; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 14 in E flat minor; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 18 in F minor; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 23 in F major; Prelude & Fugue for piano Op. 87 No. 24 in D minor

Ludovic Vaillant (trumpet), Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise, Andre Cluytens (conductor), Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Dmitri Shostakovich (piano)

WARNER CLASSICS 2564615501 (2CD budget)

10.55am Aida Session Report

Nowadays studio recordings of grand opera by major record companies seem almost like a thing of the past. So when Warner Classics announced that they were recording the grandest of all grand operas, Verdi’s Aida, CD Review decided it had to be there to report on the sessions. Andrew McGregor went to Rome to eavesdrop on this recording, made in the superb acoustic of Santa Cecilia’s concert hall. Conductor Antonio Pappano leads a stellar cast including Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ludovic Tessier and Erwin Schrott. Includes interviews with the artists and extracts from the new recording, due to be released in the autumn.

11. 40am Disc of the Week

BACH, J S: Cello Suites Nos. 1-6, BWV1007-1012

David Watkin (cello)

RESONUS CLASSICS RES10147 (2CD mid-price)

Broadcast

  • Sat 4 Jul 2015 09:00
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3

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