Andrew McGregor with Lucy Parham and Sarah Lenton
The latest recordings with Andrew McGregor, Building a Library on Schumann's Piano Concerto from Lucy Parham, and new releases of opera on DVD from Sarah Lenton.
with Andrew McGregor.
09.30
Building a Library: Lucy Parham listens to and compares recordings of Schumann's Piano Concerto.
The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 was finished in 1845 and is Schumann's only piano concerto. The piece has the character of a fantasy. The work is suffused with a sense of yearning and happiness; of two people in love. It seems in some ways to portray his attempt to woe and finally marry Clara, the daughter of his famous piano teacher, Friedrich Wieck. The main motif of the first movement recalls Florestan's prison aria in Beethoven's opera Fidelio. In Schumann's case this possibly symbolises his struggle for personal freedom and happiness.
10.50
Andrew McGregor talks to Sarah Lenton about recent opera productions that have been released on DVD including Cavalli's Giasone, Verdi's Stiffelio and Berg's Wozzeck
11.25
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Disc of the Week.
Last on
Music Played
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Franz Schubert
Octet in F D803: III. Scherzo
Performer: Anima Eterna Brugge.- Alpha.
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Clara Schumann
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.7: II. Romanze
Performer: Howard Shelley. Orchestra: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.- Hyperion.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
St Mark Passion: Nos.17-19
Singer: Marta Mathéu. Singer: Raffaele Pé. Singer: David Szigetvari. Ensemble: Le Concert des Nations. Director: Jordi Savall.- AliaVox.
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Sir James MacMillan
Saxophone Concerto: III. Jigs
Performer: Amy Dickson. Orchestra: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Carter.- Sony.
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Dieterich Buxtehude
Membra Jesu Nostri: Cantata II 'Ad genua'
Singer: Eloise Irving. Singer: Charlotte Ives. Singer: Daniel Collins. Singer: Nicholas Mulroy. Singer: Reuben Thomas. Choir: The Chapel Choir of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Ensemble: Orpheus Britannicus. Ensemble: Newe Vialles. Director: Andrew Arthur.- Resonus.
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Gabriel Jackson
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ: II. Anointing at Bethany
Singer: Emma Tring. Choir: Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Ensemble: Oxford Contemporary Sinfonia. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas.- Delphian.
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Francisco Javier GarcÃa Fajer
Siete Palabras de Cristo: VII. A su Eterno Padre
Singer: Bárbara Barradas. Singer: Lucia Napoli. Ensemble: Divino Sospiro. Director: Massimo Mazzeo.- Pan Classics.
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Francesco Cavalli
Il Giasone: Act I (extract)
Singer: Willard White. Conductor: Leonardo GarcÃa Alarcón. Ensemble: Cappella Mediterranea. Singer: Migran Agadzhanyan.- Alpha.
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Thomas Adès
The Exterminating Angel: 'What is the Doctor's opinion?'
Singer: John Tomlinson. Conductor: Thomas Adès. Choir: Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Singer: Christine Rice. Orchestra: Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Singer: Amanda Echalaz.- Erato.
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Christoph Willibald Gluck
Orphée et Euridice: Aria. 'Lespoir renait dans mon ame'
Singer: Juan Diego Flórez. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Michele Mariotti.- Clasart Classic.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Stiffelio Act 2: Quartet. 'Ah no, e impossible!'
Singer: Maria Katzarava. Singer: Luciano Ganci. Singer: Giovanni Sala. Singer: Francesco Landolfi. Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Conductor: Guillermo GarcÃa Calvo.- Naxos.
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Alban Berg
Wozzeck - Act 3: Scene 1. 'Und ist kein Betrug...'
Singer: Eva-Maria Westbroek. Orchestra: Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest. Conductor: Marc Albrecht.- Naxos.
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Franz Schubert
Piano Sonata in A major D959: I. Allegro
Performer: Sir András Schiff.- ECM.
Record Review
9.00am
Schubert: Octet in F Major; Berwald Grand Septet in B flat Major
Anima Eterna Brugge (ensemble)
Alpha 461
C. Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor; Hiller: Konzertstuck; H. Herz: Rondo de concert; F. Kalkbrenner: Le rêve
Howard Shelley (piano & conductor)
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Hyperion CDA68240
J.S. Bach: Markus Passion (Reconstructed by J. Savall)
Evangelist - David Szigetvári (tenor)
Marta Mathéu (soprano)
Raffaele Pé (counter-tenor)
Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor)
Konstantin Wolff (bass)
Veus – Cor Infantil Amics de la Unió (choir)
La Capella Reial de Catalunya (choir)
Le Concert des Nations (ensemble)
Jordi Savall (direction)
AliaVox AVSA9931 (2 x Hybrid SACD)
‘In Circles’ - Folk-influenced music for saxophone by Pessard, Sculthorpe, Falla, Macmillan, Grainger, Brahms, Barton, Vaughan Williams & Edwards
Amy Dickson (saxophones)
William Barton (didgeridoo)
Daniel de Borah (piano)
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Carter (conductor)
Sony 19075944692
Ìý
9.30am – Building a Library – Lucy Parham on R. Schumann’s Piano Concerto
Composer: Robert Schumann
Reviewer: Lucy Parham
Recommended Recording:
András Schiff (piano)
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Antal Dorati (conductor)
Decca 4119422
Other Recommended Recordings:
Murray Perahia (piano)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Colin Davis (conductor)
Sony 88697721002
Andreas Staier (fortepiano)
Orchestra de Champs Elysees
Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
Harmonia Mundi HMA1951731
Krystian Zimerman (piano)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan (conductor)
DG 4390152
10.20am – New Releases – Easter highlights
Buxtehude: Membra Jesu nostril
Eloise Irving (soprano)
Charlotte Ives (soprano)
Daniel Collins (counter-tenor)
Nicholas Mulroy (tenor)
Reuben Thomas (bass)
The Chapel Choir of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Orpheus Britannicus (ensemble)
Newe Vialles (viol consort)
Andrew Arthur (director)
Resonus RES10238
G. Jackson: The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
Emma Tring (soprano)
Guy Cutting (tenor)
Choir of Merton College, Oxford
Oxford Contemporary Sinfonia
Benjamin Nicholas (conductor)
Delphian DCD34222
‘Passio Iberica’ - Francisco Xavier Garcia Fajer: 7 Palabras de Cristo en la cruz; José Joaquin dos Santos: Stabat mater
Bárbara Barradas (soprano)
Lucia Napoli (mezzo-soprano)
André Baleiro (baritone)
Divino Sospiro (ensemble)
Massimo Mazzeo (direction)
Pan Classics PC 10401
10.20am – New Releases – Sarah Lenton on opera DVDs
Cavalli: Il Giasone
Giasone – Valer Sabadus (counter-tenor)
Medea – Kristina Hammarstrom (mezzo-soprano)
Sole - Kristina Mkhitaryan (soprano)
Oreste – Willard White (baritone)
Capella Mediterranea Ìý(orchestra)
Leonardo GarcÃa Alarcón (conductor)
Alpha 718
Adès: The Exterminating Angel
Edmundo de Nobile – Joseph Kaiser (tenor)
LucÃa de Nobile – Amanda Echalaz (soprano)
Leticia Maynar – Audrey Luna (soprano)
Leonora Palma – Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano)
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Thomas Adès (conductor)
Erato 0190295525507
Gluck: Orphée et Euridice
Orphée – Juan Diego Flórez (tenor)
Euridice – Christiane Karg (soprano)
L’Amour – Fatma Said (soprano)
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro Alla Scala
Michele Mariotti (conductor)
Clasart Classic 08052
Verdi: Stiffelio
Stiffelio – Luciano Ganci (tenor)
Lina – Maria Katzarava (soprano)
Count Stankar – Francesco Landolfi (baritone)
Raffaele – Giovanni Sala (tenor)
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Guillermo GarcÃa Calvo (conductor)
Naxos 2.110590
Berg: Wozzeck
Wozzeck – Christopher Maltman (baritone)
Marie – Eva-Maria Westbroek (soprano)
Andres – Jason Bridges (tenor)
Captain – Marcel Beekman (tenor)
Doctor – Willard White (bass-baritone)
New Amsterdam Children’s Choir
Dutch National Opera Chorus
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
Marc Albrecht (conductor)
Naxos 2.110582ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
11.20am – Record of the Week
Schubert: 4 Impromptus D899, 4 Klavierstucke and Piano Sonatas in C minor, D.958Ìý& A-flat, D.959
András Schiff (fortepiano: Franz Brodmann, Vienna c. 1820)
ECM 4817 252 (2 CDs)
Broadcast
- Sat 20 Apr 2019 09:00Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3
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