Mahler's First Symphony in Building a Library with Gillian Moore and Andrew McGregor
Gillian Moore chooses her favourite recording of Mahler's First Symphony. Plus, in an end-of-year round-up, the Record Review production team share their top picks of 2020.
with Andrew McGregor
9.30 Building a Library
Gillian Moore chooses her favourite recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 1.
Of all his symphonies, it was the First which gave Mahler the most trouble. Was it a two-part symphonic poem, did it have a programme, or was it just a symphony...? Should it have four or five movements? By the time Mahler published it as Symphony No. 1 in 1899, he'd been working on it for more than ten years, constantly revising it since its 1888 premiere in front of an indifferent Budapest audience. For a long time the symphony's lukewarm reception continued to perplex and disappoint Mahler. But at under an hour, full of good tunes and orchestral drama, it's one of the shortest and most often performed and recorded of all his symphonies.
10.15
End-of-Year Round-Up: the Record Review production team share their top picks of 2020.
11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.
Last on
Music Played
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Giuseppe Torelli
Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 8 No. 6 "Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale"
Orchestra: Concerto Copenhagen. Director: Lars Ulrik Mortensen.- Per la notte di Natale: Italian Christmas Concertos.
- Naxos.
- 201.
-
Errollyn Wallen
Peace on Earth
Performer: Dónal McCann. Singer: George Hill. Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.- Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth.
- Kings College Cambridge.
- 101.
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Bohuslav Martinů
3 Christmas Pieces: Sledge, Lullaby, Christmas Carol
Performer: Ksenia Kouzmenko.- Cobra.
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Juan García de Zéspedes
Convidando está la noche
Ensemble: Siglo de Oro. Director: Patrick Allies.- Delphian.
-
Trad.
Thula Baba
Performer: Yo‐Yo Ma. Performer: Kathryn Stott.- Sony.
-
George Malcolm
Gloria (Missa ad Prasesepe)
Performer: Matthew Searles. Choir: The Choir of Buckfast Abbey. Director: Philip Arkwright.- Ad Fontes.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229
Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.- Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets.
- harmonia mundi.
- 103.
-
Dmitry Shostakovich
Concerto No 1 in A minor Op 77 for violin and orchestra (2nd mvt)
Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of The Russian Federation. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.- Hyperion.
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Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis
In the Forest
Orchestra: Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Modestas Pitrėnas.- Čiurlionis: The Sea, In the Forest & Kęstutis.
- Ondine.
- 2.
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Johannes Brahms
Gestillte Sehnsucht Op. 91 No. 1
Performer: Graham Johnson. Singer: Sophie Rennert.- Hyperion.
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Frédéric Chopin
Piano Concerto no.2 in F minor Op.21 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Benjamin Grosvenor. Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.- Chopin Piano Concertos.
- Decca.
- 06.
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Peteris Vasks
Concerto for Viola & String Orchestra (3rd mvt)
Performer: Maxim Rysanov. Orchestra: Sinfonietta Rīga.- Pēteris Vasks: Viola Concerto & Symphony No. 1 "Voices".
- BIS.
- 103.
-
Cyrillus Kreek
Awake, My Heart
Choir: Vox Clamantis. Director: Jaan-Eik Tulve.- ECM.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Attila (Act 2 No. 11, Finale)
Singer: Ildebrando d’Arcangelo. Singer: Liudmyla Monastyrska. Singer: Stefano La Colla. Choir: Bavarian Radio Chorus. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Ivan Repušić.- BR Klassik.
Record Review
9.00am
Per la Notte di Natale: Italian Christmas Concertos
Concerto Copenhagen
Lars Ulrik Mortensen (director)
Naxos 8.574264
Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth
George Hill (treble)
Dónal McCann (organ)
Choir of King's College Cambridge
Stephen Cleobury (director)
Kings College KGS0050 (download only)
Vánoce - Christmas in Czech Piano Music
Ksenia Kouzmenko (piano)
Cobra COBRA0079
Christmas in Puebla
Siglo de Oro
Patrick Allies (director)
Delphian DCD34238
Songs of Comfort and Hope
Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Kathryn Stott (piano)
Sony 19439822372
Puer natus est: Christmas Day Mass from Buckfast Abbey
The Choir of Buckfast Abbey
Matthew Searles (organ)
Philip Arkwright (director)
Ad Fontes AF 005
9.30am – Building a Library – Gillian Moore on Mahler’s First Symphony
Composer: Gustav Mahler
Reviewer: Gillian Moore
Recommended Recording:
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Bruno Walter (conductor)
Sony 19075923242 (77 CDs) or G0100040942598 (download)
Other Recommended Recording(s):
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iván Fischer (conductor)
Channel CCSSA33112 (Hybrid SACD)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons (conductor)
BR Klassik 900179
10.15am – The Record Review team’s top choices of 2020
JS Bach: Motets
Ensemble Pygmalion
Raphaël Pichon (director)
Harmonia Mundi HMM902657
Shostakovich: Violin Concertos
Alina Ibragimova (violin)
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Evgeny Svetlanov'
Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)
Hyperion CDA68313
Čiurlionis: The Sea; In the Forest; Kestutis
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra
Modestas Pitrėnas (conductor)
Ondine ODE13442
Brahms: The Complete Songs, Vol. 10 - Sophie Rennert
Sophie Rennert (mezzo-soprano)
Graham Johnson (piano)
Hyperion CDJ33130
Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Benjamin Grosvenor (piano)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Elim Chan (conductor)
Decca 4850365
Vasks: Viola Concerto & String Symphony 'Voices'
Maxim Rysanov (viola/conductor)
Sinfonietta Rīga
BIS BIS2443 (Hybrid SACD)
Kreek: The Suspended Harp of Babel
Vox Clamantis
Jan-Eik Tulve (director)
ECM 4819041
Verdi: Attila
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (bass, Attila)
Liudmyla Monastyrska (soprano, Odabella)
Stefano La Colla (tenor, Foresto)
George Petean (baritone, Ezio)
Stefan Sbonnik (tenor, Uldino)
Gabriel Rollinson (bass, Leone)
Bavarian Radio Chorus
Munich Radio Orchestra
Ivan Repušić (conductor)
BR Klassik 900330 (2 CDs)
Broadcast
- Sat 19 Dec 2020 09:00鶹Լ Radio 3
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