Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel in Building a Library with Nigel Simeone and Andrew McGregor
Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel, and Katy Hamilton recommends new chamber music recordings.
with Andrew McGregor
9.30 Building a Library
Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel.
Admired and conducted by Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, no less, Humperdinck's fairy tale opera has never been out of the repertoire since its 1893 premiere. The story may be Grimm but Humperdinck's perfectly crafted, post-Wagnerian music (which never takes itself too seriously) effortlessly evokes the careless joys and dreams of childhood, as well as the sinister darkness of the forest and the forces of evil (but not too frighteningly so). In fact, as eight decades of recordings demonstrate, it provides the ideal vehicle for starry ensemble casts, top-notch orchestras and classy conductors.
10.45
Katy Hamilton recommends new chamber music recordings including rarities by two mid-19th-century-born composers, Russian Georgy Catoire and Swede Helena Mathilda Munktell.
11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.
Last on
Music Played
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Giacomo Puccini
'Quando m'en vo' (La boheme)
Singer: Hera Hyesang Park. Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker. Conductor: Bertrand de Billy.- DG.
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Andreas Romberg
Violin Concerto No. 9 in A iii. Rondo allegretto
Performer: Chouchane Siranossian. Ensemble: Capriccio Barockorchester.- Alpha.
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Franz Schubert
Schwanengesang, D. 957: No. 4, St盲ndchen [sung in Portuguese]
Music Arranger: Heitor Villa鈥怢obos. Choir: S茫o Paulo Symphony Orchestra Choir. Conductor: Valentina Peleggi.- Villa-Lobos: Choral Transcriptions.
- Naxos.
- 501.
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Eric Coates
Valse
Performer: Paul Guinery.- EM Records.
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Michael East
When David Heard
Ensemble: Fieri Consort. Ensemble: Chelys Consort of Viols.- Amavi: Music for Viols & Voices by Michael East.
- BIS.
- 201.
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Joseph Haydn
'Farewell Symphony', No 45 in F sharp minor, iv. Finale
Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.- Alpha.
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Alban Berg
Piano Sonata, Op 1
- Beethoven - Berg - Boulez.
- Mirare.
- 104.
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Benjamin Britten
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op 1 (Introduction & Theme; Vars. 1-6)
Ensemble: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.- Chandos.
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Dan铆el Bjarnason
Violin Concerto
Conductor: Dan铆el Bjarnason. Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra.- Occurrence: ISO Project, Vol. 3.
- Sono Luminus.
- 101.
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William Walton
Piano Quartet in D Minor: I. Allegramente
- Walton: Chamber Works.
- Naxos.
- 101.
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Georgy Lvovich Catoire
Piano Quartet in A Minor, Op. 31: II. Andante
Ensemble: Vogler Quartett.- Catoire: Chamber Works.
- CapriccioNR.
- 302.
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Claude Debussy
Pr茅lude 脿 l'Apr猫s-midi d'un faune, L. 86
Ensemble: Ensemble K. Conductor: Simone Menezes.- Accents.
- 础辫补谤迟茅.
- 102.
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Helena Munktell
Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 21: I. Allegro non tanto, vigoroso
- Munktell: Violin Sonata, Op. 21, 10 M茅lodies & Kleines Trio.
- BIS.
- 101.
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George Gershwin
Porgy and Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So (Arr. J. Heifetz for Violin & Piano)
- Heifetz Favorites: Transcriptions & More.
- Gramola Records.
- 1301.
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William Kroll
Banjo and Fiddle
- Heifetz Favorites: Transcriptions & More.
- Gramola Records.
- 201.
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John Eccles
Semele, Act 3 (conclusion)
Performer: James Rhoads. Singer: Graeme Broadbent. Singer: Rory Carver. Singer: William Wallace. Singer: Jonathan Brown. Singer: Anna Dennis. Singer: Aoife Miskelly. Singer: Helen Charlston. Singer: H茅lo茂se Bernard. Singer: Bethany Horak-Hallett. Singer: Richard Burkhard. Singer: Christopher Foster. Singer: Jolyon Loy. Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Julian Perkins.- AAM.
Record Review
9.00am
听
I am Hera
Hera Hyesang Park (soprano)
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Bertrand de Billy
Deutsche Grammophon 4839456
听
Romberg: Violin Concertos
Chouchane Siranossian (violin)
Capriccio Barockorchester
Alpha 452
听
Villa-Lobos: Choral Transcriptions
S茫o Paolo Symphony Choir
Valentina Peleggi
Naxos 8.574286
听
Dicky Bird Hop 鈥� Light music piano classics
Paul Guinery (piano)
EM Records EMRCD0064
听
Amavi 鈥� music for viols and voices by Michael East
Fieri Consort
Chelys
BIS BIS2503 Hybrid SACD
听
Haydn 2032, Vol. 9: L鈥橝ddio
Sandrine Piau
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini
Alpha 684
听
听
9.30am 鈥� Building a Library 鈥� Nigel Simeone on Humperdinck鈥檚 Hansel and Gretel
听
Composer: Engelbert Humperdinck
Reviewer: Nigel Simeone
听
Recommended
Recording:
Anne Sofie von Otter (Hansel), Barbara Bonney (Gretel), Marjana Lipovsek (Witch), Hanna Schwarz (Mother), Andreas Schmidt (Father), Barbara Hendricks (Sandman), Eva Lind (Dew Fairy)
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
T枚lzer Knabenchor
Jeffrey Tate (conductor)
Warner Classics 7540222
听
Other recommended versions:
听
English version
Jennifer Larmore (Hansel), 听Rebecca Evans (Gretel), Jane Henschel (Witch), Rosalind Plowright (Mother), Robert Hayward (Father), Diana Montague (Sandman), Sarah Tynan (Dew Fairy), Sarah Coopen (Cuckoo)
New London Children's Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)
Chandos 听CHAN31432
听
听
10.15am 鈥� New Releases
听
Beethoven, Berg, BoulezFlorent Boffard (piano)
Mirare MIR510
听
English Music for Strings (Britten, Bridge, Berkeley, Bliss)
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
Chandos CHSA5264 Hybrid SACD
听
Occurrence (Icelandic orchestral music)
Pekka Kuusisto (violin)
Mario Caroli (violin)
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Dan铆el Bjarnason (conductor)
Sono Luminus DSL-92243 CD + Bluray Audio
听
听
听
10.40am 鈥� Katy Hamilton on Chamber Music
听
Walton: Piano Quartet, Violin Sonata, ToccataMatthew Jones (violin)
Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola)
Tim Lowe (cello)
Annabel Thwaite (piano)
Naxos 8.573892
听
Catoire: Piano Concerto Op 21; Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 28; Piano Quartet in A minor Op. 31Oliver Triendl (piano)
Vogler Quartett
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Roland Kluttig (conductor)
Capriccio C5403
听
Accents (Borodin, Debussy, Copland, Villa-Lobos, Lacaze)Ensemble K
Simone Menezes
Apart茅 AP243
听
Helena Munktell: Violin Sonata, Dix M茅lodies & Kleines Trio
Sofie Asplund (soprano)
Tobias Ringborg (violin)
Kristina Winiarski (cello)
Peter Friis Johansson (piano)
BIS BIS-2204 Hybrid SACD
听
Heitfetz favourites, transcriptions and more
Benjamin Schmid (violin)
Ariane Haering (piano)
Gramola Records Gramola99236
听
听
听
听
11.20am 鈥� Record of the Week
听
Eccles: Semele
Graeme Broadbent (bass), Rory Carver (tenor), William Wallace
(tenor), Jonathan Brown (baritone), Anna Dennis (soprano), Aoife Miskelly
(soprano), James Rhoads, Helen Charlston (mezzo-soprano), H茅lo茂se Bernard
(soprano), Bethany Horak-Hallett (soprano), Richard Burkhard (baritone),
Christopher Foster (bass), Jolyon Loy (baritone)
Academy of Ancient Music
Julian Perkins (director)
AAM Records AAM012 (2 CDs)
Broadcast
- Sat 30 Jan 2021 09:00麻豆约拍 Radio 3
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