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Lehar's The Merry Widow with Nigel Simeone and Andrew McGregor

Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Lehar's The Merry Widow, and Emily MacGregor reviews recent releases of 20th-century orchestral music.

With Andrew McGregor

9.30 Building a Library
Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Lehar's The Merry Widow.

The Merry Widow by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár is one of the most popular operettas in the repertoire. It's the story of a fabulously rich widow, and the political shenanigans involved in making sure her fortune stays in the principality by finding her the right husband. Since its 1905 premiere in Vienna, it continues to captivate and charm audiences with its tuneful score, including hits such as the "Vilja Song", "You'll Find Me at Maxim's" and the "Merry Widow Waltz".

10.45
Emily MacGregor reviews recent releases of 20th-century orchestral music.

11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Jean‐Marie Leclair

    Tambourin in C Major

    Performer: Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Performer: Sol Gabetta.
    • Sol & Pat.
    • Alpha.
    • 1.
  • Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello

    Sinphonia No. 2 for Strings & Continuo in G Major, Op. 12: II. Presto

    Ensemble: La Serenissima. Conductor: Adrian Chandler.
    • "Behind Closed Doors", Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello, Vol. 1: Opus 1 Concerti &.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 10.
  • Gioachino Rossini

    Petite Messe solennelle: VI. Gloria. Gratias

    Performer: Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri. Performer: Francesco Corti. Performer: Cristiano Gaudio. Singer: Sandrine Piau. Singer: Josè Maria Lo Monaco. Singer: Edgardo Rocha. Singer: Christian Senn. Conductor: Giulio Prandi.
    •  pre-order, Rossini: Petite messe solennelle.
    • Arcana.
    • 6.
  • Bohuslav Martinů

    Les Fresques de Piero della Francesca, H. 352

    Orchestra: Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Tomáš Netopil.
    • Martinu: Orchestral Works.
    • Supraphon.
    • 2.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Trifonov: Bach and Stolzel

    Composer: Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel. Performer: Daniil Trifonov.
  • Jörg Widmann

    24 Duos for Violin and Cello: XXIV. Toccatina all'inglese

    Performer: Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Performer: Sol Gabetta.
    • Sol & Pat.
    • Alpha.
    • 2.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Prelude & Fugue Book 2 No. 1 in C major, BWV870

    Performer: Piotr Anderszewski.
    • JS Bach: Well- Tempered Clavier, Book 2.
    • Warner.
    • 1.
  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99: II. Scherzo, Allegro

    Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of The Russian Federation. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • Shostakovich: Violin Concertos.
    • Hyperion.
    • 2.
  • Josquin des Prez

    Agnus Dei from Missa Faysant regretz

    Ensemble: Tallis Scholars. Conductor: Peter Phillips.
    • Josquin: Masses.
    • Gimell.
    • 45.
  • John Pickard

    The Gardener of Aleppo

    Performer: Philippa Davies. Performer: Scott Dickinson. Performer: Lucy Wakeford.
    • John Pickard: The Gardener of Aleppo & Other Chamber Works.
    • BIS.
    • 1.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Peter Grimes (Act 1 Scene 2)

    Singer: Stuart Skelton. Singer: Erin Wall. Singer: Roderick Williams. Singer: Susan Bickley. Singer: Catherine Wyn-Rogers. Singer: Robert Murray. Singer: James Gilchrist. Singer: Marcus Farnsworth. Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Britten: Peter Grimes.
    • Chandos.
    • 12.
  • Leonard Bernstein

    Candide, Act 1 (excerpt)

    Singer: Leonardo Capalbo. Singer: Jane Archibald. Narrator: Thomas Allen. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Marin Alsop.
    • Bernstein: Candide.
    • LSO Live.
    • 12.

Record Review


9.00am

Sol & Pat – Music by CPE Bach, Kodaly, Leclair, Ravel, Widmann, etc.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin)

Sol Gabetta (cello)

Alpha ALPHA757

Behind Closed Doors, Brescianello Vol. 1

La Serenissima

Adrian Chandler

Signum SIGCD693

Rossini: Petite messe solennelle

Sandrine Piau (soprano)

Josè Maria Lo Monaco (mezzo)

Edgardo Rocha (tenor)

Christian Senn (bass)

Coro Ghislieri & Francesco Corti & Christiano Gaudio (Érard & Pleyel pianos)

Deniel Perer (harmonium)

Giulio Prandi (conductor)

Arcana A494

Martinů: Orchestral Works

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra

Tomas Netopil (conductor)

Supraphon SU42952

Bach: The Art of Life – Music by CPE Bach, JC Bach, JS Bach, Stölzel, etc

Daniil Trifonov (piano)

DG 4838530 (2 CDs)

9.30am – Building a Library – Nigel Simeone on Léhar’s The Merry Widow

Recommended Recording:

Lovro von Matačić (conductor)

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano)

Eberhart Wächter (baritone)

Hanny Steffek, (soprano)

Nicolai Gedda (tenor)

Philharmonia Orchestra

Warner 567370-2 (2 discs)

Historical Choice:

Bruno Seidler-Winkler (conductor)

1907 Berlin cast and extracts from the 1906 Vienna cast.

Truesound TT 4014 (2 discs)

10.15am – Gramophone Awards

JS Bach: Well- Tempered Clavier, Book 2 (Excerpts)

Piotr Anderszewski (piano)

Warner 9029511875

Shostakovich: Violin Concertos

Alina Ibragimova (violin)

State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Evgeny Svetlanov'

Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)

Hyperion CDA68313

Josquin: Masses: Hercules Dux Ferrarie, D'ung aultre amer & Missa Faysant regretz

The Tallis Scholars

Peter Phillips (director)

Gimell CDGIM051

John Pickard: The Gardener of Aleppo and other Chamber Works

Susan Bickley (mezzo)

Nash Ensemble

Martyn Brabbins (director)

BIS BIS2461 (Hybrid SACD)

Britten: Peter Grimes

Stuart Skelton (Grimes/tenor)

Erin Wall (Ellen/soprano)

Roderick Williams (Balstrode/baritone)

Susan Bickley (Auntie/mezzo-soprano)

Catherine Wyn-Rogers (Mrs Sedley/mezzo-soprano)

Robert Murray (Bob Boles/tenor)

James Gilchrist (Horace Adams/tenor)

Marcus Farnsworth (Ned Keene/baritone)

Bergen Philharmonic Choir

Edvard Grieg Kor

Royal Northern College of Music Chorus

Choir of Collegium Musicum

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Edward Gardner (conductor)

Chandos CHSA5250(2) (2 Hybrid SACDs)

10.40am – Emily MacGregor’s Orchestral Releases

Beethoven, Berg & Bartok: Violin Concertos

Frank Peter Zimmermann (violin)

Berliner Philharmoniker

Daniel Harding, Kirill Petrenko & Alan Gilbert (conductors)

Berliner Philharmoniker BPHR210151 (2 CDs & Blu-ray Audio)

Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 & Sonata for Solo Violin

Tianwa Yang (violin)

Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

Jun Märkl (conductor)

Naxos 8574107

Pärt: Passio

Helsinki Chamber Choir

Nils Schweckendiek (conductor)

BIS BIS2612 (Hybrid SACD)

Remembering - Nørgård & Saariaho: Cello Concertos

Jakob Kullberg (cello)

鶹Լ Philharmonic

Sinfonia Varsovia

Michael Francis (conductor)

John Storgards (conductor)

Szymon Bywalec (conductor)

BIS BIS2602

11.20am – Record of the Week

Bernstein: Candide

Leonardo Capalbo (Candide/tenor)

Jane Archibald (Cunegonde/soprano)

Anne Sofie von Otter (Old Lady/mezzo-soprano)

Thomas Allen (Dr Pangloss/Narrator)

London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Marin Alsop (conductor)

LSO Live LSO0834 (2 Hybrid SACDs)

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 Oct 2021 09:00

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