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Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony with Erik Levi and Andrew McGregor

Erik Levi chooses a favourite recording of Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony, a sequence of settings of love poetry for soprano and baritone, plus a survey of recordings by Radu Lupu.

9.30 am
Building a Library
Erik Levi compares recordings of Alexander von Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony and picks a favourite.

Composer, prominent conductor and influential composition teacher, Zemlinsky was at the centre of turn-of the century Viennese musical life. Among his distinguished pupils were Arnold Schoenberg (who also happened to be his brother-in-law), Berg, Webern and Korngold. He also taught and was romantically involved with Alma Schindler until she decided to marry a certain Gustav Mahler. And it's Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde which provided the model for Zemlinsky's best-known work, his1923 Lyric Symphony. Mahler had chosen Chinese poetry for his song-symphony and Zemlinsky, too, looked east, setting poems by the then fashionable 1913 Nobel Prize-winning Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. The seven texts, an exploration of love, are sung alternately by baritone and soprano, accompanied in lush late-Romantic style by a large orchestra.

10.15 am
To mark today's Record Store Day, Presto Classical's Chris O'Reilly looks at current trends in recorded Classical music consumption and makes predictions for future trends.

10.40 am
Joanna MacGregor plays some of her favourite recordings by the Romanian pianist, Radu Lupu, who died this week. After winning the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1966, he went on to appear with all the major orchestras of the world. From 1970 to 1993, he made over 20 recordings for Decca including works by Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Mozart, Schubert, and Schumann. Some of these have become much-loved classics.

11.20 am
Record of the Week
An exceptional new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Last on

Sat 23 Apr 2022 09:00
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3

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Handel's Messiah in Building a Library with Jeremy Summerly and Andrew McGregor

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Chopin's Piano Sonata No 3 in B Minor in Building a Library with Allyson Devenish and Andrew McGregor

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Music Played

  • Chick Corea

    Armando's Rhumba

    Performer: Martin Frost.
    • Night Passages.
    • Sony.
    • 9.

  • Paul Wranitzky

    Oberon, König der Elfen: Overture

    Ensemble: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.
    • Paul Wranitzky: Symphonies.
    • Deutsche HM.
    • 1.

  • Franz Schubert

    Fantasie in C Major, Op. Posth. 159, D. 934: Iv. Allegro vivace - Allegretto - P

    Performer: Viktoria Mullova. Performer: Alasdair Beatson.
    • Schubert: Sonata in A Major, Fantasie in C Major & Rondo in B Minor.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 204.

  • Heinrich Biber

    Sonatae Tam Aris Quam Aulis Servientes: Trumpet Fanfare No. 1 in G Minor, C 126

    Ensemble: Clemencic Consort.
    • Biber & Fux: Chamber Music.
    • Oehms.
    • 1.

  • Heinrich Biber

    Balletti a 6: Movements I - IV

    Ensemble: Clemencic Consort.
    • Biber & Fux: Chamber Music.
    • Oehms.
    • 2.

  • Gioachino Rossini

    Il barbiere di Siviglia: Aria. Largo al factotum

    Singer: Florian Sempey. Conductor: Marc Minkowski. Orchestra: Orchestre National de l'Opera de Bordeaux.
    • Figaro? Sì!.
    • Alpha.
    • 1.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Four Etudes, Op 2: I. Allegro in D Minor & IV. Presto energico in C Minor

    Performer: Tianxu An.
    • Tchaikovsky - Rachmaninov - Prokofiev.
    • Alpha.
    • 6.

  • Claude Debussy

    Proses Lyriques: III. De fleurs

    Singer: Jodie Devos. Ensemble: Quatuor Voce.
    • Poétiques de l'instant.
    • Alpha.
    • 13.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op 19 (Arr. L. Descours & P. Kouider for Bassoon & Piano): III. Andante

    Performer: Lola Descours. Performer: Paloma Kouider. Music Arranger: Lola Descours. Music Arranger: Paloma Kouider.
    • Bassoon Steppes.
    • Orchid Classics.
    • 703.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No. 5 in D major: IV: Passacaglia

    Orchestra: Â鶹ԼÅÄ Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Boult.
    • Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos 5 & 6.
    • ica classics.
    • 4.

  • Robert Schumann

    Humoreske, Op 20: 6. Innig & 7. Sehr lebhaft

    Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Radu Lupu: Complete Decca Solo Recordings.
    • Decca.
    • 4.

  • Johannes Brahms

    4 Piano Pieces, Op 119: 1. Intermezzo In B Minor & 2. Intermezzo In E Minor

    Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Radu Lupu: Complete Decca Solo Recordings.
    • Decca.
    • 12.

  • Franz Schubert

    Fantasia in C Major, for Violin and Piano D.934: 1. Andante molto

    Performer: Szymon Goldberg. Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Franz Schubert - Music for Violin & Piano.
    • Decca.
    • 16.

  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Sonata No 13 in A, D.664: 3. Allegro

    Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Radu Lupu: Complete Decca Solo Recordings.
    • Decca.
    • 3.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Don Carlos, extracts (Five-act French version)

    Conductor: Frédéric Chaslin. Singer: Benjamin Bernheim. Singer: Florian Sempey. Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna.
    • Boulevard des Italiens.
    • DG.
    • 4.

Record Review

The link below each recording takes you directly to the label’s website. Please be aware that non-UK labels may be cheaper via a record store or an online retailer.

Ìý

9.00am

Ìý

Night Passages – music by Scarlatti, Corea, Bach, etc.

Martin Fröst (clarinet)

Sebastien Dube (double bass)

Roland Pöntinen (piano)

SonyÌý G0100045976027

Ìý

Ìý

Paul Wranitzky: Symphonies

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

Bernhard Forck

Deutsche HMÌý G0100047426044

Ìý

Ìý

Schubert: Violin Sonata in A Major, Fantasie in C Major and Rondo in B Minor

Viktoria Mullova (violin)

Alasdair Beatson (fortepiano)

SignumÌý SIGCD706

Ìý

Ìý

Biber & Fux: Chamber Music

The Clemencic Consort

René Clemencic

OehmsÌý OC1904 (2CDs)

Ìý

Ìý

Rossini: Figaro? Sì!

Florian Sempey (baritone)

Karine Deshayes (mezzo-soprano)

Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine

Marc Minkowski

AlphaÌý ALPHA791

Ìý

Ìý

9.30am - Building A Library: Erik Levi on Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony

Ìý

Ìý

Recommended Recording:ÌýÌý

Ìý

Christine Schafer (soprano)

Matthais Goerne (baritone)

Orchestra de Paris

Christoph Eschenbach

CapriccioÌý C71081

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Other Recommendations:

Ìý

Viatka Orsanic (soprano)

James Johnson (baritone)

SWF Symphony Orchestra

Michael Gielen

Arte NovaÌý G010000476392M

Ìý

Ìý

Soile Isokoski (soprano)

Bo Skovhus (baritone)

Gürzenich-Orchester Köln

James Conlon

Warner ClassicsÌý 3724812

Ìý

Ìý

Elina Vähälä (violin)

Johanna Winkel (soprano)

Michael Nagy (baritone)

Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Alexander Liebreich

Accentus MusicÌý ACC30470

https://accentus.com/discs/470/

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

10.15am – New Releases

Ìý

Tchaikovsky - Rachmaninov - Prokofiev

Tianxu An (piano)

AlphaÌý ALPHA855

Ìý

Ìý

Poétiques de l'instant – music by Debussy, Balmer

Jodie Devos (soprano)

Juliette Hurel (flute)

Emmanuel Ceysson (harp)

Quatuor Voce

AlphaÌý ALPHA798

Ìý

Ìý

Bassoon Steppes – music by Scriabin, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, etc.

Lola Descours

Paloma Kouider

Orchid ClassicsÌý ORC100190

Ìý

Ìý

Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos 5 & 6

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Symphony Orchestra

Sir Adrian Boult

ica classicsÌý ICAC5164

Ìý

Ìý

1040am – New Releases: Joanna MacGregor on Radu Lupu

Ìý

Ìý

Radu Lupu: The Complete Decca Solo Recordings – music by Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, etc.

Radu Lupu (piano)

London Symphony Orchestra

Lawrence Foster

DeccaÌý 4782340

Ìý

Ìý

Franz Schubert - Music for Violin & Piano

Szymon Goldberg (violin)

Radu Lupu (piano)

Maurice Gendron (cello)

Jean Francaix (piano)

DeccaÌý 4667482

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

11.20am – Record of the Week

Ìý

Ìý

Boulevard des Italiens – music by Puccini, Donizetti, Verdi, etc.

Benjamin Bernheim (tenor)

Florian Sempey (baritone)

Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna

Frédéric Chaslin

DGÌý 4861964

Ìý

Ìý

Broadcast

  • Sat 23 Apr 2022 09:00
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3

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