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Purcell's Fairy Queen in Building a Library with Nicholas Kenyon and Andrew McGregor

Nicholas Kenyon's recommendation for Purcell's most ambitious stage work, The Fairy Queen, plus the best of this week's new releases with organist and conductor Anna Lapwood.

Nicholas Kenyon's recommendation for Purcell's most ambitious stage work, The Fairy Queen, plus the best of this week's new releases with Anna Lapwood.

Presented by Andrew McGregor

9.30am
New Releases
Organist, conductor and TV presenter Anna Lapwood picks four of the best new releases, plus the track she has "On Repeat".

10.30am
Building a Library: Purcell's Fairy Queen with Nicholas Kenyon.
Purcell's magnum opus was written as a series of masques to be performed at the end of the acts of a special version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Arguably the greatest British composer before the 20th century, Purcell left us a tantalizing array of music for use in theatrical productions, which shows what an unsurpassed gift he had for matchings words and mood with music. Apart from the small-scale masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas, none of these pieces quite hangs together as a satisfying work of music theatre. The Fairy Queen is the closest we have to that. Written in a hybrid form of spoken drama and masque, it is notoriously difficult to bring off on the stage. But it is ideal for home listening. Nicholas Kenyon sifts through a strong field of some of the greatest names in baroque performance.

11.20am
Record of the Week
Andrew's pick of the best of the best this week

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Johann Pachelbel

    Canon and gigue in D major for 3 violins and continuo

    Performer: Leila Schayegh. Ensemble: La Centifolia.
    • Ciaconna!.
    • Glossa.
    • 16.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    'The Nutcracker' Suite, Op 71a, TH 35: III. Waltz of the Flowers (Arr. Y. Sudbin for Piano 4 Hands)

    Performer: Yevgeny Sudbin. Performer: Bella Sudbin. Music Arranger: Yevgeny Sudbin.
    • Romeo & Juliet: Tchaikovsky on the Piano.
    • BIS.
    • 102.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Die verstellte Gartnerin, K 196, Act I: Seufzend beklagt das Taubchen

    Lyricist: Giuseppe Petrosellini. Lyricist: Johann Franz Joseph Stierle d.Ä.. Singer: Sandrine Piau. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Parrott.
    • Mozart: Die verstellte Gärtnerin, K. 196 (Sung in German) [Live].
    • CPO.
    • 323.
  • Herbert Howells

    Concerto for string orchestra: I. Allegro, assai vivace

    Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Vaughan Williams, Howells, Delius & Elgar - Music for Strings.
    • Chandos.
    • 2.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 41 in C major, K551 'Jupiter': I. Allegro vivace

    Performer: Maxim Emelyanychev. Ensemble: Il Pomo d’Oro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.
    • Mozart: The Symphonies - the beginning and the end.
    • Aparte.
    • 7.
  • Guillaume de Machaut

    Riches d'amour et mendians d'amie

    Ensemble: Orlando Consort.
    • Guillaume de Machaut: Fortune's Child.
    • Hyperion.
    • 11.
  • Clara Schumann

    Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 7: III. Finale. Allegro non troppo - Allegro molto

    Performer: Beatrice Rana. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.
    • Clara & Robert Schumann: Piano Concertos.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 3.
  • Louis Vierne

    Symphony No 1 in D minor, Op 14: VI. Final

    Performer: Daniel Roth.
    • Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies Vol. 1 & 2.
    • Aeolus.
    • 6.
  • Edward Gardner & 鶹Լ Symphony Orchestra

    Concerto for Orchestra: I. Intrada. Allegro maestoso

    • Lutosławski: Symphony No. 3, Chain 3 & Concerto for Orchestra.
    • Chandos.
    • 9.
  • Maurice Ravel

    Le Tombeau de Couperin, M.68: III. Forlane

    Performer: Clément Lefebvre.
    • Evidence.
  • Antoine Boësset

    Nos esprits libres et contents (Arr. Pluhar)

    Singer: Philippe Jaroussky. Ensemble: L’Arpeggiata. Conductor: Christina Pluhar.
    • Passacalle de La Follie.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Etudes-Tableaux, Op 33

    Performer: Nikolai Lugansky.
    • Rachmaninov: Études-Tableaux - 3 Pieces.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 5.
  • Fanny Mendelssohn

    Fantasia

    Performer: Raphaela Gromes. Performer: Julian Riem.
    • Femmes.
    • Sony.
    • 23.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974 (Arr. J. & T. Steenbrink for Chamber Ensemble): II. Adagio

    Music Arranger: Judith Steenbrink. Music Arranger: Tineke Steenbrink. Ensemble: Holland Baroque Society.
    • Bachs Königin.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 108.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Organ Concerto in G Major, BWV 592 (Excerpts Arr. J. & T. Steenbrink For Chamber Ensemble): III. Presto

    Music Arranger: Judith Steenbrink. Music Arranger: Tineke Steenbrink. Ensemble: Holland Baroque Society.
    • Bachs Königin.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 109.
  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Trio No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 99, D. 898: IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace

    Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Performer: Lars Vogt.
    • Schubert: Chamber Works.
    • Ondine.
    • 204.
  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, Op 148, D 897 "Notturno"

    Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Performer: Lars Vogt.
    • Schubert: Chamber Works.
    • Ondine.
    • 205.

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.

9.00am

Ciaconna! – music by Purcell, Bertali, Pachelbel, etc.

Leila Schayegh (violin)

La Centifolia

Glossa GCD924207

Romeo & Juliet: Tchaikovsky on the Piano

Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)

Bella Sudbin (piano)

BIS BIS2198 (Hybrid SACD)

Mozart: Die Verstellte Gärtnerin ('La Finta Gardiniera')

Sandrine Piau (Violante)

Susanne Bernhard (Arminda)

Lydia Teuscher (Serpetta)

Olivia Vermeulen (Ramiro)

Julian Prégardien (Graf Belfiore)

Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Don Anchise)

Michael Kupfer-Radecky (Roberto)

Munchner Rundfunkorchester

Andrew Parrott

CPO 555386-2 (3 CDs)

Vaughan Williams, Howells, Delius & Elgar - Music for Strings

Sinfonia of London

John Wilson

Chandos CHSA5291 (Hybrid SACD)

09.30am – Anna Lapwood: New Releases

Mozart: The Symphonies - The Beginning & The End

Il Pomo d'Oro

Maxim Emelyanychev (fortepiano/director)

Aparté AP307

Machaut: Songs From Remede de Fortune

Orlando Consort

Hyperion CDA68399

Clara & Robert Schumann: Piano Concertos

Beatrice Rana (piano)

Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Warner Classics 5419729625

Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies Vol. 1 & 2

Daniel Roth (organ)

Aeolus AE11231 (2 Hybrid SACDs)

Anna Lapwood: On Repeat

Lutosławski: Orchestral Works 1

鶹Լ Symphony Orchestra

Edward Gardner

Chandos CHSA5082 (Hybrid SACD)

Listener On Repeat

Ravel: Piano Works

Clément Lefebvre (piano)

Evidence Classics EVCD083

10.10am – New Releases

Passacalle de La Follie – music by Boesset, Moulinié, Lambert, etc.

Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)

L'Arpeggiata

Christina Pluhar (theorbo/director)

Erato 5419722187

Rachmaninov: Études-Tableaux - 3 Pieces

Nikolai Lugansky (piano)

Harmonia Mundi HMM902297

10.30am – Building a Library: Nicholas Kenyon on Purcell’s Fairy Queen

Recommended recording:

Carolyn Sampson (soprano)

Anna Dennis (soprano)

Mhairi Lawson (soprano)

Ashley Riches (bass-baritone)

Roderick Williams (baritone)

Gabrieli Consort & Players

Paul McCreesh

Signum SIGCD615 (2 CDs)

Also recommended:

Ann Murray (soprano)

Lorna Anderson (soprano)

Gillian Fisher (soprano)

Michael Chance (alto)

John Mark Ainsley (tenor)

Ian Partridge (tenor)

Richard Suart (bass)

Michael George (bass)

The Sixteen

Harry Christophers

Coro COR16005 (2 CDs)

11:15 am

Raphaela Gromes: Femmes – music by Fanny Hensel, Beach, Bacewicz, etc.

Raphaela Gromes (violoncello)

Julian Riem (piano)

Festival Strings Lucerne

Daniel Dodds

Sony G010004761923Z

Bachs Königin

Holland Baroque

Pentatone PTC5187069 (Hybrid SACD)

11.25am – Record of the Week

Schubert: Works for Piano Trio & Arpeggione Sonata

Christian Tetzlaff (violin)

Tanja Tetzlaff (cello)

Lars Vogt (piano)

Ondine ODE1394-2D (2 CDs)

Broadcast

  • Sat 4 Feb 2023 09:00

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