Mozart's 'Dissonance' String Quartet in Building a Library with Laura Tunbridge and Andrew McGregor
In Building a Library, Laura Tunbridge chooses her favourite recording of Mozart's 'Dissonance' Quartet, K465, plus a round-up of the best new classical releases.
Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.
9.30 am
Flora Willson discusses some new releases and shares her 'On Repeat' track – a recording which she is currently listening to again and again.
10.30 am
Laura Tunbridge chooses her favourite recording of Mozart's String Quartet in C major, K. 465 ('Dissonance').
Mozart's 'Dissonance' Quartet is the last of a set of six famously dedicated by Mozart to his 'very dear friend' Joseph Haydn. Soon after he arrived in Vienna in 1781, Mozart came to know Haydn's recently published Op. 33 set of innovatory string quartets which, said Haydn, had been composed in ‘a new and special way'. It was no idle boast. Not only more concentrated and sophisticated than any previous string quartet, the Op. 33s also employed all four instruments in a more equal, conversational style than ever before.
For Mozart, responding to the Op. 33s with his own set of quartets became a longer and more arduous compositional challenge than any other he ever undertook. The 'Dissonance' got its nickname in the 19th-century, well after Mozart's death, on account of its mysterious slow introduction, with its complex and unsettling harmonies. It caps the set of six which impressed its dedicatee so much that, shortly after the 1785 premiere, Haydn declared to Leopold Mozart that 'Before God and as an honest man, I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name.'
11.20 am
Record of the Week
An exceptional new release.
Send us your On Repeat recommendations at recordreview@bbc.co.uk or tweet us @鶹ԼRadio3
Last on
Music Played
-
George Frideric Handel
Suite No 5 in E Major, HWV 430: IV. Air & 5 Variations "The Harmonious Blacksmith"
Performer: Seong-Jin Cho.- The Handel Project: Handel-Suites & Brahms-Variations.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 13.
-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto No 24, K 491: II. Larghetto
Performer: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Orchestra: Manchester Camerata. Conductor: Gábor Takács‐Nagy.- Mozart: Piano Concertos, Volume 7.
- Chandos.
- 3.
-
Josef Suk
Piano Trio in C minor, Op 2: III. Vivace
Ensemble: Trio Karénine.- Suk - Dvořák.
- Mirare.
- 3.
-
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No 7 in E Major: III. Scherzo. Sehr schnell - Trio. Etwas langsamer
Orchestra: Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.- Bruckner: Symphony No. 7.
- Alpha.
- 3.
-
Giuseppe Verdi
Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside - Triumphal March - Vieni, o guerriero vindice (Aida)
Choir: Chorus of La Scala, Milan. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.- Verdi Choruses.
- Decca.
- 17.
-
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber
Mystery (Rosary) Sonata No 16 in G Minor, The Guardian Angel: Passacaglia
Performer: Amandine Beyer.- Biber: Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas.
- Harmonia Mundi.
- 21.
-
Benjamin Britten
Les illuminations, Op 18: IIIa. Phrase
Singer: Mary Bevan. Ensemble: 12 Ensemble.- Visions Illuminees.
- Signum.
- 4.
-
Augusta Holmès
Serenades: IV. Serenade d'Hiver
Performer: Joseph Middleton. Singer: Mary Bevan. Ensemble: Ruisi Quartet.- Visions Illuminees.
- Signum.
- 25.
-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No 5 in A major, K219 'Turkish': 1. Allegro aperto
Performer: Gottfried von der Goltz. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Kristian Bezuidenhout.- Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3-5.
- Aparte.
- 7.
-
György Ligeti
Musica ricercata No. 7 in B-Flat Major
Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili.- Motherland.
- Sony Classical.
- 6.
-
Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in B-Flat Minor, Op 117/2
Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili.- Motherland.
- Sony Classical.
- 7.
-
Marco Uccellini
Aria sopra La Bergamasca Op.3`5
Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Director: Giovanni Antonini.- Artist Portrait: Il Giardino Armonico.
- Warner.
-
Karol Józef Lipinski
Symphony No 2 in C Major, Op 2: III. Rondo
Orchestra: {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna. Conductor: Dirk Vermeulen.- Lipinski: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 & Moniuszko: Bajka.
- Fryderyk Chopin Institute.
- 4.
-
John Casken
That Subtle Knot: I. Calm
Performer: Thomas Zehetmair. Performer: Ruth Killius. Orchestra: Royal Northern Sinfonia.- Bartok, Casken, Beethoven.
- ECM.
- 1.
-
Johanna Müller-Hermann
Der letzte abend, Op 2 No 4
Performer: Joseph Middleton. Singer: Kitty Whately.- Befreit: A Soul Surrendered.
- Chandos.
- 2.
-
Ernst Toch
Tanz-Suite, Op 30 (Version for Chamber Ensemble & Strings): I. Roter Wirbeltanz
Performer: Korbinian Altenberger. Performer: Benedict Hames. Performer: Natalie Schwaabe. Performer: Bettina Faiss. Performer: Lukas Richter. Performer: Guido Marggrander. Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.- Der Wilde Sound Der 20er.
- BR-Klassik.
- 101.
-
Robert Schumann
Kinderszenen, Op 15 (excerpts)
Performer: Fabrizio Chiovetta.- Schumann: Fantasie, Arabeske, Kinderszenen.
- Aparte.
- 5.
-
Giuseppe Verdi
Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside - Triumphal March - Vieni, o guerriero vindice (Aida)
Choir: Chorus of La Scala, Milan. Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.- Verdi Choruses.
- Decca.
- 14.
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
The Handel Project: Handel-Suites & Brahms-Variations
Seong-Jin Cho (piano)
DG 4863018
Mozart: Piano Concertos, Volume 7
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)
Manchester Camerata
Gábor Takács-Nagy
Chandos CHAN20192
Suk - Dvořák
Trio Karénine
Mirare MIR646
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Paavo Järvi
Alpha ALPHA932
09.30am – Flora Willson: New Releases
Passacalle de La Follie – music by Guédron, Moulinié, Lambert, etc.
Christina Pluhar (theorbo / direction)
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)
L'Arpeggiata
Warner Classics 5419722187
Biber: Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas
Amandine Beyer (violin)
Gli Incogniti
Harmonia Mundi HMM90271213 (2 CDs)
Visions Illuminées – music by Britten, Ravel, Holmès, etc.
Mary Bevan (soprano)
Joseph Middleton (piano)
12 Ensemble
Ruisi Quartet
Signum SIGCD735
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3-5
Gottfried von der Goltz (violin)
Freiburger Barockorchester
Kristian Bezuidenhout
Aparté AP299
Flora Willson: On Repeat
Khatia Buniatishvili: Motherland – music by Tchaikovsky, Ligeti, Brahms, etc.
Khatia Buniatishvili (piano)
Gvantsa Buniatishivili (piano)
Sony 88883734622
Listener On Repeat
Il Giardino Armonico – music by Monteverdi, Uccellini, Vivaldi, etc.
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini
Warner Classics 2564632642 (11 CDs)
10.10am – New Releases
Lipinski: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 & Moniuszko: Bajka
Oh! Orchestra
Dirk Vermeulen
Frederick Chopin Institute NIFCCD143
Bartok, Casken, Beethoven
Thomas Zehetmair (violin)
Ruth Killius (viola)
Royal Northern Sinfonia
ECM 4858391
Befreit: A Soul Surrendered – music by Müller-Hermann, Schweikert, Mahler, etc.
Kitty Whately (mezzo-soprano)
Joseph Middleton (piano)
Chandos CHAN20177
10.30am – Building a Library: Laura Tunbridge on Mozart’s String Quartet No 19 in C major ‘Dissonance’
Recommended recording:
Quatuor Modigliani
Mirare MIR506
11:15 am
1923 - The Wild Sound of the 20s: Bartók; Krenek; Toch; Weill
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Cristian Mačelaru
Howard Arman
BR Klassik 900206
Schumann: Fantasie, Arabeske, Kinderszenen
Fabrizio Chiovetta (piano)
Aparté AP305
11.25am – Record of the Week
Verdi Choruses
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
Riccardo Chailly
Decca 4853950
*** ENDS ***
Broadcast
- Sat 18 Feb 2023 09:00鶹Լ Radio 3
Composers A to Z
Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast
Why the music we love as teens stays with us for life
Cognitive neuropyschology can explain why we return to old favourites again and again.