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Bach's Orchestral Suites in Building a Library with Nicholas Kenyon and Andrew McGregor

In Building a Library Nicholas Kenyon chooses his favourite recording of Bach's 4 Orchestral Suites, plus Katy Hamilton shares her selection of the best new releases.

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

9.30 am
Katy Hamilton shares her selection of the best new releases and shares her On Repeat track, music which she has been listening to again and again.

10.30 am
In Building a Library Nicholas Kenyon chooses his favourite recording of Bach's 4 Orchestral Suites.

We know remarkably little about when these orchestral suites were originally written or why. They probably weren't written or compiled as a coherent set. But they are full of Bach's most joyful and festive music, especially the Third and Fourth Suites with their brilliant trumpet parts. Each suite starts with a French overture followed by various dance movements and other well known pieces like the Air (often known as the “Air on the G String”), the virtuosic Badinerie (“playfulness”) and the Réjouissance (“rejoicing”) that ends the Fourth Suite.

Nicholas' choice:
La Petite Bande
Sigiswald Kuijken (conductor)
Accent ACC24279

11.20 am
Record of the Week: Andrew’s top pick.

Send us your On Repeat recommendations at recordreview@bbc.co.uk or tweet us @鶹ԼRadio3

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Ouverture-Suite, TWV 55:F3: Gigue; Réjouissance

    Orchestra: Caterva Musica.
    • MDG.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Variations on an original theme in G major WoO.77

    Performer: Cédric Tiberghien.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Jacques Ibert

    Concerto for Cello and Wind Instruments i) Pastorale

    Performer: Adele Bitter. Orchestra: German Symphony Orchestra Berlin. Conductor: Johannes Zurl.
    • EDA.
  • Hugo Wolf

    Goethe-Lieder: No. 9, Der Rattenfänger

    Singer: Thomas Quasthoff. Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christian Thielemann.
    • The Lost Tapes - Hugo Wolf: Orchestral Songs.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 9.
  • Erwin Schulhoff

    Concerto for Piano and Small Orchestra No. 2 , Op. 43 WV 66

    Performer: Herbert Schuch. Orchestra: WDR Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Tung-Chieh Chuang.
    • C-avi.
  • Edvard Grieg

    String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27 i) Un poco Andante

    Ensemble: Modigliani Quartet.
    • Mirare.
  • Dilorom Saidaminova

    The Walls of Ancient Bukhara: Stars over Bukhara, Shadows of Ancestors

    Performer: Behzod Abduraimov.
    • Alpha.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Violin Concerto in D Major, K053 i) Toccata

    Performer: Frank Peter Zimmermann. Orchestra: Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jakub Hrůša.
    • Stravinsky, Bartók & Martinů: Violin Works.
    • BIS.
    • 101.
  • Charles Koechlin

    3 Mélodies, Op. 17: No. 3, Epiphanie

    Singer: Sandrine Piau. Orchestra: Orchestre Victor Hugo. Conductor: Jean-François Verdier.
    • Alpha.
  • Leigh Harline

    The Blue Fairy

    Composer: Paul J. Smith. Performer: Leigh Harline.
    • Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection: Pinocchio.
    • Walt Disney Records.
    • 5.
  • Gerald Finzi

    Cello Concerto in A minor Op.40 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Yo‐Yo Ma. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • LYRITA.
  • Sr. Johann Strauss

    Radetzky-Marsch, Op. 228

    Conductor: Christian Thielemann. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Judith Bingham

    Mozart's Pets

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic Wind Instruments Ensemble. Conductor: Shea Lolin.
    • Chromosphere: Symphonic Colours of the Woodwind Orchestra.
    • Divine Art.
  • Carl Czerny

    Quatuor Concertant No. 1 op. 230

    Ensemble: Baynov Piano Ensemble.
    • ARS Produktion.
  • Henri Desmarets

    Te Deum "de Lyon"

    Ensemble: Ensemble Les Surprises. Conductor: Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas.
    • Alpha.
  • Robert Schumann

    Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 i) Allegro affettuoso

    Performer: Elisabeth Leonskaja. Orchestra: Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. Conductor: Michael Sanderling.
    • Warner.

Broadcast

  • Sat 13 Jan 2024 09:00

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