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Ravel's Mother Goose in Building a Library with Ben Gernon and Andrew McGregor

In Building a Library, Ben Gernon chooses his favourite recording of the complete ballet of Ravel's Mother Goose, plus a round-up of the week's top new classical releases.

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

9.30 am
Kirsten Gibson brings her selection of exciting new releases to the studio and shares her On Repeat track: music she has been listening to again and again.

10.30 am
Building a Library

Ben Gernon chooses his favourite recording of the complete ballet of Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose.

Contes de ma mère l'Oye is a classic French collection of fairy tales by Charles Perrault and the starting point for Ma mère l'Oye, a 1910 collection of five short piano duets Ravel wrote for the two young children of close friends. Each piece takes its title from Perrault: Pavane of Sleeping Beauty; Little Tom Thumb; Empress of the Pagodas; Conversation of Beauty and the Beast; Le jardin féerique. Like so much of his piano music Ravel went on to orchestrate it and soon after expanded the suite into a complete ballet score, reordering the movements and adding six extra numbers. Childhood always struck a special chord with Ravel and the music, with its very particular brand of refined, poetic expression and dazzling orchestration, surely enchants.

Ben's choice:
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
Chandos CHSA5280

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

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto No 21 in C Major, K467 ii) Andante

    Performer: Jonathan Fournel. Orchestra: Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. Conductor: Howard Griffiths.
    • Alpha.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Sonata in D major, Op 1 No 13, HWV 37

    Performer: Bojan ČičiΔ‡. Performer: Steven Devine.
    • Delphian.
  • Hans Huber

    Serenade No. 2, Winter Nights, v) Carnival

    Orchestra: Swiss Orchestra. Conductor: Lena-Lisa WΓΌstendΓΆrfer.
    • Prospero Classical.
  • FrΓ©dΓ©ric Chopin

    Variations on Mozart's 'La ci darem la mano' in B flat major, Op. 2: Theme; Variations 1-3

    Performer: Aleksandra Swigut.
    • Frederic Chopin Institute.
  • Domenico Anglesi

    La Salviata

    Ensemble: Theatro dei Cervelli.
    • Music in Golden-Age Florence 1250-1750.
    • Έι²Ή³ΎΓ©±π.
  • Jean‐Marie Leclair

    Trio Sonata in D Minor, Op. 4, No. 1

    Performer: Lucile Boulanger. Performer: Simon Pierre. Performer: Olivier Fortin.
    • Alpha.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Air: Streams of pleasure ever flowing'; Duet: Thither let our hearts aspire

    Singer: Louise Alder. Singer: Tim Mead. Ensemble: Arcangelo. Conductor: Jonathan Cohen.
    • Alpha.
  • George Gershwin

    The Man I Love / Rhapsody in Blue

    Performer: Jean‐Yves Thibaudet. Performer: Michael Feinstein. Music Arranger: Tedd Firth.
    • Decca.
  • Trad.

    Deux Guitars

    Performer: Roby Lakatos. Ensemble: Lakatos.
    • Ensemble Roby Lakatos - "La BohΓ¨me".
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 2.
  • BΓ©la BartΓ³k

    Romanian Folk Dances Sz.56

    Performer: CΓ©dric Tiberghien.
    • Bartok: Cedric Tiberghien.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1-6.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No. 14 in A Major, K. 114 i) Allegro moderato

    Orchestra: Folkwang Kammerorchester Essen. Conductor: Johannes Klumpp.
    • Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 9, 14, 20 & 24.
    • Genuin.
    • 105.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Six Songs, Op. 88 'Flower Songs'

    Performer: Anna Tilbrook. Singer: Alessandro Fisher.
    • Rubicon.
  • Anton Bruckner

    Symphony No.4 i) Bewegt nicht zu schnell

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Domingo Hindoyan.
    • Onyx.
  • Francis Poulenc

    Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano iii) Rondeau

    Performer: Sam Haywood. Ensemble: Galliard Ensemble.
    • Deux-Elles.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Theodora: Act 2 (beginning)

    Singer: Louise Alder. Singer: Adam Plachetka. Ensemble: Arcangelo. Conductor: Jonathan Cohen.
    • Alpha.

Broadcast

  • Sat 24 Feb 2024 09:00

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