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Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet

With Andrew McGregor. Including Building a Library: Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet; Bach Cantatas/Brandenburg Concertos; Disc of the Week: Sibelius' Suite (Belshazzar's Feast).

Building a Library:
TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture*

Reviewer - Geoffrey Norris

First choice:
(c/w Symphonies 1-6; Francesca da Rimini; Marche Slave; Eugene Onegin Waltz and Polonaise; ARENSKY: Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky Op. 35a; BORODIN: Prince Igor – Overture)
London Symphony Orchestra*, Philharmonia Hungarica, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati (conductor)*
Mercury 4756261 (5 CDs, Budget)

Single Disc Recommendation:
(c/w Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniele Gatti (conductor)
Harmonia Mundi HMU907381 (CD)

CD Review BAL Catalogue Data
bal.tchaikovsky:
bal.tchaikovsky.romeo.and.juliet.fantasy.overture

09.05am

CHOPIN: Piano Sonatas No. 2 Op. 35 and 3 Op. 58; Berceuse in D flat major Op. 57; Two Nocturnes Op. 27; Barcarolle in F sharp major Op. 60;
Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano)
Hyperion CDA67706 (CD)

DEBUSSY: Preludes (Book 1); D’un cahier d’esquisses; Children’s Corner; Clair de lune
Nelson Freire (piano)
Decca 4781111 (CD)

Satie Avant-dernieres pensees
(Gnossiennes, Petite Ouverture à danser, Première Gymnopédie, Véritables Préludes flasques (pour un chien), Trois Valses distinguées du précieux dégoûté, Le Piccadilly, Descriptions automatiques, Les pantins dansent, Le Piège de Méduse, Sept pièces pour piano, Pièces froides, Avant-dernières Pensées, Gambades, Embryons desséchés, Valse-ballet, Heures séculaires et instantanées, Première Pensée Rose+Croix, Poudre d'or; Chez le docteur, J'avais un ami, La Diva de l'Empire (with Juliet); Daphénéo, Ludions,Allons-y Chochotte (with Jean Delescluse); Trois Morceaux en forme de poire, La Belle Excentrique, Cinéma (with Eric le Sage); Choses vues à droite et à gauche (sans lunettes), Embarquement pour Cythère (with Isabelle Faust); La Statue retrouvée (with David Guerrier))
Alexandre Tharaud (piano) with Éric Le Sage (piano), Juliette (voice), Isabelle Faust (violin), Jean Delescluse (tenor), David Guerrier (trumpet)
Harmonia Mundi HMC902017.18 (2 CDs)

MESSIAEN: Fete des Belles Eaux; Feuillets Inedits; RAVEL: String Quartet in F major (first movement)
Ensemble d’Ondes de Montreal
Atma ACD22621 (CD)

09.30 am
Building a Library Recommendation

TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture

Reviewer – Geoffrey Norris

Next week Roderick Swanston examines recordings of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger.

10.20 New Releases

Jonathan Freeman-Attwood reviews some recent recordings of Bach Cantatas and samples Torelli’s ‘original Brandenburg concertos’. With excerpts from the following discs:

Beloved and Beautiful
(GEORG BÖHM: Mein Freund ist mein
Cantata; JOHANN CHRISTOPH BACH: Meine Freundin, du bist schön Cantata; HEINRICH SCHÜTZ: Stehe auf, meine Freundin Motet; JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Der Herr denket an uns, BWV 196 Wedding Cantata)
The Netherlands Bach Society, Jos van Veldhoven (conductor)
Channel Classics CCSSA 27308 (Hybrid SACD)

JS Bach Alto Cantatas
(Vergnugte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust BWV 170; Widerstehe doch der Sunde BWV 54; Geist und Seele wird verwirret BWV 35)
Maarten Engeltjes (counter tenor), Concerto D’Amsterdam, Vincent van Laar (organ), Klaas Stok (conductor)
Quintone Q08007 (Hybrid SACD)

Torelli: The Original Brandenburg Concertos
(Concerti musicali Op. 6; Sonata a 4 in A minor G46)
Charivari Agreable, Kah-Ming Ng (director)
Signum Classics SIGCD157 (CD)

Bach Solo Cantatas
(Geist und Seele wird verwirret BWV 35; Gott soll allein mein Herzen haben BWV 169; Vergnugte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust BWV 170)
Bernarda Fink (mezzo-soprano), Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Petra Mullejans (director)
Harmonia Mundi HMC 902016 (CD)

11.00 Chandos

Chandos Milestones – 30 Years of Chandos
ANNI0030 (30 CDs for the price of 3)

11.35 New Releases

SIBELIUS: Hostkvall (Autumn Evening) (from Five Songs Op. 38)*; Jag ville, jag vore i Indialand (I wish I were in India)+; Judeflickans sang (The Jewish Girl’s Song) Op. 51 No. 2± from disc set The Sibelius Complete Songs with Piano (including first recordings and first and alternative versions) [BIS Sibelius Edition Volume 7]
Helena Juntunen (soprano)*, Folke Grasbeck (piano)* + ±, Monica Groop (mezzo-soprano)+ ±
Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Dan Karlstrom (tenor), Gabriel Suovanen (baritone), Jorma Hynninen (baritone)
BIS BIS-CD-1918/20 (5 CDs, Mid Price)

11.45am Disc of the Week

SIBELIUS: Suite from Belshazzar’s Feast Op. 51; Scene with Cranes Op. 44 No. 2 (from Kuolema Op. 44)
(c/w Night Ride and Sunrise Op. 55; Pan and Echo (Tanz-Intermezzo No. 3) Op. 53a; Two Pieces for Orchestra Op. 45; Kuolema (Death) Op. 44 and Op. 62)
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Pietari Inkinen (conductor)
Naxos 8.570763 (CD, Budget)

3 hours, 15 minutes

Last on

Sat 14 Feb 2009 09:00

Broadcast

  • Sat 14 Feb 2009 09:00

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