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Donald Macleod introduces Schuman's final years, including a rare recording of his witty Mail Order Madrigals - setting ads from a shopping catalogue.

As American music moved into the 1970 and 80s, William Schuman - born in the time of Gershwin and Cole Porter - increasingly seemed an anachronism, with his symphonies, concertos and quartets. Yet his creative fire was undiminished - in this final programme, Donald Macleod introduces a set of madrigals set to words from a 19th-century mail-order catalogue, and a virtuoso 'wine guessing game' aria from an opera to a libretto by Roald Dahl.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 7 Oct 2011 18:30

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Music Played

  • William Schuman

    Mail order madrigals for chorus SATB

    Conductor: Peter BROADBENT Performer: Joyful Company Of Singers

    • ASV.
    • CD DCA-939.
    • -22.
  • William Schuman

    Mail order madrigals for chorus SATB

    Conductor: Peter BROADBENT Performer: Joyful Company Of Singers

    • ASV.
    • CD DCA-939.
    • -22.
  • William Schuman

    Quartet no. 5 for strings

    Performer: Lydian String Quartet

    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • HMU907114.
  • William Schuman

    A Question of Taste [opera in 1 act]

    Conductor: Gerard SCHWARTZ Performer: Scott WILDE - Bass Performer: Juilliard Orchestra

    • Delos.
    • DEL1030.
  • William Schuman

    Symphony no. 10 (American muse)

    Conductor: Leonard SLATKIN Performer: St Louis S O

    • RCA VICTOR.
    • 09026-61282.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 7 Oct 2011 12:00
  • Fri 7 Oct 2011 18:30

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