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Andrew McGregor with Tom Service and Erik Levi

The best new classical releases, plus Tom Service picks a favourite recording of Brahms's Piano Concerto No 2 and Erik Levi reviews Wilhelm Furtwangler's wartime Berlin recordings.

with Andrew McGregor

09.30
Building a Library: Tom Service picks a personal favourite from among the recordings of Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83.

At once majestic and virtuosic, introspective and symphonic, Brahms teasingly described his near hour-long, four-movement concerto as a 'tiny, tiny piano concerto with a tiny, tiny wisp of a scherzo.' It's an endlessly recorded staple of the repertoire, a challenge to soloist, conductor and orchestra alike.

10.50
Erik Levi sifts through 'Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler: The Radio Recordings 1939-1945'. The 22-CD set, issued by the Berlin Philharmonic, the orchestra Furtw盲ngler had led since 1922, includes symphonies and concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner and Schubert, plus works by the legendary conductor himself.

11.45
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Disc of the Week.

3 hours, 13 minutes

Last on

Sat 16 Mar 2019 09:00
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Jacques Offenbach

    Valse Tyrolienne (Un mari 脿 la porte)

    Singer: Jodie Devos. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Laurent Campellone.
    • Alpha.

  • Joseph Haydn

    String Quartet in D, Op.71 No.2: IV. Allegretto

    Ensemble: Maxwell String Quartet.
    • Linn.

  • James Scott Skinner

    The Rosebud of Allenvale

    Music Arranger: Maxwell String Quartet. Ensemble: Maxwell String Quartet.
    • Linn.

  • George Smith

    Guardswell and Truly

    Music Arranger: Maxwell String Quartet. Ensemble: Maxwell String Quartet.
    • Linn.

  • James Scott Skinner

    The Hurricane

    Music Arranger: Maxwell String Quartet. Ensemble: Maxwell String Quartet.
    • Linn.

  • Sebasti谩n de Vivanco

    Veni, dilecte mi

    Choir: ORA Singers. Conductor: Suzi Digby.
    • Desires.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 11.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Concerto [fragment] in D major BWV.1045

    Orchestra: Berlin Academy for Early Music. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.
    • J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 18.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Himmelsk枚nig, sei willkommen, BWV 182: I. Sonata. Grave. Adagio

    Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.
    • J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 14.

  • Esa鈥怭ekka Salonen

    Cello Concerto: II

    Performer: Yo鈥怸o Ma. Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Esa鈥怭ekka Salonen.
    • Sony.

  • Thomas Haigh

    Fantaisie for the piano forte

    Composer: Joseph Haydn. Performer: Rebecca Maurer.
    • Genuin.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Symphony No.1 in D minor, Op.13: IV. Allegro con fuoco

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • LPO Live.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Daphnis et Chlo茅 (Lever du Jour)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No.4 in E minor: IV. Allegro energico e passionato

    Performer: Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin Concerto in D major: I.Allegro ma non troppo

    Performer: Erich R枚hn. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker.

  • Richard Strauss

    Don Juan

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony No.8 in C major, D 944 "The Great": II. Andante con moto

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker.

  • Anton Bruckner

    Symphony No.5: IV. Finale

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet in G major Op.18`2 (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Casals Quartet.
    • Beethoven : Revelations, 1.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 1.

Record Review

9.00am


鈥楩rench Music for Ballet鈥� 鈥� Sauget: Les Forains; Massenet: Ballet suite from H茅rodiade; Ibert: Les Amours de Jupiter
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Neeme J盲rvi (conductor)
Chandos CHAN20132


鈥楥olorature鈥� 鈥� Coloratura arias by Offenbach
Jodie Devos (soprano)
M眉nchner Rundfunkorchester
Laurent Campellone (conductor)
Alpha 437


Haydn: String Quartets Op.71 + Scottish folk music by Fraser, Gow, Skinner, Smith & MacGregor arranged for string quartet
Maxwell Quartet
Linn CKD 602


鈥楧esires鈥� 鈥� Choral music setting the words of the Song of Songs by Brumel, Clemens, Gabriel, Ceballos, White, Grier, Gombert, Victoria, Dove, Vivanco, Palestrina, Esquivel & J. Barber
ORA Singers
Suzy Digby (conductor)
Harmonia Mundi HMM 905316

9.30am 鈥� Building a Library 鈥� Tom Service on Brahms鈥檚 Piano Concerto No.2

Composer: Johannes Brahms

Reviewer: Tom Service

Recommended Recording:

Krystian Zimerman (piano)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Leonard Bernstein (conductor)
DG E4153592

Other Recommended Recordings:

Artur Schnabel (piano)
大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Boult (conductor)
Naxos 8110665

Stephen Kovacevich (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra
Colin Davis (conductor)
Philips 4421092

Maurizio Pollini (piano)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Claudio Abbado (conductor)
DG 4194712

Artur Rubinstein (piano)
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Josef Krips (conductor)
RCA 09026614422

听

10.20am 鈥� New Releases

Bach: Violin Concertos BWV 1052R, 1042, 1060R, 1056R, 1041 & 1043 + Trio Sonatas BWV 529 & 527, Overture No.2 BWV 1067 & Sinfonia BWV 1045
Isabelle Faust (violin)
Bernhard Forck (violin & direction)
Xenia Loffler (oboe and recorder)
Jan Freiheit (cello)
Raphael Alpermann (harpsichord)
Akademie f眉r Alte Musik Berlin
Harmonia Mundi HMM902335.36 (2 CDs)


Salonen: Cello Concerto
Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor)
Sony 19075928482

鈥楯oseph Haydn and his London Disciples鈥� 鈥� Haydn: Sonatas Hob.XVI:50 & XVI:52; Haigh: Three Canconettas for Pianoforte after Haydn, Fantaisie for the Pianoforte & Sonata II in B-flat major for the Pianoforte; Latrobe: Three Sonatas for the Pianoforte, Op.3
Rebecca Maurer (fortepiano & harpsichord)
Genuin Classics GEN 19650


Rachmaninoff: The Isle of the Dead & Symphony No.1 in D minor
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)
LPO Live LPO-0111


10.50am 鈥� New Releases with Erik Levi

Wilhelm Furtw盲ngler: The Radio Recordings 1939鈥�1945
Berliner Philharmoniker BPHR180181 (22 SACDs + download code & 184 page booklet)

11.45am 鈥� Disc of the Week

鈥楻evelations: Complete Beethoven String Quartets, Vol.2鈥� 鈥� Beethoven: String Quartets Nos.2, 8, 9, 10 & 15
Cuarteto Casals
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902403.05 (3 CDs)

Broadcast

  • Sat 16 Mar 2019 09:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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