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Beethoven's Symphony No 1 with Andrew McGregor and Richard Wigmore

In the long-running classical recordings show, Richard Wigmore recommends a recording of Beethoven's Symphony No 1 in C and Hannah French listens to recent releases of baroque music.

With Andrew McGregor

9.30
Building a Library: Richard Wigmore recommends a version from among the recordings of Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21.

Beethoven was a composer with something to prove, namely that he could best Haydn as the most celebrated living composer. Haydn's mastery of all the most important instrumental genres (he'd virtually invented the string quartet and symphony) was a was a constant spur to Beethoven who, by the mid-1790s, had shown he meant business in the string trio and keyboard sonata but had held off the symphony and string quartet... So the 1800 premiere of this chippy 29-year-old's first symphony was an important moment, even if, witty and dancing, the debt to Haydn is obvious and there are few if any signs of the revolutionary symphonic breakthroughs shortly to come.

Of course, this symphony is very well represented in the catalogue but with a foot in both the 18th and 19th centuries, is it best performed by historically informed period-instrument ensembles or grizzled maestros and bloated symphony orchestras?

10.50
Hannah French has been listening to recent releases of baroque music and shares the most appealing.

11.20
Recording of the week: an outstanding new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • George Frideric Handel

    Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 7 in B flat major, HWV325: I. Largo; II. Allegro

    Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.
    • Pentatone.
  • William Mathias

    Calico Pie (No. 1, Learsongs)

    Performer: Glen Dempsey. Performer: A茂da Lahlou. Choir: St. John's Voices. Director: Graham Walker.
    • Naxos.
  • William Mathias

    The Owl and the Pussycat (No. 2, Learsongs)

    Performer: Glen Dempsey. Performer: A茂da Lahlou. Choir: St. John's Voices. Director: Graham Walker.
    • Naxos.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No. 104 in D major 'London': I. Adagio - Allegro

    Director: Richard Tognetti. Orchestra: Australian Chamber Orchestra.
    • ABC Classics.
  • Charles Villiers Stanford

    String Quartet No. 6 in A minor, Op. 122: III. Allegro scherzando

    Ensemble: Dante Quartet.
    • Somm.
  • Matthew Locke

    Consort of Four Parts, suite no. 2

    Ensemble: Kitgut Quartet.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Dan Jones

    Music for Seven Ice Cream Vans (Live)

    Performer: Dan Jones.
    • Music for Seven Ice Cream Vans (Live).
    • NMC Recordings.
    • 1.
  • Roderick Williams

    Motor car (no.2, 3 Songs from Ethiopia Boy) (Live)

    Singer: Roderick Williams. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Eduardo Portal.
    • 3 Songs from Ethiopia Boy (Live).
    • NMC Recordings.
    • 1.
  • Enrique Granados

    Goyescas, Book 1: III. El fandango de candil

    Performer: Jean鈥怭hilippe Collard.
    • Granados: Goyescas.
    • La Dolce Volta.
    • 3.
  • Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck

    Ecce Mars

    Performer: Richard Egarr.
    • Linn.
  • Andr茅 Campra

    "Charmant P猫re de l'harmonie" (T茅l猫phe)

    Singer: Katherine Watson. Ensemble: Les Ambassadeurs. Director: Alexis Kossenko.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
  • Marin Marais

    Ariane et Bacchus: Rondeau

    Ensemble: Les Ambassadeurs. Director: Alexis Kossenko.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
  • Andr茅 Campra

    Quelle 茅paisse vapeur tout 脿 coup m'environne? (T茅l猫phe)

    Singer: Katherine Watson. Ensemble: Les Ambassadeurs. Director: Alexis Kossenko.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Oboe Concerto in B flat major, Wq. 164 (H466): II. Largo e mesto, III. Allegro moderato

    Performer: Xenia L枚ffler. Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Geminiano Giacomelli

    Quell'usignolo (Merope)

    Singer: Ann Hallenberg. Ensemble: Stile Galante. Conductor: Stefano Aresi.
    • Glossa.
  • Luigi Rossi

    "Se dolente e flebil cetra"

    Performer: Christina Pluhar. Music Arranger: Christina Pluhar. Singer: V茅ronique Gens. Ensemble: L鈥橝rpeggiata.
    • Erato.
  • Carl Nielsen

    Flute Concerto, FS119

    Performer: Clara Andrada. Orchestra: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jaime Mart铆n.
    • Ondine.

Record Review

9.00am

Handel: Concerti grossi: Op. 6 (7-12)

Akademie f蠇r Alte Musik Berlin

Bernhard Forck (conductor)

Pentatone PTC5186738

Mathias: Choral Music - A May Magnificat; Learsongs; Riddles

Marie-No毛lle Kendall (piano)

Glen Dempsey (piano)

A茂da Lahlou (piano)

Shanna Hart (organ)

Hugh Crook (organ)

David Ellis (bells)

St. John's Voices

The Gentlemen of St John's

Graham Walker (conductor)

Naxos 8574162

Haydn Symphonies 49 & 104 | Mozart Symphony No 25

Australian Chamber Orchestra

Richard Tognetti (violin/director)

ABC Classics ABC4818572

Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 6

Dante Quartet

Somm SOMM0607

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Richard Wigmore on Beethoven鈥檚 Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

Reviewer: Richard Wigmore

Recommended Recording:

Danish Chamber Orchestra

脕d谩m Fischer

Naxos 8505251 (5 CDs or download)

Other Recommended Recording(s):

Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Teldec 0927497682 (5 CDs or download) or Warner Classics 2564637792 (14 CDs or download)

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Riccardo Chailly

Decca 4783493 (CD and download) or 4783492 (5 CDs or download)

London Classical Players

Roger Norrington

Erato 0834232 (download only)

10.15am 鈥 New Releases

鈥橳is too late to be wise - String quartet before the string quartet: music by Haydn, Purcell, Locke and Blow

Kitgut Quartet

Harmonia Mundi HMM902313

Dan Jones: Music for Seven Ice Cream Vans

Dan Jones (sound design)

NMC NMCDL2019-16 (download only)

Roderick Williams: 3 Songs from Ethiopia Boy

Roderick Williams (baritone)

Chineke! Orchestra

Eduardo Portal (conductor)

NMC NMCDL2019-11 (download only)

Granados: Goyescas

Jean-Philippe Collard (piano)

La Dolce Volta LDV73

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Hannah French reviews new Baroque releases

Sweelinck: Fantasias, Toccatas & Variations

Richard Egarr (harpsichord)

Linn CKD589

L'Op茅ra du Roi Soleil: arias and instrumental music by Lully, Marais, Campra etc.

Katherine Watson (soprano)

Les Ambassadeurs

Alexis Kossenko (conductor)

Apart茅 AP209

C.P.E. Bach: Oboe Concertos and Symphonies

Xenia L枚ffler (oboe)

Akademie f眉r Alte Musik Berlin

Harmonia Mundi HMM902601

The Farinelli Manuscript

Ann Hallenberg (mezzo-soprano)

Stile Galante

Stefano Aresi (director)

Glossa GCD923521

Luigi Rossi: La Lyra d鈥橭rfeo & Arpa Davidica

V茅ronique Gens (soprano)

C茅line Scheen (soprano)

Giuseppina Bridelli (mezzo-soprano)

Philippe Jaroussky (counter-tenor)

Jakub J贸zef Orli艅ski (counter-tenor)

Valer Sabadus (counter-tenor)

L'Arpeggiata

Christina Pluhar (director/theorbo/harp)

Erato 9029537230 (3 CDs)

11.15am 鈥 Record of the Week

Nielsen, Ibert & Arnold: Flute Concertos

Clara Andrada (flute)

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Jaime Mart铆n (conductor)

Ondine ODE13402

Broadcast

  • Sat 18 Jan 2020 09:00

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