Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Ravel's String Quartet in Building a Library with Jeremy Sams and Andrew McGregor

Jeremy Sams chooses his favourite recording of Ravel's String Quartet

with Andrew McGregor

9.30
Building a Library
Jeremy Sams chooses his favourite recording of Ravel's String Quartet

Maurice Ravel finished his String Quartet in F major in 1903 at the age of 28. In some way it's modelled on Debussy's String Quartet of 10 years earlier. But it has been described as being "opposite to Debussy's symbolism, abandoning the vagueness and formlessness of the early French impressionists in favour of a return to classic standards." It quickly established itself as a standard work in the chamber music repertory.

10.45
New releases of piano concertos by Beethoven and Rachmaninov

11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto No.24 in C minor, K 491: 2nd mvt - Larghetto

    Performer: Charles Richard-Hamelin. Ensemble: Les Violons du Roy. Conductor: Jonathan Cohen.
    • Analekta.
  • Nadia Boulanger

    Priere

    Performer: Tristan Raes. Singer: Cyrille Dubois.
    • Aparte.
  • E虅riks Es虒envalds

    Translation

    Choir: Portland State University Chamber Choir. Conductor: Ethan Sperry.
    • Naxos.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Sonata No.17, Op.31 No.2 in D minor "The Tempest": 1st mvt - Largo

    Performer: Andreas Staier.
  • Georges Bizet

    Symphony No.1 in C major: 1st mvt - Allegro vivo

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Fran莽ois Leleux.
    • LINN.
  • Joseph Mayseder

    Mass in E flat major, Op.64: Kyrie

    Choir: Vienna Boys' Choir. Choir: Vienna Men's Choral Society. Orchestra: Orchestra of Vienna Hofmusikkapelle. Conductor: Thomas Christian.
    • Gramola.
  • Howard Hanson

    Symphony No.4, Op.34 "Requiem": 4th mvt - Largo pastorale (Lux aeterna)

    Orchestra: Oregon Symphony. Conductor: Carlos Kalmar.
    • Pentatone.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Concerto No.2 in B flat major, Op.19: 3rd mvt - Rondo. Molto allegro

    Performer: Stewart Goodyear. Orchestra: 大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Andrew Constantine.
    • Orchid Classics.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37: 3rd mvt - Rondo. Allegro

    Performer: Ronald Brautigam. Orchestra: Die K枚lner Akademie. Conductor: Michael Alexander Willens.
    • BIS.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Concerto No.5 in E flat major, Op.73: 1st mvt - Allegro

    Performer: Ronald Brautigam. Orchestra: Die K枚lner Akademie. Conductor: Michael Alexander Willens.
    • BIS.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.44: 2nd mvt - Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro vivace

    Orchestra: Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. Conductor: James Gaffigan.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43: Variation XIX - Variation XXIV

    Orchestra: Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. Conductor: James Gaffigan.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Lullaby, Op.16 No.1

    Performer: Behzod Abduraimov.
    • Sony Music.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIb:2:

    Singer: Kate Lindsey. Ensemble: Arcangelo. Conductor: Jonathan Cohen.
    • ALPHA.

Record Review

9.00am

Eric Whitacre: Marimba Quartets (choral music arranged by Joby Burgess)

Joby Burgess Marimba Quartet

Signum Classics SIGCD625

Beethoven: 鈥淓in neuer Weg鈥

Piano Sonatas Op.31; Variations Opp.34 & 35

Andreas Staier (fortepiano)

Harmonia Mundi HMM 902327.28 (2 CDs)

膾riks E拧envalds: Translations

Portland State Chamber Choir

Ethan Sperry (conductor)

Nadia & Lili Boulanger: M茅lodies

Cyrille Dubois (tenor)

Tristan Ra毛s (piano)

Aparte AP224

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 22 & 24

Charles Richard-Hamelin (piano)

Les Violons du Roy

Jonathan Cohen (conductor)

Analekta AN 2 9147

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Jeremy Sams on Ravel鈥檚 String Quartet

Composer: Maurice Ravel

Reviewer: Jeremy Sams

Recommended Recording:

Quatuor 脡b猫ne

Erato 519045 2 (CD or download)

Other Recommended Recording(s):

Daedalus Quartet

Bridge Records BRIDGE9202 (CD or download)

Quatuor van Kuijk

Alpha Classics ALPHA295 (CD or download)

听听

10.15am 鈥 New Releases

Bizet: Carmen Suite No.1 & Symphony No.1 鈥 Gounod: Petite Symphonie

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Fran莽ois Leleux (conductor)

LINN CKD624

Mayseder: Mass in E-Flat Major, Op. 64 & Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 26

Wiener S盲ngerknaben, Herrenchor der Wiener Hofmusikkapelle, Ensemble der Wiener Hofmusikkapelle

Thomas Christian (conductor)

Gramola GRAM99200 (CD or download)

Aspects of America: The Pulitzer Edition

Music by Walter Piston, Morton Gould, Howard Hanson

Oregon Symphony Orchestra

Carlos Kalmar (conductor)

Pentatone PTC 5186763

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Piano Concertos

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos

Stewart Goodyear (piano)

大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales

Andrew Constantine (conductor)

Orchid Classics ORC100127 (3 CDs)

Beethoven 鈥 The Piano Concertos

Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano)

K枚lner Akademie

Michael Alexander Willens (conductor)

BIS Records BIS-2274 (2 Hybrid SACDs)

Rachmaninoff in Lucerne - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphony No. 3

Behzod Abduraimov (piano)

Luzerner Sinfonieorchester

James Gaffigan (conductor)

Sony Classical 19075981622

11.15am 鈥 Record of the Week

Kate Lindsey: Arianna

Music by George Frideric Handel, Alessandro Scarlatti, Franz Joseph Haydn

Kate Lindsey (mezzo-soprano)

Arcangelo

Jonathan Cohen (conductor)

Alpha Classics ALPHA576 (CD or download)

Broadcast

  • Sat 14 Mar 2020 09:00

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive Radio 3 audio archive of programmes about composers and their works.

Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast

Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast

All episodes since 2010, listed alphabetically by composer surname.

Why the music we love as teens stays with us for life

Cognitive neuropyschology can explain why we return to old favourites again and again.