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Beethoven's First Symphony with Richard Wigmore and Andrew McGregor

Richard Wigmore's recommendation from available recordings of Beethoven's quirky and original Symphony No 1. Plus Caroline Gill with a round-up of 20th-century choral discs.

Richard Wigmore's recommendation from available recordings of Beethoven's quirky and original Symphony No 1. Plus Caroline Gill with a round-up of 20th-century choral discs.

9.30am
Building a Library
Richard Wigmore joins Andrew with his shortlist of the best recordings of the first of Ludwig van Beethoven's nine symphonies. There's a wide range of styles and approaches, from old-school big band performances to the most recent versions on authentic instruments.

10..40am
New Releases
Andrew is joined by Caroline Gill with five new releases of choral music from the last century, including a rarely heard full-scale mass by Herbert Howells and a collection of achingly beautiful sacred works by Cyrillus Kreek, an Estonian composer of the same generation as Bartok and Kodaly.

11.15am
Record of the Week
One of the finest new releases to have arrived in the Record Review inbox in the last few days.

2 hours, 46 minutes

Music Played

  • Edward Elgar

    Salut d'amour

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Peter Limonov.
    • Decca.
  • C茅sar Franck

    Psych茅 et Eros (Psych茅, FWV 47, Pt. 2)

    Lyricist: Louis de Fourcaud. Lyricist: Stephen Sicard. Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Jean-Luc Tingaud.
    • Franck: Orchestral Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 6.
  • Jan Ladislav Dussek

    Piano Sonata No. 24 Op. 61 in F sharp minor 'Elegie Harmonique' (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
    • Chandos.
  • Alessandro Scarlatti

    Il martirio di Santa Teodosia (ending)

    Singer: Emmanuelle de Negri. Singer: Anthea Pichanick. Singer: Emiliano Gonzalez鈥怲oro. Singer: Renato Dolcini. Ensemble: Les Accents. Director: Thibault Noally.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Op. 60 (Ending, mvts. 7-9)

    Singer: David Fischer. Singer: Stephan Genz. Choir: Kammerchor Stuttgart. Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Frieder Bernius.
    • Carus.
  • Amy Beach

    Piano Quintet in F Sharp Minor Op. 67 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Garrick Ohlsson. Ensemble: Tak谩cs Quartet.
    • Hyperion.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

    Performer: Sandra Lied Haga. Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of The Russian Federation. Conductor: Terje Mikkelsen.
    • Simax.
  • Cyrillus Kreek

    Whilst Great Is Our Poverty

    Composer: Traditional Estonian. Performer: Anna-Liisa Eller. Performer: Marco Ambrosini. Performer: Angela Ambrosini. Conductor: Vox Clamantis. Conductor: Jaan-Eik Tulve.
    • ECM.
  • Nico Muhly

    Senex puerum portabat

    Choir: Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas.
    • Delphian.
  • Gustav Holst

    The Cloud Messenger, H111 (mvts 11-13)

    Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, London. Ensemble: The Strand Ensemble. Conductor: Joseph Fort.
    • DELPHIAN.
  • Hubert Parry

    My soul, there is a country (Songs of Farewell)

    Choir: Choir of Westminster Abbey. Conductor: James O鈥橠onnell.
    • HYPERION.
  • Herbert Howells

    Gloria (Missa Sabrinensis)

    Singer: Helena Dix. Singer: Christine Rice. Singer: Benjamin Hulett. Singer: Roderick Williams. Choir: Bach Choir. Orchestra: 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: David Hill.
    • HYPERION.
  • Edward Elgar

    Violin Concerto in B minor Op. 61 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • Decca.

Record Review

9.00am

Franck: Le Chasseur maudit, Psych茅 & Les Eolides

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Jean-Luc Tingaud (conductor)

Naxos 8573955

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet plays Sonatas by Clementi, Dussek, Hummel & W枚lfl

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)

Chandos CHAN20128

Alessandro Scarlatti: Il Martirio di Santa Teodosia

Emmanuelle de Negri (soprano, Teodosia)

Anthea Pichanick (contralto, Decio)

Emiliano Gonzalez Toro (tenor, Arsenio)

Renato Dolcini (baritone, Urbano)

Les Accents

Thibault Noally (director/violin)

Apart茅 AP232D

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Richard Wigmore on Beethoven鈥檚 Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 (NOTE: this is a repeat; it was first broadcast on 18th January 2020)

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

Mendelssohn: Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Op. 60

Ren茅e Morloc (mezzo-soprano)

David Fischer (tenor)

Stephan Genz (baritone)

David Jerusalem (bass)

Kammerchor Stuttgart

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie

Frieder Bernius (conductor)

Carus CAR83503

Elgar & Beach: Piano Quintets

Garrick Ohlsson (piano)

Tak谩cs Quartet

Hyperion CDA68295

Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations & Dvorak: Cello Concerto

Sandra Lied Haga (cello)

State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Evgeny Svetlanov'

Terje Mikkelsen (conductor)

Simax PSC1363

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Caroline Gill on new C20 choral releases

Kreek: the Suspended Harp of Babel

Choral music of Cyrillus Kreek

Vox Clamantis

ECM 4819041

Sleeper鈥檚 Prayer: Choral Music From North America

The Choir of Merton College Oxford

Benjamin Nicholas (conductor)

Delphian DCD34232

Holst: The Cloud Messenger & Partsongs

The Choir of King's College London

The Strand Ensemble

Joseph Fort (conductor)

Delphian DCD34241

Parry: Songs of Farewell & works by Stanford, Gray & Wood

George Purves (treble)

Westminster Abbey Choir

James O鈥橠onnell (conductor)

Hyperion CDA68301

Howells: Missa Sabrinensis & Michael Fanfare

Helena Dix (soprano)

Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano)

Benjamin Hulett (tenor)

Roderick Williams (baritone)

Bach Choir

大象传媒 Concert Orchestra

David Hill (conductor)

Hyperion CDA68294

11.15am 鈥 Record of the Week

Elgar: Violin Concerto; Sospiri, Salut d鈥檃mour & Chanson de Nuit

Nicola Benedetti (violin)

Petr Limonov (piano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)

Decca 4850949 (digital only; physical copies available 10th July)

Broadcast

  • Sat 30 May 2020 09:00

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