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Britten's Turn of the Screw on Building a Library with Simon Heighes and Andrew McGregor

With Andrew McGregor. In Building a Library, Simon Heighes compares recordings of Britten's Turn of the Screw, and picks a winner. Plus Lucy Parham reviews new piano discs.

with Andrew McGregor

9.30am
Building a Library
Another chance to hear Simon Heighes discussing the available recordings of Britten's chilling Henry James adaptation, The Turn of the Screw, before picking a winner.

Britten was commissioned to write The Turn of the Screw by the Venice Biennale and it received its world premiere at the Teatro La Fenice in September 1954. Myfanwy Piper wrote the libretto based on Henry James' horror novella of 1898, which tells the story of a young governess charged with looking after two children, Flora and Miles, at Bly House. She is instructed by their uncle not to inform him about their wellbeing, never to abandon them, and not to enquire about the history of the house. She soon discovers the supernatural goings on at Bly House, the ghostly disturbances of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, before the opera reaches its chilling climax - 'the ceremony of innocence is drowned'.

10.45am
Pianist Lucy Parham joins Andrew McGregor to discuss new releases of piano music.

11.15am
Disc of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.

2 hours, 46 minutes

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551 'Jupiter' (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • John Dowland

    And Time Stands Still

    Singer: Iestyn Davies. Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 8 No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": III.Presto

    Performer: Arabella Steinbacher. Orchestra: M眉nchener Kammerorchester.
    • Four Seasons.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 8.
  • Astor Piazzolla

    4 Estaciones Porte帽as: IV. Oto帽o Porte帽o (Cuatro Estaciones)

    Performer: Arabella Steinbacher. Orchestra: M眉nchener Kammerorchester.
    • Four Seasons.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 9.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80 "Choral Fantasy": III. Adagio, ma non troppo & IV. Allegro

    Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Choral Fantasy.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 3.
  • Zdenek Fibich

    Sarka, Op. 51: Overture

    Conductor: Marek 艩tilec.
    • Fibich: Orchestral Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 5.
  • Carlo Arrigoni

    Dir ch'io non deggia piangere

    Performer: Barbara Altobello. Performer: Claudia Poz. Performer: Diego Cantalupi. Performer: Gabriele Levi. Singer: Marta Fumagalli. Ensemble: Accademia degli Erranti.
    • Tiranni affetti.
    • Dynamic.
    • 8.
  • Johann Nepomuk Hummel

    Sonata No.3, Op.20: Finale - presto

    Performer: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
    • The Beethoven Connection.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 6.
  • Leos Jan谩膷ek

    On an Overgrown Path, Series I: V pl谩膷i [In Tears]

    Performer: Thomas Ad猫s.
    • Jan谩膷ek: Solo Piano.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 9.
  • Leos Jan谩膷ek

    On an Overgrown Path, Series I: S媒膷ek neodlet臎l! [The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away!]

    Performer: Thomas Ad猫s.
    • Jan谩膷ek: Solo Piano.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 10.
  • Bedrich Smetana

    On the Seashore. Concert Etude in G sharp minor, Op.17

    Performer: Miroslav Sekera.
    • SUPRAPHON.
  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Nocturne in C sharp minor Op.27 No.1

    Performer: Evgeny Kissin.
    • MELODIA.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Sonata Op.2 No.3 in C major (finale, Allegro assai)

    Performer: Boris Giltburg.
  • Alexander von Zemlinsky

    Die Seejungfrau (After H. Andersen): II. Sehr bewegt, rauschend [Live]

    Conductor: Marc Albrecht. Orchestra: Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest.
    • Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau (After H. Andersen) [Live].
    • PENTATONE.
    • 2.

Record Review

9.00am

Music of the Spheres: Mozart, Richter, Dowland, Ad猫s and Bowie

Iestyn Davies (counter-tenor)

Sam Swallow (vocalist)

Pekka Kuusisto (violin)

Aurora Orchestra

Nicholas Collon (conductor)

Deutsche Grammophon 4838229

Vivaldi & Piazzolla: The Four Seasons

Arabella Steinbacher (violin)

Munich Chamber Orchestra

Pentatone PTC5186746 (Hybrid SACD)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Choral Fantasy

Christiane Karg (soprano)

Marianne Beate Kielland (mezzo-soprano)

Werner G眉ra (tenor)

Florian Boesch (baritone)

Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)

Z眉rcher Sing-Akademie

Freiburger Barockorchester

Pablo Heras-Casado (conductor)

Harmonia Mundi HMM90243132 (2 CDs)

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Simon Heighes on Britten鈥檚 The Turn of the Screw (NOTE: this is a repeat; it was first broadcast on 16th November 2013)

Composer: Benjamin Britten

Reviewer: Simon Heighes

Recommended Recording:

BRITTEN: The Turn of the Screw

Ian Bostridge (Prologue/Peter Quint), Joan Rodgers (Governess), Jane Henschel (Mrs Grose), Vivian Tierney (Miss Jessel), Julian Leang (Miles), Caroline Wise (Flora), Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding (conductor)

ERATO 4563792 or 5455212 (download only)

Recommendation on DVD:

BRITTEN: The Turn of the Screw

Toby Spence (Prologue/Peter Quint), Miah Persson (Governess), Susan Bickley (Mrs Grose), Giselle Allen (Miss Jessel), Thomas Parfitt (Miles), Joanna Songi (Flora), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jakub Hrusa (conductor), Jonathan Kent (director)

FRA FRA007 (DVD) or FRA507 (Bluray)

10.15am 鈥 New Releases

Fibich: Symphony No. 3 etc.

Jan谩膷ek Philharmonic Orchestra

Marek Stilec (conductor)

Naxos 8574120

Arrigoni: Tiranni Affetti - Works for Mandolin and Voice

Marta Fumagalli (mezzo-soprano)

Davide Ferella (mandolin)

Barbara Altobello (violin)

Claudia Poz (cello)

Diego Cantalupi (archlute)

Gabriele Levi (harpsichord/organ)

Accademia degli Erranti

Dynamic CDS7878

MacMillan: Symphony No. 4 & Viola Concerto

Lawrence Power (viola)

大象传媒 Philharmonic

Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

Hyperion CDA68317

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Lucy Parham on recent piano releases

The Beethoven Connection: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet plays Sonatas by Clementi, Dussek, Hummel & W枚lfl

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)

Chandos CHAN20128

Jan谩膷ek: Solo Piano

Thomas Ad猫s (piano)

Signum SIGCD600

Smetana & Liszt: Piano Works

Miroslav Sekera (piano)

Supraphon SU42802

Recital of Evgeny Kissin: Chopin 鈥 mazurkas, nocturnes etc.

Evgeny Kissin (piano)

Melodiya MELCD1002631 (2 CDs)

Beethoven 32 鈥 Boris Giltburg

Boris Giltburg (piano)

Fly On The Wall Productions

11.20am 鈥 Record of the Week

Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau

Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra

Marc Albrecht (conductor)

Pentatone PTC5186740

Broadcast

  • Sat 20 Jun 2020 09:00

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