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Bach's Christmas Oratorio in Building a Library with Nicholas Kenyon and Andrew McGregor

Nicholas Kenyon chooses his favourite recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio in Building a Library, and Katy Hamilton reviews an exciting pile of new piano releases.

with Andrew McGregor

9.30 Building a Library
Nicholas Kenyon chooses his favourite recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio.

Bach wrote his Christmas Oratorio for performance in church during the Christmas season of 1734. It incorporates music from earlier compositions and is in six parts, one part for each of the major feast days of the Christmas period. It is full of wonderfully invigorating choruses and expressive arias and is a seasonal favourite.

10.30
Katy Hamilton reviews an exciting mixed bag of new piano releases, including music by Rzewski, Dvorak and Beethoven recorded on a replica of his Erard piano.

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

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Samuel Scheidt

    Ludi musici I, No. 22: Intrada, SSWV 60

    Ensemble: Lautten Compagney.
    • Deutsche HM.
  • Erik Satie

    Sarabande No. 3

    Ensemble: Lautten Compagney.
    • Deutsche HM.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Romance No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra in F major, Op. 50

    Performer: Midori. Orchestra: Lucerne Festival Strings. Conductor: Daniel Dodds.
    • Warner Classics.
  • Richard Rodney Bennett

    Lullaby Baby

    Choir: Choir of Keble College, Oxford. Director: Matthew Martin.
    • CRD.
  • Robert Schumann

    Adagio & Allegro, Op. 79

    Performer: Steinar Granmo Nilson. Performer: Kristin Fossheim.
    • 2L.
  • Richard Strauss

    Tr盲umerei am Kamin. Ruhig schwebend (4 Symphonic Interludes from "Intermezzo, Op. 72", TrV 246a, No. 2)

    Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.
    • R. Strauss & Brahms: Orchestral Works (Live).
    • BR-Klassik.
    • 102.
  • Lennox Berkeley

    Shepherd, Shepherd, Hark That Calling

    Singer: Kathleen Ferrier. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Hugo Rignold.
    • Somm Records ARIADNE.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8 (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Trio Isimsiz.
    • Faur茅: Piano Trio - Schubert: Notturno in E-Flat - Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B.
    • Rubicon.
    • 106.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Arion, Op. 34 No. 5

    Performer: Lada Vale拧ov谩. Singer: Natalya Romaniw.
    • Arion: Voyage of a Slavic Soul.
    • Orchid Classics.
    • 1201.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Kremerata Baltica. Conductor: Mario Brunello.
    • Alpha.
  • Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    Arc-en-ciel (Etudes, Book 1, No. 5)

    Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili.
    • Sony.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Badinerie from Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 (Arr. for Four Hands)

    Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili. Performer: Gvantsa Buniatishvili.
    • Sony.
  • Erik Satie

    Pi猫ces froides: Danse de travers No. 2

    Performer: David Greilsammer.
    • Naive.
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Fantasia in D minor, Wq. 113 / 3 (H195)

    Performer: David Greilsammer.
    • Naive.
  • Erik Satie

    Pi猫ces froides: Danse de travers No. 3

    Performer: David Greilsammer.
    • Naive.
  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Serenade (Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85)

    Performer: Elena Bashkirova.
    • Dvo艡谩k: Poetic Tone Pictures.
    • CAvi-music.
    • 109.
  • Louis Adam

    Sonata in C Major, Op. 8 No. 2 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Tom Beghin.
    • Evil Penguin.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 'Waldstein' (4th mvt)

    Performer: Tom Beghin.
    • Evil Penguin.
  • Frederic Rzewski

    Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around

    Performer: Thomas Kotcheff.
    • Coviello.
  • Malcolm Arnold

    The Dancing Master, Op. 34 (opening)

    Singer: Eleanor Dennis. Singer: Catherine Carby. Singer: Mark Wilde. Singer: Ed Lyon. Singer: Fiona Kimm. Singer: Graeme Broadbent. Orchestra: 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: John Andrews.
    • Resonus Classics.

Record Review

9.00am

Time Zones: Satie, Scheidt

Lautten Compagney

Wolfgang Katschner (director)

Deutsche HM 19439807952

Beethoven: Violin Concerto, Romances

Midori (violin)

Festival Strings Lucerne

Daniel Dodds (director)

Warner Classics 9029517920

Ave Rex Angelorum: Carols and Music Tracing the Journey from Christ the King to Epiphany

Choir of Keble College Oxford,

Jeremy Filsell (organ)

Benjamin Mills (organ)

Matthew Martin (director)

CRD CRD3537

The Horn in Romanticism: Dukas, Gounod, Saint-Sa毛ns, Chabrier, Czerny, Franz Strauss, Schumann and Richard Strauss

Steinar Granmo Nilsen (historical horns)

Kristin Fossheim (fortepiano)

2L 2L-162-SABD (Hybrid SACD)

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Nicholas Kenyon on J. S. Bach鈥檚 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

Reviewer: Nicholas Kenyon

Recommended Recording:

Malin Hartelius (soprano)

Kristina Hammarstr枚m (alto)

J枚rg D眉rm眉ller (tenor)

Detlef Roth (baritone)

Combattimento Consort Amsterdam

Capella Amsterdam

Jan Willem de Vriend (conductor)

Challenge Classics CC76607 (2 Hybrid SACDs) or CC76608 (download)

Other Recommended Recording(s):

Lisa Larsson (soprano)

Elisabeth von Magnus (alto)

Christoph Pr茅gardien (tenor)

Klaus Mertens (bass)

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir

Ton Koopman (conductor)

Erato 9029539278 (2 CDs) or 0630146352 (download)

Nancy Argenta (soprano)

Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor)

Hans Peter Blochwitz (tenor)

Olaf B盲r (bass)

Monteverdi Choir

English Baroque Soloists

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)

DG Archiv 4791759 (2 CDs)

Historic choice:

Elly Ameling (soprano)

Helen Watts (contralto)

Peter Pears (tenor)

Tom Krause (baritone)

L眉becker Kantorei

Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

Karl M眉nchinger (conductor)

Decca E4554102 (2 CDs)

10.15am 鈥 New Releases

Mariss Jansons: His Last Concert - Live at Carnegie Hall

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Mariss Jansons (conductor)

BR Klassik 900192

20th-Century British Treasures: Kathleen Ferrier

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)

Anna Pollak (mezzo-soprano)

Frederick Stone, Phyllis Spurr, Ernest Lush (piano)

EOG Orchestra

Reginald Goodall (conductor)

London Symphony Orchestra

Hugo Rignold (conductor)

Somm ARIADNE5010

Trio Isimsiz: Brahms, Faur茅 and Schubert

Trio Isimsiz

Rubicon RCD1048

Arion: Voyage of A Slavic Soul 鈥 songs by Rimsky Korsakov, Dvo艡谩k, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Nov谩k

Natalya Romaniw (soprano)

Lada Vale拧ov谩 (piano)

Orchid Classics ORC100131

Searching for Ludwig: Beethoven, Sollima & Ferr茅

Kremerata Baltica

Gidon Kremer (violin/director)

Mario Brunello (conductor)

Alpha ALPHA660

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Katy Hamilton on new chamber releases

Labyrinth: music by Morricone, Satie, Chopin, Ligeti, Bach etc.

Khatia Buniatishvili (piano)

Sony 19439795772

Labyrinth: music by Jan谩膷ek, Lully, Beethoven, Crumb, Ligeti, Bach etc.

David Greilsammer (piano)

Na茂ve V7084

Dvorak: Poetic Tone Poems

Elena Bashkirova (piano)

Avi Music AVI8553113

Beethoven and His French Piano

Tom Beghin (piano)

Evil Penguin EPRC0036 (2 CDs)

Frederic Rzewski: Songs of Resurrection

Thomas Kotcheff (piano)

Coviello COV92021

11.15am 鈥 Record of the Week

Malcolm Arnold: The Dancing Master, Op. 34

Eleanor Dennis (soprano)

Catherine Carby (mezzo-soprano)

Fiona Kimm (contralto)

Ed Lyon (tenor)

Mark Wilde (tenor)

Graeme Broadbent (bass-baritone)

大象传媒 Concert Orchestra

John Andrews (conductor)

Resonus Classics RES10269

Broadcast

  • Boxing Day 2020 09:00

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