Mahler's First Symphony in Building a Library with Gillian Moore and Andrew McGregor
Gillian Moore chooses her favourite recording of Mahler's First Symphony. Plus, in an end-of-year round-up, the Record Review production team share their top picks of 2020.
with Andrew McGregor
9.30 Building a Library
Gillian Moore chooses her favourite recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 1.
Of all his symphonies, it was the First which gave Mahler the most trouble. Was it a two-part symphonic poem, did it have a programme, or was it just a symphony...? Should it have four or five movements? By the time Mahler published it as Symphony No. 1 in 1899, he'd been working on it for more than ten years, constantly revising it since its 1888 premiere in front of an indifferent Budapest audience. For a long time the symphony's lukewarm reception continued to perplex and disappoint Mahler. But at under an hour, full of good tunes and orchestral drama, it's one of the shortest and most often performed and recorded of all his symphonies.
10.15
End-of-Year Round-Up: the Record Review production team share their top picks of 2020.
11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.
Last on
Music Played
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Giuseppe Torelli
Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 8 No. 6 "Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale"
Orchestra: Concerto Copenhagen. Director: Lars Ulrik Mortensen.- Per la notte di Natale: Italian Christmas Concertos.
- Naxos.
- 201.
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Errollyn Wallen
Peace on Earth
Performer: D贸nal McCann. Singer: George Hill. Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.- Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth.
- Kings College Cambridge.
- 101.
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Bohuslav Martin暖
3 Christmas Pieces: Sledge, Lullaby, Christmas Carol
Performer: Ksenia Kouzmenko.- Cobra.
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Juan Garc铆a de Z茅spedes
Convidando est谩 la noche
Ensemble: Siglo de Oro. Director: Patrick Allies.- Delphian.
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Trad.
Thula Baba
Performer: Yo鈥怸o Ma. Performer: Kathryn Stott.- Sony.
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George Malcolm
Gloria (Missa ad Prasesepe)
Performer: Matthew Searles. Choir: The Choir of Buckfast Abbey. Director: Philip Arkwright.- Ad Fontes.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229
Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.- Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets.
- harmonia mundi.
- 103.
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Dmitry Shostakovich
Concerto No 1 in A minor Op 77 for violin and orchestra (2nd mvt)
Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of The Russian Federation. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.- Hyperion.
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Mikalojus Konstantinas 膶iurlionis
In the Forest
Orchestra: Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Modestas Pitr臈nas.- 膶iurlionis: The Sea, In the Forest & K臋stutis.
- Ondine.
- 2.
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Johannes Brahms
Gestillte Sehnsucht Op. 91 No. 1
Performer: Graham Johnson. Singer: Sophie Rennert.- Hyperion.
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Fr茅d茅ric Chopin
Piano Concerto no.2 in F minor Op.21 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Benjamin Grosvenor. Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Elim Chan.- Chopin Piano Concertos.
- Decca.
- 06.
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Peteris Vasks
Concerto for Viola & String Orchestra (3rd mvt)
Performer: Maxim Rysanov. Orchestra: Sinfonietta R墨ga.- P膿teris Vasks: Viola Concerto & Symphony No. 1 "Voices".
- BIS.
- 103.
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Cyrillus Kreek
Awake, My Heart
Choir: Vox Clamantis. Director: Jaan-Eik Tulve.- ECM.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Attila (Act 2 No. 11, Finale)
Singer: Ildebrando d鈥橝rcangelo. Singer: Liudmyla Monastyrska. Singer: Stefano La Colla. Choir: Bavarian Radio Chorus. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Ivan Repu拧i膰.- BR Klassik.
Record Review
9.00am
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Per la Notte di Natale: Italian Christmas Concertos
Concerto Copenhagen
Lars Ulrik Mortensen (director)
Naxos 8.574264
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Errollyn Wallen: Peace on Earth
George Hill (treble)
D贸nal McCann (organ)
Choir of King's College Cambridge
Stephen Cleobury (director)
Kings College KGS0050 (download only)
听
V谩noce - Christmas in Czech Piano Music
Ksenia Kouzmenko (piano)
Cobra COBRA0079
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Christmas in Puebla
Siglo de Oro
Patrick Allies (director)
Delphian DCD34238
Songs of Comfort and Hope
Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Kathryn Stott (piano)
Sony 19439822372
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Puer natus est: Christmas Day Mass from Buckfast Abbey
The Choir of Buckfast Abbey
Matthew Searles (organ)
Philip Arkwright (director)
Ad Fontes AF 005
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9.30am 鈥� Building a Library 鈥� Gillian Moore on Mahler鈥檚 First Symphony
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Composer: Gustav Mahler
Reviewer: Gillian Moore
Recommended Recording:
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Bruno Walter (conductor)
Sony 19075923242 (77 CDs) or G0100040942598 (download)
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Other Recommended Recording(s):
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Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iv谩n Fischer (conductor)
Channel CCSSA33112 (Hybrid SACD)
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Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons (conductor)
BR Klassik 900179
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10.15am 鈥� The Record Review team鈥檚 top choices of 2020
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JS Bach: Motets
Ensemble Pygmalion
Rapha毛l Pichon (director)
Harmonia Mundi HMM902657
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Shostakovich: Violin Concertos
Alina Ibragimova (violin)
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Evgeny Svetlanov'
Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)
Hyperion CDA68313
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膶iurlionis: The Sea; In the Forest; Kestutis
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra
Modestas Pitr臈nas (conductor)
Ondine ODE13442
听
Brahms: The Complete Songs, Vol. 10 - Sophie Rennert
Sophie Rennert (mezzo-soprano)
Graham Johnson (piano)
Hyperion CDJ33130
听
Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Benjamin Grosvenor (piano)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Elim Chan (conductor)
Decca 4850365
听
Vasks: Viola Concerto & String Symphony 'Voices'
Maxim Rysanov (viola/conductor)
Sinfonietta R墨ga
BIS BIS2443 (Hybrid SACD)
听
Kreek: The Suspended Harp of Babel
Vox Clamantis
Jan-Eik Tulve (director)
ECM 4819041
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Verdi: Attila
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (bass, Attila)
Liudmyla Monastyrska (soprano, Odabella)
Stefano La Colla (tenor, Foresto)
George Petean (baritone, Ezio)
Stefan Sbonnik (tenor, Uldino)
Gabriel Rollinson (bass, Leone)
Bavarian Radio Chorus
Munich Radio Orchestra
Ivan Repu拧i膰 (conductor)
BR Klassik 900330 (2 CDs)
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