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Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel in Building a Library with Nigel Simeone and Andrew McGregor

Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel, and Katy Hamilton recommends new chamber music recordings.

with Andrew McGregor

9.30 Building a Library
Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel.

Admired and conducted by Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, no less, Humperdinck's fairy tale opera has never been out of the repertoire since its 1893 premiere. The story may be Grimm but Humperdinck's perfectly crafted, post-Wagnerian music (which never takes itself too seriously) effortlessly evokes the careless joys and dreams of childhood, as well as the sinister darkness of the forest and the forces of evil (but not too frighteningly so). In fact, as eight decades of recordings demonstrate, it provides the ideal vehicle for starry ensemble casts, top-notch orchestras and classy conductors.

10.45
Katy Hamilton recommends new chamber music recordings including rarities by two mid-19th-century-born composers, Russian Georgy Catoire and Swede Helena Mathilda Munktell.

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

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Giacomo Puccini

    'Quando m'en vo' (La boheme)

    Singer: Hera Hyesang Park. Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker. Conductor: Bertrand de Billy.
    • DG.
  • Andreas Romberg

    Violin Concerto No. 9 in A iii. Rondo allegretto

    Performer: Chouchane Siranossian. Ensemble: Capriccio Barockorchester.
    • Alpha.
  • Franz Schubert

    Schwanengesang, D. 957: No. 4, St盲ndchen [sung in Portuguese]

    Music Arranger: Heitor Villa鈥怢obos. Choir: S茫o Paulo Symphony Orchestra Choir. Conductor: Valentina Peleggi.
    • Villa-Lobos: Choral Transcriptions.
    • Naxos.
    • 501.
  • Eric Coates

    Valse

    Performer: Paul Guinery.
    • EM Records.
  • Michael East

    When David Heard

    Ensemble: Fieri Consort. Ensemble: Chelys Consort of Viols.
    • Amavi: Music for Viols & Voices by Michael East.
    • BIS.
    • 201.
  • Joseph Haydn

    'Farewell Symphony', No 45 in F sharp minor, iv. Finale

    Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • Alpha.
  • Alban Berg

    Piano Sonata, Op 1

    • Beethoven - Berg - Boulez.
    • Mirare.
    • 104.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op 1 (Introduction & Theme; Vars. 1-6)

    Ensemble: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Chandos.
  • Dan铆el Bjarnason

    Violin Concerto

    Conductor: Dan铆el Bjarnason. Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
    • Occurrence: ISO Project, Vol. 3.
    • Sono Luminus.
    • 101.
  • William Walton

    Piano Quartet in D Minor: I. Allegramente

    • Walton: Chamber Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 101.
  • Georgy Lvovich Catoire

    Piano Quartet in A Minor, Op. 31: II. Andante

    Ensemble: Vogler Quartett.
    • Catoire: Chamber Works.
    • CapriccioNR.
    • 302.
  • Claude Debussy

    Pr茅lude 脿 l'Apr猫s-midi d'un faune, L. 86

    Ensemble: Ensemble K. Conductor: Simone Menezes.
    • Accents.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • 102.
  • Helena Munktell

    Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 21: I. Allegro non tanto, vigoroso

    • Munktell: Violin Sonata, Op. 21, 10 M茅lodies & Kleines Trio.
    • BIS.
    • 101.
  • George Gershwin

    Porgy and Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So (Arr. J. Heifetz for Violin & Piano)

    • Heifetz Favorites: Transcriptions & More.
    • Gramola Records.
    • 1301.
  • William Kroll

    Banjo and Fiddle

    • Heifetz Favorites: Transcriptions & More.
    • Gramola Records.
    • 201.
  • John Eccles

    Semele, Act 3 (conclusion)

    Performer: James Rhoads. Singer: Graeme Broadbent. Singer: Rory Carver. Singer: William Wallace. Singer: Jonathan Brown. Singer: Anna Dennis. Singer: Aoife Miskelly. Singer: Helen Charlston. Singer: H茅lo茂se Bernard. Singer: Bethany Horak-Hallett. Singer: Richard Burkhard. Singer: Christopher Foster. Singer: Jolyon Loy. Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Julian Perkins.
    • AAM.

Record Review

9.00am

I am Hera

Hera Hyesang Park (soprano)

Vienna Symphony Orchestra

Bertrand de Billy

Deutsche Grammophon 4839456

Romberg: Violin Concertos

Chouchane Siranossian (violin)

Capriccio Barockorchester

Alpha 452

Villa-Lobos: Choral Transcriptions

S茫o Paolo Symphony Choir

Valentina Peleggi

Naxos 8.574286

Dicky Bird Hop 鈥 Light music piano classics

Paul Guinery (piano)

EM Records EMRCD0064

Amavi 鈥 music for viols and voices by Michael East

Fieri Consort

Chelys

BIS BIS2503 Hybrid SACD

Haydn 2032, Vol. 9: L鈥橝ddio

Sandrine Piau

Il Giardino Armonico

Giovanni Antonini

Alpha 684

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Nigel Simeone on Humperdinck鈥檚 Hansel and Gretel

Composer: Engelbert Humperdinck

Reviewer: Nigel Simeone

Recommended Recording:

Anne Sofie von Otter (Hansel), Barbara Bonney (Gretel), Marjana Lipovsek (Witch), Hanna Schwarz (Mother), Andreas Schmidt (Father), Barbara Hendricks (Sandman), Eva Lind (Dew Fairy)

Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

T枚lzer Knabenchor

Jeffrey Tate (conductor)
Warner Classics 7540222

Other recommended versions:

English version

Jennifer Larmore (Hansel), 听Rebecca Evans (Gretel), Jane Henschel (Witch), Rosalind Plowright (Mother), Robert Hayward (Father), Diana Montague (Sandman), Sarah Tynan (Dew Fairy), Sarah Coopen (Cuckoo)

New London Children's Choir

Philharmonia Orchestra

Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)

Chandos 听CHAN31432


10.15am 鈥 New Releases

Beethoven, Berg, Boulez

Florent Boffard (piano)

Mirare MIR510

English Music for Strings (Britten, Bridge, Berkeley, Bliss)

Sinfonia of London

John Wilson (conductor)

Chandos CHSA5264 Hybrid SACD

Occurrence (Icelandic orchestral music)

Pekka Kuusisto (violin)

Mario Caroli (violin)

Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Dan铆el Bjarnason (conductor)

Sono Luminus DSL-92243 CD + Bluray Audio

10.40am 鈥 Katy Hamilton on Chamber Music

Walton: Piano Quartet, Violin Sonata, Toccata

Matthew Jones (violin)

Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola)

Tim Lowe (cello)

Annabel Thwaite (piano)

Naxos 8.573892

Catoire: Piano Concerto Op 21; Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 28; Piano Quartet in A minor Op. 31

Oliver Triendl (piano)

Vogler Quartett

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra

Roland Kluttig (conductor)

Capriccio C5403

Accents (Borodin, Debussy, Copland, Villa-Lobos, Lacaze)

Ensemble K

Simone Menezes

Apart茅 AP243

Helena Munktell: Violin Sonata, Dix M茅lodies & Kleines Trio

Sofie Asplund (soprano)

Tobias Ringborg (violin)

Kristina Winiarski (cello)

Peter Friis Johansson (piano)

BIS BIS-2204 Hybrid SACD

Heitfetz favourites, transcriptions and more

Benjamin Schmid (violin)

Ariane Haering (piano)

Gramola Records Gramola99236

11.20am 鈥 Record of the Week

Eccles: Semele

Graeme Broadbent (bass), Rory Carver (tenor), William Wallace (tenor), Jonathan Brown (baritone), Anna Dennis (soprano), Aoife Miskelly (soprano), James Rhoads, Helen Charlston (mezzo-soprano), H茅lo茂se Bernard (soprano), Bethany Horak-Hallett (soprano), Richard Burkhard (baritone), Christopher Foster (bass), Jolyon Loy (baritone)
Academy of Ancient Music
Julian Perkins (director)
AAM Records AAM012 (2 CDs)


Broadcast

  • Sat 30 Jan 2021 09:00

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