Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony with Erik Levi and Andrew McGregor
Erik Levi chooses a favourite recording of Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony, a sequence of settings of love poetry for soprano and baritone, plus a survey of recordings by Radu Lupu.
9.30 am
Building a Library
Erik Levi compares recordings of Alexander von Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony and picks a favourite.
Composer, prominent conductor and influential composition teacher, Zemlinsky was at the centre of turn-of the century Viennese musical life. Among his distinguished pupils were Arnold Schoenberg (who also happened to be his brother-in-law), Berg, Webern and Korngold. He also taught and was romantically involved with Alma Schindler until she decided to marry a certain Gustav Mahler. And it's Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde which provided the model for Zemlinsky's best-known work, his1923 Lyric Symphony. Mahler had chosen Chinese poetry for his song-symphony and Zemlinsky, too, looked east, setting poems by the then fashionable 1913 Nobel Prize-winning Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. The seven texts, an exploration of love, are sung alternately by baritone and soprano, accompanied in lush late-Romantic style by a large orchestra.
10.15 am
To mark today's Record Store Day, Presto Classical's Chris O'Reilly looks at current trends in recorded Classical music consumption and makes predictions for future trends.
10.40 am
Joanna MacGregor plays some of her favourite recordings by the Romanian pianist, Radu Lupu, who died this week. After winning the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1966, he went on to appear with all the major orchestras of the world. From 1970 to 1993, he made over 20 recordings for Decca including works by Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Mozart, Schubert, and Schumann. Some of these have become much-loved classics.
11.20 am
Record of the Week
An exceptional new release.
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Chick Corea
Armando's Rhumba
Performer: Martin Frost.- Night Passages.
- Sony.
- 9.
-
![]()
Paul Wranitzky
Oberon, K枚nig der Elfen: Overture
Ensemble: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.- Paul Wranitzky: Symphonies.
- Deutsche HM.
- 1.
-
![]()
Franz Schubert
Fantasie in C Major, Op. Posth. 159, D. 934: Iv. Allegro vivace - Allegretto - P
Performer: Viktoria Mullova. Performer: Alasdair Beatson.- Schubert: Sonata in A Major, Fantasie in C Major & Rondo in B Minor.
- Signum Classics.
- 204.
-
![]()
Heinrich Biber
Sonatae Tam Aris Quam Aulis Servientes: Trumpet Fanfare No. 1 in G Minor, C 126
Ensemble: Clemencic Consort.- Biber & Fux: Chamber Music.
- Oehms.
- 1.
-
![]()
Heinrich Biber
Balletti a 6: Movements I - IV
Ensemble: Clemencic Consort.- Biber & Fux: Chamber Music.
- Oehms.
- 2.
-
![]()
Gioachino Rossini
Il barbiere di Siviglia: Aria. Largo al factotum
Singer: Florian Sempey. Conductor: Marc Minkowski. Orchestra: Orchestre National de l'Opera de Bordeaux.- Figaro? S矛!.
- Alpha.
- 1.
-
![]()
Sergey Prokofiev
Four Etudes, Op 2: I. Allegro in D Minor & IV. Presto energico in C Minor
Performer: Tianxu An.- Tchaikovsky - Rachmaninov - Prokofiev.
- Alpha.
- 6.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Proses Lyriques: III. De fleurs
Singer: Jodie Devos. Ensemble: Quatuor Voce.- Po茅tiques de l'instant.
- Alpha.
- 13.
-
![]()
Sergey Rachmaninov
Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op 19 (Arr. L. Descours & P. Kouider for Bassoon & Piano): III. Andante
Performer: Lola Descours. Performer: Paloma Kouider. Music Arranger: Lola Descours. Music Arranger: Paloma Kouider.- Bassoon Steppes.
- Orchid Classics.
- 703.
-
![]()
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 5 in D major: IV: Passacaglia
Orchestra: 大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Boult.- Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos 5 & 6.
- ica classics.
- 4.
-
![]()
Robert Schumann
Humoreske, Op 20: 6. Innig & 7. Sehr lebhaft
Performer: Radu Lupu.- Radu Lupu: Complete Decca Solo Recordings.
- Decca.
- 4.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
4 Piano Pieces, Op 119: 1. Intermezzo In B Minor & 2. Intermezzo In E Minor
Performer: Radu Lupu.- Radu Lupu: Complete Decca Solo Recordings.
- Decca.
- 12.
-
![]()
Franz Schubert
Fantasia in C Major, for Violin and Piano D.934: 1. Andante molto
Performer: Szymon Goldberg. Performer: Radu Lupu.- Franz Schubert - Music for Violin & Piano.
- Decca.
- 16.
-
![]()
Franz Schubert
Piano Sonata No 13 in A, D.664: 3. Allegro
Performer: Radu Lupu.- Radu Lupu: Complete Decca Solo Recordings.
- Decca.
- 3.
-
![]()
Giuseppe Verdi
Don Carlos, extracts (Five-act French version)
Conductor: Fr茅d茅ric Chaslin. Singer: Benjamin Bernheim. Singer: Florian Sempey. Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna.- Boulevard des Italiens.
- DG.
- 4.
Record Review
The link below each recording takes you directly to the label鈥檚 website. Please be aware that non-UK labels may be cheaper via a record store or an online retailer.
听
9.00am
听
Night Passages 鈥� music by Scarlatti, Corea, Bach, etc.
Martin Fr枚st (clarinet)
Sebastien Dube (double bass)
Roland P枚ntinen (piano)
Sony听 G0100045976027
听
听
Paul Wranitzky: Symphonies
Akademie f眉r Alte Musik Berlin
Bernhard Forck
Deutsche HM听 G0100047426044
听
听
Schubert: Violin Sonata in A Major, Fantasie in C Major and Rondo in B Minor
Viktoria Mullova (violin)
Alasdair Beatson (fortepiano)
Signum听 SIGCD706
听
听
Biber & Fux: Chamber Music
The Clemencic Consort
Ren茅 Clemencic
Oehms听 OC1904 (2CDs)
听
听
Rossini: Figaro? S矛!
Florian Sempey (baritone)
Karine Deshayes (mezzo-soprano)
Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine
Marc Minkowski
Alpha听 ALPHA791
听
听
9.30am - Building A Library: Erik Levi on Zemlinsky鈥檚 Lyric Symphony
听
听
Recommended Recording:听听
听
Christine Schafer (soprano)
Matthais Goerne (baritone)
Orchestra de Paris
Christoph Eschenbach
Capriccio听 C71081
听
听
听
Other Recommendations:
听
Viatka Orsanic (soprano)
James Johnson (baritone)
SWF Symphony Orchestra
Michael Gielen
Arte Nova听 G010000476392M
听
听
Soile Isokoski (soprano)
Bo Skovhus (baritone)
G眉rzenich-Orchester K枚ln
James Conlon
Warner Classics听 3724812
听
听
Elina V盲h盲l盲 (violin)
Johanna Winkel (soprano)
Michael Nagy (baritone)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Liebreich
Accentus Music听 ACC30470
https://accentus.com/discs/470/
听
听
听
听
听
10.15am 鈥� New Releases
听
Tchaikovsky - Rachmaninov - Prokofiev
Tianxu An (piano)
Alpha听 ALPHA855
听
听
Po茅tiques de l'instant 鈥� music by Debussy, Balmer
Jodie Devos (soprano)
Juliette Hurel (flute)
Emmanuel Ceysson (harp)
Quatuor Voce
Alpha听 ALPHA798
听
听
Bassoon Steppes 鈥� music by Scriabin, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, etc.
Lola Descours
Paloma Kouider
Orchid Classics听 ORC100190
听
听
Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos 5 & 6
大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra
Sir Adrian Boult
ica classics听 ICAC5164
听
听
1040am 鈥� New Releases: Joanna MacGregor on Radu Lupu
听
听
Radu Lupu: The Complete Decca Solo Recordings 鈥� music by Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, etc.
Radu Lupu (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Foster
Decca听 4782340
听
听
Franz Schubert - Music for Violin & Piano
Szymon Goldberg (violin)
Radu Lupu (piano)
Maurice Gendron (cello)
Jean Francaix (piano)
Decca听 4667482
听
听
听
11.20am 鈥� Record of the Week
听
听
Boulevard des Italiens 鈥� music by Puccini, Donizetti, Verdi, etc.
Benjamin Bernheim (tenor)
Florian Sempey (baritone)
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Fr茅d茅ric Chaslin
DG听 4861964
听
听
Broadcast
- Sat 23 Apr 2022 09:00大象传媒 Radio 3
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive Radio 3 audio archive of programmes about composers and their works.
Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast
All episodes since 2010, listed alphabetically by composer surname.
Why the music we love as teens stays with us for life
Cognitive neuropyschology can explain why we return to old favourites again and again.