Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Britten's Four Sea Interludes with Anna Lapwood and Andrew McGregor

Anna Lapwood chooses a favourite recording of Britten's Four Sea Interludes, spectacular orchestral showpieces from his opera Peter Grimes, plus the best new classical releases.

9.30 am
Building a Library

Anna Lapwood compares recordings of Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes and picks a favourite.

When Peter Grimes premiered in 1945 it immediately put Britten, uniquely among his compatriots, in the first rank of the world's opera composers. As well as the consummate solo vocal and choral writing, the orchestra, too, plays a vital role in Britten's dark drama of alienation and hypocrisy in a small Suffolk fishing community. Several purely orchestral episodes sometimes punctuate, sometimes push forward the narrative and four of these were published separately as the Sea Interludes. Much performed and recorded, Britten's dazzling orchestration vividly conjures up Dawn, Sunday Morning, Moonlight and a Storm.

10.40 am
Jeremy Sams reviews a new set of the complete Schumann Symphonies played by the Munich Philharmonic conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado.

11.20 am
Record of the Week
An exceptional new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • William Bolcom

    The Brooklyn Dodge

    Performer: Marc-Andr茅 Hamelin.
    • Bolcom: The Complete Rags.
    • Hyperion.
    • 12.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Serenade No 1 in D Major, Op 11: VI. Rondo

    Music Arranger: Jorge Rotter. Ensemble: Linos Ensemble.
    • Brahms: Serenades No. 1 & 2.
    • CapriccioNR.
    • 106.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No 9 in E minor: III. Scherzo

    Orchestra: Hall茅. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 'Sinfonia Antartica' & Symphony No. 9.
    • Halle.
    • 9.
  • Robert Schumann

    Dichterliebe, Op 48: Songs 1 - 3

    Performer: Daniil Trifonov. Singer: Matthias Goerne.
    • Lieder: Berg, Schumann, Wolf, Shostakovich, Brahms.
    • DG.
    • 5.
  • John Williams

    Han Solo and the Princess (from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

    Performer: Anne鈥怱ophie Mutter. Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Williams.
    • John Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Selected Film Themes.
    • DG.
    • 6.
  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    Sonneries pour les trompettes du Roi

    Ensemble: Le Po猫me Harmonique. Conductor: Vincent Dumestre.
    • Les Noces Royales de Louis XIV.
    • Chateau de Versailles Spectacles.
    • 1.
  • Juan Hidalgo

    Dos zagalas venian

    Ensemble: Le Po猫me Harmonique. Conductor: Vincent Dumestre.
    • Les Noces Royales de Louis XIV.
    • Chateau de Versailles Spectacles.
    • 29.
  • Reynaldo Hahn

    Premieres valses: VI. Assez vite

    Performer: Pavel Kolesnikov.
    • Hahn: Po猫mes & Valses.
    • Hyperion.
    • 13.
  • Reynaldo Hahn

    Le rossignol 茅perdu:IX. Eros cache dans les bois

    Performer: Pavel Kolesnikov.
    • Hahn: Po猫mes & Valses.
    • Hyperion.
    • 16.
  • Charles Koechlin

    The Seven Stars' Symphony, Op. 132: IV. Clara Bow

    Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra Basel. Conductor: Ariane Matiakh.
    • Koechlin: The Seven Stars' Symphony, Op. 132 & Vers la vo没te 茅toil茅e, Op. 129.
    • CapriccioNR.
    • 104.
  • Franz Liszt

    Soir茅es de Vienne, S. 427 "Valses-caprices d'apr猫s Fran莽ois Schubert": No. 6, Al

    Performer: Bogdan Laketic.
    • Made in Vienna.
    • Gramola Records.
    • 501.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony No 1 in B flat major: I. Andante un poco maestoso, Allegro molto vivace

    Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Schumann: The Complete Symphonies.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 1.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony No 4 in D minor, Op. 120: I. Ziemlich langsam - Lebhaft

    Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Schumann: The Complete Symphonies.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 6.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony No 4 in D minor, Op 120: II. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam

    Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Schumann: The Complete Symphonies.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 7.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony No 2 in C major, Op 61: II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace

    Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Schumann: The Complete Symphonies.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 6.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony No 3 in E flat major, Op 97 'Rhenish': IV. Feierlich

    Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Schumann: The Complete Symphonies.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 4.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No 7 'Sinfonia antartica': III. Landscape & IV. Intermezzo

    Orchestra: Hall茅. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 'Sinfonia Antartica' & Symphony No. 9.
    • Halle.
    • 3.

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.

9.00am

Bolcom: The Complete Rags

Marc-Andr茅 Hamelin (piano)

Hyperion听 CDA68391/2 (2 CDs)

Brahms: Serenade Nos. 1 & 2

Linos Ensemble

Capriccio听 C5447

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 'Sinfonia Antartica' & Symphony No. 9, Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 and The Lark Ascending

Sophie Bevan (soprano)

Lyn Fletcher (violin)

Sopranos and Altos of the Hall茅 Choir

Hall茅 Orchestra

Mark Elder

Hall茅听 CDHLD7558 (2 CDs)

Lieder: Berg, Schumann, Wolf, Shostakovich, Brahms

Matthias Goerne (baritone)

Daniil Trifonov (piano)

DG听 4862452

John Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Selected Film Themes

Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin)

Boston Symphony Orchestra

John Williams

DG听 4861698

9.30am - Building A Library: Anna Lapwood on Britten鈥檚 Four Sea Interludes

Recommended Recording:

大象传媒 Philharmonic

Edward Gardner

Chandos听 CHAN10658

Other recommendation:

大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra

Sir Andrew Davis

Warner Classics听 825646447565

10.15am 鈥 new releases

Les Noces Royales de Louis XIV 鈥 music by Lully, Couperin, Hidalgo, etc.

Le Po猫me Harmonique

Vincent Dumestre

Ch芒teau de Versailles Spectacles听 CVS066

Hahn: Po猫mes & Valses

Pavel Kolesnikov (piano)

Hyperion听 CDA68383

Charles Koechlin: The Seven Stars' Symphony Op. 132

Sinfonieorchester Basel

Ariane Matiakh

Capriccio听 C5449

Made in Vienna 鈥 music by Haydn, Schoenberg, Liszt, etc.

Bogdan Laketic (accordion)

Gramola听 99264

10.40am 鈥 New Releases: Jeremy Sams on the new Schumann symphonies boxset

Schumann: The Complete Symphonies

M眉nchner Philharmoniker

Pablo Heras-Casado

Harmonia Mundi听 HMM90266465 (2 CDs)

11.20am 鈥 Record of the Week

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 'Sinfonia Antartica' & Symphony No. 9, Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 and The Lark Ascending

Sophie Bevan (soprano)

Lyn Fletcher (violin)

Sopranos and Altos of the Hall茅 Choir

Hall茅 Orchestra

Mark Elder

Hall茅听 CDHLD7558 (2 CDs)

Broadcast

  • Sat 4 Jun 2022 09:00

Composers A to Z

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

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.