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Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending in Building a Library with Kate Kennedy and Tom Service

Mark Seow rounds up some new releases that have taken his fancy, and in Building a Library, Kate Kennedy chooses her favourite recording of Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending.

Tom Service with the best new recordings of classical music

9.30 am
Violinist, musicologist, and writer Mark Seow brings a selection of new releases to the studio including the latest from pianist Víkingur Ólafsson and violinist Vilde Frang, and in On Repeat he shares a track with Tom and explains his current preoccupation with it.

10.30 am
Building a Library
Continuing Radio 3's Vaughan Williams Today season, marking the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, Kate Kennedy chooses her favourite recording of Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending.

In Vaughan Williams' modal and folk music-inflected The Lark Ascending a solo violin takes flight above the orchestra evoking for many the very essence of an idealised English countryside. But this popular work, written on the eve of the First World War, has perhaps inevitably become freighted with nostalgia for both a lost generation and a rural way of life which was soon to vanish forever.

11.20 am
Record of the Week
An exceptional new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet No 13 in B-Flat Major, Op 130: IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro

    Ensemble: Dover Quartet.
    • Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 3.
    • Cedille.
    • 308.
  • Thomas Adès

    Marchentanz (nos 3 & 4)

    Performer: Pekka Kuusisto. Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • ONDINE.
  • Adam Michna

    Stála Matka Litující [The Sorrowful Mother]

    Singer: Hana Blažíková. Ensemble: Collegium Marianum.
    • A Lily Among Thorns.
    • SUPRAPHON.
    • 13.
  • Frédéric Chopin

    4 Mazurkas, Op. 24, B. 89: No. 15 in C Major

    Performer: Peter Jablonski.
    • Chopin: Complete Mazurkas, Vol. 1.
    • Ondine.
    • 115.
  • Ruth Gipps

    Chanticleer - overture Op.28

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • Ruth Gipps Orchestral Works, Volume 2.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 1.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Violin Concerto in D major Op.8 (4th mvt)

    Performer: Vilde Frang. Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Pekka Kuusisto.
    • Beethoven & Stravinsky: Violin Concertos.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 7.
  • Johann Jakob Kress

    Violin Concerto no.3 in F major (1st mvt)

    Performer: Johannes Pramsohler. Ensemble: Ensemble Diderot.
    • Travel Concertos.
    • AUDAX RECORDS.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Trio Sonata no.1 BWV.525 (Allegro moderato)

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson. Performer: Halla Oddný Magnúsdóttir. Music Arranger: György Kurtág.
    • From Afar.
    • DG.
    • 11.
  • Sigvaldi Kaldalóns

    Ave Maria

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson. Music Arranger: Víkingur Ólafsson.
    • From Afar.
    • DG.
    • 12.
  • François FrancÅ“ur

    Le Trophée (2eme Air)

    Composer: François Rebel. Performer: Théotime Langlois de Swarte. Performer: Justin Taylor.
    • Les Frères FrancÅ“ur.
    • ALPHA CLASSICS.
    • 2.
  • François FrancÅ“ur

    Le théâtre s'éclaire (Les Augustales)

    Composer: François Rebel. Performer: Théotime Langlois de Swarte. Performer: Justin Taylor.
    • Les Frères FrancÅ“ur.
    • ALPHA CLASSICS.
    • 16.
  • Andrea Falconieri

    O vezzosetta (Aria sopra la Ciaccona) - L'Eroica

    Performer: L’Arpeggiata. Performer: Christina Pluhar. Singer: Zachary Wilder. Singer: João Fernandes.
    • Alla Napoletana.
    • Erato.
  • Edward Elgar

    Angel's farewell (The Dream of Gerontius)

    Singer: Alice Coote. Director: Mark Elder. Orchestra: Hallé.
    • Elgar Violin Concerto: Halle Orchestra, Elder.
    • Halle.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Symphony No 5 in E minor, Op 64, III. Valse. Allegro moderato

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda.
    • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Kitezh Suite.
    • LSO Live.
    • 3.
  • Steve Reich

    Music for Ensemble and Orchestra: I. Sixteenths

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Susanna Mälkki.
    • Steve Reich: Runner & Music for Ensemble and Orchestra.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 6.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite no.3 in D major BWV.1068

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Conductor: John Butt.
    • Bach: Orchestral Suites BWV 1066-1069.
    • Linn.
    • 1-4.
  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No 5 in C sharp Minor: III. Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnell

    Conductor: Semyon Bychkov. Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic.
    • Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 103.

Record Review

The link below each recording takes you directly to the label’s website. Please be aware that non-UK labels may be cheaper via a record store or an online retailer.

Ìý

9.00am

Ìý

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 3Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Dover Quartet

CedilleÌý CDR90000215 (3 CDs)

Ìý

Ìý

Thomas Adès: Märchentänze, Hotel Suite from Powder Her Face, Lieux retrouvé & Dawn

Pekka Kuusisto (violin)

Tomas Nuñez (cello)

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Nicholas Collon

Ondine ÌýODE 1411-2

Ìý

Ìý

A Lily Among Thorns – music by Michna, Biber, Albrici, etc.

Hana Blažíková (soprano)

Collegium Marianum

SupraphonÌý SU43172

Ìý

Ìý

Chopin: Complete Mazurkas, Vol. 1

Peter Jablonski (piano)

OndineÌý ODE 1412-2

Ìý

Ìý

Gipps: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

Juliana Koch (oboe)

´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic

Rumon Gamba

Chandos ÌýCHAN20161

Ìý

Ìý

09.30am – Mark Seow: New Releases

Ìý

Beethoven & Stravinsky: Violin Concertos

Vilde Frang (violin)

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen

Pekka Kuusisto

Warner ClassicsÌý 9029667740

Ìý

Ìý

Travel Concertos – Music by JS Bach, Kress, Durant, etc.

Ensemble Diderot

Johannes Pramsohler (violin)

Audax ÌýADX11204D

Ìý

Ìý

From Afar – music by Brahms, Kaldalóns, Schumann, etc.

Víkingur Ólafsson (piano)

DGÌý 4861681 (2 CDs)

Ìý

Ìý

Les frères Francœur – music by Rebel, Francoeur, Anet, etc.

Justin Taylor (harpsichord)

Théotime Langlois de Swarte (violin)

Alpha ÌýALPHA895

Ìý

Ìý

Mark Seow: On Repeat

Ìý

Alla Napoletana – music by Falconieri, Caresana, Giramo, etc.

L'Arpeggiata

Christina Pluhar

EratoÌý 9029660361 (2 CDs)

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

10:10 am

Ìý

Listener On Repeat

Ìý

Ìý

Elgar: Violin Concerto – includes excerpts from The Dream Of Gerontius

Thomas Zehetmair (violin)

Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano)

Hallé Orchestra

Sir Mark Elder

HalléÌý CDHLL7521

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Kitezh Suite

London Symphony Orchestra

Gianandrea Noseda

LSO Live LSO0858 (Hybrid SACD)

Ìý

Ìý

Steve Reich: Runner & Music for Ensemble and Orchestra

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Susanna Mälkki

NonesuchÌý 7559791018

Ìý

Ìý

10.30am – Building a Library: Kate Kennedy on Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending

Ìý

Recommended recording:

Ìý

Janine Jansen (violin)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Barry Wordsworth

DeccaÌý 4750112

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

11:15 am

Ìý

Bach: Orchestral Suites BWV 1066-1069

Dunedin Consort

John Butt

Linn ÌýCKD666 (2 CDs)

Ìý

Ìý

11.25am – Record of the Week

Ìý

Mahler: Symphony No. 5

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Semyon Bychkov

PentatoneÌý PTC5187021

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Broadcast

  • Sat 15 Oct 2022 09:00

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