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Building a Library: Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld

With Andrew McGregor. Including Building a Library: Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld; Marina Frolova-Walker discusses a selection of new music releases; Disc of the Week.

with Andrew McGregor

0930
Building a Library: Sarah Lenton comes up with a personal recommendation for Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld from among available versions.

The starting point for Jacques Offenbach's 1858 op茅ra bouffe Orph茅e aux enfers is classical Greek myth. But tragedy it ain't. Here, instead, is a cheeky parody of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, the tragic pair a married couple grown sick of the sight of each other. So when Pluto lures Eurydice to his underworld both she and Orpheus are equally pleased. But, much to Orpheus' displeasure, Public Opinion demands Eurydice be rescued. And so she is, the opera ending with a bacchanal including a 'galop infernal' or Can-Can, one of the work's many earworm moments.

1040
Marina Frolova-Walker rounds up new recordings of Russian orchestral repertoire and reassesses recently reissued CDs featuring Soviet musicians and ensembles.

1140
Disc of the Week: Andrew makes a personal choice from among the latest outstanding releases.

3 hours, 12 minutes

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Le Nozze di Figaro (Overture)

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
    • Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 001.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K.216 (i. Allegro)

    Performer: Henning Kraggerud. Orchestra: Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.
    • Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3, 4 and 5.
    • Naxos.
    • 001.
  • Krzysztof Penderecki

    Dies Illa (1. Mors stupebit; 2. Liber scriptus)

    Singer: Johanna Rusanen. Singer: Agnieszka Rehlis. Singer: Nikolay Didenko. Choir: Warsaw Philharmonic Chorus. Orchestra: Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Krzysztof Penderecki. Conductor: Krzysztof Penderecki.
    • Penderecki Conducts Penderecki, Volume 1.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 001.
  • Erik Satie

    Chapitres tourn茅s en tous sens (1913)

    Performer: Noriko Ogawa.
    • Satie: Piano Music, Vol. 1.
    • BIS.
    • 009.
  • Erkki Melartin

    Marjatta, Op. 79 (opening)

    Singer: Soile Isokoski. Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Hannu Lintu.
    • Erkki Melartin: Traumgesicht, Marjatta, The Blue Pearl.
    • Ondine.
    • 002.
  • Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello

    Overture in G minor for 2 oboes, 2 violins, viola and basso continuo (Rigaudon)

    Ensemble: La Cetra Barockorchester Basel. Director: David Plantier. Director: V谩clav Luks.
    • Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello: Concerti, Sinfonie, Ouverture.
    • Glossa.
    • 016.
  • Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello

    Violin Concerto in E minor (ii. Adagio)

    Performer: David Plantier. Ensemble: La Cetra Barockorchester Basel. Director: V谩clav Luks.
    • Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello: Concerti, Sinfonie, Ouverture.
    • Glossa.
    • 008.
  • Alessandro Rolla

    Duet in B flat Op. 13 (iii. Alla pollacca)

    Performer: Isabelle Faust. Performer: Thomas Riebl.
    • Alessandro Rolla: Duets for violin and viola.
    • Glossa.
    • 003.
  • Antoine Forqueray

    1st Suite of Pieces for Viol & Continuo (La Bellemont)

    Performer: Paolo Pandolfo. Performer: Rolf Lislevand.
    • Forqueray: Pieces de viole avec la basse continue.
    • Glossa.
    • 004.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Le Nozze di Figaro (End of Act 2)

    Performer: Thomas Hampson. Performer: Sonya Yoncheva. Performer: Christiane Karg. Performer: Angela Brower. Performer: Luca Pisaroni. Performer: Philippe Sly. Performer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Performer: Rolando Villaz贸n. Performer: DJ Bum Bum. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
    • Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 001.

9.00am

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3, 4 and 5
MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K216; Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K218; Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K219 'Turkish'
Henning Kraggerud (violin and director), Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
NAXOS 8573513 (CD budget)

Penderecki conducts Penderecki, Vol 1
PENDERECKI: Hymne an den heiligen Daniel (1997); Hymne an den heiligen Adalbert; Psalms of David; Dies Illa for 3 soloists, choir and orchestra
Johanna Rusanen (soprano), Agnieszka Rehlis (mezzo-soprano), Nikolai Didenko (bass), Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, Orchestra, Krzysztof Penderecki (conductor)
WARNER CLASSICS 2564603939 (CD)

Satie: Piano Music, Vol. 1
SATIE: Gnossienne No. 1; Gnossienne No. 2; Gnossienne No. 3; Gnossienne No. 4; Gnossienne No. 5; Gnossienne No. 6; Gnossienne No. 7; Chapitres tournes en tous sens; Avant Dernieres Pensees (Idylle, Aubade, Meditation); Croquis et Agaceries d'un Gros Bonhomme en bois; Sonatine Bureaucratique; Poudre d'or; Embryons desseches; Descriptions automatiques; Heures seculaires et instantanees; Prelude en tapisserie; Les trois valses distinguees du precieux degoute; Je te veux; Trois Gymnopedies
Noriko Ogawa (脡rard 1890 piano)
BIS BIS2215 (Hybrid SACD)

Melartin: Traumgesicht, Marjatta & The Blue Pearl
MELARTIN: Traumgesicht Op. 70; Marjatta Op. 79; Music from the ballet The Blue Pearl Op. 160
Soile Isokoski (soprano), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu (conductor)
ONDINE ODE12832 (CD)

9.30am Building a Library

Sarah Lenton compares recordings of Jacques Offenbach鈥檚 Orph茅e aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld), and recommends a version.

Building a Library Recommendations


Top recommendation:

Natalie Dessay (Euridice), Yann Beuron (Orphee), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (Pluton/Aristee), Laurent Naouri (Jupiter), Martine Olmeda (L'Opinion Publique), Orchestra and Chorus of The Opera National de Lyon, Marc Minkowski (conductor) (conductor), Laurent Pelly (director)
ARTHAUS MUSIK 107105 (DVD)


Other recordings:

Below is a shortlist of other recordings which Sarah Lenton also liked, although we can鈥檛 guarantee the availability of these discs.

Natalie Dessay (Euridice), Yann Beuron (Orphee), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (Pluton/Aristee), Laurent Naouri (Jupiter), Martine Olmeda (L'Opinion Publique), Orchestra and Chorus of The Opera National de Lyon, Marc Minkowski (conductor) WARNER CLASSICS 5567252 (CD)
N.B. This CD is the same production, but a different recording to the above DVD choice.

Claudine Collart (Euridice), Jean Mollien (Orphee), Andre Dran (Pluton/Aristee), Bernard Demigny (Jupiter), Violette Journeaux (L鈥橭pinion Publique), Paris Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, Rene Leibowitz (conductor)
REGIS RRC2063

10.30am New Releases on the Glossa Label

Brescianello: Concerti, Sinfonie & Ouverture
BRESCIANELLO: Sinfonie No. 5 in F major; Concerto No. 4 in E minor; Ouverture in G minor; Sinfonie No. 1 in D major; Concerto in B flat major; Chaconne in A major
La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, David Plantier (violin), Vaclav Luks
GLOSSA GCDC82506 (CD mid-price)

Rolla: Duets for Violin and Viola
ROLLA: Duetto in B flat major Op. 13; Duo in C minor Op. 4 No. 2; Duo in E flat major Op. 7 No. 2; Duetto in C major Op. 9; Duetto in C major Op. 7, No. 1: Adagio
Isabelle Faust (violin), Thomas Riebl (viola)
GLOSSA GCDC80021 (CD mid-price)


Forqueray: Pieces de viole avec la basse continue
Paolo Pandolfo (viola da gamba), Guido Balestracci (viola da gamba), Rolf Lislevand (theorbo, Baroque guitar), Eduardo Eguez (theorbo, Guido Morini (harpsichord)
GLOSSA GCDC80412 (2CD budget)

10.40am New Releases and Reissues of Russian and Soviet Music

Marina Frolova-Walker rounds up new recordings of Russian orchestral repertoire and reassesses recently reissued CDs featuring Soviet musicians and ensembles.


Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 & The Bells
RACHMANINOV: The Bells Op. 35; Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op. 30
Elizaveta Shumskaya (soprano), Mikhail Dovenmann (tenor), Alexei Bolshakov (bass), Moscow Philharmonic, Russian Republic Capella, Van Cliburn (piano), Symphony of the Air, New York, Kirill Kondrashin (conductor)
PRAGA PRD350123 (Hybrid SACD)

Stravinsky in USSR
STRAVINSKY: Apollon musagete; Orpheus; Ode (Elegiacal Chant in three parts); Fireworks Op. 4; Song of the Volga Boatmen
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Yevgeny Mravinsky (conductor), USSR Symphony, Igor Stravinsky (conductor), Moscow Philharmonic Winds
PRAGA PRD250330 (CD)

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 12
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5 in D minor Op. 47; Symphony No. 12 in D minor Op. 112 'The Year 1917'
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Yevgeny Mravinsky (conductor)
PRAGA DSD350122 (Hybrid SACD)

Shostakovich: String Quartets 1
SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartet No. 1 in C Major Op. 49; String Quartet No. 2 in A major Op. 68; String Quartet No. 5 in B flat major Op. 92
Borodin Quartet
PRAGA PRD250323 (CD)

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 15 in A, Op. 141; Suite Op. 145a;
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Eduard Serov; Sergei Kopcak, SOCR, Frantisek Vajnar
PRAGA PRD250334 (CD)

PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major Op. 100
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons (conductor)
RCO LIVE RCO16002 (Hybrid SACD)

RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 2 in E minor Op. 27
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons (conductor)
RCO LIVE RCO16004 (Hybrid SACD)
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 & 5
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 1 in G minor Op. 13 'Winter Daydreams'; Symphony No. 2 in C minor Op. 17 'Little Russian'; Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko (conductor)
ONYX ONYX4150 (2CD mid-price)

Scriabin: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
SCRIABIN: Symphony No. 1 in E major; Symphony No. 2 in C minor Op. 29
Ekaterina Sergeeva (mezzo-soprano), Alexander Timchenko (tenor), London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Valery Gergiev (conductor)
LSO LIVE LSO0770 (2Hybrid SACD budget)

11.40am Disc of the Week

MOZART: Le nozze di Figaro, K492
Thomas Hampson (Conte), Sonya Yoncheva (Contessa), Angela Brower (Cherubino), Christiane Karg (Susanna), Luca Pisaroni (Figaro), Maurizio Muraro (Bartolo), Anne Sofie von Otter (Marcellina), Philippe Sly (Antonio), Regula Muhlemann (Barbarina), Rolando Villazon (Basilio), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (Don Curzio), Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Vocalensemble Rastatt, Yannick Nezet-Seguin (conductor)
DG 4795945 (3CD mid-price)

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 Jul 2016 09:00

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