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Building a Library: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4

With Andrew McGregor. Including Building a Library: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4; New Wagner releases, including Die Walkure, The Ring cycle and Tristan und Isolde; Disc of the Week.

with Andrew McGregor

0930
Building a Library: Rob Cowan sifts through some of the available recordings of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. Considered one of his very greatest works, the 4th was written at a time of emotional turmoil. Tchaikovsky said that the fanfare first heard at the opening stands for "the fatal power which prevents one from attaining the goal of happiness ...There is nothing to be done but to submit to it and lament in vain...all life is an unbroken alternation of hard reality with swiftly passing dreams and visions of happiness."

1030
Nicholas Baragwanath joins Andrew to review new Wagner releases including a new recording of Die Walk眉re with Matthias Goerne and reissues of The Ring and Tristan und Isolde.

1145
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Disc of the Week.

3 hours, 12 minutes

Music Played

  • Modest Mussorgsky

    Pictures From An Exhibition, Orch. Ravel, i & ii

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Deutsche Grammophon : 479 6297.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1-2.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No. 5 In D Major arr. M Mullinar, ii. Scherzo

    Performer: Anthony Goldstone. Performer: Caroline Clemmow.
    • Albion Records : ALBCD031.
    • Albion Records.
    • 2.
  • George Frideric Handel

    No, no, I'll take no less (Semele)

    Singer: Christiane Karg. Ensemble: Il Complesso Barocco. Director: Alan Curtis.
    • deutsche harmonia mundi : 88875199812.
    • deutsche harmonia mundi.
    • 4.
  • Franz Schubert

    String quartet In C minor D.703

    Ensemble: Doric String Quartet.
    • Chandos : CHAN 10931.
    • Chandos.
    • 1.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Sonata No. 3 In C Major Bwv.1005, iv. Allegro assai

    Performer: Fenella Humphreys.
    • Champs Hill Records : CHRCD118.
    • Champs Hill Records.
    • 12.
  • Fenella Humphreys

    Sonatina For Violin Alone Op. 334 (opening)

    • Champs Hill Records : CHRCD118.
    • Champs Hill Records.
    • 13.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Partita No. 2 In C Minor Bwv.826 arr. H. Thoene, v. Ciaccona & chorales

    Performer: Cecilia Zilliacus. Singer: Lena Willemark.
    • BIS : BIS-2159.
    • 7.
  • Richard Wagner

    Tristan Und Isolde - 'O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe'

    Performer: New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Performer: New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Singer: Ram贸n Vinay. Singer: Birgit Nilsson. Conductor: Karl B枚hm.
    • PACO : 135.
    • PACO.
    • 5.
  • Richard Wagner

    Tristan Und Isolde -'Einsam in der Nacht'

    Performer: New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Singer: Irene Dalis. Choir: New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Conductor: Karl B枚hm.
    • PACO : 135.
    • PACO.
    • 5.
  • Richard Wagner

    Tristan Und Isolde - 'Mild und leise wie er l盲chelt'

    Singer: Birgit Nilsson. Orchestra: New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Choir: New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Conductor: Karl B枚hm.
    • PACO : 135.
    • PACO.
    • 9.
  • Richard Wagner

    Der Fliegende Hollander - 'Wie aus der ferne'

    Performer: New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Singer: George London. Singer: Leonie Rysanek. Choir: New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Conductor: Thomas Schippers.
    • PACO : 136.
    • PACO.
    • 6.
  • Richard Wagner

    Der Fliegende Hollander - 'Johohoe!'

    Performer: New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Singer: Leonie Rysanek. Choir: New York Metropolitan Opera Chorus. Conductor: Thomas Schippers.
    • PACO : 136.
    • PACO.
    • 16.
  • Richard Wagner

    Die Walkure - 'Winterst眉rme wichen dem Wonnemond'

    Singer: Stuart Skelton. Orchestra: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Jaap van Zweden.
    • NAXOS : 866039497.
    • NAXOS.
    • 10.
  • Richard Wagner

    Das Rheingold - 'Zur Burg f眉hrt die Br眉cke'

    Singer: David Thaw. Singer: Jerome Hines. Orchestra: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Rudolf Kempe.
    • PACO : 136.
    • PACO.
    • 17.
  • Richard Wagner

    Die Walkure - 'Nicht streb, o Maid'

    Singer: Jerome Hines. Singer: Astrid Varnay. Orchestra: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Rudolf Kempe.
    • PACO : 136.
    • PACO.
    • 9.
  • Leonard Bernstein

    The Age Of Anxiety (Symphony No.2) For Piano And Orchestra

    Performer: Jean鈥怸ves Thibaudet. Orchestra: Baltimore S O. Conductor: Marin Alsop.
    • Naxos : 8559790.
    • Naxos.
    • 4-21.

9am

Pictures at an Exhibition
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel); Night on Bald Mountain
TCHAIKOVSKY: Waltz from Swan Lake
Vienna Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel (conductor)
Deutsche Grammophon 479 6297 (CD)

Vaughan Williams: Music for Two Pianos
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 5 in D major (arr. for two pianos by Michael Mullinar); The Running Set (arr. for two pianos by Vally Lasker and Helen Bidder); Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (arr. for two pianos by Maurice Jacobson)
Goldstone and Clemmow (two pianos)
ALBION RECORDS ALBCD031 (CD)

Mitologia: Handel Arias & Duets
HANDEL: Gia le furie vedo ancor (from Il Parnasso in festa); Dopo d'aver perduto il caro bene...Ho perso il caro bene (from Il Parnasso in festa); No, No, I'll Take No Less (from Semele); Hercules: Where shall I fly?; Felicissima quest'alma from Apollo e Dafne; Cara, nel tuo bel volto (from Atalanta); Semele: Overture; Semele: Gavotte; Come Zephyrs, Come (from Semele); Voglio amare insin ch'io moro (from Partenope); Echeggiate, festeggiate! (from Echeggiate, festeggiate!); Non piu barbaro furore (from Echeggiate, festeggiate!)
Christiane Karg (soprano), Romina Basso (contralto), Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis (conductor)
DEUTSCHE HM 88875199812 (CD)

Schubert: String Quartets Nos. 12 & 15
SCHUBERT: String Quartet No. 12 in C minor (fragment), D703 鈥楺uartettsatz'; String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D887
Doric String Quartet
CHANDOS CHAN10931 (CD)

9.30am - Building a Library

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Piece: Symphony no. 4
Reviewer: Rob Cowan

Building a Library: Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony

Recommended recording: Budapest Festival Orchestra / Iv谩n Fischer

Coupled with:
TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo & Juliet - Fantasy Overture
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer (conductor)
CHANNEL CCSSA21704 (Hybrid SACD)

Other recommended recordings:
Below is a shortlist of other recordings which Rob Cowan also liked, although we can鈥檛 guarantee the availability of these discs.

Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti (conductor)
WARNER CLASSICS 0979992 (7CD)

Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Evgeny Mravinsky (conductor)
DG 4775911 (2CD)

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein (conductor)
SONY G010002680869X

London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati (conductor)
MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE 4756261 (5CD)

Concertgebouw Orchestra, Willem Mengelberg
Pearl GEMM CDS 9070 (3CD)

10.20am 鈥 Solo Bach

Bach2 The Future Vol. 2
BACH, J S: Sonata for solo violin No. 3 in C major, BWV1005
BEAMISH: Intrada e Fuga
DAVIES, PETER MAXWELL: Sonatina for Violin Alone Op. 334
SIBELIUS: En glad musikant (A Happy Musician), JS 70 (1924-26)
STRAVINSKY: Elegy, for solo violin
SUTTON, A: Arpeggiare Variations
YSAYE: Sonata for solo violin in D minor Op. 27 No. 3 'Ballade'
Fenella Humphreys (violin)
CHAMPS HILL RECORDS CHRCD118 (CD)

Dansa - violin and voice
BACH, J S: Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D minor, BWV1004
CRUGER: Befiehl du deine Wege
HENRYSON: Violin Sonata
REGNART: Wo soll ich fliehen hin
SANDSTROM, S-D: Dansa
Lena Willemark (voice), Cecilia Zilliacus (violin)
BIS BIS2159 (Hybrid SACD)

10.40am 鈥 Nick Baragwanath on Wagner new releases

WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde
Ramon Vinay (Tristan), Birgit Nilsson (Isolde), Irene Dalis (Brangaene), Walter Cassel (Kurwenal), Jerome Hines (King Marke), Calvin Marsh (Melot), Paul Franke (Shepherd), Charles Anthony (Seaman), Louis Sgarro (Steersman) Metropolitan Opera and Chorus, Karl B枚hm (conductor)
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO135

WAGNER: Der fliegende Holl盲nder
George London (Dutchman), Leonie Rysanek (Senta), Giorgio Tozzi (Daland), Karl Liebl (Erik), William Olvis (Steersman),聽 Bel茅n Amparan (Mary), 聽Metropolitan Opera and Chorus, Thomas Schippers (conductor)
PRISTINE AUDIO PACO136

WAGNER: Die Walkure
Matthias Goerne (Wotan), Petra Lang (Brunnhilde), Michelle DeYoung (Fricka), Stuart Skelton (Siegmund), Heidi Melton (Sieglinde), Falk Struckmann (Hunding), Sarah Castle (Waltraute), Karen Foster (Gerhilde), Katherine Broderick (Helmwige), Anna Burford (Schwertleite), Elaine McKrill (Ortlinde), Aurhelia Varak (Siegrune), Okka von der Damerau (Grimgerde), Laura Nykanen (Rossweise), Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden (conductor)
NAXOS 8660394-97 (4CD)

WAGNER: Der Ring des Nibelungen
Jerome Hines (Wotan), Birgit Nilsson (Brunnhilde), Hans Hopf (Siegfried), Regine Crespin (Sieglinde), Fritz Uhl (Siegmund), Otakar Kraus (Alberich), Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele 1961, Rudolf Kempe (conductor)
ORFEO C928613Y (13CD)

11.45am - Disc of the Week

Bernstein: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
BERNSTEIN: Symphony No. 1 'Jeremiah'; Symphony No. 2 'The Age of Anxiety'
Jennifer Johnson Cano (mezzo-soprano), Jean-Yves Thibaudet, (piano), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop (conductor)
NAXOS 8559790 (CD)

Broadcast

  • Sat 14 Jan 2017 09:00

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