Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Andrew McGregor with Marina Frolova-Walker and Caroline Gill

With McGregor. Includes Building a Library: Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3; Caroline Gill reviews new releases marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation; Disc of the Week.

with Andrew McGregor.

0930
Building a Library: Marina Frolova-Walker recommends a version of Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, one of the most engaging examples of Prokofiev's trademark combination of edgy brilliance and unabashed lyricism. Prokofiev was not only the soloist at its 1921 Chicago premiere but also the first to record it (in 1932) and it has since become his most popular concerto, recorded by some of the greatest pianists of this and the last century.

1050
As part of 'Breaking Free: Martin Luther's Revolution' Caroline Gill reviews recent releases prompted by the 500th anniversary of Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenburg Church.

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

3 hours, 12 minutes

Music Played

  • John Philip Sousa

    The Washington Post

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Kristjan Järvi.
    • Chandos : CHSA 5182.
    • Chandos.
    • 1.
  • John Philip Sousa

    Nymphalin

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Kristjan Järvi.
    • Chandos : CHSA 5182.
    • Chandos.
    • 8.
  • Franz Schmidt

    Symphony No. 2 In E Flat Major, i. Lebhaft

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Semyon Bychkov.
    • Sony : 88985355522.
    • Sony.
    • 1.
  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Concerto in D TWV 54:D2 ii & iii

    Performer: Georg Kallweit. Ensemble: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Robert Schumann

    Adagio and Allegro in A flat major Op.70

    Performer: Alec Frank-Gemmill. Performer: Alasdair Beatson.
    • BIS : BIS-2228 SACD.
    • BIS.
    • 4-5.
  • Richard Strauss

    Concerto No. 1 In E Flat Major Op.11 For Horn And Orchestra

    Performer: Peter Damm. Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden. Conductor: Heinz Rögner.
    • Berlin Classics : 0300930BC.
    • Berlin Classics.
    • 4.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Quartet In B Flat Major Op.76`4 (Sunrise) For Strings, iv. Finale

    Ensemble: Robert Schumann Quartet.
    • Berlin Classics : 0300836BC.
    • Berlin Classics.
    • 4.
  • Toru Takemitsu

    Landscape I

    Ensemble: Schumann Quartett.
    • BERLIN CLASSICS.
  • Pavel Haas

    Fata Morgana Op. 6, Part 1 No. 1

    Performer: Lada Valesova. Singer: Nicky Spence. Ensemble: Navarra String Quartet.
    • Resonus Classics.
  • Richard Wagner

    Lohengrin (Act 2 Scenes 4 & 5)

    Performer: Yevgeny Nikitin. Singer: Klaus Florian Vogt. Singer: Camilla Nylund. Singer: Katarina Dalayman. Singer: Falk Struckmann. Choir: Groot Omroepkoor. Choir: Chorus Of Dutch National Opera. Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • RCO Live : RCO17002.
    • RCO Live.
    • 8-12.

9am

A Sousa Celebration
SOUSA: Washington Post; Sandalphon Waltzes; The Irish Dragoon: Overture; The Irish Dragoon: Circus Galop; The Thunderer; Humoresque of George Gershwin's Swanee; The Invincible Eagle; Nymphalin; On the wings of lightening; Humoresque on Kern’s Look for the Silver Lining; Semper Fidelis; The Dwellers of the Western World: Suite; The Liberty Bell; El Capitan: waltzes; El Capitan March; The Gliding Girl: Tango; The Stars and Stripes Forever
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Kristjan Jarvi (conductor)
CHANDOS CHSA5182 (Hybrid SACD)

Schmidt: Symphony No. 2 & Strauss: Dreaming by the Fireside
SCHMIDT, F: Symphony No. 2 in E flat major
STRAUSS, R: Traumerei am Kamin (from Intermezzo)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Semyon Bychkov (conductor)
SONY 88985355522 (CD)

Telemann: Concerti per multi stromenti
TELEMANN: Concerto TWV 54:D3 in D major for 3 trumpets, 2 oboes, timpani, strings & b.c.; Concerto TWV 53:h1 in B minor for 2 flutes, bassoon, strings & b.c.; Septet (Concerto) TWV 44:43 in B flat major for 3 oboes, 3 violins & b.c.; Sonata in F minor, TWV44:32; Concerto TWV 53:F1 in F major for 3 violins, strings & b.c.; Concerto TWV 53:D1 in D major for 2 flutes, bassoon/lute, strings & b.c.; Concerto TWV 54:D2 in D major for 3 horns, violin, strings & b.c.; Quartet TWV 43:G5 (Concerto) in G major for flute, violin, viola & b.c. I. Adagio
Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin
HARMONIA MUNDI HMM902261 (CD)

9.30am – Building a Library

Building a Library: a weekly look at a piece of music, a comparison of the available recordings, and a recommendation.

Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Piece: Piano Concerto No. 3
Reviewer: Marina Frolova-Walker

Building a Library: Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3

Recommended recording:
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 - 5 (Complete)
Vladimir Krainev (piano), The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Kitayenko (conductor)
MELODIYA MELCD1002227 (2CD)

Other recommended recordings:
Below is a shortlist of other recordings which Marina also liked, although we can’t guarantee the availability of these discs.

Martha Argerich (piano), Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Charles Dutoit (conductor)
DG 4779884 (CD)

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano), 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
CHANDOS CHAN108022 (CD)

Yuja Wang (piano), Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (conductor)
EUROARTS 2057968 (DVD Video)

10.20am – More new releases

A noble and melancholy instrument
BEETHOVEN: Horn Sonata in F major Op. 17
DUKAS: Villanelle
GLAZUNOV: Reverie Op. 24 for French horn
ROSSINI: Prelude, Theme & Variations
SAINT-SAENS: Romance Op. 67
SCHUMANN: Adagio and Allegro in A flat major Op. 70
STRAUSS, F: Nocturno Op. 7
Alec Frank-Gemill (horn), Alasdair Beatson (piano)
BIS BIS2228 (Hybrid SACD)

Horn Musik: Peter Damm
BEETHOVEN: Horn Sonata in F major Op. 17
CILENÅ EK: Konzertstuck in F
GEISSLER, F: Horn Sonata
KOHLER, ERNESTO: Horn Sonata Op. 32
KURZ, S: Horn Concerto
MOZART: Horn Quintet in E flat, K407
REUTER, W A: Canto appassionato
SCHUMANN: Konzertstuck for four horns Op. 86
STRAUSS, R: Horn Concerto No. 1 in E flat major Op. 11; Horn Concerto No. 2 in E flat major, AV132
ZIMMERMANN, U: Nouveau divertissements
Peter Damm (horn), Staatskapelle Dresden, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300930BC (6CD)

Schumann Quartet: Landscapes
BARTOK: String Quartet No. 2, Sz 67 (Op. 17)
HAYDN: String Quartet Op. 76 No. 4 in B flat major 'Sunrise'
PART: Fratres for String Quartet
TAKEMITSU: Landscape I for string quartet
Schumann Quartet
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300836BC (CD)

Fata Morgana: Songs by Pavel Haas
HAAS, P: Seven Songs in a Folk Style Op. 18; Fata Morgana Op. 6; Cinske pisne Op. 4; Four Songs to the Text of Chinese Poetry (Theresienstadt-Series)Anita Watson (soprano), Anna Starushkevych (mezzo soprano), Nicky Spence (tenor), James Platt (bass), Navarra Quartet, Lada Valesova (piano)
RESONUS CLASSICS RES10183 (CD)

10.50am – Caroline Gill on Lutheran music

Ìý

Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott
With music by Heinrich Scheidemann, Michael Altenburg, Andreas Hammerschmidt, Paul Siefert, Michael Praetorius, Samuel Scheidt, Johann Hermann Schein, Delphin Strungk, Caspar Othmayr, Thomas Selle, Bartholomaeus Gasius, Melchior Franck, Heinrich Schutz, Christoph Bernhard, Hieronymus Praetorius, Johann Steffens, Joachim a Burck, Martin Luther, Johann Walter, Balthasar Resinarius, Andreas Hammerschmidt

Bart Jacobs (organ), Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier

RICERCAR RIC376 (2CD)

Ìý

PRAETORIUS, M: Gloria sei dir gesungen - Chorale concerts after hymns by Luther, Nicolai and others

Capella Principale (chorus), Gli Scarlattisti (chorus), Jochen Arnold

CARUS CARUS83482 (CD)

Ìý

Luther in Der Musik

ALTENBURG, M: Ein feste Burg

BACH, J S: Mass in B minor, BWV232: Dona Nobis Pacem; Vom Himmel hoch; Cantata BWV169 'Gott soll allein mein Herze haben': Sinfonia; Cantata BWV169 'Gott soll allein mein Herze haben': Du susse Liebe; Christmas Oratorio, BWV248: Er ist auf Erden kommen arm
BUXTEHUDE: Chorale Prelude BuxWV 184 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott'; Nun komm, der heiden Heiland, BuxWV211; Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
ECCARD: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
FRANCK, MELCHIOR: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
JACOBI, C A: So merket nun das Zeichen recht
KLEEMANN: Trumpet Concerto: II. Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort
KREBS, J L: Chorale Prelude for trumpet & organ, "Gott der Vater Wohn Uns Bei"
LANGLAIS: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
PRAETORIUS, M: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
REGER: Vater unser im Himmelreich Op. 67, No. 41; Fantasia uber den Choral 'Ein feste Burg' Op. 27
SCHEIN: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
SCHNYDER: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
SCHUTZ: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, SWV deest
Ludwig Guttler, Friedrich Kircheis, Camilla Nylund, Peter Schreier, Henryk Bohm, Oliver Widmer, Hallenser Madrigalisten, Concentus Vocalis Wien, Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Virtuosi Saxoniae, Blechblaserensemble Ludwig Guttler, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Leipzig
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300848BC (CD)

Davon ich singen und sagen will: Martin Luther und die Musik
BACH, J S: Cantata BWV4 'Christ lag in Todesbanden' (Easter Cantata)
ECCARD: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her; Verleih uns Frieden gnadiglich
FABRICIUS, W: Jubilum Evangelorum Jauchzet ihr Himmel
LUTHER: Non moriar sed vivam
NEUSIDLER, H: Dein hubsch und schon; Der recht Studententantz
OSIANDER: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott; Aus tiefer Not (Buss-Lied zu Psalm 139)
PRAETORIUS, M: Jesaja dem Prophente das geschah
ROSENMULLER: Wie lieblich sind Deine Wohnungen
SCHUTZ: Komm, heiliger Geist Op. 12 SWV 417
STOLTZER: Septimi toni; Terzii toni
WALTER, J: Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist
Monika Mauch (soprano), Ina Siedlaczek (soprano), Georg Poplutz (tenor), Nils Giebelhausen (tenor), Markus Flaig (bass), Franz Vitzthum (counter-tenor), Johannes Vogt (lute), Jens Hamann (bass), Bach-Chor Siegen, Johann Rosenmuller Ensemble, Ulrich Stotzel
CPO 5550982 (CD)

11.45am – Disc of the Week

WAGNER: Lohengrin
Klaus Florian Vogt (Lohengrin), Camilla Nylund (Elsa), Katarina Dalayman, (Ortrud), Evgeny Nikitin (Friedrich von Telramund), Falk Struckmann (Heinrich der Vogler), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir, Dutch National Opera Chorus, Mark Elder (conductor)
RCO LIVE RCO17002 (3Hybrid SACD)

Broadcast

  • Sat 6 May 2017 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.