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Andrew McGregor with Katy Hamilton and Alexandra Coghlan

Building a Library focuses on Brahms's 3rd String Quartet, with Katy Hamilton, plus Alexandra Coghlan reviews recent releases of Monteverdi and Croce. Andrew McGregor presents.

with Andrew McGregor

0930
Building a Library: Katy Hamilton explores Brahms's Third String Quartet in B flat major, Op 67. Brahms composed this quartet 1875 and dedicated it to a cellist friend, even though the cellist is the one instrument that doesn't get a prominent solo in the work. The work is composed in a lighter vein than we sometimes associate with Brahms's chamber works; he described it as "a useless trifle, to avoid facing the serious countenance of a symphony", by which he meant work on his First Symphony, which was premiered a week later.

1045
Andrew talks to Alexandra Coghlan about a new batch of choral discs including Monteverdi's Selva morale e spiritual, motets by Giovanni Croce, and madrigals by Cipriano de Rore.

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

3 hours, 15 minutes

Music Played

  • George Gershwin

    Summertime [from 'Porgy And Bess']

    Singer: Claron McFadden. Orchestra: Anima Eterna Brugge. Conductor: Jos van Immerseel.
    • Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue & Catfish Row.
    • Alpha.
    • 6.
  • Johannes Brahms

    How lovely is thy dwelling place (A German Requiem Op.45)

    Choir: Choir of King’s College, London. Performer: James Baillieu. Performer: Richard Uttley. Conductor: Joseph Fort.
    • Johannes Brahms: An English Requiem.
    • Delphian.
    • 4.
  • Amanda Maier-Rontgen

    Nine Pieces for Violin and Piano

    Performer: Cecilia Zilliacus. Performer: Bengt Forsberg.
    • Amanda Maier Volume 2: Violin Sonata, Nine Pieces for Violin and Piano, Four Son.
    • Db Productions.
    • 10.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Dixit Dominus - Psalm 110 Hwv.232

    Ensemble: Vox Luminis. Conductor: Lionel Meunier.
    • Bach/Handel: Vox Luminis.
    • Alpha.
    • 21.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Piano Trio No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 101: IV. Allegro molto

    Ensemble: Trio Isimsiz.
    • Brahms, Takemitsu & Beethoven.
    • RUBICON.
    • 104.
  • Toru Takemitsu

    Between Tides

    Ensemble: Trio Isimsiz.
    • Brahms, Takemitsu & Beethoven.
    • RUBICON.
    • 105.
  • John Adams

    Harmonielehre For Orchestra

    Performer: John Adams. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 1.
  • John Adams

    Harmonielehre For Orchestra

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Narrator: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 2.
  • John Adams

    City Noir For Orchestra

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 5.
  • John Adams

    Scheherazade.2 For Violin And Orchestra Dramatic Symphony

    Performer: Leila Josefowicz. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 3.
  • John Adams

    The Wound Dresser for Baritone and Orchestra

    Performer: Georg Nigl. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Kirill Petrenko.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 6.
  • John Adams

    The Gospel According To The Other Mary

    Ensemble: The Cast. Choir: Berlin Radio Choir. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 18.
  • Hector Berlioz

    Les Troyens Act 4

    Singer: Joyce DiDonato. Singer: Michael Spyres. Conductor: John Nelson.
    • Berlioz Les Troyens.
    • Erato.
    • 7.

Record Review

9.00am

GERSHWIN: ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE

GEORGE GERSHWIN: Catfish Row; Summertime; By Strauss; An American In Paris; The Man I Love; My Man Is Gone Now; I Got Rhythm; Rhapsody in Blue

Claron McFadden (soprano), Bart van Caenegem (piano), Anima Eterna Brugge, Jos van Immerseel (conductor)

Alpha Classics ALPHA 289 (CD)

Ìý

JOHANNES BRAHMS: AN ENGLISH REQUIEM

JOHANNES BRAHMS: Ein Deutsches Requiem, sung in English

Mary Bevan (soprano), Marcus Farnsworth (baritone), James Baillieu & Richard Uttley (piano), The Choir of King’s College London, Joseph Fort (conductor)

DELPHIAN DCD34195 (CD)

Ìý

AMANDA MAIER: VOLUME 2: VIOLIN SONATA, NINE PIECES FOR VIOLIN & PIANO, FOUR SONGS

AMANDA MAIER: Sonata for Violin & Piano in B minor; Nine Pieces for Violin & Piano; Four Songs; Bonus track: Johannes Brahms: Auf dem See (Op.106)

Cecilia Zilliacus (violin), Sabina Bisholt (soprano), Bengt Forsberg (piano)

dB Productions dBCD182 (CD)

Ìý

VOX LUMINIS SINGS HANDEL & BACH

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL: Dixit Dominus, HWV 232

Vox Luminis (choir), Lionel Meunier (conductor)

Alpha Classics ALPHA 370 (CD)

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

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9.30am – Building a Library

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Composer: Brahms

Piece: String Quartet in B major op.67

Reviewer: Katy Hamilton

Ìý

Ìý

Recommended Recording:

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Takács Quartet

DECCA 4756525 (CD)

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Ìý

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Other Recommended Recordings:

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

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Leon Fleisher (piano), Emerson String Quartet

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 6458 (CD)

Ìý

Alban Berg Quartet

WARNER CLASSICS 7548292 (CD)

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Smetana Quartet

TESTAMENT SBT1120 (CD)

Ìý

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10.20am – NEW RELEASES

Ìý

TRIO ISIMSIZ: BRAHMS, TAKEMITSU, BEETHOVEN

JOHANNES BRAHMS: Piano Trio in C minor Op.101

TORU TAKEMITSU: Between Tides

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: ‘Ghost’ Piano Trio No.5 in D major Op.70/1

Pablo Hernán Benedí (violin), Michael Petrov (cello), Erdem Misirlioglu (piano)

RUBICON CLASSICS RCD 1013 (CD)

Ìý

BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER: JOHN ADAMS

JOHN ADAMS: Harmonielehre; Short Ride in a Fast Machine; City Noir; Lollapalooza; Scheherazade; The Wound-Dresser; The Gospel According to the Other Mary

Berliner Philharmoniker, Gustavo Dudamel (conductor), Alan Gilbert (conductor), Kirill Petrenko (conductor), Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)

Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings BHPR 170141 (4CD + 2 Concert Video Blu-Ray Discs)

Ìý

Ìý

11.01am – NR: Alexandra Coghlan’s Choral

Ìý

GIOVANNI CROCE: MOTETTI & SACRAE CANTIONES

GIOVANNI CROCE:Ìý Motetti à 8 voci, Book 1

GIOVANNI PICCHI: Canzoni Da Sonar

VINCENZO BELLAVERE: Toccata del primo tuono

GIOVANNI CROCE: Sacrae cantiones

GIOVANNI GABRIELI: Canzon III

ANDREA GABRIELI: Canzon ariosa

GIOVANNI GABRIELI: Canzon III (1596)

GIOSEFFO GUAMI: Canzon Settimadecima a 4

CLAUDIO MERULO: Toccate d'intavolatura d'organo, Book 2

Voces Suaves, Francesco Pedrini (conductor), Concerto Sirocco, Giulia Genini (conductor)

Arcana A439

Ìý

CIPRIANO DE RORE: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A STARVED DOG

L’ineffabil bontà del Redentore; Queste non son più lagrime; Non son io che pai’ in viso; Era il bel viso suo qual’esser suole; Convien ch’ovunque sua sempre cortese; Come la notte ogni fiammella è viva; Alcun non puo saper da chi sia amato; L’inconstantia che seco han; La giustitia immortale; O morte eterno fin; Se ben il duol; Mia benigna fortuna; Beato mi direi

Poi che m’invita Amore; Dissimulare etiam sperasti; Se come il biondo crin de la mia Filli;

Mentre, lumi maggior

Graindelavoix, Bjorn Schmelzer (conductor)

Glossa GCD P32114 (CD)

Ìý

DIXIT: CHORAL WORKS BY HANDEL & CALDARA

HANDEL: Dixit Dominus, HWV 232

CALDARA: Missa Dolorosa

CALDARA: Crucifixus a 16 voci

Balthasar-Neumann-Chor & Solisten, Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, Thomas Hengelbrock

Deutsche HM DHM 88697568682 (CD)

Ìý

MONTEVERDI: SELVA MORALE E SPIRITUALE

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI: Selva Morale e Spirituale SV 252-288

MONTEVERDI: Confitebor secondo SV 266

Balthasar-Neumann-Chor & Solisten, Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, Pablo Heras-Casado (conductor)

Harmonia Mundi HMM 902355 (CD)

Ìý

PETERIS VASKS: LAUDATE DOMINUM

PETERIS VASKS: Da pacem, Domine; Mein Herr und mein Gott; Laudate Dominum; Prayer (Lord, open our eyes); The Fruits of Silence

Ilze Reine (organ), Latvian Radio Choir & Sinfonietta Riga, Sigvards Kļava (conductor)

Ondine ODE 13022 (CD)

Ìý

JOHN TAVENER & ROXANNA PANUFNIK – 99 WORDS

JOHN TAVENER: Svyati; Look in thy glass; Threnos; Maha Maya

ROXANNA PANUFNIK: Heav’nly harmony; 99 Words to my darling children; The tablet of your heart

MATTHEW BARLEY: Improvisation on Tavener themes

Matthew Barley (cello), James Sherlock (organ), Simon Russell Beale (narrator), Voce Chamber Choir, Suzi Digby (conductor)

Signum SIGCD 519 (CD)

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11.45am – Disc of the Week

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BERLIOZ: LES TROYENS

Joyce DiDonato (Dido, soprano), Michael Spyres (Aeneas, tenor), Les Choeurs de l’Opéra du Rhin, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Chœur Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, John Nelson (conductor)

Erato 0190295762209 (4CD + DVD highlights)

Broadcast

  • Sat 25 Nov 2017 09:00

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