Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Andrew McGregor with Tom McKinney and Caroline Gill

With Andrew McGregor. Including Building a Library.

with Andrew McGregor

9.30
Building a Library: Tom McKinney joins Andrew to make a personal choice from among the available recordings of Boulez's seminal work Le marteau sans ma卯tre.

Pierre Boulez first performed this piece in 1955. It sets the surrealist poetry of Ren茅 Char for contralto and six instrumentalists. He had already established a reputation as the composer of modernist and serialist works and this has become one of his most enduring compositions. The orchestration allows for a continuum of sonorities. As Boulez said, "a number of features shared by these instruments forms a continuous passage from voice to vibraphone".

10.30
Caroline Gill joins Andrew to discuss some new releases of music by women composers.

11.45
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Disc of the Week.

3 hours, 12 minutes

Music Played

  • Igor Stravinsky

    Tango

    Music Arranger: Victor Babin. Performer: Marc-Andr茅 Hamelin. Performer: Leif Ove Andsnes.
    • The Rite of Spring.
    • Hyperion.
    • 20.
  • Christoph Willibald Gluck

    Dance of the Furies (Orfeo ed Euridice)

    Performer: Daniel Hope. Performer: Z眉rcher Kammerorchester.
    • Journey to Mozart.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.
  • Josef Myslivecek

    Larghetto (from Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major)

    Performer: Daniel Hope. Performer: Z眉rcher Kammerorchester.
    • Journey to Mozart.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 6.
  • Rita Strohl

    Great Dramatic Sonata, "Titus et B茅r茅nice": II. Vivace - Molto movimento

    Performer: Edgar Moreau. Performer: David Kadouch.
    • Franck, Poulenc & Strohl: Cello Sonatas.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 102.
  • Claude Debussy

    Jane

    Performer: Malcolm Martineau. Singer: Lucy Crowe.
    • Debussy Songs 4.
    • Hyperion.
    • 2.
  • Dag Wir茅n

    Serenade, Op.11 (Marcia)

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • Symphony No. 3.
    • Chandos.
    • 7.
  • Dag Wir茅n

    Symphony No. 3 Op. 20 iii. Finale

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • Symphony No. 3.
    • Chandos.
    • 3.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73: I. Allegro non troppo

    Orchestra: Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard.
    • Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73.
    • BIS.
    • 101.
  • Zolt谩n Kod谩ly

    Concerto for Orchestra

    Orchestra: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: JoAnn Falletta.
    • Kod谩ly: Orchestral Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 201.
  • B茅la Bart贸k

    Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119: III. Allegro vivace

    Performer: Javier Perianes. Orchestra: Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Bart贸k: Concerto for Orchestra & Piano Concerto No. 3.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 103.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    The Rite of Spring (for two pianos)

    Performer: Marc-Andr茅 Hamelin. Performer: Leif Ove Andsnes.
    • The Rite of Spring.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1.

Record Review

9.00am

JOURNEY TO MOZART

CHRISTOPH GLUCK:

Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Furies

Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits (Arr. For Violin Solo And Chamber Orchestra By Olivier Four茅s)

JOSEPH HAYDN:

Violin Concerto No. 4 in G major, Hob.VIIa:4

JOSEF MYSLIVECEK:

Violin Concerto in D major, 2. Larghetto

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART:

Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K216

Adagio for Violin and Orchestra in E, K261

JOHANN PETER SALOMON:

Romance for violin and orchestra

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART:

Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K331 'Alla Turca', 3. Alla Turca (Arr. For Violin Solo And Chamber Orchestra By Olivier Four茅s)

Daniel Hope (violin and director), Zurich Chamber Orchestra

DG 4798376 (CD)

FRANCK 鈥 STROHL 鈥 POULENC 鈥 LA TOMBELLE

RITA STROHL:

Great Dramatic Sonata, "Titus et B茅r茅nice"

FRANCIS POULENC:

Cello Sonata, Op. 143

C脡SAR FRANCK:

Violin Sonata in A major

FERNAND DE LA TOMBELLE:

Andante espressivo

FRANCIS POULENC:

Souvenirs

Edgar Moreau (cello) & David Kadouch (piano)

Erato 9029574062 (2 CDs)

DEBUSSY SONGS VOLUME 4

CLAUDE DEBUSSY:

Trag茅die, L 12

Jane, L 13

Rondeau, L 17

Rondel Chinois, L 11

La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin, L 15

Arabesque, L 74 / 1

Les Papillons, L 21

S茅guidille, L 44

Nuits Blanches, L 101 - #1 Nuit Sans Fin

Nuits Blanches, L 101 - #2 Lorsqu'Elle Est Entr茅e

Fantoches, L 26

En Sourdine, L 42

Mandoline, L 43

Clair De Lune, L 45

Pantomime, L 47

Flots, Palmes, Sables, L 38

Coquetterie Posthume, L 50

Chanson Espagnole, L 49

Apparition, L 57

Beau Soir, L 84

No毛l Des Enfants Qui N'Ont Plus De Maisons, L 147

Lucy Crowe (soprano), Jennifer France (soprano), Christopher Maltman (baritone), Lucy Wakeford (harp) Malcolm Martineau (piano)

Hyperion CDA68075 (CD)

DAG WIR脡N: SINFONIETTA, SERENADE FOR STRINGS, SYMPHONY NO. 3 & DIVERTIMENTO

DAG WIR脡N:

Symphony No. 3, Op. 20

Serenade for string orchestra, Op. 11

Divertimento, Op. 29

Sinfonietta in C Major, Op. 7a

Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Rumon Gamba

Chandos CHSA5194 (Hybrid SACD)

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library


Composer:听听听听听 Pierre Boulez听听听听听听听听听听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Piece: 听听听听听听听听听听听 Le Marteau Sans Maitre

Reviewer:听 听听听听听 Tom McKinney

Recommended Recording:

MASTERWORKS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Pierre Boulez (conductor), Yvonne Minton (mezzo-soprano), Ensemble Musique Vivante

Sony Classical 88875061902 (10 CDs 鈥 currently only available as a digital download)

Other Recommended Recordings:

Below are other recordings that Tom also liked, although we can鈥檛 guarantee the availability of these.

Pascal Gallois (conductor), Katalin Karolyi (mezzo soprano),
International Contemporary Ensemble

Stradivarius STR37071 (CD)

Robert Craft (conductor), Margery MacKay (mezzo-soprano)

Odyssey 32160154 or Soundmark Records 48292 (download)

10.20am

BRAHMS: SYMPHONY NO. 2

JOHANNES BRAHMS:

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

Variations on a theme by Haydn for orchestra, Op. 56a 'St Anthony Variations'

Hungarian Dances, WoO 1 Nos. 1-21 (orchestrated by Dausgaard):

No. 6 in D-Flat Major

No. 7 in F Major [Performed in A Major]

No. 5 in F-Sharp Minor

Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80

Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard

BIS BIS2253 (Hybrid SACD)

KOD脕LY: CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA

ZOLTAN KOD脕LY:

Dances of Galanta

Concerto for Orchestra

Variations on a Hungarian Folksong 'The Peacock'

Dances of Marossz茅k

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta

Naxos 8.573838 (CD)

BART脫K: CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA & PIANO CONCERTO NO.3

BELA BART脫K:听听听听听听听听听听听

Piano Concerto No. 3, BB 127, Sz. 119

Concerto for Orchestra, BB 123, Sz.116

Javier Perianes (piano), M眉nchner Philharmoniker, Pablo Heras-Casado

Harmonia Mundi HMM902262 (CD)

1050 New Releases: Caroline Gill on women composers

ALMA MAHLER: LIEDER UND GES脛NGE

ALMA MAHLER:

5 Leider:

No. 1. Die stille Stadt

No. 2. In meines Vaters Garten

No. 3. Laue Sommernacht

No. 4. Bei dir ist es traut

No. 5. Ich wandle unter Blumen

4 Leider:

No. 1. Licht in der Nacht

No. 2. Waldseligkeit

No. 3. Ansturm

No. 4. Erntelied

5 Ges盲nge:

No. 1. Hymne

No. 2. Ekstase

No. 3. Der Erkennende

No. 4. Lobgesang

No. 5. Hymne an die Nacht

PATRIZIA MONTANARO:

Canto di Penelope

Catharina Kroeger (soprano), Monica Lonero (piano)

Brilliant Classics 95469BR (CD)

H脡L脠NE DE NERVO DE MONTGEROULT

H脡L脠NE DE MONTGEROULT:

Piano Sonata No. 9 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 5 No. 3

Fugue No. 1 in F Minor

Cours complet pour l'enseignement du fort茅-piano

Th猫me Vari茅 dans le genre moderne

Edna Stern (piano)

Orchid Classics ORC100063 (CD)

MADEMOISELLE - PREMIERE AUDIENCE UNKNOWN MUSIC OF NADIA BOULANGER

NADIA BOULANGER:

Versailles

J'ai frappe

Chanson

Heures ternes

Le beau navire

Mon coeur

Doute

Un grand sommeil noir

L'echange

Soir d'hiver

Ilda

Priere

Cantique

Poe虁me d鈥檃mour

Extase

La mer

Aubade

Au bord de la nuit

Le Couteau

Soleils couchants

脡濒茅驳颈别

O schwo虉re nicht

Was will die einsame Thr盲ne

Ach, die Augen sind es wieder

脡coutez la chanson bien douce

Vers la vie nouvelle

3 Piano Pieces

3 Pieces for Cello & Piano

3 Pieces for Organ

Piece sur des airs populaires flamands

Nicole Cabell (soprano), Alek Shrader (tenor), Edwin Crossley-Mercer (baritone), Amit Peled (cello), Fran莽ois-Henri Houbart (organ), Lucy Mauro (piano)

Delos DE3496 (2 CDs)

JENNIFER HIGDON: ALL THINGS MAJESTIC

JENNIFER HIGDON:

Viola Concerto

Oboe Concerto

All Things Majestic

Roberto D铆az (viola), James Button (oboe) Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero

Naxos 8.559823 (CD)

LUCREZIA BORGIA'S DAUGHTER - PRINCESS, NUN AND MUSICIAN: MOTETS FROM A 16TH CENTURY CONVENT

ANON.:

Musica quinque vocum (Attrib. to Leonora d'Este)

Tribulationes civitatum audivimus

Suscipe verbum virgo Maria

Haec dies

Ego sum panis vitae

O Salutaris

Veni sponsa Christi

Salve sponsa

Hodie Simon petrus

Ave sanctissima Maria

Sicut lilium

Angelus Domini descendit

Felix namque es sacra

Angustie mihi sunt undique

O beate Christi confessor

Iste est Johannes

Angeli, Archangeli, Troni
Musica Secreta & Celestial Sirens directed by Laurie Stras and Deborah Roberts

Obsidian Records CD717 (CD)

11.45am 鈥 Disc of the Week

STRAVINSKY: THE RITE OF SPRING & OTHER WORKS FOR TWO PIANOS FOUR HANDS

IGOR STRAVINSKY:

The Rite of Spring

Concerto for 2 Pianos

Madrid

Tango

Circus Polka

Marc-Andr茅 Hamelin (piano), Leif Ove Andsnes (piano)

Hyperion CDA68189 (CD)

Broadcast

  • Sat 10 Feb 2018 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.