Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Andrew McGregor with Mark Lowther and Sophie Yates

Presented by Andrew McGregor. Building a Library focuses on Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, and Sophie Yates assesses new releases of instrumental and vocal baroque music.

0930
Building a Library on Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius with Mark Lowther.

Following the triumph of Elgar's Enigma Variations, The Dream of Gerontius is a work by a confident composer at the height of his powers. But sharing the fate of so many first performances, its 1900 premiere was not a popular success. Under-rehearsed and chaotic, partly due to the complexity and modernity of the writing, there was another issue, too: the Anglican community bridled at the work's uncompromisingly Catholic text by Cardinal Newman. More than a century later, in more ecumenical times, the work is part of the standard repertoire of choral societies up and down the land and has been most often recorded by UK conductors, choirs and orchestras.

1100
Sophie Yates assesses new releases of instrumental and vocal baroque music, including Rinaldo Alessandrini's arrangements of Bach keyboard works for period instrument ensemble.

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

3 hours, 15 minutes

Last on

Sat 9 Dec 2017 09:00
±«Óãtv Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Andrew McGregor with Jonathan Freeman-Attwood and Harriet Smith

Next

Andrew McGregor with Natasha Loges, Elin Manahan Thomas & Andrew Mellor

See all episodes from Record Review

Music Played

  • Claude Debussy

    Suite Bergamasque: Clair de lune

    Performer: Seong-Jin Cho.
    • Seong-Jin Cho - Debussy.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 15.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No. 2 In D Major Op.73

    Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • Brahms Symphony No.2.
    • RCA Red Seal/Sony.
    • 1.

  • Hans Abrahamsen

    Quartet No. 4 For Strings

    Ensemble: Arditti Quartet.
    • Hans Abrahamsen: String Quartets No.1-4.
    • Winter & Winter.
    • 2.

  • Morten Lauridsen

    O Magnum Mysterium

    Ensemble: ORA. Conductor: Suzi Digby.
    • Advent Calendar.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 9.

  • Toby Hession

    Master of Music

    Ensemble: The King’s Singers.
    • The King's Singers: Gold.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 601.

  • Leonard Bernstein

    Chichester Psalms For Treble, Chorus And Orchestra

    Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Orchestra: Britten Sinfonia. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.
    • Vaughan Williams / Bernstein.
    • King's College.
    • 7.

  • Franz Schubert

    Erlkönig (Orch. Berlioz)

    Orchestrator: Hector Berlioz. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey. Orchestra: Insula Orchestra. Singer: Stanislas de Barbeyrac.
    • Schubert: Nacht und Träume.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 113.

  • Franz Schubert

    Das Grab, D. 377 (Orch. Krawczyk)

    Orchestra: Insula Orchestra. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey.
    • Schubert: Nacht und Träume.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 114.

  • Jacobus Clemens non Papa

    Missa Virtute magna: VI. Agnus Dei

    Conductor: Bo Holten. Ensemble: Musica Ficta.
    • Thomissøn's Easter.
    • Dacapo.
    • 1301.

  • Anonymous

    Lutheran Service: Postcommunion, Blessing

    Conductor: Bo Holten. Ensemble: Musica Ficta.
    • Thomissøn's Easter.
    • Dacapo.
    • 1401.

  • Anonymous

    Hymn: O Lord, in these times so perilous

    Conductor: Bo Holten. Ensemble: Musica Ficta.
    • Thomissøn's Easter.
    • Dacapo.
    • 1501.

  • Robert Schumann

    Piano Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 47

    Performer: Hrachya Avanesyan. Performer: Diemut Poppen. Performer: Alexander Chaushian. Performer: Yevgeny Sudbin.
    • Schumann: Piano Quartet, Op. 47 - Brahms: Piano Quintet, Op. 34.
    • BIS.
    • 1-4.

Record Review

Ìý

BUILDING A LIBRARY – THIS WEEK’S WINNING DISC:

Ìý

ELGAR: THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS

Anthony Rolfe-Johnson (tenor), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano),

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Huddersfield Choral Society, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley (conductor)

Warner Classics 5757582 (6CD set and digital download)

ÌýÌý

9.00am

Ìý

DEBUSSY: IMAGES, CHILDREN'S CORNER AND SUITE BERGAMASQUE

CLAUDE DEBUSSY: Images I; Images II; Children’s Corner; Suite Bergamasque; L’Isle Joyeuse

Seong-Jin Cho (piano)

Deutsche Grammphon 479 8308 (CD)

Ìý

BRAHMS: SYMPHONY No.2

JOHANNES BRAHMS: Symphony No.2; Tragic Overture, Op.81; Academic Festival Overture, Op.80

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Paavo Järvi (conductor)

RCA Red Seal/Sony 88985 459462 (CD)

Ìý

HANS ABRAHAMSEN: STRING QUARTETS Nos.1-4

Arditti String Quartet

Winter & Winter 910 242-2 (CD)

Ìý

ES WAR EINMAL…ONCE UPON A TIME…

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Fairy Tales Op.132; Fantasiestücke Op.73; Märchenbilder Op.113

JÖRG WIDMANN: Es War Einmal: Five Pieces in a Fairytale Mood for Clarinet, Viola and Piano

Tabea Zimmermann (viola), Jörg Widmann (clarinet), Dénes Várjon (piano)

Myrios Classics MYR020

Ìý

Ìý9.30am – Building a Library

Ìý

Composer: ELGAR

Piece: The Dream of Gerontius

Reviewer: Mark Lowther

Ìý

Recommended Recording:

Ìý

Anthony Rolfe-Johnson (tenor), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo soprano),

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Huddersfield Choral Society, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley (conductor)

Warner Classics 5757582 (CD)

Ìý

Ìý

Other Recommended Recordings:

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

Ìý

Heddle Nash (tenor), Gladys Ripley (alto), Huddersfield Choral Society, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, ±«Óãtv Symphony Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent (conductor)

TESTAMENT SBT2025 (CD)

Ìý

Richard Lewis (tenor), Dame Janet Baker (mezzo soprano), Halle Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli (conductor)

EMI CMS 7631852 (CD)

Ìý

Paul Groves (tenor), Alice Coote (mezzo soprano), Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Choir, Halle Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder (conductor)

HALLE CDHLD7520 (CD)

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý10.20am – NEW RELEASES

Ìý

ADVENT CALENDAR

Carols by composers including Sally Beamish, Richard Allain, Morten Lauridsen, Cecilia McDowall and Arvo Pärt, and newly commissioned works from John Rutter and Debbie Wiseman.

MORTEN LAURIDSEN: O Magnum Mysterium for chorus

ORA Singers, Suzi Digby (conductor)

orasingers.co.uk (download from Harmonia Mundi from 24th December)

Ìý

THE KING’S SINGERS - GOLD

The King’s Singers’ 50th Anniversary album with 60 tracks divided across three albums, themed as Close Harmony, Spiritual and Secular.Ìý

TOBY HESSION: Master of Music

The King’s Singers

Signum Classics SIGCD500 (CD)

Ìý

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS / BERNSTEIN

LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Chichester Psalms for treble, chorus and orchestra

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Dona Nobis Pacem re-orchestrated by Jonathan Rathbone

Aylish Tynan (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone)

Choir of King’s College Cambridge, Britten Sinfonia, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

King’s College KGS0021 (Hybrid SACD)

Ìý

SCHUBERT: NACHT UND TRAUME

Famous Schubert songs performed in orchestral versions by such masters as Berlioz, Liszt, Brahms, Strauss, Webern, Britten and Schubert himself.

FRANZ SCHUBERT: Erlkönig D.328, arr. Berlioz for voice and orchestra

FRANZ SCHUBERT: Das Grab D.377, arr. Krawczyk for choir and orchestra

Stanislas de Barbeyrac (tenor), Accentus Choir, Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey (conductor)

Erato 0190295769437 (CD)

Ìý

THOMISSON’S EASTER

This recording reflects the elements that made up an early Lutheran feast-day service in Denmark, including a fashionable Mass cycle by the Flemish master Jacobus Clemens non Papa.

CLEMENS NON PAPA: Agnus Dei Ìý(from Missa Virtuta Magna)

ANON.: Sung Liturgy (Postcommunion collect; Blessing)

THOMISSON: Hymn: O Lord, in these times so perilous

Musica Ficta, Bo Holten (conductor)

DaCapo 8226188 (CD)

Ìý

10.55am – New Releases: Sophie Yates on new Baroque CDs

Ìý

BACH VARIATIONS ON VARIATIONS

Rinaldo Alessandrini’s adaptations of some famous Bach works, including:

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Passacaglia in C minor BWV582

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Goldberg Variations BWV988

Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini (director and arranger)

Naïve OP30575 (CD)

Ìý

BACH IN BLACK

Three violin concertos and three famous arias (from St Matthew Passion, St John Passion and B minor Mass)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Violin Concerto in D minor BWV1052

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Erbarme Dich (from St Matthew Passion BWV244)

La Voce Strumentale, Dmitry Sinkovsky (countertenor and violin)

Naïve OP30567 (CD)

Ìý

QUELLA FIAMMA: ARIE ANTICHE

A selection of pieces from Arie antiche, a 19th Century collection of songs edited by Alessandro Parisotti to be a vocal primer, including:

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL: Piangero la sorte mia (from Giulio Cesare)

ANDREA FALCONIERI arr. Tufvesson: Passacalle

Nathalie Stutzmann (mezzo and conductor), Orfeo 55 (orchestra)

ÌýÌý

TELEMANN: QUATUORS PARISIENS

GEORGE PHILIPP TELEMANN: 20 Fuguettes pout l’orgue ou pour le clavessin; Nouveaux quatuors Parisiens; Quatrième livre de quatuors; Quatuors Parisiens; Nouveaux quatuors Parisiens

Nevermind: Anna Besson (flute), Louis Creac’h (violin), Robin Pharo (viola da gamba), Jean Rondeau (harpsichord)

Alpha Classics Alpha299 (CD)


11.45am – Disc of the Week

Ìý

BRAHMS & SCHUMANN – CHAMBER MUSIC WITH PIANO

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op.47

JOHANNES BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op.34

Hrachya Avanesyan (violin), Boris Brovtsyn (violin), Diemut Poppen(viola), Alexander Chaushian (cello), Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)

BIS2258 (Hybrid SACD)

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 Dec 2017 09:00
    ±«Óãtv Radio 3

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.