Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

02/02/2019

Andrew McGregor rounds up the best new and recent releases, and in Building a Library Natasha Loges compares recordings of Schubert's Schwanengesang, D957.

with Andrew McGregor.

09.30
Building a Library: Natasha Loges listens to and compares some of the available recordings of Schubert's song cycle Schwanengesang ('Swan Song'), D.957,

Schubert's Schwanengesang is a collection of songs that were written toward the end of his life and not published until after his death. It was Schubert's publisher, Tobias Haslinger, who intriguingly titled the collection Schwanengesang, or Swan Song, thereby giving the impression that the songs were Schubert's musical farewell to the world. Haslinger said that the songs were ‘the final blooms of Schubert’s creative muse. Schubert took the texts from poems written by Ludwig Rellstab, Gabriel Seidl and Heinrich Heine.

Although Schwanengesang might not be a song-cycle in the vein of Winterreise, it does contain some of Schubert's greatest music. There are two sets of songs which are linked thematically, telling stories of nature, love, separation and despair.

11.00
Stephen Johnson and Lucy Parham review some of the most exciting new releases of the concerto repertoire, from Gautier Capucon's new Schumann disc to Nicolas Hodges and Carolin Widmann performing Pascal Dusapin.

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

3 hours, 13 minutes

Music Played

  • Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.

    Entr'acte-valse

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Christian Thielemann.
    • Sony.
  • Frédéric Chopin

    Mazurka in C minor, Op.56 No.3

    Performer: Maurizio Pollini.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Marin Marais

    Folia Variations

    Composer: Arcangelo Corelli. Performer: Lina Tur Bonet. Ensemble: Ensemble Musica Narrans. Director: Jakob Rattinger.
    • Pan Classics.
  • Scipione Lacorcia

    Ahi, Tu Piangi

    Choir: Profeti della Quinta. Director: Elam Rotem.
    • Pan Classics.
  • Leroy Anderson

    Plink, Plank, Plunk!

    Ensemble: Modigliani Quartet.
    • Portraits.
    • Mirare.
    • 13.
  • Anton Bruckner

    Symphony No. 9 in D Minor (Original 1894 Version): II. Scherzo. Bewegt,

    Conductor: Mariss Jansons. Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
    • Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109 (Live).
    • BR-Klassik.
    • 2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Eine Deutsches Requiem: IV. Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen

    Choir: Capella Amsterdam. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Conductor: Daniel Reuss.
    • Glossa.
  • հä

    Der makam carga sirto

    Ensemble: La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • AliaVox.
  • Anon

    Cerco de baeza

    Ensemble: La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • AliaVox.
  • Xing Jie

    Walking happily down the street

    Ensemble: La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • AliaVox.
  • Robert Schumann

    Cello Concerto: I. Nicht zu schnell

    Performer: Gautier Capuçon. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • Erato.
  • Robert Schumann

    Cello Concerto: I. Nicht zu schnell

    Performer: Sol Gabetta. Orchestra: Kammerorchester Basel. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • Sony.
  • Robert Schumann

    Cello Concerto: II. Langsam

    Performer: Gautier Capuçon. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • Erato.
  • Robert Schumann

    Fantasiestücke: I. Zart und mit Ausdruck

    Performer: Sol Gabetta. Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • Sony.
  • Pascal Dusapin

    Aufgang: I

    Performer: Carolin Widmann. Orchestra: Orchestre national des Pays de la Loire. Conductor: Pascal Rophé.
    • BIS.
  • Pascal Dusapin

    Aufgang: II

    Performer: Carolin Widmann. Orchestra: Orchestre national des Pays de la Loire. Conductor: Pascal Rophé.
    • BIS.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto in D minor, K466: I. Allegro

    Performer: Seong-Jin Cho. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.
    • DG.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Sonata No.3 in B flat, K281: I. Allegro

    Performer: Seong-Jin Cho.
    • DG.
  • Aram Khachaturian

    Violin Concerto: II. Andante sostenuto

    Performer: Nemanja Radulović. Orchestra: Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic. Conductor: Sascha Goetzel.
    • DG.
  • Aleksandar Sedlar

    Savcho 3

    Performer: Nemanja Radulović. Performer: Stephanie Fontanarosa. Performer: Aleksandar Sedlar. Ensemble: Double Sens.
    • DG.
  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Cello Sonata in D minor

    Performer: Steven Isserlis. Performer: Olli Mustonen.
    • Hyperion.

Record Review

9.00am

‘New Year’s Concert 2019’ – waltzes etc. by J. Strauss I, J. Strauss II, E. Strauss, Ziehrer & J. Hellmesberger
Wiener Philharmoniker
Christian Thielemann (conductor)
Sony 19075902822 (2 CDs)

Chopin: 2 Nocturnes Op.55, 3 Mazurkas Op.56, Berceuse in D flat major Op.57 & Piano Sonata in B minor Op.58
Maurizio Pollini (piano)
Deutsche Grammophon 483 6475

‘Marais Meets Corelli’ – works for viola da gamba, violin and ensemble by Hume, Forqueray, Marais, Corelli, Biber & Morel
Jakob Rattinger (viola da gamba)
Lina Tur Bonet (violin)
Ensemble Musica Narrans
Pan Classics PC 10395

‘Amor, Fortuna Et Morte’ – Madrigals by de Rore, Luzzaschi, Gesualdo, Kapsberger & Monteverdi
Profeti della Quinta (choir)
Elam Rotem (director)
Pan Classics PC 10396

‘Portraits’ – Works for string quartet by Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Puccini, Korngold, Kreisler, Barber, Schubert, Borodin, Shostakovich, Webern, Hoffstetter, Mozart & L. Anderson
Quatuor Modigliani (string quartet)
Mirare MIR414

9.30am – Building a Library – Natasha Loges on Schubert’s Schwanengesang

Composer: Franz Schubert

Reviewer: Natasha Loges

Recommended Recording:

Werner Güra (tenor)
Christoph Berner (piano)
Harmonia Mundi HMC901931 (download)

Other Recommended Recordings:

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)
EMI 4563522

Matthias Goerne (baritone)
Christoph Eschenbach (piano)
Harmonia Mundi HMC90213940

Christoph Pregardien (tenor)
Andreas Staier (fortepiano)
Challenge Classics CC72302 (Hybrid SACD)

10.20am – New Releases

Bruckner: Symphony No.9 in D minor
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mariss Jansons (conductor)
BR Klassik 900173

Brahms: A German Requiem
Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
André Morsch (baritone)
Capella Amsterdam (choir)
Orchestra of the 18th Century
Daniel Reuss (conductor)
Glossa GCD 921126

‘IBN BATTUTA – The Travller of Islam 1304-1377’ – 14th century music from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe
Hesperion XXI (ensemble)
Various guest musicians
Jordi Savall (director)
Alia Vox AVSA9930 (2 Hybrid SACDs)

10.45am – New Releases – Lucy Parham & Stephen Johnson on concerto recordings

Schumann: Cello Concerto, Adagio und Allegro Op.70, Fantasiestucke Op.73, Funf Stucke im Volkston Op.102, Fantasiestucke Op.88
Gautier Capuçon (cello)
Renaud Capuçon (violin)
Martha Argerich (piano)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Bernard Haitink (conductor)
Erato 0190295634216

Schumann: Cello Concerto, 5 Stucke im Volkston op.102, Adagio and Allegro in A flat major Op.70, FantasieStucke Op.73
Sol Gabetta (cello)
Bertrand Chamayou (piano)
Kammerorchester Basel
Giovanni Antonini (conductor)
Sony Classical 88985352272


Pascal Dusapin: ‘Wenn Du dem Wind’ for mezzo-soprano and orchestra,‘Aufgang’ for violin and orchestra, ‘
À quia’ for piano and orchestra
Natascha Petrinsky (mezzo-soprano)
Carolin Widmann (violin)
Nicolas Hodges (piano)
Orchestre National des Pays de La Loire
Pascal Rophé (conductor)
BIS-2262 (Hybrid SACD)

Mozart: Piano concerto No.20 in D minor (cadenza by Beethoven) plus Piano Sonata Nos. 3 & 12
Seong-Jin Cho (piano)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Deutsche Grammophon 483 5522

‘BÏ’ – Khachaturian: Violin concerto in D minor & Trio for clarinet, violin and piano; Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade suite arr. for violin, string ensemble and piano by Sedlar; A. Sedlar: Savcho 3
Nemanja Radulovic (violin)
Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet)
Laure Favre-Kahn (piano)
Double Sens (ensemble)
Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra
Sascha Goetzel (conductor)
Deutsche Grammophon 479 7945

11.45am – Disc of the Week
Shostakovich: Cello sonata in D minor & ‘Moderato’ for cello and piano; Kabalevsky: Cello sonata in B flat major & Rondo in memory of Prokofiev; Prokofiev: Ballade in C major & Adagio ‘Cinderella and the Prince’
Steven Isserlis (cello)
Olli Mustonen (piano)
Hyperion CDA68239

Broadcast

  • Sat 2 Feb 2019 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.