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Bart贸k's Concerto for Orchestra in Building a Library with Emily MacGregor and Andrew McGregor

Emily MacGregor recommends her favourite recording of Bart贸k's Concerto for Orchestra. Plus a round-up of the best classical new releases.

9.30
Building a Library: Emily MacGregor recommends a her favourite recording of B茅la Bart贸k's Concerto for Orchestra.

For Bart贸k, the circumstances surrounding the composition of his Concerto for Orchestra could hardly have been more miserable. In 1940 he fled his native Hungary to escape the Nazis and spent the remaining five years of his life in the United States, those years blighted by despair, painful illness and abject poverty. But unknown to Bart贸k, two fellow Hungarians, violinist Joseph Szigeti and conductor Fritz Reiner, conspired to persuade Serge Koussevitzky to offer a generous commission. In 1943, the glamorous conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra visited Bart贸k in his New York hospital, and flamboyantly presented the composer, not only with a commission for an orchestral work but also a $500 down payment. Bart贸k began work in August and finished the Concerto for Orchestra just under three moths later. It spotlights, often with brilliance and playfulness, all the sections of the orchestra and perhaps only its central Elegy, which Bart贸k called a 'lugubrious death-song', reflects the circumstances of its composition. The work's recorded history begins at the beginning in 1944 with Koussevitzky and the Boston SO and has been much recorded ever since, a 20th-century classic by one of the century's greatest composers.

10.45
Yshani Perinpanayagam on new piano recordings.

11.25
Record of the Week: an outstanding new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Last on

Sat 22 Jan 2022 09:00
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Building a Library on the works of Amy Beach with Katy Hamilton and Andrew McGregor plus Celebrating Haitink

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Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Sonata with Lucy Parham and Andrew McGregor in Building a Library

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Music Played

  • William Walton

    Facade: No. 1. Fanfare & No. 2. Hornpipe - sailors come to the drum

    Singer: Roderick Williams. Singer: Tamsin Dalley. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Swan. Conductor: Bruce O鈥橬eil.
    • Sir William Walton: A Centenary Celebration.
    • Somm.
    • 1.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Klavierst眉cke (4), Op. 119: No.s 2 & 3

    Performer: Paul Lewis.
    • Brahms: Late Piano Works, Opp. 116-119.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 18.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Alborada del gracioso

    Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Maurice Ravel: Ma M猫re L鈥檕ye; Bol茅ro; Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales; Pavane Pou.
    • Chandos.
    • 9.

  • Carl Reinecke

    Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 230: I. Allegro

    Ensemble: Hyperion-Trio.
    • Reinecke: Complete Piano Trios.
    • CPO.
    • 1.

  • William Walton

    Facade: No. 20. Popular Song

    Singer: Roderick Williams. Singer: Tamsin Dalley. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Swan. Conductor: Bruce O鈥橬eil.
    • Sir William Walton: A Centenary Celebration.
    • Somm.
    • 20.

  • Claude Debussy

    Salut printemps, L. 24 (Arr. M. Gaillard for Women's Choir & Piano)

    Lyricist: Louis-Philippe de S茅gur. Choir: Bavarian Radio Symphony Choir. Conductor: Howard Arman.
    • Debussy & Hahn: Vocal Works.
    • BR-Klassik.
    • 1.

  • Ond艡ej Ad谩mek

    Follow Me: II. - (Live)

    Conductor: Peter Rundel. Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
    • Ond艡ej Ad谩mek: Follow Me & Where Are You?.
    • BR-Klassik.
    • 2.

  • Richard Strauss

    Wiegenlied, Op. 41 No. 1 & Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1

    Singer: Jessye Norman. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Klaus Tennstedt.
    • Jessye Norman sings Strauss: Five Songs & Salome.
    • LPO.
    • 4.

  • Johannes Brahms

    6 Pieces op. 118 No. 2. Intermezzo in A major (Andante teneramente)

    Performer: Paul Lewis.
    • Brahms: Late Piano Works, Opp. 116-119.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 12.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Waltz No. 5 in A-flat major, op. 42

    Performer: Fran莽ois Chaplin.
    • Chopin: 19 Valses.
    • Aparte.
    • 5.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Moments Musicaux, Op. 16: I. Andantino in B Flat Minor

    Performer: Jean鈥怭aul Gasparian.
    • Rachmaninov.
    • Evidence Classics.
    • 6.

  • George Walker

    Piano Sonata No. 1: I. Allegro energico

    Performer: Steven Beck.
    • George Walker: Five Piano Sonatas.
    • Bridge.
    • 1.

  • Alexander Tsfasman

    Jazz Suite: Polka & Fast Movements

    Performer: Ludmila Berlinskaya. Performer: Arthur Ancelle.
    • George Gershwin; Alexander Tsfasman: 2 Pianos.
    • Melodiya.
    • 4.

  • Ernest Bloch

    Schelomo

    Performer: Edgar Moreau. Orchestra: Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. Conductor: Michael Sanderling.
    • Transmission.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.

Record Review


9.00am

听

听

Sir William Walton: A Centenary Celebration (Fa莽ade 鈥� An Entertainment & Henry V)

Roderick Williams (baritone)

Tamsin Dalley (mezzo-soprano)

Kevin Whately (narrator)

Orchestra of the Swan

Bruce O'Neil (conductor)听

Somm听 SOMMCD 277听

听

听

听

Brahms: Late Piano Works, Opp. 116-119

Paul Lewis (piano)

Harmonia Mundi听 HMM902365

听

听

听

Maurice Ravel: Ma m猫re l鈥橭ye; Bol茅ro; Valses nobles et sentimentales; Pavane pour une infante d茅funte; Alborada del gracioso

Sinfonia of London听

John Wilson (conductor)听

CHANDOS听 CHSA 5280

听

听

听

Carl Reinecke: Complete Piano Trios

听

Hyperion Trio

CPO听 555476-2听 (2 CDs)听

听

听

听

听

听

9.30am - Building A Library:听 Emily MacGregor on Bartok Concerto for Orchestra

听

听

Recommended Recording:听 听

听

Iv谩n Fischer

Budapest Festival Orchestra

Philips 4767255

听

听

Other Recommendations:

听

听

Fritz Reiner

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

RCA Living Stereo G010003641701P

听

听

Leonard Bernstein

New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Sony G010001223098K

听

听

Susanna M盲llki

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

BIS BIS2378

听

听

听

听

10.15am 鈥� New Releases

听

听

Debussy & Hahn: French Vocal Music

Christiane Karg (soprano)

Gerold Huber (piano)

Angela Brower (alto)

Max Hanft (piano)

Tareq Nazmi (bass)

Anna Maria Palii (soprano)

Daniel Behle (tenor)

Nikolaus Pfannkuch (tenor)

Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Howard Arman听 (conductor)听

BR Klassik听 900529听

听

听

听

Ond艡ej Ad谩mek: Musica Viva: Follow Me; Where Are You?

Isabelle Faust (violin)

Magdalena Kozen谩 (mezzo-soprano)听

Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Peter Rundel (conductor)

Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)听

BR Klassik 900638听

听

听

听

Jessye Norman sings Strauss: Five Songs & Salome

Jessye Norman (soprano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra听听听听听听听听听

Klaus Tennstedt听

LPO听 LPO0122听

听

听

听

1040am - New Releases: Yshani Perinpanayagam鈥檚 pianos [live: 40.00]

听

听

Brahms: Late Piano Works, Opp. 116-119

Paul Lewis (piano)

Harmonia Mundi听 HMM902365

听

听

听

Chopin: 19 Valses

Francois Chaplin

Apart茅听 AP270

听

听

听

Rachmaninoff

Jean-Paul Gasparian (piano)

Evidence Classics听 EVCD085

听

听

听

George Walker: Five Piano Sonatas

Steven Beck (piano)

Bridge听 BRIDGE9554听

听

听

听

George Gershwin; Alexander Tsfasman: 2 Pianos

Ludmila Berlinskaya, Arthur Ancelle (pianos)

Melodiya听 MELCD 1002564听

听

听

听

听

11.20am 鈥� Record of the Week

听

听

Transmission 鈥� Music by Bloch, Bruch, Korngold & Ravel

Edgar Moreau (cello)

Luzerner Sinfonieorchester,

Michael Sanderling (conductor)听

Warner Classics听 9029510510

听

听


Broadcast

  • Sat 22 Jan 2022 09:00
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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