
Handel's Coronation Anthems in Building a Library with Simon Heighes and Andrew McGregor
Simon Heighes chooses his favourite recording of Handel's Coronation Anthems in Building a Library, and Nigel Simeone shares some remarkable new releases.
Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.
9.30 am
Nigel Simeone shares some new releases which have caught his ear and shares his 'On Repeat' track – a recording which he is currently listening to again and again.
10.30 am
Building a Library: Simon Heighes chooses his favourite recording of Handel's Coronation Anthems
In the build up to the coronation next week, Simon Heighes considers a set of anthems which contain possibly the most well-known choral movement in classical music: the glorious moment when after a steady crescendo from murmuring strings, the full forces of the choir explode on the words: Zadok the Priest.
Handel wrote these four anthems for the coronation of George II in 1727. And they have become standard for subsequent coronations. Handel had just become a naturalised British subject, and one of his first tasks was to write the coronation music. Their success added to the popular image of Handel as a composer whose music required a huge number of singers and musicians - the character criticised by Berlioz as "a barrel of pork and beer". In fact these works vary the massed forces for maximum contrast and make skilful use of the wide spatial reverberation in Westminster Abbey.
11.20 am
Record of the Week: Andrew’s top pick.
Send us your On Repeat recommendations at recordreview@bbc.co.uk or tweet us @ѿýRadio3
Last on
Music Played
-
Joseph Haydn
Symphony no.101 in D major 'The Clock' (2nd mvt)
Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.- Sony/RCA Red Seal.
-
Tarquinio Merula
Canzoni overo sonate concertate per chiesa e camera, Op. 12 No. 19, Ballo detto
Ensemble: Ensemble Les Surprises. Conductor: Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas.- Alpha.
-
Claudio Monteverdi
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes III, SV 274 (from Selva morale e spirituale)
Ensemble: Ensemble Les Surprises. Conductor: Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas.- Alpha.
-
Giovanni Legrenzi
Ingemisco
Ensemble: Ensemble Les Surprises. Conductor: Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas.- Alpha.
-
Felix Mendelssohn
Fantasia in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 28: III. Presto
Performer: Alexander Melnikov.- Fantasie: Seven Composers, Seven Keyboards.
- harmonia mundi.
- 108.
-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165: No. 1, Exsultate, Jubilate
Performer: Daniel Bard. Singer: Franco Fagioli. Orchestra: Kammerorchester Basel.- Anime Immortali.
- Pentatone.
- 108.
-
Nino Rota
Il cappello di paglia di Firenze, Finale: Tutto... A posto!
Librettist: Ernesta Rota Rinaldi. Orchestra: Graz Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Daniele Squeo.- Il cappello di paglia di Firenze.
- CapriccioNR.
- 21.
-
Béla Bartók
4 Orchestral Pieces, Sz. 51: I. Preludio. Moderato
Orchestra: Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Karina Canellakis.- Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra.
- Pentatone.
- 1.
-
Johannes Brahms
String Sextet No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 18
Performer: Duccio Ceccanti. Performer: Vittorio Ceccanti. Performer: Matteo Fossi. Music Arranger: Theodor Kirchner.- Brilliant Classics.
-
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection' Vb. "Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n wirst du".
Singer: Christiane Karg. Singer: Elisabeth Kulman. Choir: Prague Philharmonic Choir. Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Semyon Bychkov.- Pentatone.
-
Gabriel Fauré
Cello Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 109 i) Allegro
Performer: Paul Tortelier. Performer: Jean Hubeau.- Elatus.
-
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka
Ruslan and Ludmila (Overture)
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Georg Solti.- Borodin/Glinka/Mussorgsky: Romantic Russia: London Symphony/Solti.
- Decca.
- 1.
-
Louise Farrenc
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 35 iii) Scherzo. Vivace
Orchestra: Insula Orchestra. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey.- Erato.
-
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Orfeo ed Euridice, Wq. 30, Act 3 - 'J'ai perdu mon Euridyce'
Singer: Michael Spyres. Orchestra: Il Pomo d’Oro. Conductor: Francesco Corti. -
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Sonata in B Minor, H. 512, Wq. 76 iii) Allegretto siciliano
Performer: Rachel Podger. Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout.- Channel Classics.
-
Emily Howard
Torus
Orchestra: ѿý Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
Record Review
The link below each recording takes you directly to the label’s website. Please be aware that non-UK labels may be cheaper via a record store or an online retailer.
9.00am
Haydn London Symphonies Vol. 1 Nos 101 & 103
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Paavo Järvi (conductor)
RCA RED SEAL 19658807412
Nuit a Venise. Monteverdi, Legrenzi, Merula etc.
Ensemble Les Surprises
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas (director)
Alpha Classics ALPHA927
Fantasie: Seven Composers, Seven Keyboards. Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn etc.
Alexander Melnikov (harpsichord/fortepiano/tangent piano/piano)
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902702
Anime immortali. Mozart arias.
Franco Fagioli (counter tenor)
Kammerorchester Basel
Daniel Bard (concertmaster)
Pentatone PTC 517 7044
09.30am – Nigel Simeone: New Releases
Nino Rota: Il cappello di paglia di Firenze
Piotr Buszewski (Ferdinand)
Tetiana Miyus (Elena)
Daeho Kim (Nonancourt)
Anna Brull (La Baronessa di Champigny)
Ivan Oreščanin (Beaupertuis)
Antonia Cosmina Stancu (Anaide)
Dariusz Perczak (Emilio)
Martin Fournier (Lo zio Vezinet)
Mario Lerchenberger (Felice/Achille di Rosalba)
Richard Friedemann Jähnig (Un caporale)
Silvija Pleše (La modista)
Veli-Pekka Varpula (Una guardia)
Julian Gaudiano (Minardi)
Capriccio C5466 (2 CDs)
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, 4 Orchestral Pieces
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Karina Canellakis (conductor)
Pentatone PTC 5187027
Brahms: String Sextets, Arranged for Piano Trio by Theodor Kirchner
Matteo Fossi (piano)
Duccio Ceccanti (violin)
Vittorio Ceccanti (cello)
Brilliant Classics 96867
Mahler: Symphony no.2
Christiane Karg (soprano)
Elisabeth Kulman (mezzo soprano)
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Czech Philharmonic
Semyon Bychkov (conductor)
Pentatone PTC 5186992
Nigel Simeone: On Repeat
Faure Cello Sonatas 1 and 2, Elegie. Debussy Cello Sonata
Paul Tortelier (cello)
Jean Hubeau (piano)
Warner Elatus 0927490122
Listener On Repeat
Romantic Russia: Glinka, Mussorgsky
London Symphony Orchestra
Georg Solti (conductor)
Decca 4783199
10.10am – New Releases
Louise Farrenc Symphonies 1-3 & Overtures
Insula Orchestra
Laurence Equilbey (conductor)
Erato 5419752210 (2 CDs)
Contra-Tenor. Lully, Handel, Vivaldi, Gluck etc.
Michael Spyres (tenor)
Il Pomo d’Oro
Francesco Corti (conductor)
Erato 5419729346
10.30am – Building a Library: Simon Heighes on Handel’s Coronation Anthems
Recommended recording:
Choir of King’s College Cambridge
Academy of Ancient Music
Stephen Cleobury (conductor)
EMI CDC5571402
10.10am – New Releases
C.P.E. Bach: Sonatas for keyboard and violin
Rachel Podger (violin)
Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano and harpsichord)
Channel Classics CCS SA 41523 (SACD)
Emily Howard: Torus
ѿý Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins (conductor)
NMC recordings NMC D274
11.25am – Record of the Week
Jurowski conducts Stravinsky Vol. 2. Tchaikovsky arr. Stravinsky– The Sleeping Beauty. Stravinsky – The Fairy’s Kiss.
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)
LPO 0126 (Digital download)
Broadcast
- Sat 29 Apr 2023 09:00ѿý Radio 3
Composers A to Z
Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast
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.