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BBC Proms Composer - Claude Debussy with Flora Willson and Andrew McGregor

Flora Willson chooses five essential recordings of BBC Proms Composer Claude Debussy and explains why you need to hear them, plus the best new classical releases.

Andrew McGregor with a round-up of the best new classical recordings.

9.30
BBC Proms Composer: Claude Debussy.
Flora Willson chooses five essential recordings of BBC Proms Composer Claude Debussy and explains why you need to hear them.

Debussy, who proudly proclaimed himself 'musicien français' on the title page of his last scores, found his unique voice at least partly in reaction to Wagner and Austro-German music. The resulting harmonic innovations and radically new ways of writing for both piano and orchestra led him to become among the most influential of 20th-century composers, whose international reputation was sealed in 1902, when he was nearly 40, with his opera Pelléas et Mélisande.

11.25
Record of the Week: an outstanding new release.

2 hours, 47 minutes

Last on

Sat 20 Aug 2022 09:00
BBC Radio 3

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BBC Proms Composer - Handel with Hannah French and Andrew McGregor

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BBC Proms Composer - JS Bach with Joseph McHardy and Andrew MacGregor

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Music Played

  • Claude Debussy

    Beau Soir

    Performer: Lisa Batiashvili. Performer: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin. Music Arranger: Jascha Heifetz.
    • Secret Love Letters.
    • DG.
    • 11.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Gelido in ogni vena (from Il Farnace, RV711)

    Singer: Helena Ek. Ensemble: Karlsson Barock. Conductor: Göran Karlsson.
    • 2 Orchestral Suites & 3 Arias.
    • Footprint.
    • 10.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Violin Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 63: II. Andante assai

    Performer: Augustin Hadelich. Conductor: Cristian Măcelaru. Orchestra: WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne.
    • Recuerdos.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 7.

  • Hanns Eisler

    An den kleinen Radioapparat

    Performer: Raphaël Imbert. Performer: Jean‐Guihen Queyras. Performer: Pierre-Francois Blanchard. Performer: Sonny Troupé.
    • Invisible Stream.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 11.

  • Claude Debussy

    Trois Nocturnes: II. Fetes

    Performer: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Ensemble: Collegium Musicum Amstelodamense. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • Debussy: Trois Nocturnes & Jeux.
    • Philips.
    • 2.

  • Claude Debussy

    Nuit d'étoiles (Théodore de Banville) - Fleur des blés (André Girod)

    Performer: Roger Vignoles. Singer: Véronique Gens.
    • Nuit d'etoiles.
    • Erato.
    • 15.

  • Claude Debussy

    Violin Sonata in G minor: I. Allegro vivo

    Performer: Isabelle Faust. Performer: Alexander Melnikov.
    • Debussy: Les Trois Sonates, The Late Works.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 1.

  • Claude Debussy

    Pelleas et Melisande, L 88, Acte 2 scene 3: Oui, c'est ici, nous y sommes

    Performer: Julien Behr. Performer: Vannina Santoni. Ensemble: Les Siècles. Conductor: François‐Xavier Roth.
    •  Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 16.

  • Claude Debussy

    En blanc et noir: I. Avec emportement - III. Scherzando

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Performer: Stephen Kovacevich.
    • Martha Argerich Plays Debussy.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony No.8 in G major (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Dvořák: Symphonies Nos. 7-9.
    • DG.
    • 8.

  • György Kurtág

    Kafka-Fragmente, Op 24, Teil 4: Es blendete uns die Mondnacht ...

    Performer: Isabelle Faust. Singer: Anna Prohaska.
    • György Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 40.

  • Franz Liszt

    Septem Sacramenta, S 52: Matrimonium

    Performer: Kurt Lueders. Ensemble: Ensemble Gilles Binchois. Choir: Choeur Altitude. Conductor: Dominique Vellard.
    • Liszt: Septem Sacramenta.
    • Evidence Classics.
    • 15.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No 1 in C minor, Op 68: IV. Adagio - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio

    Orchestra: DR UnderholdningsOrkestret. Conductor: 8 Bit.
    • Johannes Brahms: Complete Symphonies.
    • Naxos.
    • 4.

  • Kaija Saariaho

    Sept Papillons: No 2 - No 3 - No 4

    Performer: Joanna Gutowska.
    • Kaija Saariaho: Works For Cello.
    • Dux.
    • 7.

  • Amilcare Ponchielli

    Cielo e mar! (from La Gioconda)

    Singer: Jonathan Tetelman. Orchestra: Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. Conductor: Karel Mark Chichon.
    • Arias.
    • DG.
    • 1.

  • Karol Szymanowski

    Violin Concerto No 1, Op 35

    Performer: Lisa Batiashvili. Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.
    • Secret Love Letters.
    • DG.
    • 5.

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

 

Secret Love Letters – music by Szymanowski, Chausson, Debussy, etc.

Lisa Batiashvili (violin)

Giorgi Gigashvili (piano)

Philadelphia Orchestra

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

DG  4860462

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/secret-love-letters-lisa-batiashvili-12739

 

 

2 Orchestral Suites & 3 Arias – music by Telemann, Handel, Vivaldi, etc.

Helena Ek (soprano)

Karlsson Barock

Göran Karlsson

Footprint  FRCD127

 

 

Recuerdos – music by Sarasate, Prokofiev, Britten, etc.

Augustin Hadelich (violin)

WDR Sinfonieorchester

Cristian Măcelaru

Warner Classics  9029631076

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/recuerdos

 

 

Invisible Stream – music by Wagner, Schubert, Eisler, etc.

Raphaël Imbert (saxophone)

Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

Pierre-François Blanchard (piano)

Sonny Troupé (drums, ka drum)

Harmonia Mundi  HMM902343

https://store.harmoniamundi.com/format/1071262-invisible-stream

 

 

9.30am – Proms Composer: Flora Willson on Debussy

 

Debussy: Trois Nocturnes & Jeux

Concertgebouw Orchestra

Collegium Musicum Amstelodamense

Bernard Haitink

Philips  4762604

 

 

Nuit d'étoiles – music by Debussy, Fauré, Poulenc

Véronique Gens (soprano)

Roger Vignoles (piano)

Erato  5453602

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/nuit-detoiles-melodies-francaises

 

 

Debussy: Les Trois Sonates, The Late Works

Isabelle Faust (violin)

Alexander Melnikov (piano)

Tanguy de Williencourt (piano)

Magali Mosnier (flute)

Antoine Tamestit viola)

Xavier de Maistre (harp)

Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

Javier Perianes (piano)

Harmonia Mundi  HMM902303

https://store.harmoniamundi.com/release/189913-xavier-de-maistre-jean-guihen-queyras-alexander-melnikov-isabelle-faust-javier-perianes-antoine-tamestit-tanguy-de-williencourt-and-magali-mosnier-debussy-les-trois-sonates-the-late-works

 

 

Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande

Julien Behr (Pelléas; tenor)

Vannina Santoni (Mélisande; soprano)

Alexandre Duhamel (Golaud; baritone)

Marie-Ange Todorovitch (Geneviève; mezzo-soprano)

Jean Teitgen (Arkel; bass)

Hadrien Joubert (Yniold; soprano)

Les Siècles

Chœur de l'Opéra de Lille

François-Xavier Roth

Harmonia Mundi  HMM90535254 (3 CDs)

https://store.harmoniamundi.com/release/288279-francois-xavier-roth-les-siecles-vannina-santoni-julien-behr-alexandre-duhamel-marie-ange-todorovitch-jean-teitgen-choeur-de-lopera-de-lille-debussy-pelleas-et-melisande

 

Martha Argerich Plays Debussy

Martha Argerich (piano)

Cristina Marton (piano)

Mischa Maisky (cello)

Stephen Kovacevich (piano)

Warner Classics  9029661234

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/martha-argerich-plays-debussy

 

 

10.15am – new releases

 

Dvořák: Symphonies Nos. 7-9

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

Gustavo Dudamel

DG  4863413

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/dvoak-symphonies-nos-7-9-dudamel-12759

 

 

György Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente

Anna Prohaska (soprano)

Isabelle Faust (violin)

Harmonia Mundi  HMM902359

https://store.harmoniamundi.com/format/1071258-gyrgy-kurtg-kafka-fragmente

 

 

Vagn Holmboe: String Quartets, Vol. 2

Nightingale String Quartet

DaCapo  6.220717 (Hybrid SACD)

https://www.dacapo-records.dk/en/recordings/holmboe-string-quartets-vol-2-0

 

 

Liszt: Septem Sacramenta

Ensemble Gilles Binchois

Chœur Altitude

Kurt Lueders (harmonium)

Dominique Vellard

Evidence Classics  EVCD089

http://evidenceclassics.com/discography/liszt-septem-sacramenta/

 

 

Johannes Brahms: Complete Symphonies

Danish Chamber Orchestra

Ádám Fischer

Naxos  8.574465-67 (3 CDs)

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574465-67

 

 

Kaija Saariaho: Works For Cello

Joanna Gutowska (cello)

Dux  DUX1686

http://en.dux.pl/saariaho-works-for-cello-gutowska.html

 

 

Arias – music by Ponchielli, Verdi, Bizet, etc.

Jonathan Tetelman (tenor)

Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria

Karel Mark Chichon

DG  4862927

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/arias-jonathan-tetelman-12721

 

 

11.20am – Record of the Week

 

Secret Love Letters – music by Szymanowski, Chausson, Debussy, etc.

Lisa Batiashvili (violin)

Giorgi Gigashvili (piano)

Philadelphia Orchestra

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

DG  4860462

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/secret-love-letters-lisa-batiashvili-12739

 

Broadcast

  • Sat 20 Aug 2022 09:00
    BBC Radio 3

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