Purcell's Fairy Queen in Building a Library with Nicholas Kenyon and Andrew McGregor
Nicholas Kenyon's recommendation for Purcell's most ambitious stage work, The Fairy Queen, plus the best of this week's new releases with organist and conductor Anna Lapwood.
Nicholas Kenyon's recommendation for Purcell's most ambitious stage work, The Fairy Queen, plus the best of this week's new releases with Anna Lapwood.
Presented by Andrew McGregor
9.30am
New Releases
Organist, conductor and TV presenter Anna Lapwood picks four of the best new releases, plus the track she has "On Repeat".
10.30am
Building a Library: Purcell's Fairy Queen with Nicholas Kenyon.
Purcell's magnum opus was written as a series of masques to be performed at the end of the acts of a special version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Arguably the greatest British composer before the 20th century, Purcell left us a tantalizing array of music for use in theatrical productions, which shows what an unsurpassed gift he had for matchings words and mood with music. Apart from the small-scale masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas, none of these pieces quite hangs together as a satisfying work of music theatre. The Fairy Queen is the closest we have to that. Written in a hybrid form of spoken drama and masque, it is notoriously difficult to bring off on the stage. But it is ideal for home listening. Nicholas Kenyon sifts through a strong field of some of the greatest names in baroque performance.
11.20am
Record of the Week
Andrew's pick of the best of the best this week
Last on
Music Played
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Johann Pachelbel
Canon and gigue in D major for 3 violins and continuo
Performer: Leila Schayegh. Ensemble: La Centifolia.- Ciaconna!.
- Glossa.
- 16.
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
'The Nutcracker' Suite, Op 71a, TH 35: III. Waltz of the Flowers (Arr. Y. Sudbin for Piano 4 Hands)
Performer: Yevgeny Sudbin. Performer: Bella Sudbin. Music Arranger: Yevgeny Sudbin.- Romeo & Juliet: Tchaikovsky on the Piano.
- BIS.
- 102.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Die verstellte Gartnerin, K 196, Act I: Seufzend beklagt das Taubchen
Lyricist: Giuseppe Petrosellini. Lyricist: Johann Franz Joseph Stierle d.Ä.. Singer: Sandrine Piau. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Parrott.- Mozart: Die verstellte Gärtnerin, K. 196 (Sung in German) [Live].
- CPO.
- 323.
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Herbert Howells
Concerto for string orchestra: I. Allegro, assai vivace
Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.- Vaughan Williams, Howells, Delius & Elgar - Music for Strings.
- Chandos.
- 2.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No 41 in C major, K551 'Jupiter': I. Allegro vivace
Performer: Maxim Emelyanychev. Ensemble: Il Pomo d’Oro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Mozart: The Symphonies - the beginning and the end.
- Aparte.
- 7.
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Guillaume de Machaut
Riches d'amour et mendians d'amie
Ensemble: Orlando Consort.- Guillaume de Machaut: Fortune's Child.
- Hyperion.
- 11.
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Clara Schumann
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 7: III. Finale. Allegro non troppo - Allegro molto
Performer: Beatrice Rana. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.- Clara & Robert Schumann: Piano Concertos.
- Warner Classics.
- 3.
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Louis Vierne
Symphony No 1 in D minor, Op 14: VI. Final
Performer: Daniel Roth.- Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies Vol. 1 & 2.
- Aeolus.
- 6.
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Edward Gardner & BBC Symphony Orchestra
Concerto for Orchestra: I. Intrada. Allegro maestoso
- Lutosławski: Symphony No. 3, Chain 3 & Concerto for Orchestra.
- Chandos.
- 9.
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Maurice Ravel
Le Tombeau de Couperin, M.68: III. Forlane
Performer: Clément Lefebvre.- Evidence.
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Antoine Boësset
Nos esprits libres et contents (Arr. Pluhar)
Singer: Philippe Jaroussky. Ensemble: L’Arpeggiata. Conductor: Christina Pluhar.- Passacalle de La Follie.
- Warner Classics.
- 8.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Etudes-Tableaux, Op 33
Performer: Nikolai Lugansky.- Rachmaninov: Études-Tableaux - 3 Pieces.
- Harmonia Mundi.
- 5.
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Fanny Mendelssohn
Fantasia
Performer: Raphaela Gromes. Performer: Julian Riem.- Femmes.
- Sony.
- 23.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974 (Arr. J. & T. Steenbrink for Chamber Ensemble): II. Adagio
Music Arranger: Judith Steenbrink. Music Arranger: Tineke Steenbrink. Ensemble: Holland Baroque Society.- Bachs Königin.
- PENTATONE.
- 108.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Organ Concerto in G Major, BWV 592 (Excerpts Arr. J. & T. Steenbrink For Chamber Ensemble): III. Presto
Music Arranger: Judith Steenbrink. Music Arranger: Tineke Steenbrink. Ensemble: Holland Baroque Society.- Bachs Königin.
- PENTATONE.
- 109.
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Franz Schubert
Piano Trio No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 99, D. 898: IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace
Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Performer: Lars Vogt.- Schubert: Chamber Works.
- Ondine.
- 204.
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Franz Schubert
Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, Op 148, D 897 "Notturno"
Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Performer: Lars Vogt.- Schubert: Chamber Works.
- Ondine.
- 205.
Record Review
9.00am
Ciaconna! – music by Purcell, Bertali, Pachelbel, etc.
Leila Schayegh (violin)
La Centifolia
Glossa GCD924207
http://www.glossamusic.com/glossa/reference.aspx?id=558
Romeo & Juliet: Tchaikovsky on the Piano
Yevgeny Sudbin (piano)
Bella Sudbin (piano)
BIS BIS2198 (Hybrid SACD)
https://bis.se/performers/sudbin-yevgeny/romeo-and-juliet-tchaikovsky-on-the-piano
Mozart: Die Verstellte Gärtnerin ('La Finta Gardiniera')
Sandrine Piau (Violante)
Susanne Bernhard (Arminda)
Lydia Teuscher (Serpetta)
Olivia Vermeulen (Ramiro)
Julian Prégardien (Graf Belfiore)
Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Don Anchise)
Michael Kupfer-Radecky (Roberto)
Munchner Rundfunkorchester
Andrew Parrott
CPO 555386-2 (3 CDs)
Vaughan Williams, Howells, Delius & Elgar - Music for Strings
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson
Chandos CHSA5291 (Hybrid SACD)
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205291
09.30am – Anna Lapwood: New Releases
Mozart: The Symphonies - The Beginning & The End
Il Pomo d'Oro
Maxim Emelyanychev (fortepiano/director)
Aparté AP307
https://www.apartemusic.com/albums/mozart-the-symphonies/?lang=en
Machaut: Songs From Remede de Fortune
Orlando Consort
Hyperion CDA68399
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68399
Clara & Robert Schumann: Piano Concertos
Beatrice Rana (piano)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Warner Classics 5419729625
https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/schumann-rana
Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies Vol. 1 & 2
Daniel Roth (organ)
Aeolus AE11231 (2 Hybrid SACDs)
Anna Lapwood: On Repeat
Lutosławski: Orchestral Works 1
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Edward Gardner
Chandos CHSA5082 (Hybrid SACD)
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205082
Listener On Repeat
Ravel: Piano Works
Clément Lefebvre (piano)
Evidence Classics EVCD083
http://evidenceclassics.com/discography/clement-lefebvre-ravel/
10.10am – New Releases
Passacalle de La Follie – music by Boesset, Moulinié, Lambert, etc.
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)
L'Arpeggiata
Christina Pluhar (theorbo/director)
Erato 5419722187
https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/passacalle-de-la-follie
Rachmaninov: Études-Tableaux - 3 Pieces
Nikolai Lugansky (piano)
Harmonia Mundi HMM902297
https://store.harmoniamundi.com/format/1208980-rachmaninov-tudes-tableaux-3-pieces
10.30am – Building a Library: Nicholas Kenyon on Purcell’s Fairy Queen
Recommended recording:
Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
Anna Dennis (soprano)
Mhairi Lawson (soprano)
Ashley Riches (bass-baritone)
Roderick Williams (baritone)
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh
Signum SIGCD615 (2 CDs)
https://signumrecords.com/product/purcell-the-fairy-queen-1692/SIGCD615/
Also recommended:
Ann Murray (soprano)
Lorna Anderson (soprano)
Gillian Fisher (soprano)
Michael Chance (alto)
John Mark Ainsley (tenor)
Ian Partridge (tenor)
Richard Suart (bass)
Michael George (bass)
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers
Coro COR16005 (2 CDs)
https://thesixteenshop.com/products/purcell-the-fairy-queen?_pos=1&_psq=fairy&_ss=e&_v=1.0
11:15 am
Raphaela Gromes: Femmes – music by Fanny Hensel, Beach, Bacewicz, etc.
Raphaela Gromes (violoncello)
Julian Riem (piano)
Festival Strings Lucerne
Daniel Dodds
Sony G010004761923Z
https://sonyclassical.com/news/news-details/raphaela-gromes-1-1
Bachs Königin
Holland Baroque
Pentatone PTC5187069 (Hybrid SACD)
https://www.pentatonemusic.com/product/bachs-konigin/
11.25am – Record of the Week
Schubert: Works for Piano Trio & Arpeggione Sonata
Christian Tetzlaff (violin)
Tanja Tetzlaff (cello)
Lars Vogt (piano)
Ondine ODE1394-2D (2 CDs)
https://www.ondine.net/?lid=en&cid=2.2&oid=6981
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- Sat 4 Feb 2023 09:00BBC Radio 3
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