Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Andrew McGregor with Mahan Esfahani and Simon Heighes

Building a Library: Mahan Esfahani on recordings of Franck's Violin Sonata; as part of National Album Day Andrew talks to Simon Heighes about the history of the record album

with Andrew McGregor

09.30
Building a Library: Mahan Esfahani surveys the recordings of Franck's Violin Sonata

The Sonata in A major by C茅sar Franck is one the greatest sonatas for violin and piano ever written. It was written in 1886, when C茅sar Franck was 63, as a wedding present for the 31-year-old violinist Eug猫ne Ysa每e. The piece is cyclic in that all the movements share common thematic threads. And it has attracted some of the finest violin and piano duos into the recording studio over the years

10.30
As part of National Album Day Andrew talks to Simon Heighes about the history of the classical record album from its early days as a physical album in which to store your 78s, to the recording of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto by Nathan Milstein in 1948 which was the first classical long-playing record. With the expansion in playing time, artists and producers were suddenly able to play around with themes, concepts and narratives which gave us some much loved albums which remain in the catalogue to this day. They discuss some classic albums of the past and ponder on the continuing popularity of the album in the age of streaming where in theory the whole catalogue of recorded classical music is now at our finger tips.

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

This programme is part of 成人快手 Music鈥檚 support for the first ever National Album Day, which takes place on Saturday 13th October with programming on Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 5 Live, 6 Music, 成人快手 One and 成人快手 Four across the week or on the day itself.

3 hours, 13 minutes

Last on

Sat 13 Oct 2018 09:00
成人快手 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Andrew McGregor with Alexandra Coghlan and Harriet Smith

Next

Andrew McGregor with Mark Lowther

See all episodes from Record Review

Music Played

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64: I. Allegro molto appassionato

    Performer: Nathan Milstein. Orchestra: New York Philharmonic. Conductor: Bruno Walter.
    • Magic Talent.

  • Leonard Bernstein

    Time Square Ballet (From "On the Town")

    Conductor: Marin Alsop. Orchestra: S茫o Paulo Symphony Orchestra.
    • Bernstein: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Suite, Slava!, CBS Music & A Bernstein Birth.
    • Naxos.
    • 9.

  • Luciano Berio

    A Bernstein Birthday Bouquet: For Lenny (LB.AM.LB.M.W.D.IS.LB)

    Conductor: Marin Alsop. Orchestra: S茫o Paulo Symphony Orchestra.
    • Bernstein: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Suite, Slava!, CBS Music & A Bernstein Birth.
    • Naxos.
    • 10.

  • Alessandro Marcello

    Oboe Concerto in D Minor, S. Z799: III. Allegro

    Orchestra: The English Concert.
    • Dall'Abaco, Porpora, Marcello, Tartini & Telemann: Concertos.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 12.

  • Alessandro Marcello

    Oboe Concerto in D Minor, S. Z799: III. Presto

    Orchestra: The English Concert.
    • Dall'Abaco, Porpora, Marcello, Tartini & Telemann: Concertos.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 11.

  • Mario Castelnuovo鈥怲edesco

    'Figaro' from Rossini's Barber of Seville

    Performer: Francesca Dego. Performer: Francesca Leonardi.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Richard Strauss

    Horn Concerto No.1 in E-Flat Major, Op.11, TrV 117: III. Rondo. Allegro

    Conductor: Manfred Honeck. Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
    • Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 "Eroica" - Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1, Op. 1.
    • Reference Recordings.
    • 7.

  • Franz Schubert

    Die Zauberharfe overture, D.644

    Orchestra: Kammerorchester Basel. Conductor: Heinz Holliger.
    • Sony.

  • Hans Zender

    Schubert's Winterreise: No.10 'Rast; No.11 'Fr眉hlingstraum'

    Singer: Julian Pr茅gardien. Orchestra: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. Conductor: Robert Reimer.
    • Alpha.

  • Owain Park

    Upheld by Stillness

    Choir: Trinity College Choir. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • Hyperion.

  • 脡douard Ferlet

    Le Bal 脡thylic (From a Hornpipe by purcell)

    Performer: 脡douard Ferlet. Performer: Violaine Cochard.
    • Alpha.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No.5: I. Allegro con brio

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Art煤r Nikisch.
    • DG.

  • Hildegard von Bingen

    Columba aspexit

    Choir: Gothic Voices. Singer: Emma Kirkby. Director: Christopher Page.
    • CDA.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos, K.448: III. Allegro molto

    Performer: Murray Perahia. Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Sony.

  • Franz Schubert

    Fantasia in F minor for Piano, Four Hands, D.940

    Performer: Murray Perahia. Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Sony.

  • Andrea Gabrieli

    Fanfare; Organ solo; Kyrie

    Director: Paul McCreesh. Ensemble: Gabrieli Consort & Players.
    • Signum.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cantata 29 'Wir danken dir, Gott': Sinfonia

    Ensemble: His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts. Conductor: Tim Roberts.
    • Hyperion.

  • Walter Donaldson

    My Blue Heaven

    Choir: The Wallbangers. Orchestra: London Sinfonietta. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • EMI.

  • Crist贸bal de Morales

    Parce mihi domine

    Ensemble: The Hilliard Ensemble. Performer: Jan Garbarek.
    • ECM.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    A Sea Symphony: IV. The Explorers

    Orchestra: 成人快手 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • Hyperion.

Record Review

9.00am

Bernstein: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Suite, Slava!, CBS Music plus A Bernstein Birthday Bouquet
S茫o Paulo Symphony
Marin Alsop (conductor)
Naxos 8.559813

Concertos by Dell鈥橝baco, Porpora, Marcello, Tartini & Telemann
The English Concert
Alfonso Leal del Ojo (viola)
Katharina Spreckelsen (oboe)
Joseph Crouch (cello)
Nadja Zwiener (violin)
Harry Bicket (director)
Signum Classics SIGCD549

Stravinsky: Suite Italienne; Respighi: Violin Sonata in B minor; Tedesco: Ballade op.107 and opera transcriptions for violin and piano
Francesca Dego (violin)
Francesca Leonardi (piano)
Deutsche Grammophon 481 7297

Beethoven: Symphony No.3 鈥楨roica鈥�; Strauss: Horn Concerto No.1
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck (conductor)
Reference Recordings FR-728SACD

听

9.30am 鈥� Building a Library 鈥� Mahan Esfahani on Franck鈥檚 Violin Sonata in A Major

Composer: Cesar Franck
Reviewer: Mahan Esfahani

Recommended Recording:

Augustin Dumay (violin)
Maria-Joao Pires (piano)
DG 4458802

Other Recommended Recordings:

Below are other recordings that Mahan Esfahani also liked, although we can鈥檛 guarantee availability.

Archival choice
Gerhard Taschner (violin)
Walter Gieseking (piano)
SWR-Digital 10131

听

10.20am 鈥� New Releases

Schubert: Symphony in C major, 鈥楾he Great鈥�
Kammerorchester Basel
Heinz Holliger (conductor)
Sony 19075814382

Schubert鈥檚 Winterreise recomposed for orchestra by Hans Zender
Julian Pr茅gardien (tenor)
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie (orchestra)
Robert Reimer (conductor)
Alpha 425

Owain Park: Choral Works
Trinity College Choir, Cambridge
Stephen Layton (conductor)
Hyperion CDA68191

Edouard Ferlet: 鈥楶lucked鈥橬 Dance鈥� 鈥� improvisatory works for harpsichord and piano on the theme of dance
Violaine Cochard (harpsichord)
Edouard Ferlet (piano)
Alpha 411

听

10.50am Album Day: Simon Heighes on classic albums

Beethoven: Symphony No.5
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Arthur Nikisch (conductor)
DG 4836159

鈥楢 feather on the breath of God鈥� 鈥� choral music by Hildegard von Bingen
Emma Kirkby (soprano)
Gothic Voices (choir)
Christopher Page (conductor
CDA 66039

Mozart: Sonata in D major for Two Pianos, K.448; Schubert: Fantasia in F minor for Piano, Four Hand
Murray Perahia (piano)
Radu Lipu (piano)
MK 39511

鈥楢 New Venetian Coronation, 1595鈥� (re-recording of classic 1990 recording)
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh (director)
SIGCD287

鈥楢 Bach Album鈥�: Arrangements for wind consort of music by J.S. Bach
His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts (wind consort)
CDA67247听听听听听听听听听听听听

鈥楾he Jazz Album鈥�: Music by Bernstein, Gershwin, Milhaud & Stravinsky
London Sinfonietta
Simon Rattle (conductor)
EMI Red Line 6365562

Frederico Mompou: M煤sica Callada
Herbert Henck (piano)
ECM 1523

听

11.45am 鈥� Disc of the Week

Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony
Marcus Farnsworth (baritone)
Elizabeth Llewellyn (soprano)
成人快手 Symphony Orchestra
成人快手 Symphony Chorus
Martyn Brabbins (conductor)
Hyperion CDA68245

Broadcast

  • Sat 13 Oct 2018 09:00
    成人快手 Radio 3

Featured in...

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.