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Andrew McGregor with Flora Wilson and Jan Smaczny

Andrew McGregor with Delibes's Lakme plus reissues of Czech pianist Rudolf Firkusny.

with Andrew McGregor

09.30
Building a Library: Flora Willson choose her favourite recordings of Delibes' opera Lakme

Written in the early 1880s and set in the British India of the mid-19th century, Lakm茅 is based on the novel Le Mariage de Loti by Pierre Loti. The opera includes the ever-popular Flower Duet sung by Lakm茅, the daughter of a Brahmin priest, and her servant Mallika. It's most famous aria is the Bell Song in Act 2. Like other French operas of the 19th Century, Lakm茅 projects a view of the Orient seen through Western eyes. However as a piece of well-crafted escapism with gorgeous tunes and lavish scenic backdrop it is an opera well worth discovering.

10.50
Jan Smaczny joins Andrew to discuss resissues of the great Czech pianist Rudolf Firkusny who studied with the composers Jan谩膷ek and Suk, and later with the legendary pianists Alfred Cortot and Artur Schnabel. He escaped the Nazis in 1939, fled to Paris, later settled in New York and eventually became a U.S. citizen. He had a broad repertoire and became known especially for his performances of the Czech composers Smetana, Dvo艡谩k, Jan谩膷ek, and Martin暖.

11.25
Andrew chooses an outstanding new release as his Recording of the Week

2 hours, 47 minutes

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony in E-Flat Major, K. 16: I. Molto allegro

    Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Gottfried von der Goltz.
    • Mozart, Youth Symphonies.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • 1.
  • Claude Balbastre

    O霉 s'en vont ces gays bergers

    Performer: Ga毛tan Jarry. Choir: Les Pages du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versaille.
    • Chateau de Versailles.
  • Arthur Bliss

    Mary of Magdala, IX. Mary, Mother Was the Pleasant Blower

    Singer: Dame Sarah Connolly. Orchestra: 成人快手 Symphony Orchestra. Choir: 成人快手 Symphony Chorus. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.
    • Chandos.
  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Introduction and Polonaise Brillante in C, Op. 3

    Performer: Gautier Capu莽on. Performer: Yuja Wang.
    • Erato.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, TH 59: III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo

    Performer: Johan Dalene. Orchestra: Norrk枚pings Symfoniorkester. Conductor: Daniel Blendulf.
    • Tchaikovsky & Barber: Violin Concertos.
    • BIS.
    • 3.
  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    Entr茅e des peuples des climats glac茅s (Act VI, Isis LWV 54)

    Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • AP216.
    • 24.
  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    "L'hiver qui nous tourmente" (Act IV, Isis LWV 54)

    Choir: Ch艙ur de Chambre de Namur. Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • AP216.
    • 25.
  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    "Laissez-moi, cruelle Furie" (Act IV, Isis LWV 54)

    Performer: Eve-Maud Hubeaux. Performer: Cyril Auvity. Choir: Ch艙ur de Chambre de Namur. Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • AP216.
    • 26.
  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    "T么t, t么t, t么t鈥" (Act IV, Isis LWV 54)

    Performer: Fabien Hyon. Performer: Aimery Lef猫vre. Choir: Ch艙ur de Chambre de Namur. Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • AP216.
    • 27.
  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    Entr茅e des forgerons (Act IV, Isis LWV 54)

    Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • 础辫补谤迟茅.
    • AP216.
    • 28.
  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, Part I: Hymnus Veni Creator. Spiritus Allegro impetuoso

    Singer: Manuela Uhl. Singer: Fatma Said. Orchestra: D眉sseldorfer Symphoniker. Conductor: 8 Bit.
    • Mahler: Symphonie No. 8.
    • CAvi-music.
    • 1.
  • Leos Jan谩膷ek

    Frydecka panna Maria (On an overgrown path, Book 1, no. 4)

    Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony.
    • 19075922812.
    • 6.
  • Leos Jan谩膷ek

    They chattered like swallows (On an Overgrown Path, Book 1, no. 5)

    Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony.
    • 19075922812.
    • 7.
  • Franz Schubert

    Impromptu no.4 in F minor D935

    Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Bohuslav Martin暖

    Rosicka [Dew] (Songs on One Page, H. 294, no. 1)

    Performer: Gabriela Be艌a膷kov谩. Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony.
    • 19075922812.
    • 12.
  • Bohuslav Martin暖

    Chodn铆cek [The Path] (Songs on One Page, H. 294, no. 4)

    Performer: Gabriela Be艌a膷kov谩. Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony.
    • 19075922812.
    • 15.
  • Bohuslav Martin暖

    Rozmaryn [Rosemary] (Songs on One Page, H. 294, no. 7)

    Performer: Gabriela Be艌a膷kov谩. Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony.
    • 19075922812.
    • 18.
  • Samuel Barber

    Excursions Op. 20 - no.4. Allegro molto

    Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Piano Concerto in G minor Op. 33 - iii. Allegro con fuoco

    Performer: Rudolf Firku拧n媒. Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: V谩clav Neumann.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Leonore, Act 2 No. 10, duet: "Um in der Ehe froh zu lebe"

    Singer: Robin Johannsen. Singer: Marlis Petersen. Choir: Z眉rcher Sing-Akademie. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ren茅 Jacobs.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Leonore Act 2 No. 11. "Ach, brich noch nicht, du mattes Herz!"

    Performer: Marlis Petersen. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ren茅 Jacobs.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • HMM90241415.
    • 22.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Leonore Act 2 No. 12. Finale "O, welche Lust, in freier Luft"

    Performer: Robin Johannsen. Performer: Marlis Petersen. Choir: Z眉rcher Sing-Akademie. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ren茅 Jacobs.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • HMM90241415.
    • 1.

Record Review

9.00am

Mozart: Youth Symphonies

Freiburger Barockorchester

Gottfried von der Goltz (conductor)

Apart茅 AP215

No毛ls Baroques 脿 Versailles: Golden Age of French Organ Collection, vol. 3

Ga茅tan Jarry (organ and conductor)

Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles

Ch芒teau de Versailles Spectacles CVS025

Bliss: Mary of Magdala, The Enchantress & Meditations of a Theme by John Blow

Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano)

James Platt (bass)

成人快手 Symphony Chorus

成人快手 Symphony Orchestra

Sir Andrew Davis (conductor)

Chandos CHSA5242 (Hybrid SACD)

Franck - Chopin

Gautier Capu莽on (cello)

Yuja Wang (piano)

Erato 9029539226

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Flora Willson on Delibe鈥檚 Lakm茅

Composer: L茅o Delibes

Reviewer: Flora Willson

Recommended Recording:

Mady Mespl茅 (soprano)

Danielle Millet (mezzo-soprano)

Charles Burles (tenor)

Roger Soyer (bass-baritone)

Jean-Christophe Benoit (baritone)

Bernadette Antoine (soprano)

Monique Linval (soprano)

Agn猫s Disney (mezzo-soprano)

Joseph Peyron (tenor)

Ch艙urs et Orchestre du Th茅芒tre National de l鈥橭p茅ra-Comique

Alain Lombard (conductor)

Erato 9029573486 (2CDs)

Other Recommended Recordings:

Natalie Dessay (soprano)

Patricia Petibon (soprano)

Xenia Konsek (soprano)

Delphine Haida (mezzo-soprano)

Gregory Kunde (tenor)

Franck Legu茅rinel (baritone)

Jos茅 van Dam (bass-baritone)

Orchestre Du Capitole De Toulouse

Michel Plasson (conductor)

Erato 5565692 (2CDs)

10.20am 鈥 New Releases

Tchaikovsky & Barber: Violin Concertos

Johan Dalene (violin)

Norrk枚ping Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Blendulf (conductor)

BIS BIS2440 (Hybrid SACD)

Lully: Isis

Julie Calb猫te (soprano)

Julie Vercauteren (soprano)

B茅n茅dicte Tauran (soprano)

Ambroisine Br茅 (mezzo-soprano)

Eve-Maud Hubeaux (mezzo-soprano)

Cyril Auvity (tenor)

Fabien Hyon (tenor)

Aimery Lef猫vre (baritone)

Philippe Est猫phe (baritone)

Edwin Crossley-Mercer (bass-baritone)

Ch艙ur de Chambre de Namur

Les Talens Lyriques

Christophe Rousset (conductor)

Apart茅 AP216 (2CDs)

Mahler: Symphony No. 8

Manuela Uhl (soprano)

Polina Pasztircs谩k (soprano)

Fatma Said (soprano)

Katrin Wundsam (mezzo-soprano)

Katharina Magiera (alto)

Neal Cooper, Tenor / Doctor Marianus

Hanno M眉ller-Brachmann (baritone)

Peter Rose (bas)s

Choir of the St盲dtischer Musikverein zu D眉sseldorf

Philharmonischer Chor, Bonn

Kart盲userkantorei K枚ln

Youth Choir of the Clara-Schumann Musikschule, D眉sseldorf

D眉sseldorfer Symphoniker

脕d谩m Fischer (conductor)

Avi Music AVI8553474

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Jan Smaczny on Sony鈥檚 Rudolf Firku拧n媒 collection

Rudolf Firku拧n媒 - The Complete RCA and Columbia Album Collection

Gabriela Be艌a膷kov谩 (soprano)

Tossy Spivakovsky (violin)

Gregor Piatigorsky (cello)

Janos Starker (cello)

Juilliard Quartet

Rudolf Firku拧n媒 (piano)

Claus Peter Flor (conductor)

Howard Hanson (conductor)

Libor Pe拧ek (conductor)

George Szell (conductor)

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Cleveland Orchestra

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Eastman-Rochester Symphony

Sony 19075922812 (18CDs)

11.15am 鈥 Record of the Week

Beethoven: Leonore

Marlis Petersen (soprano)

Robin Johannsen (soprano)

Johannes Chum (tenor)

Florian Feth (tenor)

Maximilian Schmitt (tenor)

Johannes Weisser (baritone)

Dimitry Ivashchenko (bass)

Tareq Nazmi (bass)

Julian Popken (bass)

Z眉rcher Sing-Akademie

Freiburger Barockorchester

Ren茅 Jacobs (conductor)

Harmonia Mundi HMM90241415 (2CDs)

Broadcast

  • Sat 7 Dec 2019 09:00

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