Schumann's Piano Concerto with Andrew McGregor and Lucy Parham
Andrew McGregor with the must-have recording of Schumann's Piano Concerto and a round-up of recent orchestral releases.
Andrew McGregor with the must-have recording of Schumann's Piano Concerto and a round-up of recent orchestral releases
9.30am
Building a Library: Schumann's Piano Concerto with Lucy Parham
The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 was finished in 1845 and is Schumann's only piano concerto. The piece has the character of a fantasy. The work is suffused with a sense of yearning and happiness; of two people in love. It seems in some ways to portray his attempt to woe and finally marry Clara, the daughter of his famous piano teacher, Friedrich Wieck. The main motif of the first movement recalls Florestan's prison aria in Beethoven's opera Fidelio. In Schumann's case this possibly symbolises his struggle for personal freedom and happiness.
10.45am
Mark Simpson and Andrew review a handful of new releases of orchestral music by Mahler and Shostakovich
11.15am
Record of the Week
Andrew's recommendation of a superlative new release just out
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns
Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 'Egyptian': III. Molto allegro
Performer: Louis Lortie. Orchestra: 成人快手 Philharmonic. Conductor: Edward Gardner.- Chandos.
-
![]()
Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 3: III. Allegro vivace
Performer: Richard Tognetti. Performer: Erin Helyard.- ABC Classics.
-
![]()
Mendoza y Cort茅s
Cielito Lindo
Music Arranger: Jorge C贸zatl. Ensemble: The King鈥檚 Singers.- Signum.
-
![]()
Emil Hartmann
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 5: II. Romanza - Andantino con moto
Performer: Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider. Performer: Nicolas Dupont. Performer: Tony Nys. Performer: Justus Grimm. Performer: Daniel Blumenthal.- Dacapo.
-
![]()
Ravi Shankar
Sukanya: III. Tarana
Singer: Susanna Hurrell. Singer: Keel Watson. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: David Murphy.- LPO.
-
![]()
Ludwig van Beethoven
K枚nig Stephan, Op. 117: Overture
Lyricist: August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Orchestra: Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Leif Segerstam.- Beethoven: K枚nig Stephan & Other Choral Works.
- Naxos.
- 1.
-
![]()
Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen
For Violin & Orchestra: I. Tempo 96; II. Tempo 63
Performer: Christina 脜strand. Orchestra: Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.- Dacapo.
-
![]()
Johannes Lupi
Salve celeberrima virgo
Ensemble: Brabant Ensemble. Conductor: Stephen Rice.- Hyperion.
-
![]()
Dmitry Shostakovich
Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 43: I. Allegretto poco moderato
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda.- LSO Live.
-
![]()
Dmitry Shostakovich
Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93: IV. Andante - Allegro
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.- BR Klassik.
-
![]()
Dmitry Shostakovich
The Bedbug Suite, Op. 19a, Pt. 1 'The Year 1929': I. March
Orchestra: Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland鈥怭falz. Conductor: Mark Fitz-Gerald.- Naxos.
-
![]()
Dmitry Shostakovich
The Bedbug Suite, Op. 19a, Pt. 1 'The Year 1929': II. Foxtrot
Orchestra: Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland鈥怭falz. Conductor: Mark Fitz-Gerald.- Naxos.
-
![]()
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, Part I: Hymnus Veni Creator. Spiritus Allegro im
Singer: Manuela Uhl. Singer: Polina Pastirchak. Singer: Fatma Said. Singer: Katrin Wundstram. Singer: Katharina Magiera. Singer: Neal Cooper. Singer: Hanno M眉ller鈥怋rachmann. Singer: Peter Rose. Orchestra: D眉sseldorfer Symphoniker. Conductor: 8 Bit.- Avi Music.
-
![]()
Gustav Mahler, Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo V盲nsk盲 & Carolyn Sampson
Mahler 4_Movement 3_Long version_CD5A
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Otton, otton" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 5)
Singer: Jakub J贸zef Orli艅ski. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Voi ch'udite" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 5)
Singer: Jakub J贸zef Orli艅ski. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Spera, alma mia" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 6)
Singer: Elsa Benoit. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Il tormento d'Ottone" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 6)
Singer: Elsa Benoit. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Par che amor sia" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 7)
Singer: Elsa Benoit. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Vaghe fonti" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 7)
Singer: Jakub J贸zef Orli艅ski. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Basta che sol tu chieda" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 19)
Singer: Luca Pisaroni. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Favorevol la sorte" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 20)
Singer: Joyce DiDonato. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
-
![]()
George Frideric Handel
"Ogni vento" (Agrippina, act 2, scene 20)
Singer: Joyce DiDonato. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.- Erato.
Record Review
9.00am
听
Saint-Sa毛ns: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 and 5 'Egyptian'
Louis Lortie (piano)
成人快手 Philharmonic
Edward Gardner (conductor)
听
Beethoven & Mozart Violin Sonatas
Richard Tognetti (violin)
Erin Helyard (piano)
ABC Classics ABC4818192 (2 CDs)
听
Finding Harmony: music by Legrand, Bach, Byrd, Alma Androzzo etc.
The King's Singers
Signum SIGCD607
听
Emil Hartmann: Chamber Music
Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider (violin)
Nicolas Dupont (violin)
Tony Nys (viola)
Justus Grimm (cello)
Daniel Blumenthal (piano)
Dacapo 8226183
听
Ravi Shankar: Sukanya
Susanna Hurrell (soprano)
Eleanor Minney (mezzo-soprano)
Alok Kumar (tenor)
Njadbulo Madlala (baritone)
Michel de Souze (baritone)
Keel Watson (bass-baritone)
M Balachandar (mridangam and konnakol)
Rajkumar Misra (tabla)
Parimal Sadaphal (sitar)
Ashwani Shankar (shehnai)
Pirashanna Thevarajah (ghatam, morsing and konnakol)
成人快手 Singers
London Philharmonic Orchestra
David Murphy (conductor)
LPO LPO0115 (2 CDs)
听
9.30am 鈥� Building a Library 鈥� Lucy Parham on Schumann鈥檚 Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
听
Composer: Robert Schumann
Reviewer: Lucy Parham
听
Recommended Recording:
Andr谩s Schiff (piano)
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Antal Dorati (conductor)
Decca 4119422
Other Recommended Recordings:
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Colin Davis (conductor)
Sony 88697721002
Andreas Staier (fortepiano)
Orchestra de Champs Elysees
Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
Harmonia Mundi HMA1951731
Krystian Zimerman (piano)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan (conductor)
DG 4390152
听
10.20am 鈥� New Releases
听
Beethoven: K枚nig Stephan; Leonore Prohaska; Opferlied, Germania
Reetta Haavisto (soprano)
Johanna Lehesvuori (soprano)
Maikki S盲ikk盲 (soprano)
Kristina Raudanen (alto)
Merja M盲kel盲 (alto)
Andreas Nordstr枚m (tenor)
Niklas Sp氓ngberg (bass)
Juha Kotilainen (bass)
P盲ivi Severeide (harp)
Claus Obalski (narrator)
Roland Astor (narrator)
Ernst Oder (narrator)
Angela Eberlein (narrator)
The Key Ensemble
Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam (conductor)
听
Madsen: Nachtmusik & Gudmundsen-Holmgreen: For Violin and Orchestra
Christina Astrand (violin)
Per Salo (piano)
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Bancroft (conductor, Madsen)
Nicholas Collon (conductor, Gudmundsen-Holmgreen)
Dacapo 8226138
听
Hellinck: Missa Surrexit pastor; Lupi: Te Deum & motets
The Brabant Ensemble
Stephen Rice (director)
Hyperion CDA68304
听
10.45am 鈥� New Releases 鈥� Mark Simpson reviews Mahler & Shostakovich orchestral releases
听
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4
London Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
LSO Live LSO0832 (Hybrid SACD)
听
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mariss Jansons (conductor)
BR Klassik 900185
听
Shostakovich: The Bedbug; Love and Hate
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz
Mark Fitz-Gerald (conductor)
Naxos 8574100
听
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)
Hanno M眉ller-Brachmann (baritone)
Peter Rose (bass)
Choir of the St盲dtischer Musikverein zu D眉sseldorf
Philharmonischer Chor, Bonn
Youth Choir of the Clara-Schumann Musikschule, D眉sseldorf
D眉sseldorfer Symphoniker
Adam Fischer (conductor)
听
Mahler: Symphony No. 4
Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo V盲nsk盲 (conductor)
BIS BIS2356 (Hybrid SACD)
听
11.15am 鈥� Record of the Week
听
Handel: Agrippina
Joyce DiDonato (Agrippina, mezzo-soprano)
Jakub J贸zef Orli艅ski (Ottone, countertenor)
Elsa Benoit (Poppea, soprano)
Luca Pisaroni (Claudio, bass)
Franco Fagioli (Nerone, countertenor)
Carlo Vistoli (Narciso, countertenor)
Biagio Pizzuti (Lesbo, baritone)
Andrea Mastroni (Pallante, bass)
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Giunone, contralto)
Il Pomo d'Oro
Maxim Emelyanychev (conductor)
Erato 9029533658 (3 CDs)
Broadcast
- Sat 11 Jan 2020 09:00成人快手 Radio 3
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
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.