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Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with Edward Seckerson and Andrew McGregor

Edward Seckerson's recommendation from the available versions of Tchaikovsky's delightful ballet The Nutcracker, plus a round-up of recent baroque vocal releases.

Edward Seckerson's recommendation from available versions of Tchaikovsky's delightful ballet The Nutcracker, plus a round-up of recent baroque vocal releases.

9.30am
Building a Library
Another chance to hear Edward Seckerson sift through recordings of the most compact and tuneful of Tchaikovsky's ballets, with a recommendation for the ultimate performance to buy, download or stream

10.45am
Simon Heighes joins Andrew with a groundswell of fine new vocal recordings by Handel and Bach, but also by Bononcini and Martini

11.15am
Record of the Week
Andrew's choice of the best of this week's new releases

2 hours, 46 minutes

Music Played

  • Richard Rodney Bennett

    Country Dances

    Orchestra: 成人快手 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Chandos.
  • Leonardo Vinci

    "Vil trofeo d'un'alma imbelle" (Alessandro nelle Indie, Act 1)

    Singer: Franco Fagioli. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Zefira Valova.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Horn Sonata (1st mvt)

    Performer: Peter Francomb. Performer: Victor Sangiorgio.
    • Dutton Epoch.
  • Trad.

    Do the Birds Worry?

    Music Arranger: Cyrillus Kreek. Choir: Vox Clamantis. Performer: Anna-Liisa Eller. Performer: Marco Ambrosini. Performer: Angela Ambrosini. Conductor: Jaan-Eik Tulve.
    • ECM.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3 (4th mvt)

    Performer: Grigory Sokolov.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Giuseppe Tartini

    Violin Concerto in D minor, D45 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Chouchane Siranossian. Orchestra: Venice Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Andrea Marcon.
    • Alpha.
  • Herbert Howells

    Kyrie (Missa Sabrinensis)

    Singer: Helena Dix. Singer: Christine Rice. Singer: Benjamin Hulett. Singer: Roderick Williams. Choir: The Bach Choir. Orchestra: 成人快手 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: David Hill.
    • Hyperion.
  • Johann Jakob Froberger

    Canzona VI in A Minor, FbWV 306

    • Froberger: Complete Fantasias & Canzonas.
    • Divine Art.
    • 14.
  • Xavier Montsalvatge

    Cuba dentro de un piano (No.1, Cinco canciones negras)

    Performer: Tabea Zimmermann. Performer: Javier Perianes.
    • Cantilena.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 2.
  • Marc鈥怉ntoine Charpentier

    La Descente d'Orph茅e aux enfers [excerpt]

    Singer: Reinoud Van Mechelen. Singer: D茅borah Cachet. Choir: Vox Luminis. Ensemble: A Nocte Temporis. Conductor: Lionel Meunier.
    • Alpha.
  • Giovanni Battista Bononcini

    La Converzione di Maddalena [excerpt]

    Ensemble: La Venexiana.
    • Glossa.
  • Jean鈥怭aul鈥惷塯ide Martini

    Messe de Requiem pour la Pompe fun猫bre de Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette (Dies Irae)

    Singer: Adriana Gonz谩lez. Singer: Andreas Wolf. Singer: Julien Behr. Ensemble: Le Concert Spirituel. Conductor: Herv茅 Niquet.
    • Ch芒teau de Versailles Spectacles.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (end of part 1)

    Singer: Benjamin Bruns. Singer: Christian Immler. Ensemble: Bach Collegium Japan. Conductor: Masaaki Suzuki.
    • BIS.
  • Arnold Schoenberg

    Gurrelieder (excs)

    Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos.

Record Review

9.00am

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett: Orchestral Works Vol. 4

Michael McHale (piano)

成人快手 Scottish Symphony Orchestra

John Wilson (conductor)

Chandos CHSA5244 (Hybrid SACD)

Veni, Vidi, Vinci: Arias by Leonardo Vinci

Franco Fagioli (counter-tenor)

Il Pomo d'Oro

Zefira Valova (director)

Deutsche Grammophon 4838358

Vaughan Williams: Horn Sonata, Quintet, Household Music & Bax: Horn Sonata

Peter Francomb (horn)

Victor Sangiorgio (piano)

Royal Northern Sinfonia Chamber Ensemble

Dutton Epoch CDLX 7373 (Hybrid SACD)

Kreek: the Suspended Harp of Babel

Choral music of Cyrillus Kreek

Vox Clamantis

ECM 4819041

Grigory Sokolov - Beethoven, Brahms & Mozart

Grigory Sokolov (piano)

Deutsche Grammophon 4836570 (2 CDs & DVD Video)

9.30am 鈥 Building a Library 鈥 Edward Seckerson on Tchaikovsky's ballet music, The Nutcracker (NOTE: this is a repeat; it was first broadcast on 21st December 2019)

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Reviewer: Edward Seckerson

Recommended Recording:

Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre

Mariinsky (Kirov) Orchestra

Val茅ry Gergiev (conductor)

Philips 4621142 (download only) and Decca 4784273 (6 CDs)

Other Recommended Recordings:

Sveshnikov Boys Choir of the Moscow Choral School

State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia "Evgeny Svetlanov"

Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)

Pentatone PTC5186761 (Hybrid SACD)

10.15am 鈥 New Releases

Tartini: Violin Concertos

Chouchane Siranossian (violin)

Venice Baroque Orchestra

Andrea Marcon (conductor)

Alpha ALPHA596

Howells: Missa Sabrinensis & Michael Fanfare

Helena Dix (soprano)

Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano)

Benjamin Hulett (tenor)

Roderick Williams (baritone)

Bach Choir

成人快手 Concert Orchestra

David Hill (conductor)

Hyperion CDA68294

Froberger: Complete Fantasias & Canzonas

Terence Charlston (clavichord)

Divine Art DDA25204

Cantilena 鈥 music by Piazz贸lla, Montsalvatge, Falla, Villa-Lobos, Casals, Granados & Alb茅niz

Tabea Zimmermann (viola)

Javier Perianes (piano)

Harmonia Mundi HMM902648

10.45am 鈥 New Releases 鈥 Simon Heighes on new baroque vocal releases

Charpentier: Orph茅e aux enfers

D茅borah Cachet (soprano)

Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor/director)

Lionel Meunier (baritone/director)

Vox Luminis

A Nocte Temporis

Alpha ALPHA566

Giovanni Bononcini: La Conversione Di Maddalena

Emanuela Galli (soprano, Maria Maddalena)

Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (soprano, Amor divino)

Marta Fumagalli (alto, Marta)

Matteo Bellotto (bass, Amor profano)

La Venexiana

Gabriele Palomba (director)

Glossa GCD920944 (2 CDs)

Handel: Messiah

Dorothee Mields (soprano)

Benno Schachtner (alto)

Benedikt Kristj谩nsson (tenor)

Tobias Berndt (bass)

Gaechinger Cantorey

Hans-Christoph Rademann (conductor)

Accentus ACC30499 (2 CDs)

Martini: Requiem pour Louis XVI

Adriana Gonzales (soprano)

Julien Behr (tenor)

Andreas Wolf (bass-baritone)

Le Concert Spirituel

Herv茅 Niquet (conductor)

Ch芒teau de Versailles Spectacles CVS022

JS Bach: St Matthew Passion

Benjamin Bruns (tenor, Evangelist)

Carolyn Sampson (soprano)

Aki Matsui (soprano)

Damien Guillon (counter-tenor)

Makato Sakurada (tenor)

Zachary Wilder (tenor)

Clint van der Linde (baritone)

Christian Immler (baritone)

Toru Kaku (bass)

Bach Collegium Japan

Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)

BIS BIS2500 (2 Hybrid SACD鈥檚)

11.15am 鈥 Record of the Week

Schoenberg: Erwartung & Pelleas und Melisande

Sara Jakubiak (soprano)

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Edward Gardner (conductor)

Chandos CHSA5198 (Hybrid SACD)

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 May 2020 09:00

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