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Verdi's Il trovatore in Building a Library with Roger Parker and Andrew McGregor

Roger Parker picks his favourite version of Verdi's opera Il trovatore, and Sarah Walker selects some of the best new releases.

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

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Sarah Walker shares her choice of the latest classical releases

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Building a Library

Verdi's Il trovatore with Roger Parker

Written hot on the heels of Rigoletto, and premiered just two months before La traviata, Il trovatore (The Troubador) is one of Verdi's most dramatic operas, and one of his most popular successes. It is packed with great music, including the bombastic 鈥楢nvil Chorus鈥�, Azucena鈥檚 鈥楽tride la vampa鈥� (The flame crackles!) and tenor Manrico鈥檚 heroic 鈥楧i quella pira鈥� (The flames of the pyre). The story, based on a play by Antonio Garc铆a Guti茅rrez, has been described as "a high flown, sprawling melodrama, packed with all manner of fantastic and bizarre incident."

Recommended version:
Maria Callas (soprano), Rolando Panerei (baritone) et al., La Scala, Herbert von Karajan (cond.)
Warner 2564634094

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Record of the Week: Andrew鈥檚 top pick.

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1 hour, 59 minutes

Last on

Sat 9 Nov 2024 14:00
成人快手 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Henry Purcell

    Curtain Tune on a Ground (Timon of Athens Z.632)

    Music Arranger: La Petite 脡curie. Ensemble: La Petite 脡curie.
    • No Strings Attached. Concertos, Overture and Sonatas for Oboe Band.
    • Arcana.
    • 1.

  • Gaetano Donizetti

    Or che la notte invita

    Singer: Lawrence Brownlee. Performer: Jernej Albreht. Performer: Carlo Rizzi.
    • Donizetti Songs Vol. 1.
    • Opera Rara.
    • 15.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony no.90 in C major H.1.90 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Il Giardino Armonico. Orchestra: Kammerorchester Basel. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • Haydn 2032, Vol. 16: The Surprise.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 12.

  • Edward Elgar

    Serenade (2 Choral songs Op.73)

    Ensemble: Proteus Ensemble. Conductor: Stephen Shellard.
    • AVIE.

  • Edward Elgar

    My love dwelt in a Northern land (3 Partsongs Op.18)

    Choir: Proteus Ensemble. Conductor: Stephen Shellard.
    • AVIE.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto no.21 in C major K.467 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Dejan Lazi膰. Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Jan Willem de Vriend.
    • Challenge Classics.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    English Suite no.2 in A minor BWV.807 (Prelude)

    Performer: Zhu Xiao-Mei.
    • Accentus Music.

  • Florian Christl

    Delta

    Performer: Florian Christl. Performer: Clara B眉sel. Performer: Leandro Hauxwell. Performer: Alona Khlevna. Performer: Gereon Theis. Performer: Benedikt Wagner.
    • Sony.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Legends Op.59 (no.3 in G minor)

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Tom谩拧 Netopil.
    • Pentatone.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Stabat mater dolorosa (Stabat Mater RV.621)

    Singer: Carlo Vistoli. Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Georg Kallweit.
    • Vivaldi: Sacro Furore - Stabat Mater, Nisi Dominus, Concerti.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 15.

  • Silvestre Revueltas

    La coronela (El juicio final)

    Orchestra: Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa. Conductor: Robert Trevino.
    • Americascapes 2: American Opus.
    • Ondine.
    • 8.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Serenade in C major K.648 'Ganz kleine Nachtmusik' (Opening)

    Performer: Leonhard Baumgartner. Performer: Margarita Pochebut. Performer: Svenja Dose. Performer: Oscar Jockel.
    • Mozart: Serenade in C Major, K. 648 "A Very Little Night Music" (Original Versio.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 1.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Violin Concerto in D Minor Op.47 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: James Ehnes. Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Sibelius: Works for Violin & Orchestra.
    • Chandos.
    • 3.

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 Nov 2024 14:00
    成人快手 Radio 3

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