Debussy: Preludes, Book 2

Saturday 8 March 2008

Listen to this episode for up to 7 days after broadcast

Andrew McGregor introduces Radio 3's weekly programme devoted to all that's new in the world of recorded music.

On this week's programme:



VILLA-LOBOS: Symphony No. 10 Amerindia (3rd movement)



Lothar Odinius (tenor), Henryk Bohm (baritone), Jurgen Linn (bass-baritone), Members of the Staatsopernchor Stuttgart, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Carl St. Clair (conductor)

CPO 999 786-2 (CD, Mid Price)


SCHMIDT: Das Buch Mit Sieben Siegeln ('Und als das Lamm der Siegel drittes auftat'; Und als das Lamm der Siegel viertes auftat)

Johannes Chum (tenor - St. John), Robert Holl (bass baritone - Voice of the Lord), Sandra Trattnigg (soprano), Michelle Breedt (mezzo-soprano), Nikolai Schukoff (tenor), Manfred Hemm (bass), Robert Kovacs (organ), Wiener Singverein, Tonkunstler orchester Niederosterreich, Kristjan Jarvi (conductor)

Chandos CHSA 50612 (2 Hybrid SACDs, Mid Price)

RONTGEN: Aus Goethes Faust ('Vor dem Tor')



Machteld Baumans (soprano), Marcel Beekman (tenor), Andre Morsch (baritone), Andre Post (tenor), Mark Richardson (baritone), Dennis Wilgenhof (bass), Gijs van Schoonhoven (organ), Kooir van de Nationale Reisopera Enschede, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, David Porcelijn (conductor)

CPO 777 311-2 (CD, Mid Price)


Building a Library Recommendation



DEBUSSY: Piano Preludes Book II

Reviewer - Stephen Plaistow

First Choice:



(c/w Preludes Book 1, 'Les soirs illumines par l'ardeur du charbon') from disc Debussy Complete Works for Solo Piano, Volume 1
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)

Chandos CHAN10421 (CD)

1. Lent Et Grave
2. Modere (Dans Un Rythme Sans Rigeur Et Caressant)
3. Anime
4. Modere (Harmonieux Et Souple)
5. Tres Modere
6. Triste Et Lent
7. Anime Et Tumultueux
8. Tres Calme Et Doucement Expressif
9. Moderement Anime
10. Profondement Calme (Dans Une Brume Doucement Sonore)
11. Capricieux Et Leger
12. Modere (Nerveux Et Avec Humor)
13. Modere (Extrement Egal Et Leger)
14. Lent Et Melancolique
15. Mouvement De 'Habanera' (Avec De Brusque Oppositions D'Extreme Violence Et De Passionnee Douceur)
16. Rapide Et Leger
17. Calme (Doucement Expressif)
18. (Dans Le Style Et Le Mouvement D'Un Cake-Walk)
19. Lent
20. Scherzando
21. Grave
22. Tres Calme Et Doucement Triste
23. Moderement Anime
24. Moderement Anime
25. Lent Et Reveur - Plus Lent Jusqu'a La Fin


Historic Choice:



(c/w 10 Preludes from Book 1; L'isle joyeuse; Cloches a travers les feuilles; La Serenade interrompue; CHOPIN: Ballade No. 3 in A flat major Op. 47; Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54; 4 Mazurkas Op. 24; Barcarolle in F sharp major Op. 60; excerpts from Etudes Op. 10; PROKOFIEV: Dance, Op. 32 No. 1)
Sviatoslav Richter (piano)

BBC Legends BBCL 4021-2 (2 CDs, Mid Price)

Disc: 1
1. Ballade No. 3 In A Flat Major, Op. 47
2. Scherzo No.4 In E Major, Op.54: Presto
3. 4 Mazurkas, Op. 24: No. 1 In G Minor. Lento
4. 4 Mazurkas, Op. 24: No.2 In C Major. Allegro Non Troppo
5. 4 Mazurkas, Op. 24: No.3 In A Flat Major. Moderato
6. 4 Mazurkas, Op. 24: No.4 In B Flat Minor. Moderato
7. Barcarolle In F Sharp Major, op.60: Allegretto
8. 10 Preludes From Book 1: 1. Danseuses De Delphes
9. 10 Preludes From Book 1: 2. Violes
10. 10 Preludes From Book 1: 3. Le Vent Dans La Plaine
See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2
1. L'Isle Joyeuse
2. Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles Lent
3. Dance, Op.32 No.1
4. Etudes, Op. 10: No.12 In C Minor. Allegro Con Fuoco
5. Etudes, Op. 10: No.3 In E Major. Vivace Ma Non Troppo
6. Etudes, Op. 10: No.1 In C Major.
7. Etudes, Op. 10: No.4 In C Sharp Minor. Presto
8. Etudes, Op. 10: No.6 In E Flat Minor.
9. Etudes, Op. 10: No.10 In A Flat Major. Vivace Assai
10. Etudes, Op. 10: No.12 In C Minor. Allegro Con Fuoco
See all 23 tracks on this disc




Budget Choice:



(c/w Preludes Book 1)
Martino Tirimo (piano)
Regis RRC1111 (CD, Budget)


Next week Francis Knights examines recordings of Biber's Mystery or Rosary Sonatas.


Listener Requests




SCHOENBERG: Violin Concerto (second movement)
(c/w SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto Op. 47)
Hilary Hahn, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor)
Deutsche Grammophon 477 7346 (CD)


LISZT: Piano Concerto No.1 (fourth movement)



(c/w SHOSTAKOVICH: Concerto No. 1 for piano, trumpet and strings in C minor, Op. 35; PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10)
Lise de la Salle (piano); Lisbon Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra, Gabor Baldocki (trumpet), Lawrence Foster (conductor)
Naive V5053 (CD)


New Releases



Richard Morrison has been watching three new opera DVDs: Eugene Onegin from the New York Met starring Renee Fleming; Mussorgsky's epic drama Khovanshchina from Barcelona's Liceu; and a real rarity - Thomas Hampson as Busoni's anti-hero Doktor Faust.


TCHAIKOVSKY: Eugene Onegin



Renee Fleming (Tatiana), Elena Zaremba (Olga), Svetlana Volkova (Madame Larina), Larisa Shevchenko (Filippyevna), Ramon Vargas (Lenski), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Eugene Onegin), Keith Miller (A Captain), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (Triquet), Richard Bernstein (Zaretski), Sergei Aleksashkin (Prince Gremin), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, Valery Gergiev (conductor)

Decca 074 32489 (2 DVDs, Mid Price)

Opera Review | 'Eugene Onegin'
Star Power, Charisma and Ardor in ‘Onegin’


The Metropolitan Opera’s affecting revival of its 1997 production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” which opened on Friday night, is all the more impressive because it might have turned out so differently. In a risky move, the production brought major Russian artists steeped in their national operatic heritage together with two Met stars making brave forays into far-afield repertory.

The Russian maestro Valery Gergiev conducted, in his first Met performance of this work, Tchaikovsky’s best-known operatic masterpiece. It is an adaptation of Pushkin’s novel in verse about the dashing, worldly and aloof Onegin, who learns too late from a bookish, love-struck young woman that life will pass him by unless he dares to be emotionally vulnerable. In addition this was the first Met Onegin for the baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who was born to play the role.

Read more...

Renee Fleming - Eugene Onegin - Letter Scene (part 1)



Renee Fleming - Eugene Onegin - Letter Scene (part 2)



Ramon Vargas as Lensky "Kuda, kuda vy udalilis" Eugen Onegin



Hvorostovsky & Vargas - Eugene Onegin - Duel Scene




BUSONI: Doktor Faust



Thomas Hampson (Doktor Faust), Gunther Groissbock (Wagner, his medical student and Master of Ceremonies), Gregory Kunde (Mephistopheles), Reinaldo Macias (The Duke of Parma), Sandra Trattnigg (The Duchess of Parma), Martin Zysset (a lieutenant), Chorus and Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House, Philippe Jordan (conductor)

Arthaus Musik NTSC101283 (2 DVDs)




MUSSORGSKY: Khovanshchina

Vladimir Ognovenko (Pricne Ivan Khovansky), Vladimir Galouzine (Prince Andrei Khovansky), Robert Brubaker (Prince Vasily Golitsyn), Nikolai Putilin (Shaklovity), Vladimir Vaneev (Dosifei), Elena Zaremba (Marfa), Graham Clark (Scribe), Nataliya Tymchenko (Emma), Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Michael Boder (conductor)

Opus Arte OA0989 D (2 DVDs)




Listener Requests



MONTEVERDI: Lagrime d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata (Sestina from Il sesto libro de madrigali 1614) from disc Fire and Ashes

(c/w allo - Tirsi e Clori, Chiome d'oro, Vorrei baciarti, Ardo avvampo, Ogni amante (Book VIII), Con dolce tormento, E cosi a poco a poco, Batto qui pianse, Che dar piu, Si ch'io vorrei (Book IV), Rimante in pace (Book III))
I Fagiolini, Robert Hollingworth (director)
Chandos CHAN 0749 (CD)


ROUSSEL: Symphony No.3 Op.42 (2nd movement)

(c/w Le Festin de l'araignee, Op. 17)
Orchestre de Paris, Christoph Eschenbach (conductor)

Ondine ODE 11072 (CD)


BARTOK: The Wooden Prince: "The Prince builds a wooden prince"



Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop (conductor)

Naxos 8.570534 (CD, Budget)


Disc of the Week



SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 1 in B flat Major Op. 38 ('Spring Symphony')





(c/w Overture to Schiller's 'Braut von Messina', Op. 100, Overture to the opera 'Genoveva', Op. 81; Symphony in G minor, 'Zwickau Symphony';
Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52)
Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard

BIS SACD 1569 (Hybrid SACD)


Next Week



On next week's programme Francis Knights recommends a recording of Biber's Mystery or Rosary Sonatas and conductor John Traill discusses new releases of Beethoven Symphonies.

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