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BBC Proms Composer - Sergei Rachmaninov with Marina Frolova-Walker and Andrew McGregor

Marina Frolova-Walker chooses five essential recordings of BBC Proms Composer Sergei Rachmaninov and explains why you need to hear them, plus the best recent classical releases.

Andrew McGregor with a selection of the best new classical releases.

9.30
BBC Proms Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov
Marina Frolova-Walker chooses five indispensable recordings of BBC Proms Composer Rachmaninov and explains why you need to hear them, plus the best of recent classical releases.

11.25
Record of the Week

2 hours, 47 minutes

Last on

Sat 23 Jul 202209:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Moment musical in E minor, Op 16 No 4 (Presto)

    Performer: Steven Osborne.
    • Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No 1 & Moments musicaux.
    • Hyperion.
    • 11.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Piano Concerto in G Major, M. 83: II. Adagio assai

    Performer: Francesco Piemontesi. Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Conductor: Jonathan Nott.
    • Schoenberg, Messiaen & Ravel: Orchestral Works.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 102.

  • Ottorino Respighi

    Deità Silvane, P 107: No 4, Acqua - No 5, Crepuscolo

    Performer: Ammiel Bushakevitz. Lyricist: Antonio Rubino. Singer: Timothy Fallon.
    • Crepuscolo.
    • BIS.

  • Emilie Mayer

    Symphony No. 6 in E Major: III. Scherzo

    Conductor: Marc Niemann. Orchestra: Philharmonisches Orchester Bremerhaven.
    • Emilie Mayer: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 3.
    • haenssler CLASSIC.
    • 103.

  • Trad.

    Powder and Paint

    Performer: Sergey Rachmaninov. Singer: Nadejda Plevitskaya.
    • Sergei Rachmaninov: Complete RCA Recordings.
    • RCA.
    • 18.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Piano Concerto No 2: II. Adagio Sostenuto

    Performer: Sviatoslav Richter. Orchestra: Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Stanisław Wisłocki.
    • Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1.
    • DG.
    • 2.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Suite No 2 for Two Pianos, Op 17: IV. Tarantelle - Presto

    Performer: Peter Donohoe. Performer: Martin Roscoe.
    • Rachmaninov - Music for Two Pianos.
    • Naxos.
    • 8.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Vespers, Op 37: V. Nyne otpushchayeshi

    Singer: Olga Borodina. Singer: Vladimir Mostowoy. Choir: St. Petersburg Chamber Choir. Conductor: Nikolay Kornov.
    • Rachmaninov: Vespers & Liturgy of St John of Chrysostom.
    • Decca.
    • 5.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Symphony No 2 in E minor, Op 27: IV. Allegro vivace

    Orchestra: State Academic Symphony Orchestra of The Russian Federation. Conductor: Evgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov.
    • Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27 & The Rock, Op. 7.
    • CDK Music.
    • 4.

  • George Frideric Handel

    'Caro sposo, amato oggetto' (after Johann Adolf Hasse)

    Performer: Miriam Allan. Ensemble: London Early Opera. Conductor: Bridget Cunningham.
    • Handel: Caio Fabriccio, Hwv A9.
    • Signum.
    • 14.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No. 6 in E Minor: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace (Live)

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra.
    • Ralph Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 (Live).
    • SOMM Recordings.
    • 203.

  • Anton Webern

    Langsamer Satz

    Ensemble: The Heath Quartet.
    • Berg: String Quartet – Webern: Langsamer Satz – Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 2.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 3.

  • Carl Nielsen

    Violin Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61: Ib. Allegro cavalleresco

    Performer: Johan Dalene. Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Storgårds.
    • Nielsen & Sibelius: Violin Concertos.
    • BIS.
    • 102.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Madama Butterfly, SC 74 Act 1: Vogliatemi bene - Vieni, vieni!

    Lyricist: Giuseppe Giacosa. Lyricist: Luigi Illica. Singer: Natalya Romaniw. Singer: Freddie De Tommaso. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Paolo Arrivabeni.
    • Il Tenore.
    • Decca.
    • 9.

  • Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber

    Passacaglia for violin solo in G minor (from Mystery Sonatas)

    Performer: Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux.
    • Ostinata: Works For Solo Violin.
    • Champs Hill Records.
    • 1.

  • Olivier Messiaen

    Poèmes pour Mi, I 17b: VIII. Le collier - IX. Priere exaucee

    Lyricist: Olivier Messiaen. Singer: Sarah Leonard. Orchestra: Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Gielen.
    • Messiaen: Poèmes pour Mi, I/17b & Other Works.
    • Orfeo.
    • 8.

  • Franz Liszt

    Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major, S124

    Performer: Alexander Ullman. Conductor: Andrew Litton. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra.
    • Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Sonata.
    • Rubicon.
    • 1.

Record Review

The link below each recording takes you directly to the label’s website. Please be aware that non-UK labels may be cheaper via a record store or an online retailer.

9.00am

Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No 1 & Moments musicaux

Steven Osborne (piano)

Hyperion CDA68365

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68365

Messiaen: Oiseaux Exotiques, Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major, Schoenberg: Piano Concerto

Francesco Piemontesi (piano)

Orchestre de La Suisse Romande

Jonathan Nott

Pentatone PTC5186949 (Hybrid SACD)

https://www.pentatonemusic.com/product/schoenberg-messiaen-ravel/

Crepuscolo: Songs by Ottorino Respighi

Timothy Fallon (tenor)

Ammiel Bushakevitz (piano)

BIS BIS2632 (Hybrid SACD)

https://bis.se/performers/fallon-timothy/crepuscolo-songs-by-ottorino-respighi

Emilie Mayer: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 3

Philharmonisches Orchester Bremerhaven

Marc Niemann

Hänssler HC22016

https://haensslerprofil.de/shop/sinfon-musik/emilie-mayer-sinfonien-6-3/

9.30am – Proms Composer: Marina Frolova-Walker on Rachmaninov

Sergei Rachmaninov: Complete RCA Recordings – music by Rachmaninov, Mozart, trad., etc.

Sergei Rachmaninov (piano)

Philadelphia Orchestra and others

RCA 88843073922

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8046680--sergei-rachmaninov-complete-rca-recordings

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1

Sviatoslav Richter (piano)

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

Stanislaw Wislocki

DG 4474202

Rachmaninov - Music for Two Pianos

Peter Donohoe (piano)

Martin Roscoe (piano)

Naxos 8557062

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.557062

Rachmaninov: Vespers & Liturgy of St John of Chrysostom

Olga Borodina (mezzo)

Vladimir Mostovoy (tenor)

St.Petersburg Chamber Choir

Nikolai Korniev

Decca 4752272

https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/catalogue/products/rachmaninov-vespers-op-37-st-petersburg-chamber-choir-10695

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27 & The Rock, Op. 7

USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Evgeny Svetlanov

CDK Music CDK0059

https://cdkmusic.com/Rachmaninov%20Symphony%202.htm

10.15am – new releases

Handel: Caio Fabriccio, Hwv A9

Fleur Barron (Pirro: mezzo-soprano)

Morgan Pearse (Caio Fabbricio: bass)

Miriam Allan (Sestia: soprano)

Anna Gorbachyova-Ogilvie (Volusio: soprano)

Hannah Poulsom (Bircenna: mezzo-soprano)

Helen Charlston (Turio: alto)

Jess Dandy (Cinea: mezzo-soprano)

London Early Opera

Bridget Cunningham

Signum SIGCD713 (2 CDs)

https://signumrecords.com/product/gf-handel-caio-fabricio/SIGCD713/

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Live, Vol. 1

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Sir Malcolm Sargent

Somm ARIADNE5016

https://somm-recordings.com/recording/vaughan-williams-live-volume-1/

Berg: String Quartet – Webern: Langsamer Satz – Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 2

Heath Quartet

Carolyn Sampson (soprano)

Signum SIGCD712

https://signumrecords.com/product/berg-string-quartet-no-3-op-3-webern-langsamer-satz-schoenberg-string-quartet-no-2-op-10/SIGCD712/

Nielsen & Sibelius: Violin Concertos

Johan Dalene (violin)

Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

John Storgårds

BIS BIS2620 (Hybrid SACD)

https://bis.se/performers/dalene-johan/nielsen-sibelius-violin-concertos

Il Tenore – music by Puccini and Bizet

Freddie De Tommaso (tenor)

Lise Davidsen (soprano)

Natalya Romaniw (soprano)

Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo)

Philharmonia Orchestra

Paolo Arrivabeni

Decca 4852945

https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/catalogue/products/il-tenore-freddie-de-tommaso-12690

Ostinata: Works For Solo Violin – music by Biber, Prokofiev, Bacewicz, etc.

Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux (violin)

Champs Hill Records CHRCD158

https://www.champshillrecords.co.uk/723/Ostinata---works-for-solo-violin

Olivier Messiaen: Michael Gielen Conducts

Sarah Leonard (soprano)

ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

Michael Gielen

Orfeo C250131

https://www.orfeomusic.de/CatalogueDetail/?id=C250131

11.20am – Record of the Week

Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Sonata

Alexander Ullman (piano)

Susan Monks (cello)

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Andrew Litton

Rubicon RCD1057

https://rubiconclassics.com/release/liszt-piano-concertos-12-sonata/

Broadcast

  • Sat 23 Jul 202209:00
    BBC Radio 3

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