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Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals in Building a Library with Sarah Devonald and Andrew McGregor

Sarah Devonald joins Andrew McGregor to compare recordings of Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals.

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music

9.30 am
Composer William Mival joins Andrew with the new releases which have grabbed his attention this week, and shares the track that is especially dear to him, that which he has "On Repeat". Send us your "On Repeat" recommendations at [email protected] or tweet us @BBCRadio3

10.30 am
Sarah Devonald compares recordings of Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals and picks her favourite (rpt)

11.20 am
Record of the Week
Andrew's pick of the best of the best this week

2 hours, 47 minutes

Last on

Sat 11 Mar 202309:00
BBC Radio 3

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Previous

Walton's Viola Concerto in Building a Library with David Owen Norris and Andrew McGregor

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Chopin's Piano Concerto No 2 in Building a Library with Kenneth Hamilton and Andrew McGregor

See all episodes from Record Review

Music Played

  • Théodore Dubois

    Xaviere, Act II: Air. "Au clair matin" (Landry)

    Singer: Cyrille Dubois. Orchestra: Orchestre national de Lille. Conductor: Pierre Dumoussaud.
    • So Romantique!.
    • Alpha.
    • 11.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Symphony No 1 in D major, Op 25 'Classical': IV. Finale. Molto vivace

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda.
    • Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1.
    • LSO Live.
    • 4.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet No 13 in B-Flat major, Op 130: V. Cavatina (Adagio molto espressivo)

    Ensemble: Calidore Quartet.
    • Beethoven Quartets, Vol. 1: Late String Quartets.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 305.

  • Richard Strauss

    Vier letzte Lieder: 2. September

    Singer: Rachel Willis-Sorensen. Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Andris Nelsons.
    • Strauss: Four Last Songs.
    • Sony.
    • 2.

  • Camille Saint‐Saëns

    Violin Sonata No 1 in D Minor, Op 75, R 123: IIb. Allegro molto

    Performer: Cecilia Zilliacus. Performer: Christian Ihle Hadland.
    • Saint-Saëns: Violin Works.
    • BIS.
    • 104.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony 5: 1st Movement

    Music Arranger: Johann Nepomuk Hummel. Ensemble: Ensemble1800Berlin.
    • MDG.

  • Frederic Rzewski

    Dreams: Part 2 no. 8 'Wake up'

    Performer: Bobby Mitchell.
    • Naxos.

  • Erich Wolfgang Korngold

    String Quartet no.3: Scherzo

    Ensemble: Tippett Quartet.
    • Naxos.

  • György Ligeti

    Drei Phantasien nach Holderlin: "Wenn aus der Ferne "

    Choir: SWR Vocal Ensemble, Stuttgart. Conductor: Yuval Weinberg.
    • Hanssler.

  • Matthew Locke

    Suite V In G Minor - Fantazie

    Ensemble: Le Concert des Nations. Conductor: Jordi Savall.
    • Matthew Locke: The Consort Of Fower Parts (Suites I To Vi).
    • Alia Vox.
    • 17.

  • Steve Reich

    Vermont Counterpoint

    Performer: Ransom Wilson.
    • 100 Best American Classics.
    • EMI.
    • 4.

  • Ede Remenyi

    Friss

    Performer: Ferenc Szecsődi.
    • Brahms: Hungarian Dances & the Hungarian Tradition.
    • Naxos.
    • 123.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Hungarian Dance No 7 in A major

    Performer: István Kassai. Performer: Szilvia Elek.
    • Brahms: Hungarian Dances & the Hungarian Tradition.
    • Naxos.
    • 2401.

  • Ignác Frank

    Lujza csárdás (Louise Csárdás)

    Performer: István Kassai.
    • Brahms: Hungarian Dances & the Hungarian Tradition.
    • Naxos.
    • 125.

  • Carlo Gesualdo

    Madrigali libro sesto, 1611: Se la mia morte brami - Quando ridente, e bella

    Ensemble: Les Arts Florissants. Conductor: Paul Agnew.
    • Gesualdo: Madrigali, Libri Quinto & Sesto.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 1.

  • Joseph Marchand

    Premiere Suite in A Major: VIII. Air gay

    Ensemble: {oh!} trio.
    • Joseph Marchand: Suites.
    • Aparte.
    • 8.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin Concerto in D major, Op 61: III. Rondo. Allegro (cadenza by Jörg Widmann)

    Performer: Veronika Eberle. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Beethoven: Violin Concerto.
    • LSO Live.
    • 3.

  • Cécile Chaminade

    Six Pieces romantiques:

    Ensemble: Roberto Prosseda. Ensemble: Alessandra Ammara.
    • Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 1.

  • Rita Strohl

    Grande Fantaisie-Quintette: II. Scherzo. Allegro moderato

    Performer: Ismaël Margain. Ensemble: Quatuor Hanson.
    • Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 8.

  • Charlotte Sohy

    Symphony in C sharp minor 'Grand Guerre' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Debora Waldman.
    • Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 11.

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

So Romantique! – music by Gounod, Bizet, Dubois, etc.

Cyrille Dubois (tenor)

Orchestre National de Lille

Pierre Dumoussaud

Alpha ALPHA924

https://outhere-music.com/en/albums/so-romantique

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1

London Symphony Orchestra

Gianandrea Noseda

LSO Live LSO0363D (download only)

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/new-releases/products/prokofiev-symphony-no-1-download

Beethoven: The Late Quartets

Calidore String Quartet

Signum SIGCD733 (3 CDs)

https://signumrecords.com/product/beethoven-quartets-vol-1-late-string-quartets/SIGCD733/

Strauss: Four Last Songs

Rachel Willis-Sørensen (soprano)

Sebastian Pilgrim (baritone)

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Andris Nelsons

Sony G0100046038977

https://rachelwillissorensen.com/recordings/strauss-four-last-songs/

Saint-Saëns: Violin Works

Cecilia Zilliacus (violin)

Christian Ihle Hadland (piano)

Stephen Fitzpatrick (harp)

BIS BIS2489 (Hybrid SACD)

https://bis.se/performers/zilliacus-cecilia/saint-saens-sonatas-for-violin-and-piano

09.30am – William Mival: New Releases

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 5

Ensemble1800berlin

MDG MDG9272276 (Hybrid SACD)

Frederic Rzewski: Dreams; War Songs; Winter Nights; Saints and Sinners

Bobby Mitchell (piano)

Naxos 8.559928

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.559928

Korngold: String Quartets Nos. 1-3

Tippett Quartet

Naxos 8.574428

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574428

György Ligeti: Complete Works For A Cappella Choir

SWR Vokalensemble

Tomoko Hemmi

Yuval Weinberg

SWR Music SWR19128CD (2 CDs)

William Mival: On Repeat

Locke: Consort of Fower Parts

Jordi Savall

Alia Vox ADE011

Listener On Repeat

Adams: Grand Pianola Music & Reich: Vermont Counterpoint & Eight Lines

Ransom Wilson (flute)

EMI 3315345 (download only)

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8630865--adams-grand-pianola-music-reich-vermont-counterpoint-eight-lines

Also available on:

100 Best American Classics – music by Sousa, Gershwin, Reich, etc.

Ransom Wilson (flute / piccolo)

and others

Warner Classics 9728002 (6 CDs)

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/100-best-american-classics

10.10am – New Releases

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dances and the Hungarian Tradition

Adrienn Miksch

János Bándi

Ferenc Szecsődi

Szilvia Elek

István Kassai

Naxos 8.574424-25 (2 CDs)

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574424-25

Gesualdo: Madrigali, Libri Quinto & Sesto

Les Arts Florissants

Paul Agnew

Harmonia Mundi HAF890531112 (2 CDs)

https://store.harmoniamundi.com/format/1223397-gesualdo-madrigali-libri-quinto-sesto

10.30am – Building a Library: Sarah Devonald on Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals (repeated from 25th September 2021)

Recommended recording:

Renaud Capuçon (violin)

Gautier Capuçon (cello)

Frank Braley & Michel Dalberto (piano)

Emmanuel Pahud (flute)

Paul Meyer (clarinet)

David Guerrier (trumpet)

Marie-Pierre Langlamet (harp)

Béatrice Muthelet (viola)

Esther Hoppe (violin)

Janne Saksala (double bass)

Florent Jodelet (percussion)

Erato 5456032

https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/le-carnaval-des-animaux

Other recommendations:

Bela Siki & Géza Anda (piano)

Philharmonia Orchestra

Igor Markevitch

Diapason 43636 (download only)

Henri Demarquette (cello)

Boris Berezovsky & Brigitte Engerer (pianos)

Ensemble Orchestral de Paris

Joseph Swensen

Mirare MIR108

https://www.mirare.fr/en/albums/camille-saint-saens/

11:15 am

Joseph Marchand: Suites

{oh!} Trio

Aparté AP301

Beethoven: Violin Concerto

Veronika Eberle (violin)

London Symphony Orchestra

Sir Simon Rattle

LSO LSO5094 (Hybrid SACD)

https://lsolive.lso.co.uk/collections/new-releases/products/beethoven-violin-concerto

11.25am – Record of the Week

Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers – music by Chaminade, Strohl, Sohy, etc.

Roberto Prosseda and Alessandra Ammara (piano, four hands)

Ismaël Margain (piano)

Quatuor Hanson

Orchestre National de France

Débora Waldman

and others

Bru Zane BZ2006 (8 CDs)

https://bru-zane.com/en/pubblicazione/compositrices/

Broadcast

  • Sat 11 Mar 202309:00
    BBC Radio 3

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