Building a library 12th February

[Seán]

I am particularly interested in Abbado & Janson's, therer's an interesting mix with no Markus Stenz unfortunately. Feckin' SSRattle again.

In this week’s programme (timings are approximate):


9.05am

PHILIPPE ROGIER: Missa Domine Dominus Noster; Missa Domine in Virtute Tue etc.
Magnificat / His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts / Philip Cave (director)
Linn CKD 348 (Hybrid SACD)

“Hail, Mother of the Redeemer”
VICTORIA: Salve Regina; Missa Alma Redemptoris Mater etc.
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers (conductor)
Coro COR16088 (CD)

“O Virgo Benedicta”: Music of Marian Devotion
The Marian Consort / Rory McCleery (conductor)
DCD34086 (CD)

“Hanacpachap”: Latin American music at the time of the Conquistadores
Ensemble Elyma / Gabriel Garrido (conductor)
Pan Classics PC 10230 (CD)



9.30am Building a Library

Richard Wigmore surveys the currently available recordings of Brahms’s 4 Serious
Songs, and makes a top recommendation.


10.20am

BRAHMS: Piano Quartets Nos. 1 & 3
Milander Quartet
Avie AV 2203 (CD)


10.25 New Releases: Mahler

Edward Seckerson joins Andrew to discuss new and recent releases of Mahler
recordings, including extracts from the following CDs:

MAHLER: Symphony No.8
Julia Varady, Jane Eaglen, Susan Bullock (soprano); Trudeliese Schmidt, Jadwiga
Rappe (alto); Kenneth Riegel (tenor), Eike Wilm Schulte (baritone); Hans Sotin
(bass) / Eton College Boys’ Choir / London Symphony Chorus / London Philharmonic
Orchestra and Choir / Klaus Tennstedt (conductor)
LPO LPO-0052 (2 CDs)

MAHLER: Symphony No.9
Tonhalle Orchestra / David Zinman
RCA 88697746722 (2 CDs)

MAHLER: Symphony No.2
Kate Royal (soprano), Magdalena Kozena (mezzo-soprano) / Berlin Radio Choir /
Berlin Philharmonic / Simon Rattle (conductor)
EMI 6473632 (2 CDs)

MAHLER: Symphony No.1
Royal Stockholm Orchestra / Sakari Oramo (conductor)
Exton EXCL 00034 (Hybrid SACD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.2
Ricarda Merbeth (soprano), Bernardo Fink (mezzo-soprano) / Netherlands Radio
Choir / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Mariss Jansons (conductor)
RCO Live RCO 10102 (2 Hybrid SACDs + bonus DVD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.9
WDR Symphony Orchestra / Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)
Profil PH10035 (CD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.4
Rosemary Joshua (soprano) / Orchestra de Champs-Elysees / Philippe Herreweghe
(conductor)
Out Here PH1 (CD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.9
Lucerne Festival Orchestra / Claudio Abbado (conductor)
Accentus Music ACC 20214 (DVD)


11.40am Disc of the Week

ROSSINI: Stabat Mater
Anna Netrebko (soprano), Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano), Lawrence Brownlee
(tenor), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (bass) / Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Antonio Pappano (conductor)
EMI 6405292 (CD)

[Ciaran]

Rats! I'm at work all day tomorrow! I'll be interested to see who they pick for the Four Serious Songs. I imagine Hans Hotter will at least be the historical choice.

[fergus]

I sincerely trust that you will be listening in from precisely 9:05am!!!

[Ciaran]

No hope of that: busy teaching hard sums!

[Ciaran]

Liistened to it last night on the BBC iPlayer, which I managed to stream to the Squeezebox so that I could listen on my hi-fi. Interesting! Quasthoff/Zeyen,



the top choice for the Brahms is still available at jpc, so my order is in!

[DaveF]

I still havent listened to it yet. Were there any essential new Mahler releases? I think I've finished now with the Mahler boxsets. Only a few worthy indivdual recordings from now on.

[Ciaran]

Rattle's new Mahler 2 sounded horrible, but

MAHLER: Symphony No.1
Royal Stockholm Orchestra / Sakari Oramo (conductor)
Exton EXCL 00034 (Hybrid SACD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.4
Rosemary Joshua (soprano) / Orchestra de Champs-Elysees / Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
Out Here PH1 (CD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.9
Lucerne Festival Orchestra / Claudio Abbado (conductor)
Accentus Music ACC 20214 (DVD)

and

MAHLER: Symphony No.8
Julia Varady, Jane Eaglen, Susan Bullock (soprano); Trudeliese Schmidt, Jadwiga Rappe (alto); Kenneth Riegel (tenor), Eike Wilm Schulte (baritone); Hans Sotin (bass) / Eton College Boys’ Choir / London Symphony Chorus / London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir / Klaus Tennstedt (conductor)
LPO LPO-0052 (2 CDs)

were all of some interest. I think all except Herreweghe are live (Tennstedt from 1991). I haven't really gone in for classical DVDs yet (I assume it's possible to get a hi-rez digital audio feed from them?), so I wouldn't be jumping at the Abbado, much as like him in Mahler. I was very taken with what I heard of Oramo in Stockholm, and the Herreweghe seems pretty necessary.

[Seán]

Rattle's new Mahler 2 sounded horrible, but

MAHLER: Symphony No.1
Royal Stockholm Orchestra / Sakari Oramo (conductor)
Exton EXCL 00034 (Hybrid SACD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.4
Rosemary Joshua (soprano) / Orchestra de Champs-Elysees / Philippe Herreweghe (conductor)
Out Here PH1 (CD)

MAHLER: Symphony No.9
Lucerne Festival Orchestra / Claudio Abbado (conductor)
Accentus Music ACC 20214 (DVD)

and

MAHLER: Symphony No.8
Julia Varady, Jane Eaglen, Susan Bullock (soprano); Trudeliese Schmidt, Jadwiga Rappe (alto); Kenneth Riegel (tenor), Eike Wilm Schulte (baritone); Hans Sotin (bass) / Eton College Boys’ Choir / London Symphony Chorus / London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir / Klaus Tennstedt (conductor)
LPO LPO-0052 (2 CDs)

were all of some interest. I think all except Herreweghe are live (Tennstedt from 1991). I haven't really gone in for classical DVDs yet (I assume it's possible to get a hi-rez digital audio feed from them?), so I wouldn't be jumping at the Abbado, much as like him in Mahler. I was very taken with what I heard of Oramo in Stockholm, and the Herreweghe seems pretty necessary.

I have to agree with you on the SSRattle recording, I was delighted that the performance was lambasted on Saturday morning by Seckerson. I was scratching my head getting splinters wondering why they even bothered to review it: he's a Sir and he directs the Berliners so I suppose that they have to.
The Janson's did nothing for me to be honest. I liked what I heard of the Oramo, but we didn't hear enough of it. The Saraste was forgetable. I was pleasantly surprised by the Herreweghe, I expected to hate it but I actually liked it. I'll pass on the Tennstedt and I will get the Abbado.

[DaveF]

The Herreweghe is the one that interests me. I have several choral works that he has recorded and they are are all exceptional. I'd be curious to see how he handles Mahler. A Mahler 2 and 8 would be interesting from him too if he ever would decide to do it.

[Ciaran]

Rattle's new Mahler 2 sounded horrible

I have to agree with you on the SSRattle recording, I was delighted that the performance was lambasted on Saturday morning by Seckerson. I was scratching my head getting splinters wondering why they even bothered to review it: he's a Sir and he directs the Berliners so I suppose that they have to.

Well, there is the whole British Mahler Conspiracy as well: remember BAL on Das Lied von der Erde! Last Saturday they played the beginning of Rattle's new M2 before they said anything about it. I remember enjoying his CBSO M2 (I have it on LP) so I was hoping for something good. But what I heard was so awful (the rhythm messed around with so it couldn't breathe, the fast bass figurations very unclear, all drama and life gone) that I felt that if they praised it they had lost all credibility. Fortunately they didn't! Actually Seckerson also reviews it in this month's Gramophone (most annoying finding the same reviewers everywhere!) and he's not as hard on it there, though he has reservations. The Editor is in with the British Mahler Conspiracy and makes it an Editor's Choice for this month. So much for him!