CD Review - Building a Library: Chopin: Sonata in G minor, Op 65

Andrew McGregor introduces CD Review, Radio 3's weekly programme devoted to what's new in the world of recorded music 09.05am HANDEL: Flavio Tim Mead (Flavio), Iestyn Davies (Guido), Rosemary Joshua (Emilia), Hilary Summers (Teodata), Renata Pokupic (Vitige), Thomas Walker (Ugone), Andrew Foster-Williams (Lotario) / Early Opera Company / Christian Curnyn (conductor) Chandos CHAN 0773(2) (2 CDs) HANDEL: Ombra Cara and other opera arias Bejun Mehta (countertenor) / Rosemary Joshua (soprano) / Freiburg Baroque Orchestra / Rene Jacobs (conductor) Harmonia Mundi HMC 902077 (CD) “CALDARA IN VIENNA – Forgotten castrato arias” Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) / Concerto Koln / Emmanuelle Haim (director) Virgin 6488102 (CD) 09.30am Building a Library Helen Wallace surveys the currently available recordings of Chopin’s Cello Sonata and makes a personal top recommendation. Top recommendation: Mstislav Rostropovich (cello) / Martha Argerich (piano) CHOPIN Complete Edition DG 477 8445 (17 CDs) or download 10.20am Reissues “The Art of Ivry Gitlis” Violin Concertos by Tchaikovsky, Bruch, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Bartok, Berg, Hindemith and Stravinsky Ivry Gitlis (violin) / Vienna S O / Westphalia S O / Concerts Colonne / Pro Musica Symphony / Harold Byrns, Jascha Horenstein, Hans Swarowsky et al. (conductor) Brilliant Classics 9145 (3 CDs) “Christophe Eschenbach – The Early Recordings” BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 5; “Hammerklavier” Sonata; CHOPIN: Preludes; SCHUMANN: Kinderszenen; SCHUBERT: Piano Sonatas D.960 & 959; HENZE: Piano Concerto No.2 Christophe Eschenbach (piano) / London S O / Boston S O / London Philharmonic / Hans Werner Henze, Seiji Ozawa (conductor) Brilliant Classics 9189 (6 CDs) “The Genius of Dino Ciani” DEBUSSY: Preludes; SCHUMANN: Novelettes Op.21; WEBER: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3; BARTOK: Out of Doors vol.2 Dino Ciani (piano) Brilliant Classics 94069 (3CDs) 10.40am New Opera Releases Geoffrey Smith joins Andrew to discuss new and recent releases of opera recordings, including extracts from the following: MOZART: Cosi fan Tutte Kiri Te Kanawa (Fiordiligi), Agnes Baltsa (Dorabella), Stuart Burrows (Ferrando), Thomas Allen (Guglielmo), Richard Van Allen (Don Alfonso), Daniela Mazzucato (Despina) / Royal Opera House Orchestra and Chorus / Colin Davis (conductor) Opus Arte OACD9005 D (3 CDs) GOUNOD: Faust Piotr Beczala (Faust), Kwangchul Youn (Mephistopheles), Soile Isokoski (Marguerite), Adrian Erod (Valentin) / Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus / Bertrand de Billy (conductor) Orfeo C805103D (3 CDs) VERDI: Otello Simon O’Neill (Otello), Gerald Finley (Iago), Anne Schwanewilms (Desdemona), Allan Clayton (Cassio), Ben Johnson (Roderigo) / London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus / Colin Davis (conductor) LSO Live LSO0700 (2 Hydrid SACDs) STRAUSS: Ariadne on Naxos Christine Brewer (The Prima Donna/Ariadne), Robert Dean Smith (The Tenor/Bacchus), Alice Coote (Composer), Alan Opie (Music Master), Stephen Fry (Major-Domo) / Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Richard Armstrong (conductor) Chandos CHAN 3168(2) (2 CDs) 11.45am Disc of the Week RACHMANINOV: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 Leif Ove Andsnes (piano) / London S O / Antonio Pappano (conductor) EMI 6405162 (CD)