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Brahms Symphony No. 1 in Building a Library with Katy Hamilton & Andrew McGregor

Katy Hamilton selects her favourite recording of Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor and Jeremy Sams shares his choice of the latest classical releases.

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

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Jeremy Sams shares his choice of some of the most exciting new classical releases.

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Building a Library

Katy Hamilton selects her favourite version of Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68.

Like so many composers in the post-Beethovenian Austro-German world, Brahms struggled with what a symphony should be and it wasn't until he was 43, with two orchestral serenades and a symphony-turned-piano-concerto under his belt that he managed to complete his first. On the surface, the First Symphony's C minor-to-major, darkness-to-light journey (and a tune in the last movement which, as Brahms put it, 'any idiot could see' was a near quote of the Ode to Joy) might seem freighted with Beethoven's pervasive influence. But this compelling music is suffused with the spirit and sound-world of late 19th century Romanticism and marks the beginning of another exceptional symphonic cycle.

Katy's choice:
Johannes Brahms: The Symphonies
Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Yannick N茅zet-S茅guin
Deutsche Grammophon 4866000

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Record of the Week: Andrew鈥檚 top pick.

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1 hour, 59 minutes

Music Played

  • Miles Davis

    Milestones

    Music Arranger: Rapha毛l Merlin. Ensemble: Quatuor 脡b猫ne.
    • Erato.
  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Sonata in A major D.959 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Ronald Brautigam.
    • BIS.
  • Christoph Willibald Gluck

    Iphig茅nie en Aulide (Ouverture; Air. Diane impitoyable, en vain vous l'ordonnez)

    Singer: Tassis Christoyannis. Orchestra: Le Concert de la Loge. Conductor: Julien Chauvin.
    • Alpha.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Octet (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Royal Academy of Music. Ensemble: Julliard School Ensemble. Conductor: Barbara Hannigan.
    • Linn.
  • Alfred Schnittke

    Little Tragedies (selection)

    Performer: Vladimir Jurowski. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.
    • Capriccio.
  • Jacques Offenbach

    La vie parisienne (Jean le cocher?; Son habit a craqu茅 dans le dos)

    Singer: Elena Galitska茂a. Singer: Louise Pingeot. Singer: Anne-Catherine Gillet. Singer: Marie Gautrot. Singer: Caroline Meng. Singer: Marie Kalinine. Singer: J茅r么me Boutillier. Singer: Marc Mauillon. Orchestra: Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse. Conductor: Romain Dumas.
    • Bru Zane.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Piano Quartet no.3 in C minor Op.60 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Barbara Buntrock. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Performer: Lars Vogt.
    • Brahms: Piano Quartets Nos. 2 & 3.
    • Ondine.
    • 202.
  • Giacomo Puccini

    Donna non vidi mai (Manon Lescaut)

    Singer: Jonathan Tetelman. Orchestra: Prague Philharmonia. Conductor: Carlo Rizzi.
    • The Great Puccini.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 1.
  • Gerald Finzi

    5 Bagatelles Op.23 (Romance)

    Performer: Michael Collins. Performer: Michael McHale.
    • BIS.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Miserere mei (originally Kyrie) K.90

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.
    • Mozart: Requiem.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 103.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Requiem in D Minor K.626 (Requiem aeternam)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.
    • Mozart: Requiem.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 104.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Requiem in D Minor K.626 (Kyrie eleison)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.
    • Mozart: Requiem.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 105.

Broadcast

  • Sat 5 Oct 2024 14:00

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