This live recording of the celebrated American string quartet comes from the library of the monastery at Polling, near Munich, which boasts an exquisite baroque interior. They play Ravel’s String Quartet in F.
Kreutzer Sonata – String Quartet No. 1
In the last ten years of his life, Leoš Janácek enjoyed a glorious burst of creativity. His inspiration was partly derived from his unconsummated love for a young married woman – Kamill Stoesslova – whom he met in 1917 and to whom he wrote over six hundred letters. The title of Intimate Pages that was given to String Quartet No. 2 refers to these love letters. This recording, featuring the international-acclaimed Czech Panocha Quartet, was made at the University in Prague.
Romeo and Juliet Suite
Sir Georg Solti conducts the Bayerischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra in a performance of extracts from Prokofiev’s music for the ballet Romeo and Juliet, recorded live from the Herkulessaal, Munich.
Ma Vlást (My Homeland)
Towards the end of his life, the composer Bedrich Smetana (1824-84) wrote a cycle of symphonic poems, Má Vlast (My Country), a vivid, patriotic musical portait of his homeland, Bohemia. This superb recording features the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the Czech conductor Rafael Kubelik.
Zuzana Ruzickova: English Harpsichord Music
In this recording, the virtuoso harpsichordist Zuzana Ruzickova plays a selection of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century music, including works by William Byrd, John Bull, William Croft, Richard Farnaby, Thomas Morley and John Mundy.
Song Recital: Liebeslieder Walzer
The Romantic Brahms is well observed in his many lieder, with their typically fluent melodies and rippling accompaniments. The pieces performed in these three programmes bear witness to the tremendous care Brahms took over the composition of these charming and simple settings. Liebeslieder Walzer (R0047.1) Volkslieder (R0047.2) Volkskinderlieder (R0047.3)
The Pleasure Gardens
In the late eighteenth century, the gardens at Vauxhall on London’s River Thames were transformed into a place of lavish and exotic entertainment. Windgassen’s innovative film uses Chromakey techniques to recreate the ‘goings on’ in the gardens and includes performances of popular songs of the day by Donald Grobe and Reri Grist. This witty evocation makes full use of the music of the classical composers of the age, such as Arne, Bach, Handel, Hook and Giordani.