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Liszt's Totentanz in Building a Library with Iain Burnside and Andrew McGregor

Iain Burnside chooses his favourite recording of Liszt'z Totentanz (Dance of Death) and Marina Frolova-Walker makes her pick of the best new releases.

Andrew McGregor with the best new recordings of classical music.

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Marina Frolova-Walker makes her pick of the best new releases.

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Building a Library
Pianist Iain Burnside choses his favourite recording of Liszt's Totentanz.

Composed in the 1830s and revised in the 1850s, Liszt's Totentanz (Dance of Death) was possibly inspired by a fresco Liszt saw in the Campo Santo during a visit to Pisa, The Triumph of Death. It is a fiendishly exhilarating piece for piano and orchestra based on the Dies irae plainchant from the medieval Mass for the Dead, exuding an aura of supernatural fear and terror with piano writing that challenges even the most virtuosic soloists.

First choice:
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Decca 4330752

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Record of the Week: Andrew鈥檚 top pick.

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1 hour, 59 minutes

Last on

Sat 1 Mar 2025 14:00
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suites in Building a Library with Jeremy Sams and Andrew McGregor

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Music Played

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Hexenlied (12 Songs Op.8)

    Singer: Fatma Said. Performer: Joseph Middleton.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Marin Marais

    La Gamme en forme de petit Op茅ra (opening)

    Ensemble: The Scale Knitters.
    • Ricercar.

  • Aram Khachaturian

    Piano Concerto in D flat major (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Jean鈥怸ves Thibaudet. Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • DECCA.
    • 7.

  • Viktor Ullmann

    Die Schweizer (Drei Lieder Op.37)

    Singer: Ian Koziara. Performer: Bradley Moore.
    • Cedille.

  • V铆t臎zslava Kapr谩lov谩

    Nav啪dy [Forever] (4 Songs Op.12)

    Singer: Ian Koziara. Performer: Bradley Moore.
    • Cedille.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Symphony no.2 in E minor Op.27 (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. Conductor: Cristian M膬celaru.
    • Linn.

  • William Walton

    Violin Concerto in B minor (1st mvt)

    Performer: Charlie Lovell-Jones. Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 5.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    String Quartet no.3 in E flat minor Op.30 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Dudok Quartet Amsterdam.
    • Rubicon.

  • Michael Garrepy

    Te Lucis Ante Terminum

    Singer: Christopher Lowrey. Ensemble: Ensemble Altera.
    • Alpha.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony no.6 in D minor Op.104 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Santtu鈥怣atias Rouvali.
    • Alpha.

  • Giuseppe Carcani

    Segui ad amar costante (Ambleto, Act I Scene 12)

    Singer: Roberta Mameli. Orchestra: Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu. Conductor: Franck-Emmanuel Comte.
    • Arcana.

  • Robert Schumann

    Violin Sonata no.2 in D Minor Op.121 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Performer: C茅dric Tiberghien.
    • Schumann: Violin Sonatas.
    • Hyperion.
    • 7.

Broadcast

  • Sat 1 Mar 2025 14:00
    麻豆社 Radio 3

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