The Full Works Concert - Monday 29 July 2013: New Releases

Join Jane Jones as she picks out another selection of some of the best new classical releases.

Tonight, Jane Jones highlights some of her favourite recent classical album releases, ranging from the Baroque to an accordion rendition of one of Lady Gaga's biggest hits.

The concert kicks off with Rimsky-Korsakov's vividly brilliant Capriccio Espagnol. Composed in 1887, it was given its premiere in St. Petersburg with the composer himself conducting. Tchaikovsky declared to Rimsky-Korsakov "your ‘Spanish Capriccio' is a colossal masterpiece of instrumentation, and you may regard yourself as the greatest master of the present day." It's performed with typical gusto tonight by the Israel Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta.
 
Scottish multi-instrumentalist Phamie Gow has gained international recognition for the quality of her compositions and performances over the years. Her newly-released piano album, Softly Spoken, brings together some of her most popular pieces such as Annandale, Rackwick Bay and War Song, already well known to Classic FM listeners, with a number of new compositions that demonstrate how her music has been evolving. 
 
Antonio Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in D major comes from a new album by the Baroque ensemble, La Serenissima. Titled 'A Tale of Two Seasons', the album focusses on two seasons 16 years apart when Vivaldi was working in Venice. The concerto known as the Grosso Mogul comes from the 1717 season and is played and directed brilliantly by Adrian Chandler.
 
The Fantasy in E major for String Orchestra by Harold Darke is included in a beautiful collection of English string music, Over Hill Over Dale, featuring some real discoveries. The Chamber Ensemble of London is developing quite a reputation for discovering and championing little-known or lost repertoire for string orchestras. This latest album ranges across the centuries - from Purcell to the present day - and Harold Darke's Fantasy in E major for String Orchestra gets a memorable world premiere recording.
 
Franz Schubert's Symphony No.6 in C major is a tribute to one of Schubert's heroes: Rossini. Both the style and spirit of the work call to mind Rossini's overtures. Proud of the work, Schubert called it his ‘Great Symphony in C major’, not knowing that the same designation would later be applied to his final symphony, Symphony No.9 in C major, D944.
  
The debut CD from the gifted young violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen explores the influence of black American music on composers including Ravel and Gershwin. Tonight we hear Jascha Heifetz's violin transcriptions of five songs from Gershwin's magnificent opera, Porgy and Bess.

We've been hearing a lot on Classic FM lately about the Lithuanian accordionist Martynas - pictured - whose debut CD entered the Classic FM Chart at number three the other week. It's an eclectic mix showing off his brilliant technique to the full. Jane tonight plays his version of Verdi's overture to La Forza del Destino as well as his unique take on Lady Gaga's hit, Telephone.
 
Tonight's concert ends with a piece by Edward Elgar, La Capricieuse, played by the superstar violinist David Garrett when he was just 14. It comes from a formerly 'lost' album he made aged 14 with Alexander Markovich on the piano. And very talented he was too.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol
Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

 
Phamie Gow: Rackwick Bay
Piano: Phamie Gow
 
Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in D major RV208
Adrian Chandler directs La Serenissima from the violin
 
Harold Darke: Fantasy in E major for String Orchestra
Peter Fisher conducts the Chamber Orchestra of London
 
Franz Schubert: Symphony No.6 in C major
Thomas Dausgaard conducts the Swedish Chamber Orchestra
  
George Gershwin: Five selections from Porgy and Bess
Violin: Tamsin Waley-Cohen
Piano: Huw Watkins
 
Giuseppe Verdi: La Forza del Destino – Overture
Accordion: Martynas Livickis

Lady Gaga: Telephone
Accordion: Martynas Livickis
 
Edward Elgar: La Capricieuse
Violin: David Garrett
Piano: Alexander Markovich