Strauss's Symphonic Interludes from 'Intermezzo'

Elizabeth Alker showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.

This week, Classical Live explores opera without words, today featuring the Symphonic Interludes from Richard Strauss's comic opera 'Intermezzo', recorded in Germany. We also have concert recordings from the Portico of Ards festival in County Down, and following his sad death in February, throughout the week we’ll hear exclusive performances from a recital given by the Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry.

But we begin with former Radio 3 New Generation Artist, the pianist Giorgi Gigashvili, performing Beethoven with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.2 in Bb Major, Op. 19
Giorgi Gigashvili, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor

From Portico of Ards:
Thomas Tallis
Lamentations of Jeremiah: Part 1
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director

Judith Bingham
Watch with me
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director

Gabriel Faure
Une Chatelaine en sa Tour
Catrin Finch, harp

Paul Hindemith
Sonata for harp (1st mvt.)
Catrin Finch, harp

Richard Strauss
Four symphonic interludes, from Intermezzo, Op. 72
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
Marcus Bosch, conductor

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Sonata in C minor, K. 457
Tamás Vásáry, piano

Bohuslav Martinů
Sinfonietta in A, H. 328 ('La Jolla')
Gstaad Festival Orchestra
Alexander Kagan, conductor