Beethoven’s 2nd ‘Razumovsky’ String Quartet

All week, Elizabeth Alker celebrates the vivid storytelling and sweeping orchestral melodies of the symphonic tone poem. Today, we hear two Swedish tone poems – Pohjola’s Daughter by Jean Sibelius and Kalevala Suite by Uuno Klami, as well as Wagner's intimate Siegfried Idyll based on themes from his opera of that name.

Our featured artist this week is the Modigliani Quartet, and they play Beethoven’s ‘Razumovsky’ String Quartet, recorded in Paris.

Also, we’ll hear exclusive recordings from the world’s largest festival of classical song, the Oxford International Song Festival, with music sung by BBC New Generation Artists Andrew Hamilton, Erika Baikoff and Konstantin Krimmel.

Jean Sibelius
Pohjola's Daughter
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra – Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

Oxford International Song Festival:
Maurice Ravel
Shéhérazade
Andrew Hamilton (baritone)
Michael Pandya (piano)

Richard Wagner
Siegfried Idyll
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne
Cristian Măcelaru (conductor)

Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet in E minor, Op 59 No 2 ('Razumovsky')
Modigliani Quartet

Oxford International Song Festival:
Richard Strauss
Nichts, Op 10 No 2
Die Nacht, Op 10 No 3
Das Rosenband, Op 36 No 1
Ständchen Op 17 No 2
Erika Baikoff (soprano)
Sholto Kynoch (piano)

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis
In the Forest
Swiss National Youth Orchestra
Modestas Pitrėnas (conductor)

Oxford International Song Festival:
Johannes Brahms
Auf dem Kirchhofe, Op 105 No 4
Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht, Op 96 No 1
Feldeinsamkeit, Op 86 No 2
Wie bist du, meine Königin, Op 32 No 9
Die Mainacht, Op 43 No 2
Konstantin Krimmel (baritone)
Ammiel Bushakevitz (piano)

Uuno Klami
Kalevala Suite
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Collon (conductor)

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".