Four Centuries of Great Music April 13, 2025 More March New Releases

There were a large number of interesting new releases in the month of March so I thought  for this week’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music, I would do a second episode of new releases from the month of March.  This first hour features a recording of Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District op. 29.  This work was very controversial and landed Shostakovich in disfavor of Stalin.

Here is a performance of the ACT I of Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District op. 29 by Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus · conducted by Andris Nelsons and soloists


Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District op. 29.   Opera in four acts, nine scenes · Original version of 1932.   Libretto: Alexander Preis and Dmitri Shostakovich. after a novella of the same name by Nikolai Leskov

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus · conducted by Andris Nelsons and soloists

ACT I
Scene 1
“Akh, ne spítsya ból’še, popróbuyu” (Katerina)

“Gribkí segódnya búdut?” (Boris, Katerina)

“Govorí!” (Zinovi, Millhand, Boris, Laborers)
“Začém že tï uyezžáyes’, khozyáin” (Laborers)
“Vot, pápa, posmotrí” (Zinovi, Boris, Sergei, Coachman)
“Proščáy, Katerína” (Zinovi, Boris)
“Katerína, poklyanís’ na svyatóy ikóne” (Boris, Katerina, Zinovi)
“Čegó vstal?” (Aksinya, Boris)

Interlude

Scene 2
“Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay, besstïžiy, oy, ne ščípli”
(Aksinya, Shabby Peasant, Porter, Laborers, Steward, Sergei, Katerina)
“Otpustíte, bábu” (Katerina, Sergei, Aksinya)

 “Mnógo vï, mužikí, o sebé vozmečtáli” (Katerina, Sergei, Shabby Peasant) 6:33
“Čto ėto?” (Boris, Katerina, Shabby Peasant)

 Interlude

“Spat’ porá. Den’ prošól” (Katerina, Boris)
“Žerebyónok k kobïlke torópitsya” (Katerina)

“Kto ėto, kto, kto stučít?” (Katerina, Sergei)
“Proščáy” (Katerina, Sergei)
“Uydí tï, rádi bóga, ya múžnyaya žená” (Katerina, Sergei, Boris)


Boris Timofeyevich Izmailov, a merchant & Ghost of Boris - Günther Groissböck
Zinovi Borisovich Izmailov, his son, a merchant - Peter Hoare
Katerina Lvovna Izmailova, wife of Zinovi  - Kristīne Opolais
Sergei, laborer at the Izmailovs’ - Brenden Gunnell
Aksinya, Izmailovs’ cook - Michelle Trainor
Shabby Peasant - Alexander Kravets
Steward - Joo Won Kang
Porter & Policeman - Brandon Cedel
1st Foreman - Neal Ferreira
2nd Foreman & Drunken Guest - Charles Blandy
3rd Foreman & Coachman - Yeghishe Manucharyan
Millhand - David Kravitz
Priest - Goran Jurić
Police Sergeant - Anatoli Sivko
Teacher - Matthew DiBattista
Officer & Sentry - Patrick Guetti
Sonyetka, a convict - Maria Barakova
Old Convict - Dmitri Belosselskiy
Woman Convict - Alexandra LoBianco


You have been listening to a performance of the ACT I of Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District op. 29 by Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus · conducted by Andris Nelsons and soloists

We open this second hour of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music with a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto

Mendelssohn：Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64: I. Allegro molto appassionato
Mendelssohn:  Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64:  II. Andante
Mendelssohn:  Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64:  III. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace

Mariko Senju, violin and  Chikara Iwamura conducting the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Mendelssohn & Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos
Universal Music Group



And we will close this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music with a performance of Florence Price’s Price Piano Quintet in A minor

Price Piano Quintet in A minor - I.  Allegro non troppo
Price Piano Quintet in A minor - II.  Andante con moto
Price Piano Quintet in A minor - III.  Juba Allegro
Price Piano Quintet in A minor - IV.  Scherzo Allegro – Coda

Takacs Quartet and Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Dvořák & Price Piano Quintets
Hyperion Records