Hear what’s new in recorded classical music each Saturday evening at 8:00 on WHRO-FM. This week on “This Just In,” Raymond Jones showcases a captivating lineup of recent releases that blend timeless masterpieces with fresh interpretations and lesser-known gems.
We begin with a vibrant new recording of Maurice Ravel’s “Rapsodie Espagnole,” performed by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Known for their nuanced approach to French repertoire, the orchestra brings vivid color and rhythmic elegance to this impressionist showpiece, a reflection of the strong Spanish influence on early 20th-century French composers. The full album will be released by Naxos on September 12, but you can get a preview this Saturday night.
The program continues with Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments” by Carl Nielsen, featuring the Janáček Philharmonic under the baton of Theodore Kuchar.
Also featured is a hidden treasure: the String Quartet in E-flat by German composer Frederick Klose, performed by the renowned Quatuor Diotima. This recording appears on last year’s Pentatone release “Bruckner & Klose: String Quartets.”
From the French label Le Palais des Dégustateurs comes a dramatic interpretation of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, conducted by Carlos Paita and performed by the Philharmonic Symphony of London. Expect all the thunder and triumph of this cornerstone work in a performance of great conviction.
The evening concludes with Richard Strauss’s transcendent tone poem “Death and Transfiguration,” performed by Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra under Alexander Shelley. The recording is part of “Poema 1. Ad Astra,” the first in a visionary series pairing Strauss’s iconic works with responses by contemporary Canadian composers.
Don’t miss three full hours of new classical releases, curated and introduced by Raymond Jones. Tune in this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, or listen online via our Media Player or your favorite smart device.
