Each Saturday evening at 8:00 on WHRO-FM, “This Just In” brings you three hours of recently released classical recordings. An opportunity to discover new albums, rediscover historic performances, and perhaps find something to add to your own listening list.
This week, host Raymond Jones begins with a fascinating historical document: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. Recorded in April 1934, it represents an early experiment in stereo sound, decades before stereo became standard in commercial recordings. The performance appears in a comprehensive Warner Classics box set devoted to Beecham’s stereo legacy, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the technological and musical experimentation of the era.
British music also takes the spotlight with the ballet “Sweeney Todd” by Sir Malcolm Arnold, heard here in a recording by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates. The performance comes from a recent release by Dutton.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, the program also features the “Trio in D minor” by Ethel Smyth. The work is performed by the Neave Trio and included on the Chandos Records album “A Room of Her Own,” a recording that celebrates chamber music written by women composers.
Another contemporary voice is heard in Violin Concerto No. 2 by Alexandra Maslovaric, who also appears as the soloist with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. The piece is drawn from the Feminae Records release “Cherchez la Femme (Look for the Woman).”
For a change of mood, guitarist Alexandra Whittingham offers her interpretation of “La Vie en Rose,” the classic associated with Édith Piaf. The performance comes from her Decca Records album “Letters from Paris.”
From the British orchestral tradition, we’ll also hear “Metamorphic Variations for Orchestra” by Arthur Bliss, performed by the BBC Philharmonic under Michael Seal in a recent release from Chandos Records.
And to close the program, cellist Marcy Rosen and pianist Diane Walsh perform the “Fantasy Pieces” by Robert Schumann.
Discover these recent classical releases this Saturday evening at 8:00 on WHRO-FM 90.3 with “This Just In.” And remember, you can also listen online through our Media Player or your smart device.
