Record Review

Andrew McGregor presents. 2.05 Allyson Devenish selects her pick of the best new releases. 3.00 Building a Library. Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite recording of Richard Strauss's Le bourgeois gentilhomme. Originally conceived as incidental music for an adaptation of Molière's play that was to be prefixed to a performance of his opera Ariadne auf Naxos, the trajectory of Strauss's music for Le bourgeois gentilhomme was somewhat convoluted before settling into a nine-movement concert suite. Recreating the mood of the 17th century, Strauss invokes the spirit of French composer Lully - who had written the original incidental music to Molière's play in 1670 - and draws rich instrumental colours from a chamber orchestra comprised just three dozen musicians, while deploying the musical language of the 20th century. 3.45 Record of the Week. Andrew's pick of the past seven days.