Nicolai
Otto Nicolai (1810-1849) was a German composer and conductor, remembered above all for one enduring comic opera. Born in Königsberg, he worked in Berlin, Vienna and Rome, and became an important figure in German musical life.
His best-known work is Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, based on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. He also wrote operas, sacred music, songs and orchestral pieces.
Nicolai’s music ...
NICOLAI The Merry Wives of Windsor: Overture
ELGAR Serenade for Strings
HANDEL-BEECHAM Love in Bath: The Great Elopement
DELIUS The Walk to the Paradise Garden
J. STRAUSS II Voices of Spring
WAGNER Götterdämmerung: Siegfried’s Funeral March
SIBELIUS Pelléas et Mélisande Suite: The Death of Mélisande
MOZART Divertimento, K 131: Adagio
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished.”
TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade in C: Elegie
BERLIOZ Les Troyens: Trojan March
MOZART Symphony No. 31
HANDEL-BEECHAM Piano Concerto
CHABRIER España
MOZART The Impresario - Overture
SAINT-SAENS Omphale’s Spinning Wheel
BERLIOZ The Trojans - Royal Hunt and Storm
BERLIOZ Hungarian March
Recorded in 1945
Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor
Blue Network Symphony Orchestra
NICOLAI The Merry Wives of Windsor: Overture
ELGAR Serenade for Strings
HANDEL-BEECHAM Love in Bath: The Great Elopement
DELIUS The Walk to the Paradise Garden
J. STRAUSS II Voices of Spring
Live broadcast on ABC/Blue Network, 4pm, 7 April 1945
Total duration: 54:43
Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor
Blue Network Symphony Orchestra
WEBER Der Freischütz, Euryanthe Overtures
MENDELSSOHN Hebrides, Ruy Blas Overtures
MENDELSSOHN Midsummer Night's Dream Nocturne
BERLIOZ Les francs juges, Le roi Lear, Roman Carnival Overtures
AUBER Masaniello Overture
NICOLAI Merry Wives of Windsor Overture
CHOPIN Funeral March (arr. Elgar)
MEYERBEER Coronation March
SCHUMANN Manfred Overture
SUPPÉ Light Cavalry Overture
Studio recordings, 1932-1937
Total duration: 1hr 58:06
BBC Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Sir Adrian Boult
RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 2 (world première recording)
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”
BORODIN Polovtsian Dances
and works by TCHAIKOVSKY, WAGNER, BRAHMS, J. STRAUSS, SIBELIUS and others
Studio recordings, 1924-28
Total duration: 3hr 0:20
The Cleveland Orchestra
conducted by Nikolai Sokoloff
