Schubert's Unfinished Business

Monday, October 30, 2006

Franz Schubert left a wealth of unpublished music lying around when he died at the early age of 31. People were still discovering his masterpieces some thirty years afterwards. Tonight we'll hear one such brilliant work, the famous "Unfinished" Symphony No. 8; Nikolaus Harnencourt leads the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Leonard Bernstein conducts the New York Phil in his friend Aaron Copland's ballet for Martha Graham, "Appalachian Spring"; we'll also hear one of Haydn's piano sonatas much as he would have heard it himself (on the fortepiano, that is). Later on, it's two different version of the "Bourgeous Gentilhomme" Suit: one from Jean-Baptiste Lully and a more recent version by Richard Strauss.

Beethoven's Footsteps

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Brahms was intimidated by "Beethoven's giant footsteps," as he put it, and waited until he was in his mid-forties to write his First Violin Sonata in G major. The delay paid off; the piece is a masterwork of lyricism as well as a flawless example of sonata form. We'll hear a masterful interpretation by violinist Gidon Kremer, accompanied by pianist Valery Afanassiev. Kremer plays a recital of Brahms sonatas at Carnegie Hall this Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 8:00pm.

Much of the rest of the evening explores jewels of the Renaissance period. We'll hear choral and instrumental works by Orlando di Lasso, Guillame Dufay, Estienne Dutertre, and Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber. Also tonight is Debussy's "Petite Suite" for two pianos (an early work inspired by Javanese gamelan music), as well as J.S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor.

» Gidon Kremer plays Brahms at Carnegie this Wednesday

Mr. Cello

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Tonight, cellist extraordinaire Steven Isserlis joins us to talk about his upcoming children's concerts at the 92nd Street Y. Isserlis explores music through the eyes of young people with entertaining and informative programs like "Mr. Cello Takes a Bow" and "Why Handel Waggled His Wig."

Later on, it's a salute to the season with Lou Harrison's suite from his ballet "Solstice" and Gabriel Fauré's beautiful "Song of Autumn" (sung by the elegant Gerard Souzay with pianist Dalton Baldwin). Music by Tchaikovsky and William Lawes is also featured; we'll end the evening with everyone's favorite 12th-century mystic abbess, Hildegaard of Bingen, in her "Canticles of Ecstacy."

» More about Steven Isserlis at the 92nd Street Y

Ravel's Goose

Friday, October 27, 2006

Maurice Ravel's beloved "Mother Goose Suite" ("Ma Mere l'Oye") is featured tonight in a unique arrangement for two harps, performed by Julia Shaw and Nora Bumanis. Inspired by the Mother Goose stories, this piece is one of Ravel's many charming pieces written for children.

Also tonight, we'll hear an eclectic mix of old and new music. Lustrous chamber works by English Renaissance composer John Jenkins segue into an excerpt from Steve Reich's "The Cave," a multimedia opera written in the early 1990s. In addition, tonight's music includes Richard Strauss' epic orchestral piece "Also Sprach Zarathustra," and concerti by Vivaldi and Mozart. Rounding out the evening, we'll hear some less familiar works by composers Vaino Raitio, Anouar Brahem and Charles Koechlin.

Mozart's Peace Offering

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his Great Mass in C Minor in 1783 as an attempt to heal the ongoing rift between himself and his father, and as a reaffirmation of love for his wife Constanze (who sang in the premiere). Taking the tradition of Bach and Handel as cue, it's one of the greatest choral works ever conceived. We'll hear it tonight from Leonard Bernstein and the Bavarian Radio Symphony; the luminous Arleen Auger performs as well.

Earlier in the evening, however, we'll enjoy Haydn's rustic "Evening" Symphony from the chamber ensemble Cantilena, complimented by excerpts from Henry Purcell's rousing "King Arthur." Our second hour is dominated by Johannes Brahms's Horn Trio in E-flat (featuring pianist Richard Goode and horn player William Purvis); music by Holst, Monteverdi and Beethoven follows.

Schubert and the Trout

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Franz Schubert quoted some of his popular songs in his chamber music; none more famously than in the "Trout" Piano Quintet — which invokes (and plays around with) his song of the same name. We'll hear this delightfully sunny work in our second hour tonight from pianist Emil Gilels and members of the Amadeus Quartet.

Our evening starts, however, with music by the prolific American composer Alan Hovhaness: Kerry Stratton leads the Slovak Radio Orchestra in the "Alleluia and Fugue for String Orchestra." Later on, we'll feature two prominent pianist who are appearing live at the Met Museum this week. Ivo Pogorelich is heard in Brahms's Intermezzi, while Andras Schiff previews his all-Mozart program at the Met with the Concerto No. 27 in B-flat.

» Upcoming Concerts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

American Classic

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Howard Hanson's opera "Merry Mount" is remembered as the first truly American opera — drawn from an American story with an American librettist, cast and venue (the Metropolitan Opera), it received a record fifty curtain calls at its premiere. Tonight we'll hear Hanson's orchestral suite created from this classic work; Gerard Schwarz leads the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

Other operatic selections tonight include the Intermezzo from Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and a soulfully sung "Una furtiva lagrima" from tenor Juan Diego Florez (The New York City Opera offers up Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" this Saturday). We'll also enjoy one of Donizetti's forays into the world of chamber music with his String Quartet No. 11, featuring The Revolutionary Drawing Room.

Blackberry Winter

Monday, October 23, 2006

When you have a late Spring frost in the South, you know the blackberry crop is going to be spectacular. They call it a "Blackberry Winter" — we'll hear a charming musical version of this colloqiualism tonight by Conni Ellisor; Paul Gambill leads the Nashville Symphony, joined by Stephan Seifert on the Dulcimer and Tennessee Music Box.

We'll hear another nature-oriented work in Morton Gould's "Fall River Legend" from the New Zealand Symphony, and "A Little Night Music" also comes our way with Mozart's famous serenade. The Kirov Orchestra under Valery Gergiev explores Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony later in the evening; you can hear them live tomorrow night at Avery Fisher Hall as they complete their cycle of all the Shostakovich symphonies.

» Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall

Nikolai and the Princess

Sunday, October 22, 2006

In French medieval legend, the "Princesse lointaine" (Distant Princess) was the sort of perfectly unattainable woman that hapless, love-sick Knights were always devoting themselves to. It's a subject that's been explored in music several times; tonight we'll hear a suitably colorful orchestral version from Russian composer Nikolai Tcherepnin.

Chamber music by Mozart and Debussy brightens our first hour; we'll follow that up with American composer/writer/critic Virgil Thomson's Second String Quartet. Later on, the Beau Hunks take on the inventor of Symphonic Jazz, Ferde Grofe, in "Broadway at Night." We'll also hear a serious work from a composer known mostly for his film music: JoAnn Falletta conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in Jerome Moross's Symphony No. 1.

Spotlight on: American Composers Orchestra

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Composers Derek Bermel and Steven Mackey both have premieres coming up with the American Composers Orchestra. Tonight they'll join David in the studio to talk about their music and this groundbreaking ensemble, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary season.

Also tonight, a tribute to the colorful English composer Sir Malcom Arnold, who passed away last month (and would have been 85 today). Bryden Thomson leads the Philharmonia Orchestra in the first set of Arnold's "English Dances." Later on, we'll spend some time with the eclectic music of John Zorn, who is featured in the Miller Theatre's "Composer Portraits" series next Thursday night.

» Visit the American Composers Orchestra website

» John Zorn at the Miller Theatre, Thursday, October 26

Scriabin's Ecstasy

Friday, October 20, 2006

Russian composer Alexander Scriabin fancied himself a musical messiah of sorts — he actually planned to bring on the apocalypse with a grand multi-media performance of all his works in the Himalayan mountains. Luckily for us, he didn't get that far; we will, however, enjoy another wild mystic piece of his, the symphonic "Poem of Ecstasy."

Musica Antiqua Köln comes to Zankel Hall in a couple of weeks; we'll preview their Baroque offerings with music by Johann Valentin Meder. If your tastes run to the contemporary instead, you can still catch some more Steve Reich at Carnegie this Sunday (we'll hear his "Nagoya Marimbas" tonight). Also on the plate: Tchaikovsky's Third String Quartet, and a birthday tribute to the great Charles Ives, born on this date in 1874.

» Making Music with Steve Reich at Carnegie Hall

» Musica Antiqua Köln at Zankel Hall

The Introspective Composer

Thursday, October 19, 2006

British composer Gerald Finzi struggled with adversity all his life. He lost his Teacher, his Father, and three Brothers during his formative years — the effects of which he poured into his highly introspective (and often haunting) music. Tonight we'll hear an early work, the Interlude for Oboe and Strings; Vernon Handley leads the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Rachel Masters leads us through Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera's adventurous Harp Concerto in our second hour; we'll also hear the wonderful soprano Benita Valenti in Schubert's "Shepherd on the Rock" in honor of her 72nd birthday. A related work towards the end of our evening can be found in Alexander Glazunov's "Pastorale" Symphony (No. 7); Jose Serebrier conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Supernatural Symphony

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

French composer César Franck is best known for his mastery of the organ, but he also wrote some wild orchestral music. The story behind his supernatural symphonic poem "Le Chasseur maudit" (The Accursed Huntsman) reads like a combination of the Flying Dutchman, the Headless Horseman and Don Giovanni — and that's not including the music. We'll hear it tonight from Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Pianist Andras Schiff comes to Alice Tully Hall this month; if you can't make tonight's concert, you can hear him and Miklos Perenyi on our program in Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 4. We'll also offer up a little choral music from Randall Thompson, including his ever-popular "Alleluia"; Thompson's music is featured at St. Ignatius Loyola a week from tonight. Later in the evening, it's a guitar version of Grieg's "Holberg" Suite, and we'll mark the anniversary of the premiere of Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto with a performance from Nathan Milstein and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

» Andras Schiff at Alice Tully Hall this month

» St. Ignatius Loyola Choir and Orchestra next Wednesday

Milhaud's Ox

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Darius Milhaud originally envisioned his "Le Boeuf sur le toit" (The Ox on the Roof) as a score to one of Charlie Chaplin's films. Instead, Milhaud's friend Jean Cocteau turned it into a surrealist ballet (while retaining the zanyness of Chaplin). It also provided the perfect name for a bar where Cocteau and his cronies could hang out in Paris. We'll hear it tonight from the London Symphony Orchestra under conductor Antal Dorati.

We'll also explore the sonorities of strings in Ralph Vaughan Williams's first big hit, the "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis." Williams was studying with Ravel at the time, and recast Tallis's motet for various choirs of string instruments, to beautiful effect. Some real impressionism comes our way with Debussy's "Dances Sacred and Profane" from harpist Yolanda Kondonassis; also, Mendelssohn's First Piano Concerto (Lang Lang soloing) and Haydn's String Quartet in F, Op. 77 with the Franz Schubert Quartet.

All Roads Lead To...

Monday, October 16, 2006

Ottorino Respighi, perhaps? The highly popular Italian composer loved all things Rome and wrote two famous pieces about his beloved city. Tonight, we'll hear a fittingly glorious performance of the "Pines of Rome"; Riccardo Muti conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Before that, however, we'll hear the Dallas Symphony in William Schuman's "New England Triptych" and J.S. Bach's wonderful Double Violin Concerto with Nigel Kennedy and Daniel Stabrawa. Also, another work for strings later in the evening: Misha Maisky performs Sir Edward Elgar's soulful Cello Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra; Giuseppe Sinopoli conducts.

Music for 18 Musicians

Sunday, October 15, 2006

In the wake of Steve Reich's recent 70th birthday hoopla, we'll hear his energetic "Music for 18 Musicians," performed by the Reich Ensemble. New Yorkers can hear it live in concert next Saturday at Carnegie Hall, in an all-Reich program featuring Pat Metheny, the Kronos Quartet, and, of course, the Steve Reich Ensemble.

On the flip side, we'll feature several pieces of music from the 15th-century court of Ercole I, Duke of Ferrara. One of the most significant patrons of the age, he brought many famous Franco-Flemish composers to Italy, including Josquin dez Prez, who dedicated a well-known Mass to the him. The Renaissance ensemble Ex Umbris performs secular songs by Domenico da Piacenza, Antonio Cornazzano, and Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro.

» Steve Reich at Carnegie Hall next Saturday

Spotlight On: Michael Christie and the BPO

Saturday, October 14, 2006

The Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra wants to introduce "the best new music of our time while shining light on the great repertoire of the past." Tonight, David welcomes BPO Music Director Michael Christie back to the program to talk about the upcoming season.

Later on, we'll highlight a new recording of John Adams' concerto for Electric Violin and Orchestra, "The Dharma at Big Sur" — written to consecrate Disney Hall in Los Angeles. Two other contemporary composers loom large tonight as well: Terry Riley with an excerpt from "The Heaven Ladder," and Lou Harrison with his atmospheric chamber piece "Ariadne."

LSO Live at Avery Fisher Hall

Friday, October 13, 2006

Our Beethoven Festival wraps up tonight at 8 p.m., with a live broadcast of the London Symphony Orchestra from Avery Fisher Hall. Bernard Haitink conducts a program that includes Beethoven's Symphonies No. 1 and 7; also, the "Leonore" Overture No. 3.

We'll gear up in the preceding hour with a London Symphony sampler: Julius Katchen solos in Beethoven's Rondo for Piano and Orchestra, while André Previn conducts Prokofiev's "Classical" Symphony. After the concert we'll wind down with one last Beethoven gem — the "Archduke" Trio, featuring the superstar ensemble of Vladimir Ashkenazy, Itzhak Perlman, and Lynn Harrell.

The Performer's Perspective

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Robert Taub, author of the book "Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas," brings a "fresh perspective on Beethoven" according to the New York Times. We'll hear about Beethoven from the performer's point of view, as the acclaimed pianist joins George Preston and Lauren Rico in the studio for "Beethoven’s Laboratory: The Piano Sonatas."

Robert Taub has performed throughout the United States, Europe, the Far East, and Latin America. He continues to present the Beethoven piano sonata cycle regularly, and his recordings of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas have been critically acclaimed. Taub performs with leading orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and BBC Philharmonic.

» More about the week-long Beethoven Festival on WNYC.

» Robert Taub's "Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas" at Amazon.com

Revolutionary Beethoven

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Please Note: due to a technical error, this show was not recorded for our archives and is unavailable for listening on demand.

Ben Zander has a lot to say about Beethoven. His interpretations of the symphonies have garnered wild praise — and heated criticism — but Zander has the evidence to back it all up, and we'll hear it tonight. The controversial conductor joins George Preston and Lauren Rico in the studio, as our Beethoven Festival continues with "Beethoven as Revolutionary: The Symphonies."

Benjamin Zander has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra since its formation twenty-five years ago. He also conducts the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, which he has taken on thirteen international tours. Over the last decade, Benjamin Zander has been a guest conductor all over the world, appearing frequently with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. He is in the process of recording with them a series of Beethoven symphonies for the Telarc label, which has garnered extraordinary critical acclaim and several prestigious awards.

Ode to Joy

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Tonight features a re-broadcast of the New York Philharmonic's spectacular 2004 performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Kurt Masur conducts; we'll also hear the New York Choral Artists with soloists soprano Christine Brewer, mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson, tenor Thomas Studebaker, and bass-baritone Albert Dohmen.

In the hour leading up to the broadcast, we'll do a little exploring of Beethoven's pre-Ninth music, including the great "Choral Fantasy" in C Minor — which Beethoven considered a "primer" for the Ninth. After the concert (which starts just after 8pm), we'll listen to some less-familiar works by the Viennese Master, including his Eight Songs (Op. 52) with baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

» More about the week-long Beethoven Festival on WNYC

Beethoven's Voice

Monday, October 09, 2006

He wrote songs and choral works that were inspired by sources from around the world, and imbued them with a solemn — almost sacred — air. As we continue our Beethoven Festival this week, Collegiate Chorale conductor Robert Bass joins Lauren Rico and George Preston live in the studio for "The Spirit is Willing: Beethoven's Vocal Music."

Robert Bass has been Music Director of the world renowned Collegiate Chorale since 1980 and celebrated his 25th anniversary in the 2004-05 season. Two of his performances at Carnegie Hall with The Chorale have since become critically acclaimed recordings. In August, 2006, The Collegiate Chorale and Robert Bass were invited by James Levine to perform the Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the prestigious Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

» More about the week-long Beethoven Festival on WNYC

Beethoven's String Theory

Sunday, October 08, 2006

From the Haydn-esque Quartet No. 1 to the absolutely Schoenberg-like Grosse Fuge, we'll explore Beethoven's String Quartets from the ground up. Lawrence Dutton, violist of the world-reknowned Emerson String Quartet, joins David in the studio to discuss "Beethoven as Visionary: The String Quartets."

Noted as a "poetic violist" by the New Yorker, violist Lawrence Dutton has earned distinction as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, chamber musician, recording artist and teacher of viola and chamber music. As violist of the world renowned Emerson String Quartet, Mr. Dutton performs over 100 concerts each season and has won six Grammy Awards, most recently in 2001 for "Best Classical Album" and "Best Chamber Music Performance" of the complete string quartets of Shostakovich on the Deutsche Grammophon label.

» More about WNYC's week-long Beethoven Festival

Beethoven 101

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Learn everything you've ever wanted to know about Beethoven but were afraid to ask, as we launch WNYC's Beethoven Festival tonight! Musical factotum Rob Kapilow joins David Garland to give us a Beethoven primer in "Beethoven 101: A Crash Course."

Rob Kapilow, composer/conductor/commentator, is the originator and host of the "What Makes It Great" series on NPR and at Lincoln Center. Kapilow’s work brings music into people’s lives: opening new ears to musical experiences and helping people to listen actively rather than just hear. As the Boston Globe said, "It’s a cheering thought that this kind of missionary enterprise did not pass from this earth with Leonard Bernstein. Rob Kapilow is awfully good at what he does. We need him."

» More about the week-long Beethoven Festival on WNYC

Fun with Ludwig

Friday, October 06, 2006

As we get ready to explore all things Beethoven starting tomorrow, we'll poke a little fun at the master: The Cambridge Buskers perform "The Nine Symphonies"; we'll also hear Werner-Thomas Mifune's "Comic String Quartet" based on Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony."

Of course, a little serious Beethoven is in order as well as we hear Robert Taub perform the "Moonlight" sonata (along with some moon-themed music by Debussy and from 16th-century Valencia). Igor Stravinsky's Violin Concerto dominates our second hour with soloist Maxim Vengerov; the Flute takes over later on with Haydn's Trio in G, featuring flutist Konrad Hunteler. And we'll hear a little preview of pianist Peter Serkin's Zankel Hall concert this Wednesday, with music by Toru Takemitsu.

» Peter Serkin plays Takemitsu at Zankel Hall, Weds. Oct 10th

The Piece That Never Was

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio is one of the most famous pieces of classical music, but the truth is, it never existed until almost 200 years after Albinoni's death. Albinoni's cataloguer, Remo Giazotto, discovered a fragment of melody by Albinoni in a bombed-out library after World War II — and turned it into the work we know today. We'll hear this romanticized version of baroque melody from the English String Orchestra under William Boughton.

Also, don't forget tonight is your last chance to enter New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan contest! We'll gear up with an historic recording of Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 8 featuring Fritz Kreisler and Sergei Rachmaninoff; also, the Horn Sonata in F with Anthony Halstead. The formidable soprano Christine Brewer takes us on a Straussian journey with the "Four Last Songs" later in the evening, and Loren Maazel leads the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Camille Saint-Saëns ever-popular "Organ" Symphony.

Into the Twilight

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

English composer Sir Arnold Bax will always be remembered as a tireless champion of Irish music and a staunch Wagnerite; he also dabbled in impressionism (even before Claude Debussy, in fact). We'll hear an example of the latter tonight in his lushly-scored tone poem for orchestra, "Into the Twilight."

Speaking of Debussy, we'll hear his "Three Ballads of Francois Villon" as sung by baritone Christopher Maltman (Malcom Martineau is the pianist). Mendelssohn's Second Piano Concerto is featured mid-show, followed by Sir Edward Elgar's "Nursery Suite." Music by Nino Rota, Arvo Pärt and Einojuhani Rautavaara brings the evening to a close.

Are you New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan?

Tell us in 250 words or less why your fanatical devotion to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven qualifies you as New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan, and win a chance to immerse yourself in the world of Beethoven!

» Beethoven Festival Biggest Fan Contest

Music in the Desert

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Steve Reich wrote his quasi-cantata "The Desert Music" in 1984 to texts by William Carlos Williams. like many of Reich's works that use words, this one is a social commentary on the challenges and perils that mankind faces in the wake of technology. We'll hear it tonight (today marks the composer's 70th birthday) in its chamber version with the ensembles Alarm will Sound and Ossia.

Also tonight, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and her frequent collaborator pianist Lambert Orkis bring us Mozart's Violin Sonata in F, followed by another dynamic duo, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Robert Veyron-Lacroix in Telemann's Flute Sonata (this one in F Minor). Beethoven's Clarinet leads the second hour with the Clarinet Trio in B-flat from the Nash Ensemble; as we head towards Fall we'll hear pianist Christoph Eschenbach in a lovely performance of Tchaikovsky's "The Seasons."

Are you New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan?

Tell us in 250 words or less why your fanatical devotion to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven qualifies you as New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan, and win a chance to immerse yourself in the world of Beethoven!

» Beethoven Festival Biggest Fan Contest

Reich @ 70

Monday, October 02, 2006

American Maverick Steve Reich turns 70 this week, and the Whitney Museum of Modern Art is featuring a four-hour concert event of the composer's music this Sunday afternoon. We'll hear a few of his best-known works tonight, including "New York Counterpoint" and "Duet."

Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra dig into Brahms's meaty Symphony No. 3; we'll hear a differently "seasoned" symphony with Robert Schumann's "Spring Symphony." Also, the New York City Opera performs Erich Wolfgang Korngold's rarely-heard but ravishing opera "Die Tote Stadt" (The Dead City) on Thursday night; we'll hear a little preview via baritone Boje Skovhus.

» Steve Reich celebration at the Whitney Museum

» Visit the New York City Opera website.

Are you New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan?

Tell us in 250 words or less why your fanatical devotion to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven qualifies you as New York's Biggest Beethoven Fan, and win a chance to immerse yourself in the world of Beethoven!

» Beethoven Festival Biggest Fan Contest