The phone rang early on a Sunday morning. The conductor of the New York Philharmonic was sick, and the assistant conductor was asked to step in. Never mind that the assistant had a bad hangover, and there was no time to rehearse the orchestra. It was 65 years ago today that the young Leonard Bernstein's career was launched.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Leonard Bernstein: "Times Square: 1944" from "On the Town"
The New York Philharmonic with conductor Leonard Bernstein
Santiago de Murcia: "Bagpipes"
Apollo's Fire with harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 30
Pianist Lazar Berman with the New York Philharmonic and conductor Leonard Bernstein
Avery Fisher Hall, New York City
Hour 2
Josef Haydn: Finale from Symphony No. 101 ("The Clock")
The Berlin Philharmonic with conductor Herbert von Karajan
Robert Johnson: "The Witches' Dance" and "The Fairies' Dance"
Lutenist Nigel North
Sundin Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota
Claude Debussy: "The Fairies are Exquisite Dancers"
Pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G Minor, K. 183
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Trevor Pinnock
Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany
Josef Haydn: String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1
The Ysaye Quartet
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia
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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.
Hosted by Valerie Kahler, Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country.
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