Poster Roberto Sierra
Composer Roberto Sierra
Cornell University
Performance Today®

May 19, 2015: La Folia, 500 years young

One of the most well-known melodies in classical music is called La Folia. Scholars think the tune dates back to at least the 1500s. It's been interpreted and adapted by composers for the last 500 years. On today's Performance Today, we'll hear a 21st century version of the melody by Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

William Bolcom: Graceful Ghost Rag
Eugene Barban, piano
An American Piano Odyssey
Americus Records 19971005

Roberto Sierra: Folias
Celil Refik Kaya, guitar; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

George Frederic Handel: Water Music Suite in F major, HMV 348: 3. Allegro; 5. Presto; 6. Air; 7. Minuet for French Horns
Aspen Festival Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, conductor and harpsichord
Aspen Music Festival, Harris Concert Hall, Aspen, CO

William Bolcom: Concerto Grosso for Saxophone Quartet and Band
Harvey Pittel, soprano saxophone; Todd Yukumoto, alto saxophone; Spencer Nielsen, tenor saxophone; Billy McPhail, baritone saxophone; The University of Texas Wind Ensemble; Jerry F. Junkin, conductor
Bates Recital Hall, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

Hour 2

Sergei Rachmaninoff (arr: Lucien Cailliet): Prelude in g minor
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; Sergiu Comissiona, conductor
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
CBC 5143

Edward Elgar: In the South, Op. 50 (Alassio)
Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra; Donald Runnicles, conductor
Grand Teton Music Festival, Walk Festival Hall, Teton Village, WY

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: 3. Allegro Scherzando
Gregory Knight, piano; Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra; John Gordon Ross, conductor
P. E. Monroe Auditorium, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, NC

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Symphony in E minor, Wq 178
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, conductor
First Congregational Church, Berkeley, CA

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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.

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. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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