Poster eric whitacre press three
Composer Eric Whitacre
Marc Royce
Performance Today®

Eric Whitacre's 'Sleep'

One night, composer Eric Whitacre called his friend, poet Tony Silvestri. That very night, Silvestri stayed up with his three year old son; that experience inspired him to write a poem - a lullaby. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear the musical result of Silvestri's sleepless night: Whitacre's modern classic, "Sleep."

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Richard Wagner: Prelude and Isolde's Liebestod, from "Tristan und Isolde", WWV 90
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Andris Nelsons, conductor
Gewandhaus, Leipzig, Germany

The Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Tony Villecco from New York, NY

Gioachino Rossini: Introduction, Theme and Variations in E flat
Jorg Widmann, clarinet; SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden and Freiburg; Tito Munoz, conductor
Heidelberg Spring Festival, Congress House, Stadthalle, Heidelberg, Germany

Hour 2

Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 6, No. 4
Venice Baroque Orchestra; Andrea Marcon, conductor
Hodgson Concert Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Eric Whitacre (arr. Chris Lennard): Sleep
Seattle Marimba Quartet
In Studio at KING FM, Seattle, WA

Johannes Brahms (arr. Arnold Schoenberg): Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25: Movements 2-4
Danish National Symphony Orchestra; Otto Tausk, conductor
Concert Hall, DR Concert House, Copenhagen, Denmark

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About Performance Today®

To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.

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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