We asked listeners to tell us their favorite chamber music pieces. Here are the top 20 vote-getters.

20. Nielsen: Woodwind Quintet

This work embodies a conversation, with composer Carl Nielsen putting in his program notes that he "attempted to render the characters of the various instruments. At one moment they are all talking at once, at another they are quite alone."

LISTEN — Nielsen: Wind Quintet I. Allegro ben moderato

19. Mozart: Gran Partita

W.A. Mozart's Serenade No. 10, more commonly known as "Gran Partita," showcases his ability to masterfully combine different themes and textures. Scored for twelve winds and string bass, this is the work in the movie Amadeus that convinced Antonio Salieri that Mozart was the voice of God.

LISTEN — Serenade No. 10 "Gran Partita": IV. Adagio

18. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, No. 3 "Emperor"

One of Haydn's most famous quartets, the second movement features the melody from "God Save Emperor Francis," which is now used in the German national anthem. This melody will easily get stuck in your head, in the best way possible.

LISTEN — String Quartet Op. 76 No. 3 "Emperor" II. Poco adagio, cantabile

17. Grieg: String Quartet

Edvard Grieg is able to create a thick texture and soaring melodies in his String Quartet. An important piece to bridge the quartets of Beethoven to those of Debussy, the composer Franz Liszt said "it is a long time since I have encountered a new composition, especially a string quartet, which has intrigued me as greatly as this distinctive and admirable work by Grieg."

LISTEN — String Quartet No. 1: I. Un poco andante

16. Schubert: String Quintet

This work is considered one of Franz Schubert's best, and one of his last before his untimely death. The addition of a second cello creates a depth in the lower register that is haunting and lush. It's no wonder why this is considered one of the greatest chamber works of all time.

LISTEN — String Quintet in C Major: I. Allegro ma non troppo

15. Schumann: Piano Quintet in Eb major

Robert Schumann's Piano Quintet is considered one of the works to revolutionize the form, making it a staple of the Romantic Era. He dedicated the work to his wife and fellow composer, Clara Schumann, who was the pianist for its premiere.

LISTEN — Piano Quintet: II. In modo d'una marcia. Un poco largamente

14. Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time

Olivier Messiaen wrote this piece while he was a prisoner of war in a German camp. First performed by fellow prisoners, the work draws from a passage in the Book of Revelations and is now considered one of his most important works.

LISTEN — Quartet for the End of Time: I. Liturgie de cristal

13. Debussy: Sonata for flute, viola, and harp

Although Debussy is known for being a very impressionist composer, he actually looked to the styling of French Baroque music for his sonata for flute, viola and harp. The result is a beautiful painting of sounds, some structured and intentional, while others are more abstract.

LISTEN — Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp: II. Interlude; Tempo di minuetto

12. Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano in Eb major

Johannes Brahms wrote this piece to commemorate the death of his mother, exploring his grief through the four movements. He is able to express the different ways in which this emotion can be felt, with the second movement recalling happier memories of days gone by.

LISTEN — Horn Trio: I. Andante - poco piu animato

11. Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1

The second movement of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1 has become famous in its own right — it's melancholic sounds are said to have brought author Leo Tolstoy to tears, and the melody was used as the basis for the tune "On the Isle of May."

LISTEN — String Quartet No. 1: II. Andante cantabile

10. Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 "Death and the Maiden"

The "Death and the Maiden" quartet is one of Franz Schubert's most famous works. It was written after he suffered a major illness and realized he was dying. All movements are written in a minor key, driving home the urgency and fear of death as well as highlighting the few respites in major motifs.

LISTEN — String Quartet No. 14 "Death and the Maiden" Andante con moto

9. Janáček: String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters"

Leos Janáček wrote his String Quartet No. 2 as a sort of manifesto on love to a woman 38 years younger than him. They exchanged over 700 letters through his life, and this work was meant as a testament to their relationship. The result is a work filled with passion and longing.

LISTEN — String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters" III. Moderato

8. Mendelssohn: Octet

Felix Mendelssohn was 16 when he wrote this work as a gift for a friend. You can hear his youthful excitement and brilliance throughout the work, but especially in the first movement. It's melodic swells highlight his brilliance and promise as a composer.

LISTEN — String Octet: I. Allegro moderato, ma con fuoco

7. Dvořák: Serenade for Winds

Antonin Dvořák's Serenade for Winds evokes the Rococo style, combining the worlds of aristocracy and common folk. It's easy to picture yourself walking around a Baroque castle while listening to this regal piece.

LISTEN — Serenade for Winds: I. Moderato, quasi marcia

6. Debussy: String Quartet

The only string quartet Claude Debussy ever wrote marks a true departure from classical harmony to a more freeing view of composing. Composer Pierre Boulez even said that Debussy freed chamber music from "rigid structure, frozen rhetoric and rigid aesthetics" with this work. Listen to how the second movement utilizes pizzicato and strumming.

LISTEN — String Quartet: II. Assez vif et bien rythme

5. Ravel: String Quartet

Like Debussy, Maurice Ravel only wrote one string quartet. It is greatly influenced by Debussy's, but blazes a new path in a different way. Even so, listen to how the second movement utilizes pizzicato and strumming just like Debussy's. Instead of rejecting traditional forms, Ravel works within them to create a quartet that has stood the test of time.

LISTEN — String Quartet: II. Assez vif. Tres rythme

4. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major

One of the best-known and earlier pieces written for clarinet, W.A. Mozart's Clarinet Quintet was written for the clarinetist Anton Stadler. Their working relationship produced another work for clarinet — Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra — and changed the history of the instrument forever.

LISTEN — Clarinet Quintet: II. Larghetto

3. Beethoven: Piano Trio No. 7 "Archduke"

The composer was the pianist at the premiere of his "Archduke" piano trio, and it was one of his final performances due to his increasing deafness. The work is written beautifully for piano, violin and cello, with each instrument trading off the melody seamlessly.

LISTEN — Piano Trio No. 7 "Archduke": I. Allegro moderato

2. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, "Trout Quintet"

Franz Schubert's "Trout Quintet" gets its name from the fourth movement, which is based on variations of his lied by the same name. Its childish playfulness and textures make this work a lasting classic in the chamber music repertoire.

LISTEN — "Trout Quintet": IV. Thema with Variations; Andante

1. Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 "American"

It's no wonder Antonin Dvořák's "American" quartet topped our list — it embodies his compositional style from his stay in America, where he encountered musical influences from all across the country. You can hear hints of folk music, spirituals, and indigenous melodies, all tied together in a magical bow. Although Dvořák only lived in the U.S. for a few years, he captured the spirit of American classical music and influenced it for years to come.

LISTEN — String Quartet No. 12 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo

You can hear all of these works, and more on our new Chamber Music stream. Is your favorite one missing from this list? Let us know!

Music during the wedding ceremony is important. Depending on what you want — and what your budget allows — the music can range anywhere from intimate to epic. Likewise, there are an infinite number of instrumental combinations that can make your big day special.

Here's a quick list of frequently used instruments that will make your time at the altar memorable for everyone.

1. Organ (or piano). Never underestimate the impact of a good organist. From the prelude to the exit of the wedding party, a good organist can make your ceremony a beautiful and exhilarating experience. Organists typically provide music (at least in part) from stem to stern, and fortunately, almost any other kind of instrument sounds good with them. If it's a church wedding, most parishes will have an organist or other musician on staff who will work with you to guide your choices, and in most cases, they'll also have a Rolodex of instrumentalists on hand if you'd like something more than organ or piano solo.

1. Brass. Whether it's a soloist or a quintet, brass players dress up any part of a service in which they play. From pre-service music, to descants on hymns, or dramatic swells as you're leaving the church, nothing comes close to creating the same experience. Brass players sound good on their own and they sound great with organ.
   

1. Strings. Similar to brass in that there are several options between one and five players, stringed instruments can provide elegance to each part of the service. However, they are not as loud as brass and work best in settings that are peaceful.
   

1. Harp. This a fantastic instrument for creating wonderfully intimate experiences. Even in large spaces, a harp brings a calming effect that can't be matched. It's great for quieter portions of the service, including the procession, and can also be used to dramatic effect during songs and hymns. Because harp is relatively quiet, it can be difficult to balance with other instruments in large spaces. That said, it sounds good with most other instruments as well as simply on its own.
   

1. Flute. The flute creates a lovely, tender environment that can be as fresh as a day in spring. Like the harp, it tends to be quieter than other instruments, but its higher pitch tends to carry and it can work well with an organ, piano, harp, guitar or strings.
   

Bonus: Bagpipes. Primarily used during Scottish weddings, bagpipes (or any instrument associated with an ethnicity) can create a sense of authenticity that wouldn't exist otherwise. Warning: bagpipes are meant for outdoor use. Having them played in a room that is any smaller than a 50,000-seat stadium is not a good idea. Not easily paired with instruments other than drums.

Brad Althoff is the Managing Producer for National Classical Programs at APM, a portfolio of programs that includes Performance Today, SymphonyCast, Pipedreams, the Composers Datebook and the holiday portfolio of programs. He is also an accomplished organist with degrees in Performance from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) and Westminster Choir College (Princeton, N.J.). Highlights from his career include producing the live American broadcast of Last Night of the BBC Proms, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra live from Vienna, Austria, the gala opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and winning Gabriel Awards (All is Calm, Performance Today) and NY Festival Awards (All is Calm). Despite the preponderance of classical music in his life, Brad listens to a great deal of world music and is a fan of the late Cesaria Evora. A slave to fashion, the gym and his art, what free time he has is divided equally between painting, lifting and the tailor.

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We asked listeners to write poems inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 6: II. Scene by the Brook. Here’s what they told us.

Untitled

i look up, i look down
at the small little fair at the edge of my town
for at the center of all the fun
something catches my eye, and i start to run
i run to the Ferris wheel that goes up so high
i want to go on it so badly i could die
so i reach into my pocket and pull out a penny
but to get on the wheel it would take so many
so i sit on the ground and imagine the feeling
the feeling of floating is so appealing
i close my eyes and think of a plan
and just like that my plan has began
i stand up and walk to the gate
i try to look taller and not out of place
i reach my hand out and push it open
a man turns around at the sight of my motion
he looks down at me
and says very sternly
its this way to the Ferris wheel little child
my eyes go wide, and he just smiled

— Sophie Milstein, Shorewood

Untitled

spring
beginnings
soft
cold
shoots of flowers amid
the snow
grass;
green
frail
trembling
tiny buds;
springing up on trees
reminding us
there is hope left
amid the cold
desolation

— Jay Coleman, Madison

Untitled

Glittering flittering sunshine
Stopping for a breath
Only to rise again
Amidst the fields of green

— Linda Alford, Austin

Beethoven's Yellow

I much prefer the ocean,
but at times, a river will do just fine.
The river is where the coot and loon confer,
while the cuckoo finds a nest to steal
near the subtler flint swells.

To stand on its bank and say I am,
resolute as a salmon swimming upstream,
is to know that you are small,
yet willing to float onward,
a migration of one drop of our multitude.

Where does this water go?
It ripples in broken thirds
under sturdy bridges and sylvan spheres
before retreating in service
into the cave of the heart.

— Valerie Little, Minneapolis

Crossing the Ocean

Crossing the ocean
The vast waters
Of mind
Under a black sky
That's covering the world.

Crossing now, crossing
To the other shore
Where the Spring sun is shining
Where roses are red perfumes
Where the air
Is at peace.

The ocean of reality
Is a trickle of water
If we're willing
To cross.

The other shore is just one step away.

Sacred water
Crystalline water is this
No one can deny it
But

It just takes one step
To cross this ocean

When we want to get back to ourselves
When we want to begin again.

— Mario Zetino, Santa Ana, El Salvador

The Cabin

Where are you?
I was looking for you.
I heard something by the brook
but when I looked I twisted my neck.

What a lovely day
but you aren't here.
I hope you are ok.

Wow, look at that sky!
The clouds moving by, so slow
A gray cloud there, a couple drops.
Now bright, so bright, a light warm breeze.
Nature can be so lovely.

I think I can see you in the distance.
Yes, what are you doing?
Kneeling it looks like.
Oh, you are up now
Looking into where the woodpecker had been eating.
You are coming back.

It's just so beautiful I want everything to stop:
I want to live in this moment forever.

— Robert LeClairee, Fridley

Haiku X 3

Brown, speckled brook trout
seen swimming this way, than that
current reflection.

Dark, vertical bars
yellow red adipose fins
prized for your beauty.

Spawning in spring seeps
with the current, and against.
Reflect the future.

— Barbara Klug, Minneapolis

Awaken

buried and secure
in warm mother earth
why should the seed crack and sprout a fragile stem
yet it does
seduced by sunshine
and the promise of living large
it risks frost and wind
and the crush of feet
it grows
like its ancestors have always grown
finding life in peril
sweeter still
than a hole in the ground

— Kristina Bendikas, London

Untitled

Patches of green grass
Appear with April snowmelt
Mixed by sun and clouds

— Sharon Hulett, Minnetonka

Untitled

I have left Vienna for the goods.
Promised to the free green grass.
I hear the birds change my path.
Listen to the water take away the day.
I walk for hours down to the end of the way.
Heavy feet have started to lose the weight of the day.
A fresh breeze takes April's name to town.
Never did I touch that stone first thrown.
Nobody to blame as the trees bend low.
Friends with hands shaking the new leaves awake.
Thicker grass starts to strangle my day.
I can still see thru my Coke bottle glasses.
The river is awake today.
Listen close to the rocks being rubbed away.
Young voices trying to explain the bees knees.
Youth was wasted down by the banks.
Blame the color green and all those spring things.
I can still hear the chorus repeat and refrain.
Over the rocks now dull.
Under the bridge still haunted by trolls.
Young German woman selling therapy.
Freud is still hypnotized by the water.
I lie on the velvet red sofa, counting all the new birds.
Yes my little pigeon, the night is coming fast.
A new speed to the water falling with no fear.
I heard a rumor of a man.
He walked on water.
Talked to the trees still glistening.
Skipped rocks across the depths.
I'm stuck staring at the water of me.
Surface tension and a hint of tomorrow.
Listen close to the night with no please.
Just a full moon on the days the water took over.

— Derek Kostka, Rochester

JAS

reaching out 3 souls
Touched through time

The web is formed supporting friendship
Growth forms circles of strength

Circles interlock, bonded forever
Roads ungulate, intertwined, pathways cross

Surrender our insecurities, embrace the love of friendship
3 souls touch, circles strengthens, no weak link

Out reach our hands, trust the distance, locked forever

Intertwined through the circle of friendship

— Ann Shadiow, Boise ID

Untitled

Imagine, this wintry day, by a tranquil brook,
Formed somewhere from melting snow and filtered seep.
It's a patient Spring that quietly awaits,
Taking measured breaths, pining for warmth, sure to come.
A gentle breeze, reeds half tall
Swirls of life beneath reflections of overhanging trees,
Butterflies suspended on bright, reticulated wings,
And songbirds in chorus, up and to the left,
Complete the portrait in my mind.
My soul awakens to the joys that await
When common pleasures will again
Subdue the solitude of sheltering in this place.
Spring will come, it never forgets.
It's warmth and embrace will still comfort us.
But for now, my imagination
Will have to do.

— A J Smith, Wayzata

My little Hami (granddaughter)

Holding hands across the world as
little brown fingers touch a screen;
putting an eternity into view.
I am here
she is there.
I listen with my fingers
as her's tap and poke my soul.

— Richard Graham, Hastings

Untitled

Who through the tr(y)(I)dents
to bleed out the life of fresh, new
waters. Flowing from the mountain heights
carving little knot(let)s and hides
for life to grow and scenes to flow
The sounds of natures music and
Life. Unsalted by Poseidon's hand
But the gentle hand from Persephone's
Weeping at her bands, or the dirge
turned to a playful scourge, Upon
a dainty brook, such a forgotten dream
which only battered scholars
even seek to sing. Each owing all
to broken dreams, still lived
somehow in joy, as if to call in to being
through the singing along with natures throng
until the brooks clear waters heal what was
gone. but not forgotten, misremembered
simply because two sides of a coin never meet
dancing after each other
on opposite sides not
knowing their wholEness
only living for the afterimage
of the Music of the Spheres

cast me not in to a fountain of lost dreams
but into this brook, the current which
carries this curs rant to his witch
still, unfamiliar, kept spinning
to turn the gears, the brooklet flows

Who through the bolt the set the earth to weep
I do not know. But standing by the brook
I cry along, in my heart alone, My face frozen
tears held back by the Joy in the seeing
of all the other things, seen
when one sits and weeps
to simplicity.

— Peter Eschweiler, Golden Valley

A scene by the brook

Oblivious to the storm to come
wandering along a cascading brook
at the edge of a forest
and thicket of brushwood.

Listening to what eyes see
creating an expression of existence
a sweet sonification of life.

Setting a leisurely pace
along swift, light-dappled water
swollen by winter snow run off.

Like the sweet sensation
of musical triplets
the water tumbles
refracting light and
reflecting sound.

An underlying innerplay of motion
repeating, smoothing stones
provoking a rush of echoes.

Attention alternating between
the understory of the brush
and thrumming water
as nightingales, quails, and cuckoos
engage in light conversation.

Whisking along
toward repeated
crescendos and diminuendos
of activity.

Another brief birdsong
then a slowing
and reluctant
retreat to reality.

— Timothy Langhorst, Perrysburg

Untitled

It's not the glacier's imperative,
this bubbling,
this flow

It's more a question of
ebb, of moving
through, of thought drift

And the glimpse of sky water,
surface shimmer,
watercolour of
leaf and cloud

So, within this wat'ry progress,
eddy me for an hour or two
Let me spin without purpose in
dapple and reflection

Then loose me,
lose me into
earth's infinitesimal
angle, the float
down
stream

— Katrin Talbot, Madison

Stream

Pulse
Temp
Breath

Measuring
Charting

Tending

Reaching
Holding not
yet Here

Essential
Ones
Abiding

By the Stream
Building Boats
Sailing Hope

— Kristi Larsen, Atlanta

Before the Storm

Far from the clamor in our streets
and the clutter in our lives,
there is a place of quiet rest
where all is well,
near to the heart of God
where peace reigns supreme
and love remains sublime.

As a refugee from anxiety,
I fled to that place of grace often
and found solace in its stunning splendor
beside the bubbling brook.

Then came corona.
The virus broke in
and pandemonium broke out.
There was no escape anymore.
There was no sanctuary anywhere.
Peace was shattered everywhere.

But love remains supreme.
Hope retains its promise.
The eternal triumphs over the temporal.
For the storm shall pass,
and wounded healers shall emerge
to rebuild the sanctuary of grace once more
in accordance with the celestial harmony
of a pastoral symphony.

— Werner Lange, Newton Falls

Untitled

I stand and stretch my arms above;
This is joy; this is life; this is love!

A gentle valley, green and sown
with gentle grass so short and pure.
I doff my shoes and barefoot run
across the turf that welcomes in
my toes, my sole, my heel, my soul
without a stone or thorn.

Overhead, a perfect sun,
and all around a perfect breeze
that strokes me everywhere and thrills
my body with its power and strength.
I feel that I could run forever
springing quickly like a child;
laughing, jumping, falling down
to roll into the gentle slope
and find a flower above my head
with birdsong in the air.

— Wayne Farmer, Winona

Renaissance Man

I'll show you a picture of who I really am
Some days I'm a lion, some days I'm a lamb
A hopeless romantic in search of a muse
Someone I can love, and not something to use
A Pre-Raphaelite who paints with his words
And longs to one day speak the language of birds
I look to the future, I live in the past
The present is fleeting, it never does last
I'm everything and everyone I have known
I'm joined to the universe, never alone
I see in your eyes the reflection of God
Some think I'm mystical, some think I'm odd
I think of my life as a musical piece
When I am creative I find my release
If you understand me, you could be the one
Let's get out of this cave and walk into the sun

— Mason Green, Savage

Newspaper Boat

On a cloudy day
I set my sorrows in a newspaper boat
And sent it adrift without a life preserver.
As the wind carried it far into the sea
I watched it bob and sway on the grey water
Until it sank under its own weight.

I was glad to be rid of it.

As I stood at the shore
I filled a bright blue bucket
with the water that holds my sorrow,
and carried it home to nurture the flowers
I planted in the window box
Outside the kitchen window.

— Judy Lazar, Eagan

Unfolding

A bud,
One voice, then another, rising
The layers pulsing
Weaving, supporting
A voice soaring, above
The phrases echo, this range, that color
Steady rhythms greening
A bud, opening
Rebirth

— Patricia Norton, Minneapolis

Untitled

Fly free,
Like the seed of dandelions
Taken to the wind.
In the spring,
When Love's Whimsy takes hold,
We'll sit next to the bubbling brook
And listen as the birds
Whistle our cares away.
Fly free-- Our feet in the laughing water,
Our hearts and hands entwined,
The sun on a cloudless day--
Making April forget how to rain.

— Stephanie Gabriel, Madison

Can't your hear?

Can't you hear the running, gurgling water?
rushing down the stream
to the river and off to ocean's shore.
And yet here is calm Serenity;
here is quiet call of Quail
calling us to hear Love more.
In the placid evening, listen, won't you?
hear the voice of Nightingale
Rest my friends; Love, I implore.
And day to day, hope helps us heal
and the Cuckoo bids us sail
along the water's Metaphor.

— Webb, St. Paul

Autumn Leaves

As a child growing up in an area
with very few deciduous trees
I often felt left out when reading about
the autumn rituals of raking leaves
into huge piles, then jumping into them
One fine October day as we walked across
the University campus after band rehearsal
we came upon an ENORMOUS pile of leaves
raked up by the grounds crew before they left for lunch
With reckless, childlike abandon we dropped our
instruments and backpacks in a heap
then proceeded to jump repeatedly into that pile
Rolling, kicking, crunching the glorious golden leaves
until the pile no longer existed
then we collected our things and went to class
Sometimes I wonder what the crew thought when
they returned from lunch to find their work undone
Did they know it was us, or did they blame the wind?

— Ann Maria Mattila, Rock Springs

Listening to 'Scene by the Brook' while walking in the woods

Out back behind my home
There lies a small ravine
Within the snow sits solemnly.

A head full of bothers,
Heart heavy with tomorrows,
There I sit on a downed tree.
Into the snow before me
My boots sink
. In the cold creeps.

I gently close my eyes and let
Beethoven begin:
Limpid waters washing away sorrow
Pale Clouds passing with the breeze
Spring's song seems to stream from the earth
As rejoicing robins dance among leaves.

I raise my head to see
The sun through budding trees
As she shines on the snow before me.

— Dan Kingsbury, Cottage Grove

Scene by the Brook

Come, take a seat by me
And tell me what you see.
The brook begins beyond the hill,
Where nature rests, quiet and still.
The rocky shoreline twists and turns,
Soon, the water begins to churn.
Little waves now sputter and crash,
On our bare feet, water is splashed.
The brook meanders further down,
Its path looks like a crooked frown.
Where water pools the birds can splash,
As we lie down in tall, green grass.
We cast our eyes up to the sky,
And watch a cloud slowly drift by.

— Juliana Schacherer, Litchfield

Untitled

April breeze in sunshine on lakeside trails
Dancing with Mallards, Chipmunks and Cardinals
Silver birch straightly grasps the sky in his hand
Green and yellow meadow like spring's blanket
Warm my heart
Far away from my homeland

— Zhenbiao He, St. Cloud

in the graveyard giving

the rainbows are running late this year
squirming & leaping their way upstream
already stressed & exhausted
from the late lake thaw

like a hoard of anxious pilgrims they trample over the weak & dead
on their way
bloated carcasses float in the foam

belly up
mouths open wide
waiting for one last
communion

the eagles too
are here to find
their own concord
with the divine

feasting at ghost white tails
& milky eyes
the fox
the hawk

even the butterflies
have come to sip
some sort of necessary nectar
from the fat juices of survival

& must
all the while the tardy
continue to leap
& leap again

rapid after rapid
rushing breathless
up & up
as if scaling their way

toward heaven
even though they know
they are very very late
& may never arrive

that perhaps their heaven
will also be that
in the graveyard
giving.

— Audrey Colasanti, Minneapolis

Steady

the brook flows, down at the
pull of gravity, down
over rock, into pools,
moving from source to destiny.

the music flows, forward to
the pull of rhythm, to
melody, into themes
moving from source to destiny.

my life flows, forward to
the call of purpose, down
to challenge, into trust,
moving from source to destiny.

— Wayne Albertson, Richfield

Cadenza

But when I look again
It's not a drop of dew
It's the eye of a bird
Its home my eye
my iris its door
The feathers tickle as they flit through
It brings a different future squirming in its laughing talons
Where bird songs have veto over concrete
Where the brook never brooks being made feverish foul
Where the dew cleanses the bees
Their sting inspiration their honey food for all
No hunger no hoarding a staple shared not sold

— Kel Heyl, St. Paul

To: My Granddaughter

Free again!
Walking trails in favorite woods.
River flowing near..what is that swimming visible to me from above?
Here are more, following the first.
Upstream I follow 'til each is dancing
Round the next turn, now to pause,
Then dancing again!
I wade in too, needing to follow them where they head.
Up above sweet birds sing, flitting here and there, branch to branch.
Sun glinting through leaves.
Now I see it all as one flow, merging swimming-flying!
I fly too: above and below. Dancing with the rhythms of all that is.
Arms open wide to the world that is.
Grateful for this weaving of life forms.
Wanting to be joined, all as one.

— Kay Harris, Minnetonka

Listen to this classical music special that does double duty and looks at music from Ireland, with an emphasis on women composers and performers, as well as music with female themes.

You'll hear an accessible and affectionate tribute to women in Ireland and elsewhere who, as performers and composers, have reflected Irish themes in their work.

You'll also hear music written about mythical and real Irish women. This is a unique special that chimes with this moment in women's history, celebrating the lives and achievements of Irish female musicians and music inspired by Irish women.

Host Andrea Blain showcases music by Joan Trimble, Amy Beach, Ina Boyle and shares works that celebrate the Irish Colleen and several lassies called Molly. She is joined by a special guest: pianist, author and broadcaster Una Hunt.

Playlist

Percy Grainger: Molly on the Shore - BBC Philharmonic

Turlough O'Carolan: Anna MacDermott - Roe Aibhlin McCrann, harp

Sean O'Riada: from Mise Eire Roisin Dubh (Dark Rosaleen) - RTE Concert Orchestra

Esposito: The Coolin (Fair-haired girl) - Fionnuala Hunt, violin; Una Hunt, piano

Joan Trimble: Buttermilk Point - Bruce Posner, piano

Ina Boyle: The Magic Harp - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Augusta Holmes: Irlande (Ireland) - Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic

Trad.: Black-Haired Rose - Eimear McGeown, Irish flute/whistle

Trad.: Molly Malone - Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone; London Symphony Orchestra

Trad.: Dandlin' Song - Bernadette Greevy, mezzo-soprano; Hugh Tinney, piano

Trad.: Gartan Mother's Lullaby - Hazel Conway, soprano; the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin

Amy Beach: Gaelic Symphony: Movement 2, Alla Siciliana - Nashville Symphony Orchestra

O'Riada, arr by Barry Douglas: Mna na hEireann - Barry Douglas, piano

Joan Trimble: Suite for Strings - III. Finale Irish Chamber Orchestra

What do your favorite classical hosts love to listen to? You might be surprised.

Here are their top 10 playlists so you can learn about what they love to listen to and why.

Click below to jump to your favorite host (listed in alphabetical order):

Julie Amacher - Michael Barone - John Birge - Andrea Blain - Scott Blankenship - Melissa Dundis - Jeff Esworthy - Ward Jacobson - Melissa Ousley - Steve Seel - Steve Staruch - Lynne Warfel

Program director, Classical MPR; host/producer of New Classical Tracks; host of SymphonyCast

Usual shift: various times

The music that resonates with me the most is that which creates an atmosphere. I usually want to put on a recording that will just fill the room and wash over me at the end of the day. It could be a Beethoven symphony, bluegrass, folk, Celtic or eclectic instrumental music. I grew up on progressive rock, especially bands that included lush orchestral elements and grand piano. Now I gravitate toward music that blends genres, as you'll see by my list of favorite albums. Here are some recordings I would highly recommend:

Playlist

1. The Choral Scholars of University College Dublin; Desmond Earley, conductor — Invisible Stars (Signum Classics)

2. Daniel Hope — Spheres

3. Dobrinka Tabakova — String Paths (ECM)

4. Danish String Quartet — Last Leaf (ECM)

5. Chris Norman with Camerata Bariloche — Highlands

6. Ludwig van Beethoven — Minnesota Orchestra: The Symphonies

7. Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile — Goat Rodeo Session

8. Supertramp — Crime of the Century (and Even in the Quietest Moments)

9. Joni Mitchell — Blue

10. Ludovico Einaudi — I Giorni

Host/producer of Pipedreams; host of annual broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Usual shift: Various times nationally, and 6-8 a.m. central Sundays, Classical MPR

I am a mostly classical omnivore, although my current work makes me appear to be a "pipe organ geek." I've been a fan of Bonnie Raitt, pianists Bill Evans and Art Tatum, Frank Zappa and (of course, isn't everyone?) the Beatles. Back in the day, when I was host for "The Morning Program" on Mondays, you might have heard Anglican Chant, Laurie Anderson and a "Little Orley" story from Uncle Lumpy. During my 25 years as MPR music director (1968-1993), you might have heard a Renaissance mass by Ockeghem, Gesang der Jünglinge by Stockhausen, the Busoni Piano Concerto, one or another of the more than 200 Bach Cantatas, and an entire symphony by Mahler or Bruckner (or Nielsen, or Arnold Bax, or Malcolm Arnold, or …). There's a lot out there about which to be curious, and enthusiastic.

Playlist

1. J.S. Bach — "The Art of Fugue" of "Well-tempered Clavier" (both books) — with a side of the Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues (Opus 87) for contrast

2. J.S. Bach — Cantatas (106, 140)

3. Ferruccio Busoni — Piano Concerto (heard both Marc Andre Hamelin and John Ogdon play it live!)

4. Charles-Valentin Alkan — 12 Etudes in all the minor keys, Opus 39 (included here is a symphony for solo piano, also a concerto for solo piano!)

5. Ludwig van Beethoven — String Quartets (16) and Piano Sonatas (32) — all of them!

6. Francis Poulenc — Gloria & Organ Concerto

7. Igor Stravinsky — Symphony of Psalms

8. Sergei Prokofiev — Alexander Nevsky Cantata

9. Pyotr Tchaikovsky — Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique)

10. Joseph Jongen — Symphonie Concertante for Organ and Orchestra (Virgil Fox recording)

10. Olivier Messiaen — Turangalila Symphony (with Quartet for the End of Time as a chaser)

Bonus: The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

Host/producer; host of Composers Datebook

Usual shift: Various times nationally, and 6-10 a.m. central Monday-Friday, Classical MPR

Duke Ellington said it best: "There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind." My favorite is the good kind(s). Choosing only 10 is a fool's errand, but I'll play the fool and mention these 10, out of a zillion that I couldn't live without. (Heck, Beethoven alone gives you way too many to choose from.) So, here goes, in absolutely no order of preference.

Playlist

1. Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 3

2. J.S. Bach — Violin Concertos (played by David Oistrakh, of course)

3. Gustav Mahler — Symphony No. 7 (conducted by Georg Solti, of course)

4. Alec Wilder — Octets

5. Stephen Sondheim — "I'm Still Here" (sung by Elaine Stritch}

6. Count Basie/Sweets Edison — "Louisiana"

7. Ella Fitzgerald — "Embraceable You"

8. Miles Davis — "Blue in Green"

9. Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Concerto No. 4

10. Nat King Cole — "Stardust"

National host/producer of "Music Through the Night"

Usual shift: midnight-6 a.m. central

It's hard to pin down my favorite type of music, but I guess in general I'm often drawn to works that are rooted in some element of folk or traditional music. I like works with a strong melodic impulse and feeling of bringing you to a specific place or moment in time.

Playlist

1. Gerald Finzi — A Severn Rhapsody

2. Bedrich Smetana — Ma Vlast

3. Traditional Welsh — "Suo Gan"

4. Hamilton Harty — From the Irish Symphony In the Antrim Hills

5. Claudio Monteverdi — Pur ti Miro from The Coronation of Poppea - Joshua Bell, violin

6. Traditional Norwegian — "Behold the Beautiful Light of the Sun"

7. J.S. Bach — Violin Sonata No. 2: Allegro - Chris Thiele, mandolin

8. Rachel Portman — The Cider House Rules

9. Traditional Danish — Minuet No. 6

10. William Bolcom — Graceful Ghost Rag

National host; co-host/producer of Trilloquy

Usual shift: 7 p.m.-midnight central

Music is either good or it isn't. I like to stay open to all genres, as long as it's good. Obviously, the setting dictates what genre is appropriate, but whatever it is, it's always good. This list is what I'm listening to now, although some of these are also on my top 10 of all time list.

Playlist

1. Steely Dan — Aja

2. Enrique Granados — Danzas Españolas

3. Jean Sibelius — Symphony No. 5

4. Anna Thorvaldsdottir — Metacosmos

5. Caroline Shaw — Partita

6. Khurangbin — Con Todo el Mundo

7. Erik Koskinen — Live at the RealPhonic Radio Hour 2011-2015

8. Future Islands — Singles

9. Dobrinka Tabakova — Cello Concerto

10. Tom Waits — Bone Machine

National host

Usual shift: 6-10 a.m. central Fridays and Saturdays; various other times

I love 19th-century Spanish guitar music. Spain's culture has a very open and sensual dialogue. I hear a lot of romantic conversations between two lovers happening in that style of music.

Playlist

1. Francisco Tarrega — Capricho Arabe

2. Isaac Albeniz — Alhambra

3. John Cage — In a Landscape (guitar version)

4. Judd Greenstein — Clearing Dawn and Dance

5. Antonin Dvořáak — String Quartet No. 9

6. Philip Glass — Mad Rush

7. Claude Debussy — Images

8. Heitor Villa-Lobos — Prelude No. 1

9. Igor Stravinsky — Octet in E-flat

10. J.S. Bach — Cello Suite No. 1

National host/producer

Usual shift: 6-10 a.m. central

When it comes to classical music, I'm definitely a Classical period fan. Mozart and Haydn are my all-time favorite composers, but my tastes are fairly wide ranging. Here's a list of the top 10 pieces I would recommend.

Playlist

1. W.A. Mozart — any of the Piano Concertos (No. 17 is, I think, my favorite).

2. Ralph Vaughan Williams — The Lark Ascending

3. Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 6

4. Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov — Scheherazade

5. Antonin Dvorak — Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)

6. Steve Reich — Music for 18 Musicians

7. Philip Glass — Music in 12 Parts

8. Ram Narayan — Raga Shankara

9. Z.M. Dagar — Raga Yaman

10. Traditional American music — anything by fiddler Bruce Molsky

National host, on-call

There are so many types of music that I adore — it really depends on the mood I'm in on a given day. Do I want happy, sad, nostalgia, inspiration? It's a big list. But since I'm a longtime choral singer, I'll have to side with choral music as my ultimate go-to. Here's my list of 10 works in no specific order.

Playlist

1. Ralph Vaughan Williams — Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

2. Camille Saint-Saëns — Symphony No. 3 (the final movement especially!)

3. Charles Villiers Stanford — Beati quorum via Cambridge Singers ("Faire Is the Heaven," "Music of the English Church," the entire recording — need that one for whatever island I'm stranded on)

4. G.F. Handel — Messiah

5. Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 7

6. Anatol Liadov — Polonaise, Op. 55

7. Johannes Brahms — Intermezzo No. 2, Op. 118

8. Glenn Gould playing Bach

9. Gabriel Faure — Requiem

10. W.A. Mozart — Symphony No. 41

National host; host of Minnesota Orchestra live broadcasts

Usual shift: 10 a.m.-noon central Sunday; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday; 8 p.m. central Friday (Classical MPR)

If I had to choose a favorite composer, it would be Bach. I can listen to his music any day of the week, at any time of day. Why? I would say it's a physical reaction — one that draws out emotions of joy, sorrow, serenity and hope. In fact, many times his music cues me into a feeling I didn't even realize was there.

Playlist

1. Bach — Goldberg Variations; Glenn Gould, second time around.

2. Brahms — Violin Concerto and both Piano Concertos (I know this is cheating to pick so many, but I can't help it!)

3. Ralph Vaughan Williams — Symphony No. 5

4. Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 30

5. Joni Mitchell — "A Case of You"

6. Franz Schubert — Impromptu No. 3 in G-Flat Major

7. Dmitri Shostakovich — Leningrad Symphony, 1st movement

8. Richard Strauss — Der Rosenkavalier

9. William Walton — music from Henry V

10. Stevie Wonder — "It Ain't No Use"

Host of Extra Eclectic

Usual shift: 7 p.m.-midnight central Monday and Wednesday

My tastes, listening habits and musical interests are all over the board, as a guy who grew up listening to both classical and rock, and came to love everything from jazz to avant garde music as an adult. I guess you could say my classical aesthetic tends toward pretty somber and often elegiac sounds — the Gustav Mahler, Dobrinka Tabakova and Arvo Pärt works are prototypical of the stuff I gravitate toward. I have been, however, a huge fan of Steve Reich for decades, which is the definition of propulsive, sonic euphoria to my ears. And finally, the Brian Eno and Laurie Anderson selections represent my lifelong love for genre-expanding, experimental rock. I've included my favorite recordings, too, except in the case of the rock records, which are self-explanatory.

Playlist

1. Steve Reich — Eight Lines (Bang on a Can)

2. Arvo Pärt — Berlin Mass (Tonu Kaljuste, Estonian Philharmonic and Chamber Choir)

3. Brian Eno — Ambient 1, Music for Airports

4. Gustav Mahler — Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (Leonard Bernstein and New York Philharmonic)

5. Dobrinka Tabakova — Concerto for Cello and Strings (Kristina Blaumane with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Maxim Rysanov)

6. Caleb Burhans — A Moment for Jason Molina (Simon Jermyn)

7. Ludwig van Beethoven — String Quartet No. 15., III. Heiliger Dankgesang (A Far Cry Orchestra)

8. Maurice Ravel — "La Vallee des Cloches" from Miroirs (Abby Simon)

9. Laurie Anderson — "Blue Lagoon," from Mister Heartbreak

10. John Luther Adams — The Wind in High Places (JACK Quartet)

Classical host/producer

Usual shift: 3-7 p.m. central Monday-Friday (Classical MPR)

The colors, and the shapes; the dance quality, and the "theater" of much 18th-century music is most appealing to me. Nothing is more satisfying than when an ensemble gets into a dance groove and stays there for an entire work. My list includes the top 10 of the Baroque and Classical periods — and a few surprises, too.

Playlist

1. G.F. Handel — Water Music

2. Georg Philipp Telemann — Water Music

3. J.S. Bach — Brandenburg Concertos

4. Franz Joseph Haydn — Symphony No. 50

5. J.S. Bach — Mass in B-minor

6. W.A. Mozart — Les Petites Riens

7. J.S. Bach — Orchestral Suites 1-4

8. Franz Joseph Haydn — Creation

9. Jean-Baptiste Lully — Suite from The Bourgeois Gentleman

10. J.S. Bach — Toccata and Fugue in D-minor

National host and producer; host of Saturday Cinema

Usual shift: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. central Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday

Fave music? Can't pin it down — classical, classic rock, jazz, classic jazz vocalists, and, of course, movie music and musical theater. I listen to it all — not just one thing.

Playlist

1. Mahler — Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) (love the old Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic recording with Jennie Tourel and company)

2. Brahms — any of the four symphonies with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic

3. Stan Kenton — "Malaguena" as a piece, and West Side Story as an album

4. Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim (the whole album, especially "Someone to Light Up My Life" and "Song of the Sabia")

5. Ella and Basie! (Quincy Jones arrangements; her "Honeysuckle Rose" modulations are awesome)

6. The Beatles — George Harrison's "Something" from Abbey Road

7. Eva Cassidy — "Over the Rainbow" from Songbird

8. "And He Was Beautiful"/"Cavatina," from The Deerhunter with Cleo Laine and guitarist John Williams

9. Judy Garland — "Over the Rainbow," from Judy at Carnegie Hall

10. Anything that Stephen Sondheim, Michael Giacchino, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini and John Williams ever wrote.

LISTEN — Audio Instructions

Ever heard of a composer named Beethoven? Today we will learn a few basics about the composer, his life, and music. Plus, we'll listen to a few greatest hits.

Target age range: K-8

1. First, some music. Have you heard this one? It's called Für Elise, for solo piano.

LISTEN — Für Elise
Ludwig van Beethoven
Louis Lortie, piano

2. Five fast facts:

• His full name was Ludwig van Beethoven.
• He was born in 1770 in Bonn, Germany.
• He died in 1827 at the age of 57. He is buried at the central cemetery in Vienna, Austria.
• He began to lose his hearing in his early thirties and was completely deaf by age 40. He could still compose music by hearing it in his head.
• He liked to go hiking in the Vienna Woods.
Match each picture below with one of the five facts.

3. Time for more music! Here is the very famous first movement from Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.

LISTEN — Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 I. Allegro con brio
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

4. Reflection questions for journaling or discussion.

• Have you heard some of this music before? Do you remember when or where?
• Why do you think Beethoven's music is still played 250 years after he was born? What makes it stand the test of time?
• Do you think Beethoven has influenced other composers and musicians? In what ways?
• How do you think music and music-making have changed in the 250 years since Beethoven was born? Name some major changes.
• How would you describe this music to someone who had never heard it before?
• What do you think it was like for Beethoven to lose his hearing? How would you cope with a setback like that?

5. Beethoven was famous for writing symphonies and piano music, but he also wrote a lot of beautiful chamber music, or music for small groups of musicians. A very common type of chamber group is the string quartet, which includes two violins, a viola, and a cello. Here is the typical seating arrangement for a string quartet.

Listen to a little bit of a string quartet by Beethoven.

LISTEN — String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 IV. Alla danza tedesca
Ludwig van Beethoven
Yale Quartet

6. Finally, here is the second movement from Beethoven's Symphony #7. Notice a simple melody repeats over and over and is passed around to different instrument families.

LISTEN — Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 II. Allegretto
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

7. Want to see some musicians performing Beethoven? Here are Class Notes Concert artists Artu Duo performing at Classical MPR studios.

8. Can't get enough Beethoven? Find some at Classical MPR's Daily Download.

Have a question or suggestion? Contact Katie Condon, music education specialist.

More: View all of our daily YourClassical Music Lessons

Our Daily Breather is a series where we ask writers and artists to recommend one thing that's helping them get through the days of isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Who: Nicholas Cords of Brooklyn Rider

Where: Boston, Mass.

All of this found time might have provided a prime opportunity for an epic chamber music reading party, but I nevertheless keep a near-constant strain of music running in my head. Maybe because [Brooklyn Rider] recorded it recently, but I've been holding Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Opus 132, front-of-mind these days.

Beethoven found himself recovering from a life-threatening illness in 1825 when he composed the central movement, the Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesesen an die Gottheit, in der lidischen Tonart ("Song of Thanksgiving from a Convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode"). This desert island movement is not only a celebration of feeling new physical strength, but it is essentially an expression on the renewal of the soul and the joyful return of Beethoven's creative powers. Touchingly written in the margin of a sketch for this movement is the following note: "Thank you for giving me back the strength to enjoy life."

I have wrapped myself over the years with so many different activities and responsibilities, celebrating the mantra of the itinerant artist that "busy is good." So much so that I had been feeling frequently overwhelmed and disconnected from an overarching sense of purpose. Now, as the days at home slowly pass, the layers of that life are slowly peeling away.

After the initial waves of panic (which, admittedly, have not gone away completely), emerging is something more calming and elemental. A throughline is starting to form across daily activities like writing, communicating with friends and family, teaching online, improvising a new way of daily life, practicing the viola and thinking about how to contribute in an age of physical distancing. That throughline is a magic power each and every one of us posses; the unyielding power of creativity.

I've understood more than I ever have before that the creative spark within me can never be taken away, and that it is in fact incredibly sustaining and life-affirming. It's surreal that it should take a global pandemic to remind me of this simple truth, but I think I've understood Beethoven's thankful sentiment more in the last week than I have across decades of music-making.

Nicholas Cords is the violist for the quartet Brooklyn Rider, which recently released the album Healing Modes. He is also co-artistic director of the musical collective Silkroad and serves on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music.

Hear the pieces your favorite classical hosts turn to when they need calm. Enjoy music specially selected by Steve Staruch, Elena See, Scott Blankenship, Brian Newhouse, Julie Amacher and Andrea Blain.

In the run-up to Valentine's Day, we asked you what musical selections articulate feelings of love. Lyrical melodies, operatic voices soaring aloft, heartfelt words set to memorable music — for many a listener, these are the sounds of romance.

We've tallied your votes, and here are the results:

Here is the list of your top 10 "romance" pieces — as voted by you:

1. Tchaikovsky — Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme

1. Rachmaninoff — Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: 18th Variation

1. Leo Delibes — Lakme: Flower Duet

1. Leonard Bernstein — West Side Story: Somewhere

1. Jules Massenet — Thais: Méditation

1. Giacomo Puccini — La Bohème: O soave fanciulla

1. Giacomo Puccini — Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro

1. Camille Saint-Saëns — Samson and Delilah: Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (My heart at thy sweet voice)

1. George Gershwin — Love Is Here to Stay

1. Aram Khachaturian —Spartacus: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia

Pianist Emma Taggart, a 2017 and 2019 Minnesota Varsity Showcase Artist, recently made her third appearance on the national radio program From the Top. The 16-year-old native of Blaine, Minn., performed Franz Liszt's 'Liebestraum No. 3 in A-Flat Major.'

Before her performance, Taggart shared a few lines from the poem by Ferdinand Freiligrath that inspired Liszt to compose his piece:

O love, love as long as you can,
O love, love as long as you will,
For the time will come, the time will come,
When you will stand, grieving at the grave.

"It seems like the perfect piece for a 16-year-old girl to play," joked guest host Simone Dinnerstein.

"As it's grown with me and matured, I've come to love it even more," Taggart said. "It's definitely one of my favorites, and I hope to continue playing it for many more years."

Taggart is currently a senior at St. Agnes High School in St. Paul, Minn., and studies privately with Dr. Reid Smith. She plans to pursue an undergraduate degree in piano performance.

Several Minnesota Varsity alumni have gone on to great things. For more on these incredible young people, check out "Where are they now?" — an online series that tracks past participants' latest successes.

Two of Germany's best exports are music and beer. Explore both for Oktoberfest in this episode of Hop Notes, with Yoerg Brewing Co. in St. Paul, Minn., and works by Mozart and Richard Strauss.

Playlist

This episode of Hop Notes includes excerpts from the following works:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Idomeneo Overture
Orchestra of the San Carlo Theatre, Naples, conducted by Marco Guidarini

Oboe Quartet
Salzburg Soloists

Piano Sonata No. 4
Siegfried Mauser

Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Schwarz

Der Rosenkavalier
Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Minneapolis cellist Nygel Witherspoon, a 2017 Minnesota Varsity Showcase Artist and winner of the 2019 Sphinx Competition Junior Division, continues to achieve national recognition for his superb musicianship. The young musician was recently featured on the national radio program From the Top.

Pianist and MacArthur 'Genius' Jeremy Denk hosted the episode, which featured the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra with conductor Filippo Ciabatti. Witherspoon joined several outstanding young musicians from across the country for a series of performances and interviews, recorded at the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Witherspoon performed the first movement from Dmitri Shostakovich's Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, considered among the most difficult works for cello. He shared that one of the biggest challenges in preparing the piece was learning to convey the strong emotions that Shostakovich hoped to express in the music.

"There's a lot of frustration in this piece," he told Denk. "With his composition, [Shostakovich] had a lot of oppression from the government. He was very restricted in what he could compose, but at the same he wanted to express his ideas. He had to have a sort of undertone to his music."

Witherspoon studied cello performance with Tanya Remenikova through the postsecondary enrollment options classes at the University of Minnesota. He is a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and is currently studying at Curtis Institute of Music with Peter Wiley.

Listen to Witherspoon's complete performance below.

Several Minnesota Varsity alumni have gone on to great things. For more on these incredible young people, check out "Where are they now?" — an online series that tracks past participants' latest successes.

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in New York, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota. Here are their top picks for must-hear recordings.

American Rapture; Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ward Stare; Yolanda Kondonassis, harp (Azica)

The excitement in Kodak Hall was palpable on that September night in 2018. The Rochester Philharmonic was recording the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Harp Concerto with Yolanda Kondonassis and RPO music director Ward Stare. By the end of the night, we knew we were in for a very special release. That CD, American Rapture, is now out, and, as it turns out, we were right. Higdon's concerto — at times funky and lyrical — is well matched by Barber's Symphony No. 1 and another world-premiere recording: the tone poem/overture Rapture, by Patrick Harlin. We couldn't be happier about it. In fact, you could say we're rapturous. — Julia Figueras, music director at WXXI's Classical 91.5 (Rochester, N.Y.)

LISTEN — Hidgon: Harp Concerto I. First Light

Leshnoff: Symphony No. 4 (Heichalos); Nashville Symphony, conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero; Jason Vieaux, guitar (Naxos)

Grammy-winning classical guitarist Jason Vieaux can frequently be heard on 90.9 WGUC. He recently was featured on a new release from Naxos that contains music by Jonathan Leshnoff, including his Guitar Concerto. The piece is splendid, taking some influence from the music of Joaquin Rodrigo, but also very much its own. The second movement, in particular, is a standout, featuring a stripped-down orchestra so that the soloist can really shine. Vieaux recorded the piece alongside Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony, and 90.9 featured it on a new weekday segment, New at Noon. WGUC also had the privilege of interviewing Vieaux for a special feature in its music blog, Clef Notes. — Jessica Lorey, classical music director at 90.9 WGUC (Cincinnati, Ohio)

LISTEN — Leshnoff: Guitar Concerto: II. Adagio (Live)

Decomposed: Episode 1 — "A Fallen, Abominable, Wicked Girl"; hosted by Jade Simmons

I'm experiencing a convergence of many opportunities touching on the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann in September. If you haven't yet listened to it, I recommend the episode of the podcast Decomposed devoted to the "fallen, abominable, wicked girl." It's all about Schumann and dives into many aspects of her life, including her decision to be a performer rather than a composer. Alongside that is the new 2019 album featuring pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Romance: The Piano Music of Clara Schumann is a great example of her work — starting off with her underappreciated Piano Concerto. — Brad Althoff, managing producer of national classical programs, American Public Media (St. Paul, Minn.)

Jazz Nocturne: The Collected Piano Music of Dana Suesse; Sara Davis Buechner, piano (eOne)

These lazy, hazy summer days call for a bit of Jazz Age elegance on the radio … why yes, mix me another G&T, thank you, dear! What was I saying? Oh, yes. You know, a bit of Gershwin, Porter, Arlen, Cole … and Dana Suesse, of course. Sparkling, inventive, on trend — you know she was dubbed the "Girl Gershwin" by all the rags in the '30s, darling — I'm sure you can sing every note of her Jazz Nocturne, which was hugely fashionable, simply inescapable! But on a day like this, Afternoon of a Black Faun is the perfect tease, with its lazy stride — or Serenade to a Skyscraper, which really sets off her harmonic genius, dear. Do you know, she studied with Boulanger? I have a soft spot for Swamp-bird, — such an unattractive title! — but I follow that sweet creature from branch to branch every time I hear it. I'm afraid I can't bear Midnight in Gramercy Square in company; sadly, it makes me think of the sweetheart I lost. Never mind, I found you. Shall we dance? Miss Buechner is playing You're the Surest Cure for the Blues! So is Suesse, and don't you forget it, darling. — Cara Lieurance, producer and host of Let's Hear It, WMUK (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

LISTEN — Suesse: Afternoon Of A Black Faun

The Hope of Loving: Choral Works of Jake Runestad; Conspirare, conducted by Craig Hella Johnson (Delos)

This is the most highly anticipated choral album this year. Why? Conspirare, led by Craig Hella Johnson, is arguably America's finest mixed-voice choir. And no one is writing music that addresses our divisive and careless era like Jake Runestad. His choice of text, and his intricate and lush setting of it, reminds us, "There is nothing so wise, nor so beautiful, nor so strong as love." — Brian Newhouse, host and managing director of classical programming, Minnesota Public Radio (St. Paul, Minn.)

LISTEN — Runestad: The Hope of Loving

The AFI has a ton of "Best of" lists, but today we look at the Top 25 Film Scores pared down to the top 12! Hey, it's only an hour show!

The American Film Institute's famous lists of Top (Fill-in-the-Blank) film polls culminates in the Top 100 films. There's also a list of 25 Best Film Scores and today on Saturday Cinema a look at (most of) the Top 12.

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Tennessee and Chicago. Here are their top picks for must-hear recordings.

Images: Music of Jeff Tyzik; Eastman Wind Ensemble, conducted by Mark Davis Scatterday (Summit)

Classical 91.5 regularly features Rochester composers, performers and ensembles. But each April we do a special celebration called Performance Rochester, where each day we highlight live recordings from local ensembles' most recent concert seasons. In celebration of Rochester, we recommend Images: Music of Jeff Tyzik, featuring the Eastman Wind Ensemble, conducted by Mark Davis Scatterday. Grammy-winning composer and conductor Tyzik was commissioned to write a work for the 100th anniversary of Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery. Images: Musical Impressions of an Art Museum was inspired by American metal sculptor Albert Paley's sculpture Convergence. Tyzik is principal pops conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic, Detroit, Dallas, Oregon and Florida Orchestras. — Ruth Phinney, program director at WXXI's Classical 91.5 (Rochester, N.Y.)

LISTEN — Tyzik: Images — I. Convergence

Buxtehude: Membra Jesu Nostri; Ricercar Consort, conducted by Philippe Pierlot (Mirare)

Major Themes recently featured a recording called Seven Responses, performed by ICE and the Crossing. Now, I'd like to recommend a gorgeous new release of the work that inspired Seven Responses: Dieterich Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri, performed by the Ricercar Consort. Buxtehude, usually only remembered as the organist who inspired Bach's pilgrimage to Lubeck, shines here as a master in his own right. These cantatas were intended to inspire spiritual contemplation by moving the emotions of the listener, and the Ricercar Consort brings exactly the right meditative mood to the music. Each movement gleams with subtle beauty. — Sara Schneider, producer and host of Early Music Now from WFMT (Chicago)

LISTEN — Buxtehude: Membra Jesu Nostri — Concerto a 3 voci [Ad cor]

Project W: Works by Diverse Women Composers; Chicago Sinfonetta, conducted by Mei-Ann Chen (Cedille)

Right now, I'm listening to a great new recording called Project W, by the Chicago Sinfonietta and its music director, Mei-Ann Chen. We had just started our calls for nominations for Performance Today's Classical Woman of the Year Award when my colleague Julie Amacher (program director for Classical 24) stopped by with this new album. She said it was a must listen. This is, indeed, a fantastic and important album. All of the compositions were written by women, commissioned by the Chicago Sinfonietta. In particular, I'm enjoying Sin Fronteras, by Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the title, but it becomes clear and quite clever once you listen. Assad describes the piece as "an aural journal [from] the bottom of South America … to the top of the northern hemisphere via Central America." You can hear her pick up little motifs or melodies along the way, collecting them in the score like souvenirs, until you have a full suitcase of delightful and connected musical themes. I loved this piece. As the liner notes point out, on average just 1.3 percent of all works programmed by professional orchestras were written by women. I hope we continue to hear more albums like this, showcasing the charm and depth of women composers we otherwise don't get to hear. — Suzanne Schaffer, senior producer for Performance Today from American Public Media (St. Paul, Minn.)

LISTEN — Assad: Sin Fronteras

With the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera recently celebrating the world premiere of George S. Clinton's The Rose of Sonora — a violin concerto inspired by legendary women of the Wild West — with the CSO's concert master, Holly Mulcahy soloing on the violin on April 25, we've had our minds set on the women who inspire us. That's why we were so excited to receive a copy of Project W, a world premiere recording project from the Chicago Sinfonietta, dedicated to celebrating diverse women composers from all over the world. Conductor Mei-Ann Chen breathes life into African-American composer Florence Price's Dances in the Canebrakes and Jennifer Higdon's delightful Dance Card, along with many other noteworthy pieces such as Indian-American composer Reena Esmail's Charukeshi Bandish. We've fallen in love with this wonderful project, and it's a recording we'll certainly be reaching for over and over again. — Edyn-Mae Stevenson, music director of WSMC's Classical 90.5 (Collegedale, Tenn.)

LISTEN — Price: Dances in the Canebrakes — No. 2. Tropical Noon

Lara Downes: Holes in the Sky (Portrait)

From the imaginative artist who gave us Exiles' Cafe and For Lenny, Lara Downes' new CD, Holes in the Sky, is a tribute to the women "who were ahead of their time in the courage of their creativity, who paved the way for me to take my own musical journey." This collection of 22 pieces is "genre-fluid" — Judy Collins sings her song "Albatross"; Simone Dinnerstein joins Downes in Ellis Island, by Meredith Monk; Rachel Barton Pine partners with Downes in Blue Piece, by Libby Larsen. Other selections are written and performed by trailblazers from Billie Holiday and Florence Price to Clarice Assad and Jennifer Higdon. Downes recently appeared in Ohio and did an in-studio recital at WCLV, playing selections from Holes in the Sky. — Bill O'Connell, program director of WCLV 104.9's Ideastream (Cleveland)

LISTEN — Monk: Ellis Island

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the leading symphony orchestra in the Netherlands, and its former chief conductor, Daniele Gatti, have come to a mutual agreement over the conductor's dismissal last August.

Tuesday the orchestra issued a statement on its website, claiming that "matters between the two parties have been resolved following extensive discussions."

The Italian conductor was quickly fired after a July 26, 2018 Washington Post article revealed that two female singers had accused him of sexual misconduct. At the time, orchestra officials also stated that after the article was published other female members of the Concertgebouw had come forward to complain about Gatti's "inappropriate" behavior. In a statement delivered through his lawyer, Gatti denied the allegations and hired a PR firm to protect his reputation. In a separate statement Gatti issued an apology, saying, "Today and moving forward, I plan to focus much more on my behaviors and actions with all women."

Tuesday's settlement announcement included surprisingly warm language from the orchestra, stating, "The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra wishes Maestro Daniele Gatti well, both personally and professionally. He will always remain an important part of the artistic legacy of the orchestra and he will always be remembered as its seventh chief conductor."

The Concertgebouw also mentioned, "as a token of appreciation," it plans to issue three recordings Gatti made with the orchestra during his short tenure. Gatti succeeded Maris Jansons as the chief conductor in 2016. In December, 2018, Gatti was appointed music director at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Fans of Hector Berlioz — and record companies, it appears — need no excuse to celebrate the music of the pioneering French composer and quick-witted music critic. The sesquicentennial of Berlioz's death falls on March 8, and to mark the occasion, Warner Classics has released a 27-CD box containing, purportedly, every forward-thinking note the composer ever wrote.

The byline of the album notes belongs to none other than David Cairns, the Yoda of all things Berlioz. He's the author of a 1500-page, two-volume biography of the composer and the translator and editor of The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, one of the wittiest and erudite autobiographies imaginable.

Speaking from his home in London, Cairns, now a sharp 92-year-old, talked at length about Berlioz's life and times, misunderstanding the composer's music at first, and why he thinks we need free spirits like Berlioz to keep our minds open.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Tom Huizenga: How did you first come to Berlioz?

David Cairns: My musical upbringing was extremely Germanic and I didn't discover Berlioz until I was over 30. For me it was Bach and then Beethoven and Brahms and Mozart and Wagner.

I remember in the early '50s — it must have been the first long-playing recording of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, I think was by [Eduard] van Beinum and the Concertgebouw Orchestra — my sister said, "You must listen to this." And I listened to it and it was complete gibberish to me. It's extraordinary because she said that when she first heard some Berlioz, it was like being in a foreign country and suddenly hearing your own language spoken.

What exactly did that "gibberish" sound like to you?

I just couldn't put one bar together, one measure together with another. It didn't seem to make sense. The music fell on deaf ears as far as I was concerned. One of the things against Berlioz was that, although he was passionately addicted to Beethoven's music, he realized that he [would have] to write a different sort of music. His compositional procedures were quite different: They were based much more on long melodies, not short motifs. That was one reason why I, who was steeped in the Austro-German music, couldn't understand it.

How would you explain Berlioz's music to someone who has never heard of him?

I would say you just have to get to know it. Particularly with his very long melodic lines. You see, if a composer writes very short motifs, just a few bars, it's much easier to follow. But if someone writes a melody of 40 bars or something, you've got to get to know it. When it begins you don't know where it's going, and at first you may think, "Why is it going where it does?"

With a lot of composers, say with Verdi — and I'm not saying anything against him — but his operas are not so different from each other. Berlioz had this extraordinary vivid, poetic imagination, and he would have a picture of a sort of world. Each major composition of his is a different, new world with its own rules, its own forms, its own colors.

The first one I got to know well was The Damnation of Faust, and after that it took me quite a time to get to know something as completely different as the Symphonie fantastique or Harold in Italy or Romeo and Juliet. Each one is a new world, and you have to tackle it.

Berlioz was not well understood during his life, especially in Paris where he spent most of his time. What was "wrong" with his music?

Art is a much more sort of central business in France than it is in Britain, where a lot of people just don't give a damn if they don't understand it. Particularly in Paris, everybody feels they've got to have an opinion about art. Also, I think French writers on music were much more prone just to lay down the law. Even if they didn't know what they were talking about, they would repeat what other people said. So once this idea of Berlioz as an eccentric, who didn't write the "right" sort of music, took root, it was very difficult to dislodge.

His music does have a reputation for being difficult to perform.

Yes, because it's rhythmically on a knife edge often — particularly his opera Benvenuto Cellini, where everything moves so fast, and where he's constantly switching the timbres of the big instrumental colors. I remember a friend of mine, who was a violinist with the London Symphony Orchestra, said, "You know, it happens so fast, and if you're just this split second late, you're lost." But I suppose orchestral technique is getting better all the time so that people can play this stuff, and they enjoy playing it because it's so varied and he uses the colors of the orchestra so brilliantly.

In 1874, five years after the composer died, a critic in a Boston paper said, "Berlioz will be utterly unknown 100 years hence to everybody except the encyclopedists."

Well, that's great. I'm sorry [that critic is] not around to have that opinion thrust in his face.

Do you think Berlioz is less misunderstood today?

I think that's coming to an end. Particularly in France, the 150th anniversary of Berlioz's death in Paris is being celebrated on a really grand scale at the moment. ... In music, I think it takes a very long time to eradicate false ideas about composers. [But] there's no reason why things shouldn't change eventually.

The conductor Colin Davis once told me he thought of Berlioz as the "first genuine romantic, maybe the only genuine romantic." He seemed to be this passionate idealist who made up the rules as he went along.

He made up the rules, but not as he went along. He had very clear plans. As a student at the Paris Conservatory, he was always being told by the professors that you can't write anything new — the great masters have done it. And he thought, that's nonsense, of course I can write something new — I'll just go my own way. He rejected the "rules," but that didn't mean each composition shouldn't have rules. The rules should be made for each particular work.

But I also agree with what the conductor Roger Norrington said, that Berlioz writes romantic music with a classical sound. The fact that he never learned to play the piano has a terrific influence on the way his music is laid out, and the clarity of it, and so on. I think that the sustaining pedal of the piano had such an effect on the way people wrote music in Germany, particularly in the 19th century. And Berlioz, who never learned the piano, escaped that.

Berlioz was also a very clever writer of words and observer of human nature, including religion. At the beginning of his memoirs, when he's talking about being a member of the Catholic Church, he writes: "This charming religion (so attractive since it gave up burning people) was for seven whole years the joy of my life." Does that strong personality and wit ever surface in his music?

Yes, it does. I think that although he turned against God — in his memoirs he says God, in his indifference to human suffering, is just stupid and revolting or something like that — he remembered what it was like to be a fervent believer. And that sort of regret for the loss of that belief is one of the things that fuels his religious music. After all, it's interesting that three of his main works — the Requiem, the Te Deum and The Childhood of Christ — are religious works. And I don't think that's accidental: They were things he wanted to write. That was because somehow the lost faith was painful to him. He's trying to recapture the feeling of humanity down the ages and the desire to believe in God, even if there isn't one.

What about the wit? Does that show up anywhere?

I think The Damnation of Faust is a witty work. The way he treats the drunken revelers in Auerbach's cellar and the parody he writes, the "Amen" fugue. And Mephistopheles, with all his brutality and evil, is also quite a witty person. Also Benvenuto Cellini, the opera, which is beginning to be performed much more often now, certainly in Europe, is beginning to come into its own. That is a very witty score.

Berlioz often mocked the music scene in Paris, both as a professional critic and as a public figure. He said things like: "Art in France is dead," or "In Paris music too often speaks to morons, barbarians and the deaf." What were his main complaints about the Parisian music scene?

I suppose it was partly the fact that so much mediocre music was performed. Also, they didn't rehearse properly. He describes — I can't remember which of his books it's in — what happens when a new opera is produced at the Paris Opera: People just lounge around and don't really take it seriously. It's a very long rehearsal period, and probably for that reason, people didn't work hard enough. But again, I remember Verdi saying that when you arrive at the door of the Paris Opera with a new score, within 10 minutes even the doorman knows that it's no good. They were very arrogant.

I think also, a lot of money was spent on cheap music. And one of the things that Berlioz wanted to do as a music critic was to raise the taste, and in fact make people understand that Beethoven was not a bore and not some mad foreigner. He didn't like having to spend so much time as a music critic — because that's how he earned his living — and not composing music.

How was Berlioz received in Paris as a music critic? His pen could be pretty sharp.

Contemporaries of his complain about the bitterness and savagery of his criticism. But Berlioz is rather like Bernard Shaw in that respect, in that he uses a rapier as a weapon and not a cosh. He is very delicate, and he uses humor. Sometimes, if he doesn't want to say how awful an opera is, he spends all his long notice writing about the libretto and what happens, and sort of passes over the music.

It's very difficult to generalize about a place like Paris, because there are some people who think something's awful and a lot of people that think it's good. That was the case with Berlioz: He had a big readership because the paper he wrote for, Le Journal des débats, was one of the chief dailies. But his criticisms were treated with respect. Just because he was so trenchant in his opinions, people thought he was brutal, but he wasn't. The things people wrote about Balzac novels, for instance, would make your hair stand on end.

You translated and edited his memoirs, which have to be among the wittiest memoirs of any musician. Do you have a favorite Berlioz story that means a lot to you?

Of course some of them are particularly grim, like the one where he disinters his first wife's body. But I'm very fond of the chapter where he talks about going to the opera: how he is weeping at some passage in one of those early French classical operas, and then suddenly a man from behind, who's noticed this, lifts him up and sits him down next to him, and they become very friendly. I also love that scene in Budapest when he's conducting the Rákóczy March and a Hungarian rushes into the green room afterwards and embraces him.

For Berlioz fans, any time is a good time to celebrate him, but now we're at the 150th anniversary of his death – why should we care about him today?

I think because he was such an intelligent man. And also, so many of his contemporaries suffered from this idiotic blight of anti-Semitism, and he wasn't like that. I've worked on Berlioz ever since the late '50s, and I find I never get tired of him: His wit, his humor, the breadth of his mind are so extraordinary. He was a great reader and he was a true European. And that's very important is the age of Brexit.

Debussy described himself as a "musicien français." I don't think Berlioz could have ever said anything like that. He said he had the misfortune to be born in France, but he had a passion for the whole world. He had a very open mind and that's something. I'm not saying anything against Bach – whose music I love – but Bach was a mass of prejudices about this, that and the other. Berlioz is a free spirit. It's one of the reasons why we should value him, quite apart from what music he wrote.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in Michigan, Tennessee, Vermont and California, and the national program Pipedreams. Here are their picks, with an emphasis on Women's History Month, piano, birthdays and vocal music.

Jakub Józef Orlinski: Anima Sacra (Erato)

At certain times of the year, I let chance, or serendipity, take an outsized role in my life, because I just can't stay on top of my to-do list. That includes tasks like listening to new releases before putting them on my show. So one day I ripped the plastic off of this CD, and played Track 1, fingers crossed. What happened next? I couldn't stop it. I played tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and it was the best show ever. You will hear a voice, a counter-tenor, so supple and phrase-loving, without a hint of hooting, singing in a language you don't understand (unless you speak Latin). But never mind, the humanity of the performance is what lifts the soul. The lack of straining. The pure release of beauty. It had to continue. There was a complete world on that recording, and I wanted to stay there forever. — Cara Lieurance, producer and host of Let's Hear It, WMUK (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

LISTEN — Fago: Il Faraone sommerso - 'Alla gente a Dio diletta'

The Crossing and International Contemporary Ensemble: Seven Responses (Innova)

Knoxville's Big Ears festival is a world-renowned celebration of avant garde music, film and art that takes place over the last weekend in March. Steve Reich, Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet are just a few of the festival's past artists-in-residence. The music department at WUOT spends much of March preparing music lovers in Knoxville for the event by interviewing and featuring recordings by visiting artists. This year, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) will perform works by four contemporary female composers. One of my favorite recordings by ICE is Seven Responses, its collaboration with the Grammy-winning choral ensemble the Crossing, conducted by Donald Nally. This album, inspired by Buxtehude's oratorio Membra Jesu Nostri, explores seven composers' responses to suffering and joy. — Melony Dodson, senior classical host and producer, WUOT (Knoxville, Tenn.)

LISTEN — Shaw: To the Hands - No. 2, In Medio

Maurizio Pollini: Chopin Nocturnes (DG)

Since their birthdays bookend the month, VPR Classical has devoted all of March to the music of Chopin and J.S. Bach. In February, we hosted a concert with local pianist Paul Orgel called "Alchemy of Genius." He paired Bach's preludes and fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II with Nocturnes, by Chopin. We are featuring one of these pairings each week on the air along with fresh episodes of our music history podcast Timeline exploring the lives of these two important composers. We have made all of the recordings from our "Alchemy of Genius" concert available on our website. — James Stewart, classical host and producer, Vermont Public Radio (Colchester, Vt.)

LISTEN — Chopin: Nocturne No. 8

Choir of King's College: The Music of King's - Choral Favourites From Cambridge (King's College)

Concurrent with its upcoming U.S. visit (St. Paul, Minn.; Washington, D.C.; and New York City), the estimable Choir of King's College, Cambridge, has released a CD of choral favorites. I delight in the span of repertoire covered here, from Palestrina (circa 1588) to Stephen Paulus (2001), six centuries that remind us of how old this choir is and what a marvelous tradition it has maintained and fostered through so many years. Since 1997, I've been honored and humbled to be able to add my introductions to its Christmas Eve broadcasts in the United States, and remember my first visit to the King's College Chapel in England during a summer adventure abroad only a few years into my now half-century-long MPR tenure. Everything one imagines about that ancient space is true, its remarkably clear acoustics, ravishing stained-glass windows, the mind-boggling expanse of fan-vaulting in the ceiling. The building itself makes the heart sing, even when the choir is absent. The choir is, of course, in perpetual motion; young choristers and choral scholars come and go with the passing years, as voices break or diplomas are earned. But Stephen Cleobury has made a "whole" of this ever-changing resource during the past 37 years, and done so brilliantly. On this new album, he leads his singers in psalms of praise, Passiontide laments, and prayers for peace and protection, each a meditation on the meaning of life and a reflection of the power of music — music not just for (or from) "Kings," but for each and every one of us. Amen! — Michael Barone, host and producer, Pipedreams (American Public Media)

LISTEN — Choir of King's College: Panis Angelicus

Lara Downes: Holes in the Sky (Portrait)

Women's History Month is upon us, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with the new album by Sacramento-based pianist Lara Downes. Holes in the Sky comprises 22 tracks, all of which are composed by women. Eclectic collaborations abound, as well, including icons such as Judy Collins, Grammy winner and 2017 MacArthur Fellow Rhiannon Giddens, and classical superstars Simone Dinnerstein and Rachel Barton Pine. One world premiere recording, Jennifer Higdon's Notes of Gratitude, opens with Downes plucking inside the piano. The plucking's percussive and restrained nature eventually gives way to an outpouring of emotion via the piano "proper." The six-minute piece is replete with unconventional harmonies and juxtaposes a rhapsodic musical structure, continuing that feeling of resistance vs. release. Downes fully explores the range of the keyboard within Higdon's confines, making for an immersive and lush listening experience. — Kevin Doherty, Morning Classical host and classical content coordinator, Capital Public Radio (Sacramento, Calif.)

LISTEN — Hidgon: Notes of Gratitude

Erhu player Benjamin Lee, 16, from Byron, Minn., will appear this week on From the Top, the hit NPR radio program featuring America's best young classical musicians.

The show will air on Classical MPR at noon Sunday, Feb. 24.

Lee is a senior at Byron High School. He studies erhu with Yunhe Liang and Gao Hong and participates in the Carleton College Global Music Ensemble and Chinese Music Ensemble. He is the only high school student to earn a scholarship to participate in a college summer program hosted by the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music. He is interested in ancient mythology, writing, illustrating and publishing, playing piano, programming, and loves his grandmother's cooking.

From the Top broadcast

On the broadcast, Benjamin performs Tai Ji Qin Jia (Taichi Warrior of Erhu), by Chen Jun. He also joins violinist Charlotte Marckx and hosts Charles Yang, violin, and Peter Dugan, piano, in a performance of Feeling Good (arr. by Charles Yang and Peter Dugan).

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in Minnesota, New York and Ohio. Here are their top picks for must-hear recordings.

Valerie Coleman: Portraits of Langston, from the McGill/McHale Trio's Portraits (Cedille)

Recently, WOSU Public Media's Classical 101 took part in Columbus' Harlem Renaissance celebration with a concert at the Columbus Museum of Art. Portraits of Langston featured chamber music by William Grant Still and the title work by Valerie Coleman. We're excerpting highlights from that concert for broadcast on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. eastern. We'll also be airing a series of modules called "Echoes of the Harlem Renaissance" during Black History Month. It's not easy to find recordings of Coleman's piece (which is really surprising), but the McGill/McHale Trio's version contains the wonderful narration from the writings of Langston Hughes — Cheryl Dring, program director at WOSU Public Media's Classical 101 (Columbus, Ohio)

LISTEN — Coleman: Portraits of Langston - Dance Africaine

Morten Lauridsen: Light Eternal, with the Chamber Choir of Europe, conducted by Nicol Matt (DG)

90.9 WGUC had the recent pleasure of interviewing composer Morten Lauridsen following the release of his latest album, Light Eternal. His ability to capture the true beauty and potential of the human voice is unmatched. If you've heard his music, you understand how powerfully moving it can be. This new album with Nicol Matt and the Chamber Choir of Europe is no exception. It contains some of the choral works he's become famous for — Lux Aeterna, selections from Les Chansons des Roses and O Magnum Mysterium. It also contains two world premiere recordings. The interview with Lauridsen is featured in WGUC's music blog, Clef Notes. — Jessica Lorey, classical music director 90.9 WGUC, (Cincinnati, Ohio)

LISTEN — Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium

A Far Cry: Visions and Variations (Crier Records)

February has rolled in with our fund drive, Black History Month celebrations and, of course, the Grammy Awards. One CD worth keeping your eye (and ears) on is the understated and elegant Visions and Variations, by A Far Cry. This chamber group followed up a super effort, Dreams & Prayers, with a release that has just three works — but all so beautifully played that they earned Grammy nods in two categories: best small ensemble and best engineered. The indie orchestra didn't win an award, but it paid for this recording through crowdfunding — and that's a storyline we can all get behind. — Julia Figueras, music director, WXXI Classical 91.5 (Rochester, N.Y.)

LISTEN — Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge - No. 10, Fugue and Finale

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection), with the Minnesota Orchestra and Chorale, conducted by Osmo Vänskä (BIS)

With all the classical music available today, it can be easy to neglect favorite pieces by favorite composers. Then when you least expect it, you're reminded of some work you haven't heard in ages. A few weeks ago, I was reminded that I hadn't listened to Mahler for a long while when his Symphony No. 1 (Titan) showed up in the latest installment of Classical Kids Storytime, The Mouse and the Lion. Who would've thought that his music would work so well with this story? Our super producer, Valerie Kahler, that's who. I've been down a Mahler rabbit hole ever since, especially this new release of his Resurrection Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra. No flowery description of the performance is necessary. You can sum it up with one word: sublime. — Scott Blankenship, host, Classical 24 (St. Paul, Minn.)

LISTEN — Mahler: Symphony No. 2 - II. Andante moderato

Ron Nelson: Holidays & Epiphanies, with the Dallas Wind Symphony, conducted by Jerry Junkins (Reference Recordings)

Ron Nelson's music is known widely in the concert band world, but it might not be as familiar to classical listeners. A recent episode of Composers Datebook noting the 1967 premiere of his jaunty Rocky Point Holiday reminded me of what a shame that he's not more familiar to traditionally orchestral audiences. A great place to start for neophytes is Jerry Junkin's fabulous compendium with his Dallas forces, Holidays & Epiphanies. It's a musical and sonic delight. Don't be put off by the title, which refers to the composer's works about holidays of the vacation kind, not the yuletide variety. — Randy Salas, senior digital producer for classical, Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media (St. Paul, Minn.)

LISTEN — Nelson: Rocky Point Holiday

What's your classical theme song for 2019? Do you rock to Bach? Mosey to Mozart? Bop to Beethoven? Find out which of 40 classical works should be your life's soundtrack in our new personality quiz!

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Vermont. Here are their top picks for the holiday season.

Gabrieli Consort and Players: Messiah (DG Archiv)

Performances and sing-alongs of Handel's Messiah are part of the signature sound of the holidays in Vermont. From a small group of friends gathered around a piano, to full orchestra and gigantic choirs, folks from all walks of life find musical connection in Handel's masterwork. One of VPR Classical's annual traditions is the Messiah Watch, a listing of where and when people can find these musical convergences statewide. To complement, I'll often find myself turning to the Messiah performance from Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort and Players. It's tight, alive, energetic and thoughtful. I get my fill of Christmas music in general pretty quickly, but I never seem to get tired of this recording. Hallelujah! — Kari Anderson, program director, Vermont Public Radio (Colchester, Vt.)

LISTEN — Handel: Messiah - Hallelujah

Corrado Saglietti: Suite for Alto Trombone and String Quartet, featuring Joe Burnam (Gaydou)

I recently heard a performance of composer/horn player Corrado Saglietti's Suite for Alto Trombone and String Quartet. You will find the tango, lyrical and lighthearted music in this piece thoroughly enjoyable, and a spice you might want to consider for your library. You have your pick of several recordings, including the one featuring Joe Burnam, the trombonist who commissioned and first performed and recorded the work, in 1993. — Jack Perlstein, announcer and producer, WMUK (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

LISTEN — Saglietti: Suite for Alto Trombone and String Quartet - excerpts

Yo-Yo Ma: Six Evolutions (Sony)

There aren't many classical artists who have recorded entire sets of works by a given composer twice. But how many can you think of who have made three recordings of a single composer's concertos, sonatas or suites during the course of their careers? In his new recording, Six Evolutions, Yo-Yo Ma returns to the complete Bach Cello Suites for the third time. He first recorded them in his 20s, and came back to them in his 40s for his acclaimed Inspired by Bach release. Now in his 60s, Ma revisits these pieces for unaccompanied cello that he says have been his "constant companions for six decades." All of the recordings of this peerless cellist playing these works are superior, of course; but to have such a remarkable record of one of the greatest musicians of the past 100 years playing them at three distinct periods in his life is a rare treat. — Steve Seel, host of Extra Eclectic, American Public Media

LISTEN — Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 - Prelude

George Szell: The Complete Columbia Album Collection (Sony)

"I set out to build an orchestra which would combine the best qualities of the fine European orchestras with the finest qualities of the American orchestras." — George Szell

Conductor George Szell built the Cleveland Orchestra into that and much more during his tenure from 1946 to 1970, and created a genuine legacy that the ensemble has sustained right up to Dec. 11, its 100th anniversary. Sony Classical celebrates with a 106-CD box set (!) of the complete recordings by the conductor who put Cleveland on the map, Szell. With all the original cover art in mini-LP jackets, and a cost slightly more than $1 per disc, this is an amazing value. Heck, it's worth the price of admission just to hear principal clarinet Robert Marcellus playing the Mozart Concerto, and the horn section in the Mozart Divertimento K. 131. Hours and hours of magnificence. — John Birge, host, Classical Minnesota Public Radio (St. Paul, Minn.)

LISTEN — Mozart: Clarinet Concerto - Adagio

Apollo's Fire and Jeannette Sorrell: Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain (Avie)

Given the success of Apollo's Fire's 2015 release, Sugarloaf Mountain, which was a Top 5 Billboard classical crossover hit, it was almost inevitable that the ensemble would follow up with this release. But that inevitability doesn't make it any less fresh and compelling. For almost 70 minutes, Jeannette Sorrell leads Apollo's Fire, Apollo's Singers, Apollo's Musettes (children's chorus) and soloists in a well-crafted program that at times spins and rollicks (it's impossible to keep from tapping your toe), and at other times arrests the listener with its quiet beauty. Nowhere is this simple beauty more apparent than in "Christ Child's Lullaby," sung by soprano Amanda Powell. Stunning! And one can't help but be grateful that Sorrell decided to include the bonus track "The Parting Glass," a duet with Powell and tenor Ross Hauck. It seems a fitting way to close holiday celebrations. Goodnight, and joy be with you all. — Jenny Northern, station manager, WCLV 104.9 ideastream (Cleveland, Ohio)

LISTEN — Traditional: Christ Child's Lullaby

Guitarist Roy Clark, who died Thursday at 85, was known far and wide as the banjo-pickin' ace of the country-music TV show Hee Haw. But he was a master musician who also had impressive classical chops, too.

Here's the proof from a recorded-live performance on the classic TV comedy The Odd Couple, as he plays the Spanish guitar favorite "Malagueña."

He also performed the tune on electric guitar during a 1970s TV special, although viewers have to suffer through annoying video effects from the era.

Clark actually recorded "Malagueña" well before these TV appearances. It's included on several of his compilations, including this one.

RIP, Roy Clark.

Listen as Lynne Warfel hosts this hourlong special Armistice Day, the end of World War I. Audiences will hear music from and about the historic period spanning WWI through the signing of the armistice from both sides of the Atlantic.

Playlist

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
City of London Sinfonia

Holst: Ode to Death
City of London Sinfonia; London Philharmonic Chorus

Butterworth: "The Lads in Their Hundreds" from A Shropshire Lad
Bryn Terfel, baritone; Malcolm Martineau, piano

Farrar: Heroic Elegy
Philharmonia Orchestra

Britten: "Let Us Sleep Now" from War Requiem
St. Cecilia Orchestra, Chorus and Children's Choir; Anna Netrebko, soprano; Ian Bostridge, tenor; Thomas Hampson, baritone

Traditional: "Flowers of the Forest"
Isla St. Clair, vocals

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and California, as well as American Public Media. Here are their top picks.

La Nef: Music for Joan the Mad (Dorian)

I have no doubt that there are some great horror movie soundtracks out there, but I'm a big scaredy-cat, so I'll recommend this album, which is more eerie than terrifying, for the end of October. La Nef is a wonderful French-Canadian early-music ensemble that stands out from its more scholarly contemporaries by embracing story, theater and atmosphere. From the first notes of this recording, you become immersed in the lonely exile of a troubled Spanish queen, who lived for years in isolation, her courtiers soothing her moods with music. The Sephardic or Arabic modes that many songs are based on are similar to what inspired Miles Davis' "modal" music in Kind of Blue. How fascinating to hear that connection! And, for me, just as cool. — Cara Lieurance, producer/host of Let's Hear It on WMUK, Kalamazoo, Mich.

LISTEN — Music for Joan the Mad: Songs of Exile - The Mermaid

Chopin: Ballades and Nocturnes; performed by Leif Ove Andsnes (Sony)

There are many recordings of Chopin on the market. That said, I'm glad that Leif Ove Andsnes has taken the time to create this album and that it's now something that we can share with our audiences. The music sounds dreamlike in his capable hands, and my overall listening experience became all the more satisfying when I learned that Andsnes struggled in a sense to find this intimate place in his relationship with the pianists' pianist. Unsurprisingly, it will pair well with your favorite bottle of red. — Brad Althoff, managing producer of national classical programs, American Public Media, St. Paul, Minn.

LISTEN — Chopin: Ballade in G Minor

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F; performed by Kirill Gerstein, with David Robertson conducting the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Myrios)

90.9 WGUC had the recent pleasure of interviewing Kirill Gerstein following the release of his latest album and in anticipation of his upcoming performance with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. His new album features some of the most-loved music by George Gershwin — Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F. Gerstein takes this all-too-familiar music to the next level with his jazz and classical-fused flair. The album also includes a few selections from piano legend Earl Wild and a piece by Oscar Levant. The interview with Gerstein can be heard on WGUC's music blog, Clef Notes. — Jessica Lorey, classical music director 90.9 WGUC, Cincinnati, Ohio

LISTEN — Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

Craig Hella Johnson: Considering Matthew Shepard, performed by Conspirare (Harmonia Mundi)

Where words fail, music speaks. But what happens when you add words to music? The words become much more powerful. Contemporary choral music takes text, old and new, and sets it to music in powerful ways while addressing current events and topics, such as suicide, equality and, perhaps above all else, love. At WUOT, I host and produce a weekly hourlong show called the Choral Hour, which features contemporary choral music and performers. At the end of October, I played selections from Craig Hella Johnson's Considering Matthew Shepard to tie in with the interment of Matthew Shepard, 20 years after his death. I love this piece because it really personalizes this horrible tragedy and encourages us to think about how we treat fellow human beings — not to mention that the music is gorgeous! — Melony Dodson, senior classical host/producer, WUOT, Knoxville, Tenn.

LISTEN — Considering Matthew Shepard: Passion - I Am Like You/We Are All Sons

Anne Akiko Meyers: Mirror in Mirror (Avie)

A major classical presenter in our area (the Mondavi Center) recently asked me to write an article about the importance of new music. In short, I believe it advances the art form and it gives the listener an opportunity to hear music that encompasses the sounds of their time. Anne Akiko Meyers' Mirror in Mirror is the perfect gateway for a newbie to contemporary music. This hauntingly atmospheric album includes the ethereal sounds of modern masters like Philip Glass and Arvo Pärt, as well as two world-premiere recordings by electronic scribe Jakub Ciupinski. With an emphasis on the ambient and minimalist genres and a smattering of electronics, Mirror in Mirror is a solid reflection of the sounds of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. — Kevin Doherty, classical content coordinator, Capital Public Radio, Sacramento, Calif.

LISTEN — Ciupinski: Edo Lullaby

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine plays a duet with the cutest partner ever: her 7-year-old daughter, Sylvia! Watch now as they perform a duet from the book Balada, by Brazilian composer Chiquinha Gonzaga, for Performance Today in our studios.

Then check out New Classical Tracks as Pine talks about her connection to the blues and shares some extraordinary music by black composers featured on her latest album, Blues Dialogues. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win the CD!

And on Performance Today, Pine shares her concerns about the future of classical music in American society and what she's doing about it.

When conductor Adrian Boult led the first performance of The Planets on Sept. 29, 1918, composer Gustav Holst surely never imagined that his work would continue to thrive 100 years later. Not only does The Planets remain one of the greatest orchestral showpieces in classical music, but there are so many recordings of it that one tenacious website has emerged to track them all.

It's called Peter's Planets, and it's a trove worth exploring as Holst's seminal work — a seven-movement opus inspired by the astrological signs associated with our planets — marks its centennial.

Run by an affable Aussie named Peter Scott, the website exhaustively reviews and ranks every commercial recording of The Planets — all 83 of them, and counting. It all started a few years ago when someone asked in an online forum for members to list their five favorite performances of The Planets.

"I decided to answer that question with a few comments on why my favorites were my favorites," Scott explains by email from his home in Australia. "The next thing I knew, I had a website devoted to every CD of The Planets I could find."

What's so enticing about The Planets?

"The simple answer is 'Mars,'" Scott says. "That's what got me interested in The Planets in the first place. The rest came later. But overall, it's the tunes, the variety, and the masterful orchestration."

The same sentiment goes for conductor Andrew Litton, who first heard the work at one of Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts around 1970.

"Back then, we only had artist renderings of the planets, but Holst's music sounded exactly like they looked," says Litton, whose 1997 Delos recording with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra is ranked No. 7 by Peter's Planets. "It still does! This was even more incredible since he was setting the astrological meaning of the planets and not the astronomical! Holst single-handedly invented the sound of outer space."

Yet, despite the popularity of The Planets, live performances are "surprisingly rare," says conductor Roy Goodman, whose 1996 Carlton Classics recording using original instruments comes in at No. 6 at Peter's Planets.

"There are major musical and logistical difficulties in performance," he adds, "not least the enormous forces required, including quadruple winds, six horns, two timpanists, two harps, organ and ladies' chorus. It's also quite a lengthy suite — at a couple of minutes longer than Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. … The ending is problematic to bring off effectively, being very quiet and exposed, with a fade to nothing of the unaccompanied seven-part ladies' voices."

More: Conductor Roy Goodman on recording The Planets

Goodman concludes: "The enduring popularity of The Planets relies heavily on the many recordings, and it also boasts over 90 soundtrack credits in both films and TV programs."

Topping all recordings at Peter's Planets is a 1986 Decca recording that has been hailed by many as one of the clearest-sounding and best-played renditions of the work. That release, performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, also happens to be conducted by Charles Dutoit — the 81-year-old Swiss conductor who has been ostracized by the classical world in the past year following allegations of sexual assaults and other misconduct.

Nevertheless, Dutoit retains the No. 1 spot at Peter's Planets.

"I tend to separate the man from the music," Scott explains. "I don't think of the personal lives of musicians when I'm listening to the music. It's the same with composers. Take Richard Wagner, for example: Should we never listen to his music because he was a horrible man? When I'm listening to the music, that's what I'm doing: listening to the music."

With so many releases of The Planets, it's hard to believe that there's a major conductor who hasn't recorded the work. But that's the case with Fritz Reiner, the legendary leader who recorded so many orchestral spectaculars with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. That remains a dream rendition for Scott.

"Man, oh, man, a Planets from them would have been astounding," he says.

As if cataloging dozens of orchestral recordings of The Planets weren't enough, don't ever suggest that Peter's Planets tackle the many excerpts available on compilations and other recordings.

Quiz: How well do you know The Planets?

"Nooooo!" Scott says. "That way lies madness. On the website, I wanted to focus on The Planets as a whole. The thought of reviewing just bits of The Planets gives me the heebie-jeebies."

The same goes for releases of alternate orchestrations, including those for rock band, synthesizer and concert band.

"I'm happy just concentrating on the orchestral Planets," Scott says. "There are enough of them to contend with."

Explore the photo gallery below to see the top 10 recordings of The Planets, according to Peter's Planets, along with Peter Scott's one-word review of each one. Click the player above to hear Seiji Ozawa's recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which comes in at No. 2.

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Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. This month, we checked in with friends in Minnesota, Ohio and New York, plus the host of Performance Today. Here are their top picks.

Elgar: Enigma Variations; Leonard Bernstein conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra (DG)

The 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birthday passed last month, but I am still obsessed with exploring the life and music of this extraordinarily passionate musician. I just stumbled across a 1982 recording, Bernstein conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations. Some Elgar-o-philes consider this recording blasphemous for Bernstein's slow tempos; I find it utterly endearing and sensuous, as if Bernstein is savoring every note. The beautiful sadness of "Nimrod" takes on a sense of eternity, lifting me into the ineffable, beyond time and space. And check out Bernstein playfully sparring with the orchestra in this rare rehearsal footage! ("You talk big, but you don't last!") The full recording was released by Deutsche Grammophone on a 2001 CD, and is still available, thanks be to Bernstein. — Fred Child, host of Performance Today

LISTEN — Elgar: Nimrod

Songs for Strings, arranged by Donald Fraser (Avie)

Each year, WCLV enthusiastically celebrates Monty Python Day on Oct. 5. Although this recording has absolutely nothing to do with Monty Python, it likely bubbled to the surface because we're in what you might call "an Anglo state of mind." Songs for Strings is a real delight. Donald Fraser has reimagined works by Dowland, Purcell, Elgar and others, arranging them for strings — specifically, for the English Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra. Among the many satisfying cuts on the release are the setting of Antonio Lotti's beloved eight-part Crucifixus, Elgar's haunting — and seldom heard — art song Pleading and an imaginative rendering of Marin Marais' Sonnerie. Fraser shares his own Epilogue for Strings and puts his touch on Lord Lovat's Lament, written in the 18th century by one of Fraser's ancestors. Don't miss the story in the liner notes! — Jenny Northern, station manager, WCLV 104.9 ideastream (Cleveland, Ohio)

LISTEN — Fraser: Epilogue for Strings

Nexus with Michael Burritt: Home

It's late September, which means Rochester, N.Y., has been engulfed by the Fringe Festival. The streets are alive with acrobats, theater, art and — of course — music! The Eastman School of Music got into the act this year with several offerings, including a performance by the Eastman Percussion Ensemble of Steve Reich's epic and revolutionary work Drumming. The ensemble was coached by Prof. Russell Hartenberger, a founding member of the internationally acclaimed percussion group Nexus and an original collaborator with Reich on the piece. So, in the spirit of the Fringe Festival, we challenge you to go to the fringes of your musical selections with Home, the most recent Nexus release, which features a piece (and solo) by Michael Burritt, the director of the Eastman Percussion Ensemble. — Julia Figueras, music director, WXXI Classical 91.5 (Rochester, N.Y.)

LISTEN — Nexus with Michael Burritt: Home

Béla Fleck: Perpetual Motion (Sony)

We're gearing up for a pledge drive later this week, and one of our messages is that you don't need to know a lot about classical music to enjoy it. With that in mind, we did a highly unscientific poll of our nonclassical staff members and asked them to tell us their favorite piece of classical music and why they picked it. We got both predictable and surprising answers — and some great stories! Not surprisingly, Pachelbel showed up, as did Saint-Saëns' "The Swan," Elgar's "Nimrod," Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Debussy's Clair de Lune. Some nice surprises included film scores by Hans Zimmer, music by Olafur Arnalds, Chopin's Tristesse Waltz as study music, and Debussy, again — not Children's Corner, but very specifically "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum." And when I explored the reason for that selection, the answer was Béla Fleck! So, this Friday our request show will feature selections and stories from our nonclassical staff, including a nice little taste of Debussy, courtesy of Fleck, Joshua Bell and some other amazing musicians from the recording Perpetual Motion. It's always exciting to see what door people find into classical music! — Cheryl Dring, program director at WOSU Public Media's Classical 101 (Columbus, Ohio)

LISTEN — Béla Fleck: Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets; performed by Miro Quartet

When I interviewed the Miro Quartet in March for New Classical Tracks, the members talked at length about how they resolve conflict as four very different people who make music together. Since they had plans to perform in Minnesota in September, I asked if they'd be willing to come to Classical Minnesota Public Radio headquarters to talk more about how we can achieve almost anything when goals are unified and respect exists between people. They were thrilled to be asked! Cellist Joshua Gindele led the discussion, addressing points verbally — such as valuing our differences while finding unity and being in the moment — and then illustrating each by playing and rehearsing. It was an enlightening session — the same kind of forward thinking you'll hear in the ensemble's ongoing project to record Beethoven's complete String Quartets, including a moving performance of No. 14. — Julie Amacher, program director of Classical MPR (St. Paul, Minn.) and host of New Classical Tracks

LISTEN — Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14

Welcome to Major Themes, a monthly feature in which classical music experts recommend a must-hear recording based on what's happening at classical stations and programs around the country. For August's installment, we checked in with friends in Ohio, Tennessee and Vermont, as well as the new overnight host of Classical 24, the nationally syndicated classical music service. Here are their top picks.

John Adams: I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky (Warner/Rhino)

Something I'm always thinking about is the future of classical music. What is it going to sound like? What subjects will it cover? This work answers those questions for me. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky is an opera by John Adams — he calls it a "song-play." The title comes from a quote by a survivor of the 1994 earthquake in Los Angeles. That catastrophe, coupled with issues of race, immigration and the police's relationship with society drive the plot of this work. If you're interested in classical music that's in the moment, and truly American, I highly recommend listening to this recording. — Garrett McQueen, host/producer, Classical 24's Music Through the Night

LISTEN Adams: I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky

Jean Sibelius: Kullervo; Osmo Vänskä conducting the Minnesota Orchestra (BIS)

Although Jean Sibelius may be a classical music household name for beloved favorites like Finlandia and the Fifth Symphony, as with many prolific composers, a large portion of his oeuvre has been forgotten by history. Over the next few months, we'll be unearthing some of these classics lost to history and featuring them weekly. Sibelius' dramatic choral symphony Kullervo, based on a tale found in the Finnish Kalevala, contains as much passion and otherworldliness as his other popular works. This work, which feels like a smorgasbord of five miniature tone poems, will transport you to the rugged and ancient forests of Finland and recall tales of ancient warriors and kingdoms. The Minnesota Orchestra's heroic interpretation from 2017, led by Osmo Vänskä, is sure to thrill any lover of Sibelius. And who better to conduct such a magnificent work than one of the greatest living Finnish musicians? — Tyler Rand, social innovation manager, Classical 90.5 WSMC, Chattanooga, Tenn.

LISTEN Sibelius: Kullervo - Introduction

Owain Park: Choral Works (Hyperion)

Since September is Classical Music Month, it seems an appropriate time not only to celebrate the centuries of "tried and true" classics we play on a daily basis, but also to commend classical music being created today. The just-released recording of Owain Park's choral works is a disc we look forward to sharing with our listeners. There's much here to love — ranging from the young composer's setting of "Ave Maris Stella" to his bright "The Wings of the Wind" and the ethereal "For the Fallen." The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, under Stephen Layton, performs with the technical precision and exquisite expression we've come to expect from this fine ensemble. — Jenny Northern, station manager, WCLV 104.9 ideastream (Cleveland, Ohio)

LISTEN Owain Park: Ave Maris Stella

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring and The Firebird Suite; Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducting the Frankfurt Radio Symphony (Pentatone)

This 2016 release presents fresh, new interpretations of Stravinksy's seminal works — The Rite of Spring and The Firebird Suite (1919). Both pieces represent the music of changes: Rite has become a touchstone for new music in the 20th century, and Firebird is, of course, the story of change — life, death and rebirth. We've been thinking about change a lot at VPR Classical lately. Our original podcast Timeline has recently released a special series called Timeline: Elements. These four episodes (Fire, Water, Earth and Air) dive into music, history, art, science and philosophy. Through the stories and facts presented, Timeline: Elements seeks to break down the compartments of knowledge that separate our thinking and allow the listener to draw connections from different disciplines and time periods. We even hosted a night of lecture and live performance, inviting listeners to come and engage with these topics face to face. — James Stewart, host and producer of the podcast Timeline, Vermont Public Radio (Colchester, Vt.)

LISTEN Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite - Finale