Poster Shostakovich
Shostakovich head shot. Resting on hand.
multaculture.com
Performance Today®

Shostakovich's fifth symphony

The symphonies of Shostakovich are powerful musical testaments to a creative life lived under the burden of an oppressive government. And a deep understanding of that comes through in this exceptionally powerful performance of the third and fourth movements. Conductor Yuri Temirkanov leads the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in concert in Birmingham, England.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Grigoras Dinicu: "Hora Staccato"
The New York Philharmonic with conductor Leonard Bernstein

Richard Strauss: "Quick Waltz" from "Der Rosenkavalier" Suite
The New York Philharmonic with conductor Lorin Maazel

Leopold Godowsky: Studies on the Chopin Etudes, Op. 10, No. 5 and Op. 25, No. 9 ("Badinage")
Pianist Francesco Libetta
Miami International Piano Festival of Discovery, Miami Beach, Florida

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio in B-flat, KV 411
David Shifrin and Todd Levy, clarinets; and Mark Dubac, Kyle Knox and James Moffitt, basset horns
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Igor Stravinsky: "The Song of the Nightingale"
The New York Philharmonic with conductor Lorin Maazel
Avery Fisher Hall, New York City

Maurice Ravel: "Le Tombeau de Couperin"
Carol Wincenc, flute; William Bennett, oboe; Carey Bell, clarinet; William VerMeulen, French horn; and Dennis Godburn, bassoon
Music@Menlo Festival, Palo Alto, California

Hour 2

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Introduction, theme and seven variations from "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"
Pianist Dmitri Alexeev with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Yuri Temirkanov

Johann Sebastian Bach: Three Fugues from "The Well-Tempered Klavier" for String Quartet, K. 405
The Orion String Quartet
Music@Menlo Festival, Palo Alto, California

Anonymous: "A New Tune"
The Palladian Ensemble
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul

Dmitri Shostakovich: Third and fourth movements from Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47
The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Yuri Temirkanov
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England

Ludwig van Beethoven: Rondino in E-flat for Wind Octet, WoO. 25
The Chicago Chamber Musicians
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, Illinois

Love the music?

Donate by phone
1-800-562-8440

Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.

Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.

YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.

More Ways to Give

Your Donation

$5/month
$10/month
$15/month
$20/month
$

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

PT Weekend: Osvaldo Golijov

PT Weekend: Osvaldo Golijov

In 2000, composer Osvaldo Golijov experienced a wave of violence in Israel. Soon after, at a planetarium in New York, he saw an image of Earth from afar, our beautiful blue planet floating in apparent serenity. Tune in today for music inspired by contrasting perspectives and realities: Tenebrae, by Osvaldo Golijov.

1:59:00
Strings for Peace

Strings for Peace

Sharon Isbin is a master of Western classical music. Amjad Ali Khan is a master of Indian classical music. Together, they're building musical and cultural bridges. Join us at a concert in Aspen for a highlight from Sharon Isbin's and Amjad Ali Khan's Strings for Peace project.

1:59:00
Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras describes J.S. Bach's solo cello suites as a "burst of life." To Queyras, these suites transcend any particular time or place; they feel like a metaphysical connection between earth and heaven. Tune in today to hear Jean-Guihen Queyras play J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 2 at a recent concert in Girona, Spain.

1:59:00
Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae

Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae

In 2000, composer Osvaldo Golijov experienced a wave of violence in Israel. Soon after, at a planetarium in New York, he saw an image of Earth from afar, our beautiful blue planet floating in apparent serenity. Tune in today for music inspired by contrasting perspectives and realities: Tenebrae, by Osvaldo Golijov.

1:59:00
Gabriella Smith: Children of the Fire

Gabriella Smith: Children of the Fire

Composer Gabriella Smith grew up hiking and backpacking. She finds joy and inspiration in climate action and nature, and her music reflects the perpetual groove of the world around us. Tune in today to hear Gabriella Smith's 'Children of the Fire,' from a concert in Charleston, South Carolina.

1:59:00
Lucas and Arthur Jussen

Lucas and Arthur Jussen

On today's show, Lucas and Arthur Jussen team up for a performance of Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos. Tune in for a performance that showcases the unique language the Dutch brothers have developed over a lifetime of collaboration.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: George Walker

PT Weekend: George Walker

At 26, American composer George Walker wrote a piece in memory of his beloved grandmother. Walker had a long, successful career as a composer, but that piece remains his most performed work. On today’s show, we’ll hear ‘Lyric for Strings’ by George Walker, performed by the Ivalas Quartet at the Skaneateles Festival in upstate New York.

1:59:00
Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

On today's show, we're highlighting Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World." Conductor Cristian Măcelaru explains how the composer's work captures an American soundscape while also beautifully reflecting his own Czech heritage. The result, Măcelaru says, is a powerful contribution from an immigrant artist to American culture.

1:59:00
Emad Zolfaghari

Emad Zolfaghari

For Emad Zolfaghari, a viola bow is more than just a tool. He says, "You have to play by feel... so I think bows are much more personal than instruments." On today's program, PT Young Artist in Residence violist Emad Zolfaghari shares his thoughts on bows, music, and life.

1:59:00
Dima Slobodeniouk

Dima Slobodeniouk

Finnish conductor Dima Slobodeniouk took a flight class on a whim when he got a coupon for a cheap lesson. He loved it. He is now a licensed pilot. Slobodeniouk sees a connection between his sky-high hobby and his career on the podium. He says, "It’s essential to control your instruments and your nerves, but you cannot control nature. Neither can, nor should, a conductor control everything.  You can only have control over your own knowledge and feelings." On today's show, Slobodeniouk and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra perform music by Rachmaninoff at a concert in Colorado.

1:59:00
VIEW ALL EPISODES

About Performance Today®

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

American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

How do I leave a comment?

Send us a comment here.

About Performance Today®
YourClassical Radio
0:00
0:00