Poster Respighi
Respighi
Courtesy of Elsa Respighi; photograph, from Madeline Grimoldi
Performance Today®

rome via prague

We'll go to the Czech city of Prague to hear an evocative performance of Ottorino Respighi's "The Pines of Rome" by conductor Marcello Rota and the Czech National Symphony. And we'll stay in Prague, where two Italians - violinist Riccardo Minasi and harpsichordist Giulia Nuti - play a violin sonata by J.S. Bach.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Louis Gruenberg: "Serenade to a Beauteous Lady"
The Czech National Symphony Orchestra with conductor Paul Freeman

Johannes Brahms: Waltz in A-flat
Pianist Orion Weiss
Sanibel Music Festival, Sanibel, Florida

Antonin Dvorak: "Humoresque"
The Prague Chamber Orchestra
Worcester Music Festival, Worcester, Massachusetts

Edvard Grieg: "Poeme Erotique"
Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han
International Festival of Chamber Music, Schenectady, New York

Ottorino Respighi: "The Pines of Rome"
The Czech National Symphony Orchestra with conductor Marcello Rota
Smetana Hall, Prague, Czech Republic

Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Sonata in G, BWV 1019
Violinist Riccardo Minasi and harpsichordist Giulia Nuti
Brevnov Monastery, Prague, Czech Republic

Hour 2

Steve Reich: Duet for Two Violins and String Orchestra
Violinists Edna Mitchell and Ulf Hoelscher with the Karlsruhe Ensemble and conductor Andreas Weiss

Robert Hundley: "Heart! We Will Forget Him"
Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore and pianist Antoine Palloc
Savannah Music Festival, Savannah, Georgia

Francois Couperin: Concert Royal No. 4 in E Minor
Stephen Taylor, oboe d'amore, cellist Fred Sherry and harpsichordist Anthony Newman
New York Society for Ethical Culture, New York City

Steve Reich: "Nagoya Marimbas"
David Cossin and Steven Schick, marimbas
La Jolla SummerFest, La Jolla, California

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 89 in F ("The Letter W"), Hob. 1/89
The French National Orchestra with conductor Riccardo Muti
Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Paris

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

2025 Classical Woman of the Year: Jessie Montgomery

2025 Classical Woman of the Year: Jessie Montgomery

‘Performance Today’ has selected performer and composer Jessie Montgomery as the 2025 Classical Woman of the Year. This annual award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to the classical music art form and have inspired our listeners. Find out more!

A cozy Christmas Eve

A cozy Christmas Eve

Take a moment to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the year, and celebrate the joys and blessings of the holiday season. Join us for peaceful and cozy music on Christmas Eve.

1:59:00
Three Generations of Burt Family Carols

Three Generations of Burt Family Carols

In the 1920s, Bates Burt started composing an annual Christmas carol for the family Christmas card. The tradition continued down the family line. 50-plus carols later, his great-granddaughter Abbie Burt Betinis created a medley out of some of the best. Tune in to hear ‘Three Generations of Burt Family Carols’ on today’s episode.

1:59:00
Yevgeny and Bella Sudbin

Yevgeny and Bella Sudbin

On today's show, we're featuring a special family collaboration. Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin and his daughter, Bella, perform together, playing Sudbin's arrangement of a popular holiday favorite for piano four hands.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: The tranquility of Winter

PT Weekend: The tranquility of Winter

As the season brings us the longest nights of the year, join us for music inspired by the stillness and splendor of winter. Find peace in the season's enveloping tranquility on today's show.

1:59:00
The stillness and splendor of winter

The stillness and splendor of winter

As the season brings us the longest nights of the year, join us for music inspired by the stillness and splendor of winter. Find peace in the season's enveloping tranquility on today's show.

1:59:00
Mompou's "music of evaporation"

Mompou's "music of evaporation"

Pianist Stephen Hough describes the music of Federico Mompou as "the music of evaporation." Hough says, "The notes are too simple and the soul too complex for conventional analysis." On today's show, we'll hear Stephen Hough perform Mompou’s Cants Mágìcs (Magical Songs) at a concert in Morrow, Georgia.

1:59:00
The Miró Quartet

The Miró Quartet

The Miró Quartet has been performing together for 30 years, but they hadn't released a holiday album... until now. Today, we'll hear some highlights from their new recording, 'Hearth,' which features some holiday classics arranged by Clarice Assad, Reena Esmail, Anna Clyne, and Sam Lipman.

1:59:00
Rebecca Clarke: Dumka

Rebecca Clarke: Dumka

In Ukrainian, the word "dumka" means "thought" or “notion." In music, a dumka is a somewhat dreamlike dance that often revisits a bittersweet reflection on life's sadness. Today, we’ll hear English composer Rebecca Clarke’s ‘Dumka,’ from a concert presented by the Fabian Concert Series in Macon, Georgia.

1:59:00
Germaine Tailleferre

Germaine Tailleferre

Germaine Tailleferre was determined to be a musician, and her father tried to stop her. She rebelled so completely that she even changed her name and went on to a 70-year career as a composer. We'll hear the String Quartet by French composer Germaine Tailleferre on today's show.

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.

Hosted by Valerie Kahler, Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country.

How do I leave a comment?

Send us a comment here.

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