Pianist Menahem Pressler has been called a "national treasure" for his flawless and sensitive playing. But there are other reasons to admire him, too. At age 88, he radiates youthful joy and love, both in conversation and in his playing. Today, we'll get a chance to hear both. Pressler recently joined PT host Fred Child for an interview in our studios. And we'll hear his recent performance of a Mozart concerto in Sweden.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Finale from Piano Trio in E-flat, Op. 12
The Beaux Arts Trio
George Perlman: Dance of the Rebbitzen, from Hebrew Suite
Gil Shaham, violin, Orli Shaham, piano
92nd Street Y, New York City
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453
Menahem Pressler, piano, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding, conductor
Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden
Antonin Dvorak: Fourth movement from Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90 (Dumky)
The Beaux Arts Trio
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, St. Paul
Johann Sebastian Bach: Trio Sonata in G, BWV 530
Chris Thile and Caterina Lichtenberg, mandolins, Mike Marshall, mandocello
Savannah Music Festival, Savannah, Georgia
Hour 2
Nino Rota: Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
Bettine Clemen, flute, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Ottorino Respighi: Danza Guerresca (War Dance) from Belkis, Queen of Sheba
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Waldbuhne, Berlin, Germany
Carlos Gardel: Por una Cabeza
The Euclid Quartet
Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, Florida
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber: Sonata No. 3 in F for Violin and Continuo
Daniel Phillips, violin, Keith Robinson, cello, Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord
Music from Angel Fire, Taos, New Mexico
Nino Rota: La Strada Suite
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Waldbuhne, Berlin, Germany
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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.
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.
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