Before he was a music celebrity, Beethoven was the new kid in town in Vienna. He was in his mid-20s and slowly earning a reputation as a great pianist and improviser. But nobody really knew if he could write music. Beethoven was eager to prove himself as a composer so he took a toe-tapper of a tune and wrote some virtuosic variations. That earned Beethoven a spot in a heated musical duel. Find out who won and how on Mondayaâ¬â¢s Performance Today
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in f minor, Op. 95, (Serioso)
Borromeo String Quartet
Richard Wagner: Faust Overture
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra,Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Concertgebouw; Amsterdam, Netherlands 110416
Ludwig van Beethoven: Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11 ("Gassenhauer")
Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet; Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Nicholas Canellakis, cello
Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, Clemson University, Clemson,
Francesco Landini: Ecco la primavera
Trefoil: Drew Minter, Mark Rimple, Marcia Young
Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.
Dominicus de Ferrara: O dolce conpagno
Folger Consort, Robert Eisenstein and Christopher Kendall, artistic directors
Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Mayskaya noch ("May Night"): Overture
RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Alan Buribayev, conductor
National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Anonymous: Amours mi font souffrir/En mai/
Anonymous 4: Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia
Hour 2
Igor Stravinsky: Suite Italienne; Minuetto and Finale
Cho-Liang Lin, violin; Andre-Michel Schub, piano
Johann Sebastian Bach: Recorder Concerto in Bb Major, BWV 1055
Erik Bosgraf, recorder Cordevento XL: Zefira Valova, violin; Ivan Iliev, violin; Zdenka Prochazkova, viola; Linda Mantcheva, cello; Alessandro Pianu, harpsichord
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
Igor Stravinsky: Divertimento, from The Fairy's Kiss
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, New York
Jean Rousee: La rosee du moys de may
Paul O'Dette, lute
Boston Early Music Festival; Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts
Marco dall'Aquila: Saltarello (La Traditora)
Paul O'Dette, lute
Boston Early Music Festival; Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts
Marco dall'Aquila: Il Marchese di Saluzzo
Paul O'Dette, lute
Boston Early Music Festival; Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts
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About Performance Today®
To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.
American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.
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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