Poster Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Britannica.com
Performance Today®

Performance Today for Monday, May 27, 2013

King Frederick the Great dared J.S. Bach. Could Bach improvise a three-part fugue on a weird melody? Then, he double dared him. Could Bach write a six-part fugue on the same tune? It seemed impossible, but Bach was Bach. Bach's answer to that challenge from King Fred, on Monday's Performance Today.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata No. 5 in f minor, BWV 1018 - Allegro
Rachel Podger, violin; Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord

Alexander Scriabin: Prelude & Nocturne for the Left Hand alone, Op. 9

Sergei Prokofiev: Toccata, Op. 11

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Etude-tableau in A minor, op. 39, no. 6
Sara Daneshpour, piano
Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

Franz Josef Haydn: Violin Concerto in C, Hob. Vlla: 1
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Rachel Podger, director & violin
United Church of Christ, Saint Paul, MN

Antonin Dvorak (arr. Barry Lieberman): Adagio from String Quartet No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 34 (encore)
The American String Project; Stephanie Chase, leader; Maria Larionoff & Barry Lieberman, artistic directors
Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA

Hour 2

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 1; III. Scherzo
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Johann Sebastian Bach: Ricercar a 6 from Musical Offering, BWV 1079
Geoff Nuttall, violin; Scott St. John, violin; Arnaud Sussmann, viola; Lesley Robertson, viola; Christopher Costanza, cello; Dennis Godburn, bassoon; Scott Pingel, bass
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, CA

Franz Schubert: 3 Klavierstucke: No. 2 in E flat major
Imogen Cooper, piano
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, England

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 10: I. Adagio
San Francisco Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA

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About Performance Today®

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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.

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.

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