Chris Thile is one of the most inventive and talented mandolin players on the bluegrass scene today. His band, the Punch Brothers, has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on the PBS series Austin City Limits. But Chris Thile is also a huge fan of music by Johann Sebastian Bach. On Friday's Performance Today, Chris Thile talks about how he discovered Bach, the music that he says "fires on all cylinders" with a special immediacy, emotional intensity and clarity of intent.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in G major K13
Yundi Li, piano
Vienna Recital
DG 6090
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in G minor
Ana Belen Tejedor, mandolin; Yiannis Sofos, guitar
Studio C, GRERT Radio, Athens
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quintet No. 3 in C Major, K. 515 - 1. Allegro, 2. Menuetto: Allegretto, 3. Andante, 4. Allegro
Lorenza Borrani, violin; Benny Kim, violin; Philip Dukes, viola; Carla Maria Rodrigues, viola; Camden Shaw, cello
Trinity United Methodist Church, Savannah, Georgia, US; Savannah Music Festival
J.S. Bach (arr Chris Thile): Violin Partita No. 3
Chris Thile, Mandolin
Solo encore performed after Thile Mandolin Concerto with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Kahane; Royce Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Hour 2
Francis Poulenc: Valse, FP 17 (No. 5 from 'Album des Six'), Discours du general, FP 23, La Baigneuse de Trouville, FP 23 (Nos. 3 & 4 from 'Les Maries de la Tour Eiffel')
French National Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, conductor
Poulenc: Aubade - Las Biches
London 452937
Leo Brouwer: El Decameron Negro - 1. El arpa del Guerriero (The warrior's harp) - 2. La huida de los amantes por el Valle de los Ecos (The flight of the lovers in the valley of echoes) - 3. Ballada de la docella enamorada
Jason Vieaux, guitar
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia
Francis Poulenc: Sextet in C for piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn - 1. Allegro vivace, 2. Divertissement. Andantino, 3. Finale. Prestissimo
Ensemblekonzert Saarbrucken
Saar Academy of Music, Saarbrucken
Gabriela Lena Frank: Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout - 2. Tarqueda, 3. Himno de Zampona, 4. Coqueteos
The Knights
Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, GA
Love the music?
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.
Your Donation
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.
