Poster Franklin Benjamin
Franklin Benjamin
J.A. Duplessis
Performance Today®

Benjamin Franklin's birthday

Benjamin Franklin was born on Jan. 17, 1706. He was a statesman, a scientist, an inventor, and postmaster. He signed the Declaration of Independence. And he also loved music. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll celebrate his birthday by listening to his music and his musical invention - the glass armonica.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Sergei Prokofiev: Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119: 2. Moderato
Truls Mork, cello; Lars Vogt, piano
Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Prokofiev
Virgin 45274

Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2 in A Major
Sveinung Bjelland, piano
Oslo Concert Hall, Oslo, Norway

Benjamin Franklin: Quartet No. 2 in F Major for Three Violins and Cello
Escher String Quartet
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York, NY

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo in C Major, K. 617
Dennis James, armonica; Emerson String Quartet
Cristal - Glass Music Through the Ages
Sony 89047

Camille Saint-Saens: Cello Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 119
Truls Mork, cello; North German Radio Symphony Orchestra; Eivind Gullberg Jensen, conductor
Grand Studio, Hanover, Germany

Camille Saint-Saens: "Le cygne" from Carnival of the Animals
Truls Mork, cello; Members of North German Radio Symphony Orchestra (piano & harp); Eivind Gullberg Jensen, conductor
Grand Studio, Hanover, Germany

Hour 2

Luigi Boccherini: Rondo from String Quintet in C major, Op. 28, No. 4
The Delme Quartet
Favourite Encores for String Quartet
Helios 88038

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 73 in D Major, Hob I:73, "The Hunt" ("La Chasse")
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

Einojuhani Rautavaara: Whispering
Hilary Hahn, violin; Cory Smythe, piano
Greenwich House Music School, New York, NY

James Newton Howard: 133... At Least
Hilary Hahn, violin; Cory Smythe, piano
Greenwich House Music School, New York, NY

Max Richter: Mercy
Hilary Hahn, violin; Cory Smythe, piano
Greenwich House Music School, New York, NY

Mark-Anthony Turnage: Hilary's Hoedown
Hilary Hahn, violin; Cory Smythe, piano
In 27 Pieces - The Hilary Hahn Encores
DG 479 1725

Luigi Boccherini: Night Music in the Streets of Madrid, G. 324
Mercury Baroque, Antoine Plante, conductor
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater, Houston, TX

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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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