Christmas Eve of 1914 wasn't supposed to be a silent night. World War I was going on, and men were supposed to be killing one another. But, just for that night, both sides gave up fighting and made peace. Join us today as the men of Cantus tell the story of that night, in word and song.
Today's show features two great choral masterpieces for Christmas. We'll feature Cantata I of Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" from Stockholm, Sweden, and selections from Handel's "Messiah," featuring Apollo's Fire from Cleveland. In addition, we'll talk with Rob Kapilow, author of a series of commentaries called "What Makes it Great?" He'll explain what makes Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" so great.
Today we'll celebrate the start of winter after yesterday's solstice. It's also the first full day of Hannukah, and Christmas is just a few days away. We'll have lots of great programming in honor of this most festive season of the year, featuring great performances from all over the world.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Nine sections of "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" Pianist Dmitri Alexeev with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Yuri Temirkanov
When Francis Poulenc was composing one particular piece, he said he was imagining angels sticking out their tongues and solemn monks playing soccer. The result is the gloriously irreverent "Gloria," for choir and orchestra. Today we'll hear Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra perform it in Amsterdam. Plus, the Rose Ensemble returns for some early American Christmas music.
The Rose Ensemble, one of the country's great early music groups, stopped by our studios recently to share some of their holiday music with us. Today, we'll feature them in a set of Baroque Christmas pieces from Mexico. It's a unique sound that's a blend of both the old and new worlds.
He's young, handsome, and plays a Guarneri violin. That's the equivalent of driving an expensive sports car. Today, the young Ukrainian violinist Andrej Bielow will take us on some fast curves and hairpin turns, as he performs Glazunov's violin concerto with the Slovak Radio Symphony in Bratislava, Slovakia. Mario Kosik conducts.
Not many of us can hope to be remembered when we've been gone almost two centuries. Beethoven is one of those rare humans who left an enormous legacy for future generations. Today, we'll wish him a happy 238th by playing two of his works. We'll hear the first symphony in Wyoming, and the first piano concerto in Los Angeles, featuring soloist Ingrid Fliter.
An hour of folk-flavored fare reaches a climax with a fiery performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto. At a concert at Budapest's Palace of Arts, Pieter Wispelwey performs one of the great works for his instrument, in the company of conductor Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Violinist Hilary Hahn was just nominated for two Grammy Awards for her 2008 recording of the Schoenberg and Sibelius violin concertos. Today we'll hear her in a performance of the Dvorak violin concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra, part of our week-long celebration of the Cleveland Orchestra's 90th anniversary season.
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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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Since 2000, Fred Child has been the host of Performance Today, the most-listened-to classical music radio show in America. He also is the commentator and announcer for Live From Lincoln Center, the only live performing arts series on television. He also hosts musical events on stages around the country, working with major orchestras and festivals, and connecting with audiences coast to coast.
Kathryn Slusher is the senior producer of Performance Today, where she leads programming and production for the show. In her spare time, she enjoys the vibrant Twin Cities music and theater scene, and loves to read, hike and spend time with her family.
As a Producer for Performance Today, Meghann chooses music to broadcast on the show, writes web articles and scripts, facilitates, conducts and edits interviews, creates video content and manages PT’s social media pages. She created Performance Today’s Black History Spotlight Series and the My Name is Series to highlight Black classical musicians. Meghann is also the producer for the PT Young Artist in Residence Series. In her free time, she is a mom, a part-time actress and fashion lover. Meghann also created and hosted “Wondrous Strange”, a national radio program about uncommon musical instruments, she is the official underwriting voice for ‘The New York Times’ The Daily, and she can occasionally be heard guest-hosting Performance Today.
As an Associate Producer for Performance Today, Kathleen Bradbury writes scripts and assists with external communications. In her spare time, she likes to read fiction, lift heavy weights at the gym, and frolic about in nature. But above all else, Kathleen loves to sing Broadway showtunes--much to the delight of her wife, her infant son, and her rescue dog.
Jon Gohman is an associate producer for Performance Today. He is responsible for various behind-the-scenes functions, including liaising with artists and creating materials for national distribution. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and thinking about Langrange points.
Craig Thorson is the Technical Director for Performance Today. In addition to mastering the live music recordings that are programmed for each daily program, he records guest performances and interviews. Craig enjoys skiing, tennis, and bicycling, and boating.
Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.
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