Performance Today®

What happens when an orchestra known for a big, intense sound is launching a new organ in its home hall? They play a piece on which the organ' sound is as big as the orchestra's. Olivier Latry joins conductor Christoph Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra for Saint-Saens' large-scale masterwork at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

After saying "Happy birthday" to Brahms and Tchaikovsky, we'll spend our second hour forging a connection between classical-era composer Christoph Gluck and the present day's Nico Muhly. The composers acting as links in this chain are Wagner, Mahler, Shostakovich and Britten. Among the performers are pianist Louis Lortie and Sinfonia Varsovia.

Two weeks ago, the Beaux Arts Trio concluded its final North American tour with a concert in San Francisco. We'll take you there for pre- and post-concert conversations - thanks to our correspondent, violinist Daniel Hope -- as well as their performance of Dvorak's "Dumky" Piano Trio.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has an exceptional sound no matter who's on the podium. We'll hear them play a couple of pieces at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center today. Neeme Jarvi conducts Paul Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis after Themes by Carl Maria von Weber." And cellist Dimitri Maslennikov joins Christoph Eschenbach and the orchestra for Tchaikovsky's "Variations on a Rococo Theme."

The world' foremost piano trio will play its final concerts this summer. But they'e spent April crossing North America, playing 18 concerts in 20 days. We'll have an audio dispatch from the road, as well as some Dvorak from their final concert in Boston.

Our second hour will feature music from and inspired by Spain, brought to you by the Renaissance recorders of the Royal Wind Music, the flamenco-flavored guitars of the Romeros, and violinist Karen Gomyo and the Buffalo Philharmonic, who will play Edouard Lalo's "Symphonie Espagnole."

The renowned Welsh bass-baritone has been getting raves for his recitals, including one that he performed at New York's Carnegie Hall last Friday. He and pianist Malcolm Martineau performed a similar program in Bergen, Norway, which featured a lovely set of lieder by Franz Schubert.

Pianist Mitsuko Uchida has been spending the spring playing recitals in Europe and the U.S. And she's been closing each of them with Robert Schumann's virtuosic "Etudes symphoniques." We'll go to London's Royal Festival Hall to hear her demonstrate her exceptional artistry on this fabulous finale.

What is Beethoven's greatest symphony? Well, it's a matter of taste, but many claim that the Seventh is the one that has it all. The deepest sadness and the most exultant sense of triumph. From Barbican Hall in London, we'll hear it performed by Jiri Belohlavek and the BBC Symphony.

The world' foremost piano trio will play its final concerts this summer. But they'e spent April crossing North America, playing 18 concerts in 20 days. We'll have an audio dispatch from the road, as well as some Dvorak from their final concert in Boston.