Performance Today®

Composer Matthew Jackfert spent six months in the seaside city of Qingdao, China. Memories of the waves and wind and local culture stuck with him. On this episode of Performance Today, hear "On the Shores of Qingdao," by Matthew Jackfert, from a concert by the West Virginia University Symphony Orchestra.

Viennese Composer Egon Wellesz wrote a piece in 1934 inspired by Prospero, the magical character in Shakespeare's The Tempest. On today's show, learn more about Egon Wellesz and hear selections from Prospero's Incantations, from a concert at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

It's fair to say that Robert Schumann was impressed when he heard Schubert's first piano trio. Schumann wrote: "..the troubles of our human existence disappear...and the whole world is fresh and bright again." Can there be a better review than that? On today's show, join us for uplifting music by Franz Schubert, his Piano Trio No. 1.

Summary: Anthony Barfield wrote a piece with thoughts about the Big Bang, the idea that the universe expanded from a single point, almost 14 billion years ago. On today's show, join us for music that contemplates space, matter, and energy: Red Sky, by Anthony Barfield.

Beethoven had a productive life as a composer, but he only ever finished one opera. Beethoven couldn't decide on the best music to introduce that opera — in fact, he wrote four different overtures. On today's show, hear one of Beethoven's attempted overtures performed by ROCO, with Michael Stern conducting.

The young Jean Sibelius had one dream in life: to be a professional violinist. After he auditioned and failed to win a place in the Vienna Philharmonic, he was heartbroken. But he turned his love for the violin into creative energy. On today's show, hear Finnish violinist Elina Vahala and the Buffalo Philharmonic in a stunning performance of the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius.

In 1874, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov traveled to the northern coast of the Black Sea. The trip left a lasting impression on the composer; he was intoxicated by the Arabic and Turkish music he heard on the streets and in coffee houses. On this episode of Performance Today, we hear these exotic impressions in a concert performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.

Sundown this evening marks the beginning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Join us for a special selection of music featuring music by Ernest Bloch, Max Bruch, and more. Also, Bruce Adolphe has this week's Piano Puzzler.

There's a musical puzzle at the heart of the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar. Cryptographers have been working on cracking the code for a century. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll share some of the many possible solutions... and enjoy a great performance of the Elgar's Enigma Variations, from the Aspen Music Festival.