Most people don't think of performing classical music as a life or death proposition. But pianist Jonathan Biss does. He talks about pouring blood, sweat and tears into his performances, in order to do justice to the composer and the music. Today we'll hear Biss performing Beethoven's second piano concerto with the Swedish Radio Symphony.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Ludwig van Beethoven
: Rondo from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 ("Pathetique")
Pianist Jonathan Biss
Parsegh Atmacayan
: "For Children"
Pianist Sahan Arzruni
Merkin Concert Hall, New York City
Bohuslav Martinu
: Scherzo and Finale from Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Two Bassoons, and Piano, H. 174
Pianist Joel Fan with members of the Imani Winds
Skaneateles Music Festival, Skaneateles, New York
Antonin Dvorak
: Cavatina from Four Miniatures for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 75a
Violinists Lily Francis and Karen Gomyo and violist Choong-Jin Chang
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Bridgehampton, New York
Ludwig van Beethoven
: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 19
Pianist Jonathan Biss with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Michael Guttler
Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden
Hour 2
Bedrich Smetana
: "A Country Woman" from "Short Orchestral Pieces"
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra with conductor Robert Stankovsky
Jing-Ping Zhang
: "Harvest Celebration"
The Shanghai Quartet
Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland, Oregon
Timo Alakotila
: "Pelimanni's Revenge"
ETHEL
Windham Chamber Music Festival, Windham, New York
Antonin Dvorak
: Symphony No. 5 in F, Op. 76
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra with conductor Mario Kosik
Slovak Philharmonie, Bratislava, Slovakia
Jacob van Eyck
: "The Standing Masque"
Julien Martin, recorder, with Capriccio Stravagante and conductor Skip Sempe
Musica Antica Early Music Festival, Bruges, Belgium
