Composer James "Kimo" Williams went to Vietnam in 1970, and served there for a year. Like many vets, he had a hard time adjusting to life when he got home. He composed "Symphony for the Sons of Nam" as a way to help him deal with the war. Today's show features a performance of his symphony by the Chicago Sinfonietta.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
John Philip Sousa: Three Marches
The Nonpareil Wind Band with conductor Timothy Foley
George Gershwin: "Rhapsody in Blue"
Clarinetists Alexander and Daniel Gurfinkel with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Mario Kosik
Concert Studio, Bratislava, Slovakia
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra with conductor Mario Kosik
Concert Studio, Bratislava, Slovakia
John Philip Sousa: "The Black Horse Troop"
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Kaul Auditorium, Portland, Oregon
James "Kimo" Williams: "Symphony for the Sons of Nam"
The Chicago Sinfonietta with conductor Paul Freeman
Hour 2
Johannes Brahms: Un Poco Allegretto from Symphony No. 1 in C Minor
The Cleveland Orchestra with conductor George Szell
John Stafford Smith: "The Star-Spangled Banner"
The Cleveland Orchestra with conductor Franz Welser-Most
Knight Concert Hall, Miami
Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto
Violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann with the Cleveland Orchestra and conductor Franz Welser-Most
Severance Hall, Cleveland
Gustav Mahler: "Urlicht" from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"
The United States Air Force Reserve Brass Quintet
Reinhardt College, Waleska, Georgia
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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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