Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata (Violin Sonata No. 9) has primed the creative pumps of plenty of other artists. Tolstoy wrote a book about it. Prinet painted this picture of it. Leos Janacek wrote a string quartet about it. There was even a silent movie, starring Hollywood vamp Theda Bara. Today, we'll hear a bit of the original, plus the Janacek version, from a performance at Washington's Smithsonian.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Leos Janacek: Second Movement from Sonata for Violin and Piano
Violinist Josef Suk and pianist Jan Panenka
Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060
Violinist Brian Lewis and oboist Alecia Lawyer with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and conductor Tanya Ratner
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Houston
Cesar Franck: Prelude, Fugue, and Variations
Pianist Anastasia Markina
Katzin Concert Hall, Tempe, Arizona
Leos Janacek: String Quartet No. 1 ("The Kreutzer Sonata")
Violinists Miho Saegusa and Jessica Lee, violist Mark Holloway, and cellist Na-Young Baek
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Ludwig van Beethoven: Finale from Violin Sonata No. 9 in A, Op. 47 ("Kreutzer")
Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter
Hour 2
Johann Baptist Georg Neruda: Vivace from Concerto in E-flat
Sergei Nakariakov, trumpet, with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and conductor Hugh Wolff
Ludwig van Beethoven: "Fur Elise"
Pianist Valentina Lisitsa
Sanibel Music Festival, Sanibel Island, Florida
Paul Taffanel: Wind Quintet
The Avalon Wind Quintet
Wartburg Castle, Eisenach, Germany
Ralph Vaughan Williams: "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis"
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe with conductor Douglas Boyd
International Chamber Orchestra Festival, St. Paul, Minnesota
Mark Kilstofte: "You [unfolding]"
Cellist Leslie Nash
Merkin Concert Hall, New York City
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
Your Donation
About Performance Today®
To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.
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.
Hosted by Valerie Kahler, 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.
How do I leave a comment?
Send us a comment here.