Beethoven's Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass) isn't so much a declaration of piety as it is a battle with the Almighty. It's massive. It's unsettling, even thorny in places. Just like the composer himself. Sir Colin Davis led a performance several weeks ago at the BBC Proms in London. We'll hear highlights in today's show. Plus, Sergei Prokofiev's homage to Haydn, his Classical Symphony.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Frank Bridge: The Dew Fairy and Heart's Ease
Stephen Hough, piano
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sarabande from Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
The BBC Proms, London, England
Ludwig van Beethoven: Excerpts from Mass in D, Op. 123 (Missa Solemnis)
The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, London Philharmonic Choir, soloists, Colin Davis, conductor
The BBC Proms, London, England
William Walton: Touch Her Soft Lips and Part, from Henry V
A Far Cry
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Henry Purcell: Scotch Tune
Solamente Naturali
Boston Early Music Festival, Boston
Frank Bridge: Sir Roger de Coverley
The New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, director
Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, San Rafael, California
Hour 2
Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Gypsy Song
Philip Martin, piano
Jean-Fery Rebel: The Characters of the Dance
Tempesta di Mare
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
Joseph Haydn: Keyboard Trio No. 25 in G, Hob.XV:25 (Gypsy Rondo)
Wu Han, piano, Gil Shaham, violin, David Finckel, cello
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York City
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25 (Classical)
The London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev, conductor
The BBC Proms, London, England
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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.
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.
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