Wagner's over-the-top operas

Today, we explore the spiritual and creative ideas behind the music of Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. We'll hear from Ortiz's "Altar de Cuerda”, music she envisions as an altar—a space to elevate music—where the solo violin floats above the orchestra and the ethereal sound of tuned crystal glasses. Today’s performance features violinist Susie Park and the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli.

In 2007, Composer Errollyn Wallen wrote a piece to mark the anniversary of the Abolition of the British Slave Trade. She says, ‘It is human instinct to be free, just as it is for the river to rush headlong to the sea.’ We'll dive into Errollyn Wallen’s Mighty River on today's show.

Composer Jennifer Higdon wrote 'blue cathedral' in 2000. It was inspired by an imaginary vision of a glass cathedral in the sky. We'll take you to the Grand Teton Music Festival for a musical journey to Higdon’s ‘blue cathedral’ on today's show.

Critics called one of Igor Stravinsky's concertos "unfinished" because the composer omitted the strings entirely, but the omission was deliberate. Stravinsky famously argued that "strings and piano, a sound scraped and a sound struck, do not sound well together; piano and winds, sounds struck and blown... do." On today’s show, we'll hear Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, featuring pianist Kirill Gerstein and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson.

Move over, Romeo and Juliet. Make way for Radúz and Mahulena. The Slovakian tale also features romance amid intense family rivalries, but in a welcome twist of fate, these legendary lovers end up together and alive when the curtain falls. Today, we'll take you to a concert in Prague to hear Josef Suk’s music for a fairy tale with a happy ending: Pohádka (Fairy Tale).

Inspired by Isabel Wilkerson's moving book on the Great Migration, composer Carlos Simon captures the search for hope and the struggle to find a home. On today's show, we'll hear the Ivalas Quartet perform Simon's Warmth from Other Suns at a concert in Skaneateles, New York.

Critics called one of Igor Stravinsky's concertos "unfinished" because the composer omitted the strings entirely, but the omission was deliberate. Stravinsky famously argued that "strings and piano, a sound scraped and a sound struck, do not sound well together; piano and winds, sounds struck and blown... do." On today’s show, we'll hear Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, featuring pianist Kirill Gerstein and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson.

Composer Jessie Montgomery says she has tried to answer the question: "What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today's multicultural environment?" On today's show, hear Montgomery's answer, a rhapsody on the Star-Spangled Banner.

Memorial Day. It's the unofficial beginning of summer, but that's not what this holiday is about. On today's show, we mark the day with music by American composers and recognize the people who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.