Can you imagine your birthday being declared a national holiday? On December 8th, 1915, Jean Sibelius turned 50 and premiered his fifth symphony. The citizens of Finland took the day off to celebrate. On this edition of Performance Today, we'll hear conductor Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra play Sibelius's Symphony No. 5, a work that the Finnish government commissioned Sibelius to write in honor of his own birthday.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115 Movement 3 Andantino
Anthony McGill, clarinet; Pacifica Quartet
Mozart & Brahms: Clarinet Quintets
Cedille 91472
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Op. 8, L'autunno "Autumn"
Frank Huang, violin; New York Philharmonic
David Geffen Hall, New York, NY
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: Movements 3-5
Pacifica Quartet
Aspen Music Festival and School, Harris Hall, Aspen, CO
Bob James: Quadrille
Bob James piano; Nancy Stagnitta, flute
Interlochen Presents, Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall, Interlochen, MI
Hour 2
Astor Piazzolla: Ave Maria
Maya Beiser, cello; Anthony de Mare, piano
Oblivion - Piazzolla, Nin: Cello Works
Koch 7442
Astor Piazzolla (arr. Anderson and Roe): Oblivion
Anderson and Roe Piano Duo
Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Page Theatre, Saint Mary's University, Winona, MN
Lev Zhurbin: Two Pieces for Violin and Viola
Maureen Nelson, violin; Hyobi Sim, viola
Sundin Hall, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
Minnesota Orchestra; Osmo Vanska, conductor
Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN
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About Performance Today®
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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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