Poster Royal palace at Ugarit, Syria, where the Hurrian songs were found
Royal palace at Ugarit, Syria, where the Hurrian songs were found
Wikimedia Commons
Performance Today®

A surprising musical discovery

In 1955, archaeologists discovered an old stone tablet in Syria. Etched on the surface is one of the earliest forms of music notation. Malek Jandali used that ancient system, known as the Hurrian songs, as the inspiration for a new piece. On today's show, composer and pianist Malek Jandali performs Piano Dreams with the Apollo Chamber Players at a concert in Houston.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Felix Mendelssohn: Song Without Words, Op. 109
Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, piano
Works for Cello and Piano
EMI 73498

Zoltan Kodaly: Hary Janos Suite: Movement 5 Intermezzo
ROCO; Mei Ann Chen, conductor
ROCO, St. John the Divine Church, Houston, TX

Igor Stravinsky: Suite from The Soldier's Tale
Contrasts: Corinne Stillwell, violin; Vanguel Tangarov, clarinet; Ekaterina Tangarova, piano
Victoria Bach Festival, Trinity Episcopal Church, Victoria, TX

Johann Sebastian Bach: Solo Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, NY

Hour 2

Heinrich von Biber: Court Sonata No. 2
Purcell Quartet
Biber: Sonatae tam aris quam aulis servientes
Chandos 591

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber: Passacaglia in G minor for Solo Violin: The Guardian Angel, from The Mystery Sonatas
Yura Lee, violin
Seattle Chamber Music Society, Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA

Malek Jandali: Piano Dream
Malek Jandali, piano; Apollo Chamber Players (Anabel Ramirez, violin; Matthew J. Detrick, violin; Whitney Bullock, viola; Matthew Dudzik, cello)
Apollo Chamber Players, Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH), Houston, TX

Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68: Movements 2-4
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Louis Langree, conductor
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Springer Auditorium, Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH

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