Poster Forte piano at the Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn Museum in Hamburg, Germany
Forte piano at the Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn Museum in Hamburg, Germany
Via Wikimedia Commons, author Ymnes
Performance Today®

From Felix to Fanny

Felix Mendelssohn had a close relationship with his older sister, Fanny. So when she died unexpectedly at age 41, Felix was devastated. He said he would never get over her death. On today's show, hear the piece that Mendelssohn dedicated to his dear departed sister.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Felix Mendelssohn: Hexenlied "Witches' Song" Op. 8, No. 8
Daniel Hope, violin; Sebastian Knauer, piano
Daniel Hope, Mendelssohn
DG 477 6634

Felix Mendelssohn: Auf Flugeln des Gesanges "On Wings of Song" Op. 34, No. 2
Daniel Hope, violin; Sebastian Knauer, piano
Daniel Hope, Mendelssohn
DG 477 6634

Mikhail Glinka: Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla
Greenville Symphony Orchestra; Edvard Tchivzhel, conductor
Peace Center for the Performing Arts, Greenville, SC

Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Caroline Cassil from Sutherlin, OR

Felix Mendelssohn: from Twelve Fugues for String Quartet: No. 10
The Shanghai String Quartet
Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York, NY

Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80, No. 6
Miami String Quartet: Benny Kim, violin; Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Scott Lee, viola; Keith Robinson, cello
Viginia Arts Festival, Robin Hixon Theater, Norfolk, VA

Hour 2

Edward Joseph Collins: Canons
Anna Polonsky, piano
Music of Edward Collins, Vol. X
Troy 1230

Aaron Copland: El Salon Mexico
Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra; Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Aspen Music Festival and School, Benedict Music Tent, Aspen, CO

Franz Schubert: Piano Trio in E-flat Major, D. 929: Mvts 1-2
Robert Levin, piano; Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin; Peter Wiley, cello
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

Paquito D'Rivera: Danzon for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano
Anna Polonsky, piano; David Shifrin, clarinet; and Peter Wiley, cello
Classic Chamber Concerts, Sugden Theatre, Naples, FL

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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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