Click on Classical: ​A Faure foray, a rite of Reich, and a toy opera

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Every Monday morning at 9:15, I visit the Classical MPR studio to talk about some of the stories we're featuring on our website. Here are the stories Melissa Ousley and I will be discussing today.

If you pick up a compilation of relaxing classical music, odds are that Fauré's Pavane is on there: it's one of the world's favorite pieces of soothing music. But did Fauré mean for it to be quite so​ soothing? Austin Gerth tells the story of the Pavane, featuring a recording of the composer himself playing the piece as captured on piano roll. Take a listen and see whether contemporary interpretations do it justice.

This week, the classical world was buzzing as Philip Glass and Steve Reich — two of the world's most famous living composers, and legends of American music — shared the stage for the first time in years. The Brooklyn Academy of Music is hosting a series of concerts in tribute to the 50-year legacy of Nonesuch Records; among the pieces played was Reich's Music for 18 Musicians​. Jessie Rothwell explores the enduring appeal of Reich's minimalist masterpiece​.

Have you heard of Strumply Peter? He dresses like Mozart on a bender, he's never ever cut his fingernails or combed his hair, and he haunts the dreams of little children who disobey their parents. He's the antihero of a "toy opera" now playing in Minneapolis; I saw this dark and amusing show last week and wrote about it on our website​.