Classical Performance podcast

Trio Settecento plays Corelli and Muffat

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

The multi-faceted virtuoso violinist Rachel Barton Pine heads up the Trio Settecento, performing early music with John Mark Rozendaal, baroque cello, and David Schrader, harpsichord. They play music by the trend-setting composer Arcangelo Corelli, and by the frenchman, Georg Muffat.
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Corelli: Sonata in C major, Op. 5 No. 3
Georg Muffat: Sonata in D major
Trio Settecento: Rachel Barton Pine, baroque violin; John Mark Rozendaal, baroque 'cello; David Schrader, harpsichord
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on May 16th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

William Hite sings Schumann

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

Things were looking up for Robert Schumann in 1840. He was finally getting permission to marry his sweetheart, Clara Wieck, over the objections of her father. And he poured all his joy into songs - hundreds of them in that year! Dichterliebe (Poet's love) consists of 16 songs, which follow the path of love from longing and anticipation to heartache and illusion, when the lover discovers that his sentiments are not returned.
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Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48
William Hite, tenor; Judith Gordon, piano
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Recorded at WGBH's Studio One on February 9th, 2001.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Charlie Albright plays Chopin

Sat, 21 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Pianist Charlie Albright has been counted "...among the most gifted musicians of his generation" by the Washington Post, and he's the winner of dozens of prizes and awards for his playing, but he has another life too, as an undergrad working hard to finish his Economics exams at Harvard! He talks about the life of a student-artist, and plays sublime Chopin in this Fraser Performance.
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Chopin: Etudes, Op. 25: No. 1 in A-flat, No. 2 in F major, No. 7 in C-sharp minor, No. 9 in G-flat major, and No. 12 in C minor.
Charllie Albright, piano
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http://www.charliealbright.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on May 5th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

The Gramercy Trio plays Schumann

Sun, 08 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Robert Schumann's great ambition was to become a concert pianist, and he was on his way to acheiving that goal when he permanently injured his hand, putting a stop to his performing career. But Clara Wieck, the love of his life, was also a great pianist, and she became the most brilliant and successful piano virtuoso of her time. So Robert was able to pour all his passion for the piano (and for Clara!) into his compositions. This is one of his best chamber pieces, the Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor.
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Schumann, Robert: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63
The Gramercy Trio
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Randall Hodgkinson, piano; Sharan Leventhal, violin; Jonathan Miller, cello
http://gramercytrio.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Studio One on November 30th, 2004.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Martin Jones plays Liszt

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

They all laughed in 1851 when Franz Liszt claimed that Bach’s works would “for coming centuries remain an object of admiration and astonishment.” But how were they to know? Liszt had a great admiration for the baroque master, as you can hear in this arrangement from one of Bach's Cantata themes.
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Liszt: Variations on a Theme By Bach
Martin Jones, piano
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on April 5th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical
email: classical@wgbh.org

Ann Hobson Pilot and Lucia Lin play Saint Saens

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

Ann Hobson Pilot played the harp with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for almost 40 years, until her retirement in 2008. She hasn’t retired from music, though! A highly respected chamber musician, she got together with violinist Lucia Lin for this performance of Saint Saens before a live audience of WGBH members.
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Saint Saens: Fantaisie in A major for violin and harp, Op. 124
Ann Hobson Pilot, harp; Lucia Lin, violin
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on March 4th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Amarcord sings Elgar, Schumann, Steinacker and Mendelssohn

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

The male vocal ensemble Amarcord comes from Leipzig, so they have the heritage of Bach, but also of the great German romantics that lived that city - Mendelssohn and Schumann among them. It's a treat to hear them sing Elgar as well!
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Elgar: From the Greek Anthology, Op. 45
Schumann: Die Minnesänger
Steinacker: An den Mond
Mendelssohn: LIebe und Wein

Amarcord: Holger Krause, bass; Martin Lattke, tenor; Frank Ozimek, baritone; Wolfram Lattke, tenor; Daniel Knauft, bass.
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on April 4th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical
email: classical@wgbh.org

Gabriel Chodos plays Schumann

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

Robert Schumann set out to write a tribute to Beethoven. And he did that - sort of. There are themes by Beethoven - and the second movement sounds inspired by the great master. But the fact is, Schumann was in love, with the beautiful and talented Clara Wieck, and he couldn't help sounding like it in his music. See what you think.
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Robert Schumann: Fantasy in C major, Op. 17
Gabriel Chodos, piano
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on February 1st, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical
email: classical@wgbh.org

Discovery Ensemble plays Wagner

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

it's the best birthday present ever! Richard Wagner's wife, Cosima, woke up on her birthday morning in 1870 to the sound of this music wafting up the stairs. The composer had written his "Idyll" especially for the occasion, and hired an orchestra to come and play it for her in their villa. Discovery Ensemble re-creates the moment in this performance in our Fraser Performance Studio.
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Wagner: Siegfried Idyll.
Discovery Ensemble; Courtney Lewis, conductor.
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on March 18th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Christina Day Martinson and Martin Pearlman play Biber

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

No, this is not music by Justin Bieber the 21st Century teen idol! It's amazing and beautiful violin music by the 17th century violinist and composer Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. Biber wrote 15 of these pieces to go with engravings showing the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary. The Canadian violinist, now resident in Boston, Christina Day Martinson played them with harpsichordist Martin Pearlman.
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Biber: from the Mystery Sonatas, Sonata no. 9 (Jesus carries his cross); Sonata no. 10 (The Crucifixion); Sonata no. 11 (The Resurrection); Sonata no. 12 (The Ascension).
Christina Day Martinson, violin; Martin Pearlman, harpsichord.
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Recorded in a live broadcast in WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on April 6th, 2009.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

The Weilerstein Trio plays Dvorak

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

What does "Dumky" mean? And what's it doing in the title of Dvorak's Piano trio in E minor? Well, the Dumka was just one of many Slavic folk styles that Dvorak introduced into classical pieces during his career. It's a lament really - a short, melancholy piece in three parts: slow, fast, and slow. The amazing thing about Dvorak was his ability to put so much variety and inventiveness into the six "Dumky" in this piece. The Weilerstein Trio played it in our Studio One back in 2005.
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Dvorak: "Dumky' Trio in E minor, Op. 90.
The Weilerstein Trio
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Donald Weilerstein, violin; Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, piano; Alisa Weilerstein, cello
More info: http://weilersteintrio.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on March 10th, 2005.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

New England Conservatory Chamber Orchestra plays Arensky

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

The New England Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, NEC's conductorless orchestra, was created in 2000 by double bassist Donald Palma, a founding member of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. It gives young players a chance to work together in a completely new way, each player taking full responsibility for the sound of the group. They visited the studio this past week with music by Arensky.
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Arensky: Variations on a theme by Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a
NEC Chamber Orchestra
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on February 14th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Antonio Pompa-Baldi plays Schubert and Martucci

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Piano virtuoso Antonio Pompa-Baldi visited the Fraser Performance Studio this week. Born in Italy, he's an active teacher in Cleveland now, and travels throughout the world, performing and teaching. Antonio Pompa-Baldi plays an Impromptu by Schubert and music by the little-known Italian composer Giuseppe Martucci.
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Schubert: Impromptu, Op. 142 No. 3
Martucci: Fantasia, Op. 51
Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano
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More info: http://www.pompa-baldi.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on February 7th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan play Chopin

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Chopin is best known for his brilliant, inventive and emotional compositions for solo piano. He rarely attempted chamber music, and created only one piece for two instruments - this Sonata for piano and cello. Some think that when wrote this he was contemplating his recent breakup with Aurore Dudevant, the novelist who wrote under the pen name of George Sand. The split obviously caused him a great deal of pain, because he died soon after. In any case, what we're left with is a deeply expressive and beautiful piece of chamber music.
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Chopin: Sonata for Piano and Cello in G minor, Op. 65
Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Inon Barnatan, piano
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on May 1st, 2008.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

The Harlem Quartet plays Beethoven

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Harlem Quartet, praised for its “panache” by the New York Times, is now the resident ensemble in the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet program. Its mission to advance diversity in classical music and engage young audiences is enhanced by exciting and inspirational performances wherever they play. Here they are with the first Quartet Beethoven ever wrote, his Opus 18 No. 3.
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Beethoven: String Quartet in D major, Op. 18 No. 3
Harlem Quartet
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Ilmar Gavilan, violin; Melissa White, violin; Juan-Miguel Hernandez, viola; Paul Wiancko, cello
More info: http://harlemquartet.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on January 18th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Kim Kashkashian and friends play Bach

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Kim Kashkashian and her musical friends were musing one day about the state of the world and what practical things they might be able to do as musicians, to help those in our own community who are most in need. And that's how the idea of "Music for Food" was born, with proceeds from concerts going to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Concerts take place each month at Emmanuel Church in Boston. Here are a couple of Trio Sonatas by Bach, originally for organ, played by Kim and her colleagues in the Fraser Performance Studio.
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Bach, J.S.: Trio Sonata in C major, BWV.529; Trio Sonata in G major, BWV.530
Kim Kashkashian, viola; Robin Scott, violin; Tom Novak, bassoon
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More info at http://www.wgbh.org/articles/Music-for-Food-for-Music-1236

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on January 5th, 2011.
©2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Lionheart sings medieval music for the season

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Lionheart recreates the sounds of medieval England at Christmastide, with works by anonymous composers. From a live-to-air performance.
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Anonymous: Nowell, nowell; Hayl Mary, ful of grace; Venter Tuus; As I outrode this endres night; Hic est discipulus; Worcept we this holy day; Lully lulla...o sisters too; Nowel, nowel...owt of your slepe aryse.
Lionheart: John Olund; Daniel Clark Smith; Lawrence Lipnik; Jefrey Johnson; Richard Porterfield; Kurt Owen-Richard.
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More information: http://www.chantboy.com/lionheart/

Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Studio One on December 16th, 1998.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Marina Lomazov plays Chopin

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Marina Lomazov was called "a mesmerizing risk taker" by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and that's exactly the quality you'll hear in this performance of Chopin's "Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise."
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Chopin: Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, Op. 22
Marina Lomazov, piano
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More information at http://www.marinalomazov.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on February 4th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Stephen Marchionda plays Albeniz and Scarlatti

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

American Guitarist Stephen Marchionda lives in Spain, but he stopped in at our studio on his way through Boston this week. There's a lot going on in Stephen's life: he's just released a new CD of music by Scarlatti on the MDG label, and he'll be featured this month in a concert celebrating the life of the 21st century English composer Nicholas Maw.
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Albeniz: Mallorca
Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, K. 213
Stephen Marchionda, guitar
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More information at http://www.stephenmarchionda.com/.

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on November 29th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Alexander Kobrin plays Schumann

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Robert Schumann must have been thinking of his beloved Clara as he composed these Fantasy Pieces, Op.12. We hear three of them, performed by Van Cliburn Competition winner Alexander Kobrin.
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Schumann, Robert: from Fantasy Pieces (“Fantasiestücke), Op. 12:
No. 3 “Warum?”(Why?);
No. 5 “In der Nacht” (Night);
No. 7 “Traumes Wirren” (Dream visions).
Alexander Kobrin, piano +++ Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on March 8th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Yevgeny Kutik and Timothy Bozarth play Franck

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is at the beginning of an illustrious career, having recently graduated with his master's degree from the New England Conservatory. He has already received accolades for his appearance this year with the WDR Radio Symphony Orchestra of Cologne and he'll make his New York recital debut next week. He performs Franck with pianist Tim Bozarth
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Franck: Sonata in A major for violin and piano
Yevgeny Kutik, violin; Timothy Bozarth, piano
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More info: http://www.yevgenykutik.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on November 1st, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

James Campbell and Marc-André Hamelin play Brahms

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

In the early 1880's Brahms decided he would never compose music again. But when he heard clarinetist Richard Meulfeld, he couldn't resist taking up his pen for a few more pieces, written especially for this consumate artist. One result was the Clarinet Sonata in F minor.
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Brahms: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1
James Campbell, clarinet; Marc-André Hamelin, piano
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More info: http://www.gamisim.com/artist/jamescampbell/ and http://marcandrehamelin.com/

Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on October 20th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

James Campbell introduces the Brahms Clarinet Sonata in F minor

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Clarinetist James Campbell and pianist Marc-André Hamelin in conversation with 99.5 All-Classical host Cathy Fuller, about the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1, by Johannes Brahms.
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Interview
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Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on October 20th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Boston Chamber Music Society plays Saint-Saens

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Camille Saint-Saens was a representative of some of the newest trends in the musical world of Paris in the 19th century. He introduced the music of Bach and Handel, and played pieces by Robert Schumann, unheard-of at the time, on his recitals. The Boston Chamber Music Society plays his Piano Quartet in B-flat. *** Saint-Saens: Piano Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 41 The Boston Chamber Music Society +++ Harumi Rhodes, violin; Roger Tapping, viola; Michael Reynolds, cello; Randall Hodgkinson, piano More info: http://bostonchambermusic.org/ Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on October 14th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Musica Pacifica plays 17th Century Music from Britain

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Musica Pacifica helps us imagine what music-making was like in Baroque-era England, with lively pieces that sound a lot like folk music! *** Anon/Johnson: A Jacobean Masque; Locke: Suite No. 4 in C major, from Broken Consort, Part 1; Purcell: Three Parts Upon a Ground Musica Pacifica +++ Musica Pacifica is: Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Elizabeth Blumenstock and Janet Strauss, violins;
David Morris, viola da gamba; and Charles Sherman, harpsichord Recorded in a live broadcast in WGBH's Studio One, on January 23, 2007.

©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Ya-Fei Chuang plays Chopin

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

Franz Liszt called Chopin's Preludes “...poetic preludes, analogous to those of a great contemporary poet, who cradles the soul in golden dreams..." Ya-Fei Chuang is known in North America, Europe and Asia as a pianist of stunning virtuosity and communicative power. She has performed at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, National Philharmonic Hall Warsaw and at Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall in Boston. *** Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28 Ya-Fei Chuang, piano +++ More information: http://www.necmusic.edu/faculty/ya-fei-chuang?lid=8&sid=2 Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on April 5th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Musicians of the Old Post Road play Telemann

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Musicians of the Old Post Road present early music in historic settings along the Old Post Road, which was the main road linking Boston and New York in the 18th century. So it's entirely appropriate that we hear them play music from possibly the most famous composer in Europe in the 18th century, Georg Phillip Telemann. *** Telemann: Paris Quartet No. 6 in E minor Musicians of the Old Post Road +++ Suzanne Stumpf, traverso; Sarah Darling, violin; Daniel Ryan, cello; Michael Bahmann, harpsichord Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on May 4th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Alexander Kobrin plays Haydn

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Auenbrugger sisters, 18th century patrons of the arts in Vienna, must have been amazing keyboard players, because it takes quite a bit of technique to play this piece Haydn composed for them in 1780. We hear it played by the Russian virtuoso Alexander Kobrin, in our Fraser Performance Studio. *** Haydn: Sonata No. 37 in D major, Hob.XVI: 37 Alexander Kobrin, piano +++ Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on March 8th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Discovery Ensemble plays Bach

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

Bach didn't often write music in a "lighter" vein, but when called upon, he came up with something really brilliant. This piece was premiered at Zimmerman's Coffee House in Leipzig in 1931, probably by a group of young musicians - not too much different from the Discovery Ensemble, conducted in our studio in 2010 by Courtney Lewis. *** Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 The Discovery Ensemble; Courtney Lewis, conductor +++ http://www.discoveryensemble.com/ Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on January 15th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org

Vienna Piano Trio plays Mozart

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Vienna Piano Trio doesn't claim to have any special "Viennese" touch when they play music by the masters of chamber music from that fair city, but they do have a remarkable flair. They capture the playful spirit of mozart perfectly in this great Piano Trio, one of his finest. *** Mozart: Piano Trio in E major, K.542. Vienna Piano Trio +++ Wolfgang Redik, violin; Stefan Mendl, piano; Matthias Gredler, cello Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on February 25th, 2010.
©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
http://www.wgbh.org/classical email: classical@wgbh.org