In 1927, Italian composer Ottorino Respighi wrote a suite of musical portraits. Not of kings or queens, mythological or historical figures. It was a suite of bird music, including portraits of the hen, the dove, the nightingale, and the cuckoo (pictured). As you enjoy the spring bird migration outside your window, you can listen to these charming settings of their music, performed by the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra and conductor Nicholas McGegan.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Ottorino Respighi: "Circenses," from "Roman Festivals"
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with conductor Neville Marriner
Alberto Ginastera: "Impresiones de la Puna"
Musicians from the Colorado College Summer Music Festival
Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jean-Fery Rebel: Chaconne from "Les Elemens"
The European Union Baroque Orchestra with conductor Roy Goodman
Bulgarie Concert Hall, Sofia, Bulgaria
Henry Purcell: Chaconne for Strings
Collegium Novum with conductor Edward Higginbottom
Abbey, Ambronay, France
"The Piano Puzzler": This week's contestant is Brandon Peterson from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Ottorino Respighi: "The Birds," P. 154
The Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra with conductor Nicholas McGegan
Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene, Oregon
Hour 2
Joseph Haydn: Finale from String Quartet in G, Op. 76, No. 1, Hob. III:75
The Amadeus Quartet
Charles Griffes: "The Night Winds," Op. 5, No. 3
Pianist Stephen Beus
Wellspring Theater, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Dmitri Kabalevsky: "A Short Story"
Pianist Stephen Beus
Wellspring Theater, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Isa Krejci: Wind Quintet
The Prague Wind Quintet
Dvorak Hall, Prague, Czech Republic
Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A
Pianist Kosuke Kita with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Kazumasa Watanabe
Concert Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Joseph Haydn: Trio in G for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 53, No. 1
Violinist Cho-Liang Lin, violist Paul Neubauer, and cellist Gary Hoffman
The New York Society for Ethical Culture, New York City
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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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