Johannes Brahms lived another twelve years after finishing his fourth and final symphony. Even so, conductor Simon Rattle hears a man facing his own mortality in the music. Rattle shares his insights into this monumental work, in the final installment of our look at the symphonies of Brahms. And he leads the Berlin Philharmonic in a live performance. We also note the passing of eminent American pianist Earl Wild, who died this past weekend at the age of 94.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Andrew York: "Andecy"
Guitarist Sharon Isbin
Leos Janacek: Third movement from String Quartet No. 2 ("Intimate Letters")
The Emerson String Quartet
LeFrak Concert Hall, New York City
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98
The Berlin Philharmonic with conductor Simon Rattle
Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany
Hour 2
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 55, No. 2
Pianist Maria Joao Pires
Johann Sebastian Bach: Excerpts from "The Art of Fugue," BWV 1080
The cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic
Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Umberto Giordano: "Nel suo Amore Rianimata," from "Siberia"
Soprano Renee Fleming and pianist Gerald Martin Moore
Benaroya Hall, Seattle
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18
Pianist Yuja Wang with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and conductor Long Yu
Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, California
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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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