Ah, the eternal question: to clap, or not to clap between movements? The debate has been rekindled at the BBC Proms in London this summer. Some audience members are applauding between movements without being shushed by their neighbors, and according to some observers, they're eliciting pleasure from musicians on stage. We'll hear two examples from concerts last week. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic played the first two movements from Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony, and got applause after both. Pianist Paul Lewis and the BBC Symphony got applause after the first and last movements of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. And feel free to clap for composer Bruce Adolphe, who has a brand new Piano Puzzler this week.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Darius Milhaud: Second movement from Scaramouche, Op. 165b
The Paratore Piano Duo
Peter Tchaikovsky: Two movements from Manfred Symphony in B Minor, Op. 58
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko, conductor
The BBC Proms, London, England
The Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Michael Kalm from Salt Lake City, Utah
Bohuslav Martinu: First movement from Duo No. 2 in D for Violin and Cello
Frank Almond, violin, Debra Fayroian, cello
Chamber Music North, Traverse City, Michigan
Vojislav Ivanovic: Circus Waltz
The Levante Guitar Duo
Kolarac Hall, Belgrade, Serbia
Darius Milhaud: Third movement from Scaramouche, Op. 165b
The Paratore Piano Duo
Quirinale Palace, Rome, Italy
Hour 2
Edward Elgar: Elegy
The BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis, conductor
Reinhold Gliere: Two movements from Pieces for Violin and Cello, Op. 39
William Preucil, violin, Eric Kim, cello
Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport, Massachusetts
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58
Paul Lewis, piano, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek, conductor
The BBC Proms, London, England
Jacques Ibert: Homage to Mozart
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Carnegie Hall, New York City
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About Performance Today®
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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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