The most romantic birthday present in the long history of birthday presents: the Siegfried Idyll, by Richard Wagner. An achingly beautiful 20-minute piece he wrote for his new wife, rehearsed in secret, and unveiled with a small orchestra playing in front of her bedroom on the morning of her 33rd birthday. Our concert is from a slightly larger space -- Avery Fisher Hall, at Lincoln Center in New York City. Alan Gilbert conducting the New York Philharmonic. Plus a set of music and musicians from San Francisco, including a slapstick orchestral march written by Michael Tilson Thomas, played by the San Francisco Symphony.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Leonard Bernstein: First movement from Sonata for Clarinet
Richard Stoltzman, clarinet, the London Symphony Orchestra, Eric Stern, conductor
Joaquin Turina: Danzas Fantasticas, Op. 22
The Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Ugarte, conductor
Die Glocke, Bremen, Germany
Kyle Dawkins: Flight
The Georgia Guitar Quartet
Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, Georgia
Toru Takemitsu: Wings
Richard Stoltzman, clarinet, Mika Yoshida, marimba
Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport, Massachusetts
The New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert, conductor Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
The New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert, conductor
Avery Fisher Hall, New York City
Hour 2
Alec Wilder: Fourth movement from Woodwind Quintet No. 2
Members of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Music Room, St. Paul
Josquin des Prez: El Grillo (the Cricket)
Chanticleer
Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, Georgia
Alexander Scriabin: Etude in F-sharp Minor, Op. 42, No. 2, and Etude in A, Op. 8, No. 6
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Michael Tilson Thomas: Agnegram
The San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
Franz Danzi: Wind Quintet in G Minor, Op. 56, No. 2
The Farkas Quintet Amsterdam
Orgelpark, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Henry Purcell: Suite from King Arthur or the British Worthy, Z. 628
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Paul Goodwin, conductor
Ordway Center, St. Paul
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