Poster Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas
Terrence McCarthy
Performance Today®

Symphony of a Thousand, Part II

Yesterday, we brought you Part I of Mahler's 8th Symphony, known as the Symphony of a Thousand. Today is the conclusion. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas leads the massed forces of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Pacific Boychoir, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. MTT calls the work an "allegory of the distressed soul finding its way through trials to...blessedness."

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Johann Strauss, Jr.: Annen Polka, Op. 117
The Vienna Philharmonic, Daniel Barenboim, conductor

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cello Concerto in A, Wq 172
Paul Watkins, cello and conductor, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Radio Concert Hall, Oslo, Norway

Igor Stravinsky: Excerpts from Petrushka
Yuja Wang, piano
The Frederic Chopin Society, St. Paul

Joseph Haydn: Finale from Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor (Farewell)
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Musikverein, Vienna, Austria

Hour 2

Peter Tchaikovsky: Danse Russe from Swan Lake, Op. 20
Joshua Bell, violin, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Nicola Matteis: Variations on a Chaconne
Ingrid Matthews, violin, John Lenti, lute, Chuck Deardorf, bass
Benaroya Hall, Seattle

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Divertimento in B-Flat, K. 137
The Montreal Chamber Music Festival Orchestra
Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Montreal, Quebec

Gustav Mahler: Part II from Symphony No. 8
The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Pacific Boychoir, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

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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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