In Greek mythology, Prometheus took fire from the gods and gave it to mortals. We got warmth and light, knowledge and culture. But Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock for all eternity, where a giant eagle pecked out his liver each day. In today's show, we'll hear excerpts from Beethoven's ballet, "The Creatures of Prometheus," from a concert in New York City.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Dmitri Shostakovich: Third movement from Symphony No. 15, Op. 141
The Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Roman Kofman, conductor
George Frideric Handel: Air and Variations from Suite No. 5, HWV 430 (The Harmonious Blacksmith)
The Sotto Voce Tuba Quartet
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
Jean-Marie Leclair: Sonata in C for Two Violins, Op. 3, No. 3
Frank Huang and Min-Young Kim, violins
Portland Chamber Music Festival, Portland, Maine
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5
Eduard Kunz, piano
International Chopin Piano Festival, Duszniki Zdroj, Poland
Dmitri Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a
wild Up, Christopher Rountree, conductor
Jensen Rec Center Studio, Los Angeles
Hour 2
Antonin Dvorak: Third movement from String Sextet in A, Op. 48
The Boston Symphony Chamber Players
Arthur Honegger: Pastorale d'ete (Summer Pastorale)
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Christian Zacharias, conductor
Ordway Center, St. Paul
Benjamin Britten: Parade, from Les Illuminations, Op. 18
Kate Royal, soprano, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Carnegie Hall, New York City
Ludwig van Beethoven: Excerpts from the Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Alexander Janiczek, violin and leader
92nd Street Y, New York City
Gustav Mahler: Third movement from Symphony No. 6 (Tragic)
The Boston Symphony Orchestra, James Levine, conductor
Symphony Hall, Boston
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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.
Hosted by Valerie Kahler, 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.
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