The final section of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 has been a conductor's conundrum since it premiered in 1937. Do you play it fast and loud as a life-affirming statement for a downtrodden people, or do you play it slower to emphasize the irony of people rejoicing through tears? On Wednesday's Performance Today we'll hear this ambiguous piece performed by the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Leos Janacek: Sonata for Violin and Piano: 2. Ballade: Con moto
Josef Suk, violin; Jan Panenka, piano
Supraphon 110705
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor, "Moonlight," Op. 27, No. 2
Paul Lewis, piano
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA
The Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Duston Suits from Loami, IL
Leos Janacek (arr. Terje Tonnesen): String Quartet No. 1, JW VII/8, "Kreutzer Sonata"
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; Terje Tonnesen, conductor
Libbey Bowl, Ojai, CA
Hour 2
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Introduction; Variation 1; Theme; Variations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 24
Dmitri Alexeev, piano; St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra; Yuri Temirkanov, conductor
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Aleko Overture
RCA 62710
Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Mozart): Three Fugues from The Well-Tempered Klavier for String Quartet, K. 405: No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 876; No. 8 in d-sharp minor, BWV 877; No. 4 in D Major, BWV 874
Orion String Quartet
Music@Menlo, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, CA
Anonymous (arr. Palladian Ensemble): A New Tune
The Palladian Ensemble
Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, MN
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in d minor, Op. 47: 3. Largo; 4. Allegro non troppo
St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Yuri Temirkanov, conductor
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England
Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6
Warner 62354
Ludwig van Beethoven: Rondino in E-flat for wind octet, WoO 25
Chicago Chamber Musicians
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
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About Performance Today®
To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.
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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