Poster Sir Arnold Bax, 1944
Sir Arnold Bax, 1944
photo by Howard Coster, courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London
Performance Today®

Sir Arnold Bax's love for Ireland

Arnold Bax was an English composer, but when he went to his beloved Ireland, he adopted the persona of poet Dermot O'Byrne. He tried to keep his alter ego secret but his music betrayed his love of all things Irish. Music by Arnold Bax (aka Dermot O'Byrne) on Thursday's Performance Today.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Frederic Chopin: Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45, "Sostenuto"
Rafal Blechacz, piano
Chopin: The Complete Preludes
DG 10870

Arnold Bax: Quintet for Oboe and Strings
James Austin Smith, oboe; Rolston String Quartet
Spoleto Festival USA, Dock Street Theater, Charleston, SC

Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77: Movements 2 & 3
Joshua Bell, violin; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

Frederic Chopin: Waltzes, Op. 64 Nos. 1-3
Rafal Blechacz, piano
Union College Concert Series, Union College - Memorial Chapel, Schenectady, NY

Hour 2

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations: Aria
Igor Levit, piano
Bach, Beethoven, Rzewski
Sony 6096

Francois Devienne: Duo in C Minor, Op. 3 No. 1 for Flute and Viola
Cynthia Phelps, viola; Carol Wincenc, flute
San Antonio Chamber Music Society, Temple Beth-El, San Antonio, TX

Francesco Canova da Milano (arr. R. Savino): Mon Pere si ma Marie
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, NY

Pierre Certon (arr. Scott Tennant): Je ne l'ose dire
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, NY

Josquin des Prez (arr. Scott Tennant): Adieu, mes Amours
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, NY

Pierre Passereau (arr. Scott Tennant): Il est bel et bon
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, NY

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat, K. 271 ('Jeune homme')
Igor Levit, piano; San Francisco Symphony; Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor
EBU release, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA

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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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