Poster Ludwig van Beethoven
Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler (1820)
Wikimedia Commons
Performance Today®

The young Beethoven

Performance Today - December 2, 2024

After Beethoven played some concerts in his 20s, reviews wondered who this unknown pianist and composer might be ...and they even misspelled his name as "Beethover." Yeah, even Beethoven had to climb the career ladder. We'll hear music by the up-and-coming Beethoven on today's show.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Mvt 2: Allegretto
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Album: Prokofiev: The Sonatas for Piano
Bridge 9298

Alexander Zemlinsky: Three Pieces for Cello and Piano
Ekstasis Duo
Strings Music Festival, Strings Pavilion, Steamboat Springs, CO

Franz Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90, D 899: Nos. 2 & 4
Daniela Liebman, piano
Beaches Fine Arts Series, St. Paul's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

Sergei Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50
Quartetto di Cremona
Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Syracuse, NY

Hour 2

Ottorino Respighi: Brazilian Impressions: III. Song and Dance
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
Album: Respighi: Church Windows, Brazilian Impressions, Roman Festivals
Telarc 80356

Ottorino Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano, P. 151
Bellingham Festival Orchestra | Michael Palmer, conductor
The Bellingham Festival of Music, Western Washington University Concert Hall, Bellingham, WA

Tomaso Vitali: Chaconne
Ji-Won Song, violin | Stefan Petrov, piano
Heifetz International Music Institute, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Fine and Performing Arts Department, Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD

Ludwig van Beethoven: Horn Sonata in F Major, Op. 17
Jeffery Lang, horn | Natalie Zhu, piano
Kingston Chamber Music Festival, Barthelmes Auditorium, Philadelphia, PA

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

The young Beethoven

The young Beethoven

After Beethoven played some concerts in his 20s, reviews wondered who this unknown pianist and composer might be ...and they even misspelled his name as "Beethover." Yeah, even Beethoven had to climb the career ladder. We'll hear music by the up-and-coming Beethoven on today's show.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Lost and found

PT Weekend: Lost and found

When Samuel Coleridge-Taylor premiered his Piano Quintet in 1893, he thought that would be the end and that it wouldn't be played again. And for more than a century, he was right. However, the handwritten manuscript was found in 2001. This quintet is now published and played around the world.  Join us today to hear Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Quintet played by an all-star ensemble at the ChamberFest Cleveland music festival.

1:59:00
Jennifer Higdon: The Sound of Light

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1:59:00
Lost and found

Lost and found

When Samuel Coleridge-Taylor premiered his Piano Quintet in 1893, he thought that would be the end and that it wouldn't be played again. And for more than a century, he was right. However, the handwritten manuscript was found in 2001. This quintet is now published and played around the world.  Join us today to hear Coleridge-Taylor’s Piano Quintet played by an all-star ensemble at the ChamberFest Cleveland music festival.

1:59:00
Jimmy Lopez Bellido: Rise!

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PT Weekend: Joshua Roman

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Joshua Roman: Immunity

Joshua Roman: Immunity

Cellist Joshua Roman almost quit music altogether after developing Long Covid in 2021, but an encounter with Bach reminded him that the cello has been his lifelong friend. He's now shifted his mindset to center human connection over perfection in music and life. On today's show, he'll join Fred Child to discuss his journey with Long Covid and his new project, Immunity.

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Joshua Roman: Extended interview

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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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