In 1932, George Gershwin enjoyed a vacation in Havana, Cuba. He came home with a set of bongos, a set of maracas, and inspiration for a new composition. On this episode of Performance Today we'll hear Gershwin's Cuban Overture, his souvenir from two weeks in Cuba.
Sisters Katia and Marielle Labeque have been playing as a piano duo for more than 50 years, and their playing and approach is as fresh as ever. On today's show, hear the Labeque sisters perform a new concerto for two pianos by Bryce Dessner.
In 1932, George Gershwin enjoyed a vacation in Havana, Cuba. He came home with a set of bongos, a set of maracas, and inspiration for a new composition. On this episode of Performance Today we'll hear Gershwin's Cuban Overture, his souvenir from two weeks in Cuba.
Austrian composer Anton Webern was 22 years old when he and his beloved went on a hike in the mountains outside Vienna. That hike inspired him to write a piece for string quartet, his Langsamer Satz. On today's show, we'll hear the Calidore String Quartet perform Webern's Langsamer Satz, from a concert at the Music@Menlo Festival.
Pianist Andras Schiff calls it a 'finger breaking piece.' Stephen Kovacevich said he worked on it for so long, he nearly paralyzed his hands. On today's show, Yefim Bronfman takes us beyond the strenuous side of Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 2 in a thrilling performance with the Houston Symphony.
The movie "The Red Violin" follows one particular violin for centuries. It passes from one owner to another, leaving a rather bloody trail behind. John Corigliano wrote the lush and haunting music for the film. On today's show, hear violinist Bella Hristova play highlights from the Corigliano's score at the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival.
Pianist Joyce Yang feels that George Gershwin's "Concerto in F" is full of optimism, freedom and magic... and we all could probably use a little more of that in our lives right now. On today's show, hear Joyce Yang and the Aspen Festival Orchestra perform Gershwin's iconic piano concerto.
In 1867, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote a play about a young man who spends his life avoiding responsibility. The play features amorous milkmaids, a runaway bride, a cave full of trolls, and a sojourn in the deserts of Egypt. The drama never became one of Ibsen's biggest hits, but the music that Edvard Grieg wrote for it did. On today's show, hear Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, performed by the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra.
In 1894, at the age of 27, Amy Beach became the first American woman to compose and publish a symphony. She was the first woman to establish a reputation as a great American composer. On this episode of Performance Today, hear Beach's Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, from a concert presented by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
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