When Maurice Ravel wrote Gaspard de la Nuit, he was trying to make it the most difficult piano music ever written... perhaps even unplayable. Benjamin Grosvenor plays the unplayable, in concert, on Wednesday's Performance Today.
The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the top orchestras in the country, and they've consistently held that ranking over the course of several generations. On this episode of Performance Today, join us for a special tribute to the Cleveland Orchestra.
On Monday's Performance Today, hear a composition by Valerie Coleman named "Portraits of Josephine"... inspired by the life and times of one of the most famous entertainers of the 20th Century: Josephine Baker.
This weekend, our nation honors our veterans and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. We'll hear a symphony inspired by letters home from soldiers in the trenches of the First World War. On this weekend's episode of Performance Today, we'll hear the Kansas City Symphony perform the Symphony No. 3 by Jonathan Leshnoff.
This weekend, our nation honors our veterans and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. We'll hear a symphony inspired by letters home from soldiers in the trenches of the First World War. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll hear the Kansas City Symphony perform the Symphony No. 3 by Jonathan Leshnoff.
In 1899, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius began work on a tone poem that has become Finland's unofficial second national anthem. On today's edition of Performance Today, we'll hear Osmo Vanska conduct the Minnesota Orchestra in a live performance of Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius.
Diwali, the festival of lights, is underway in India and in communities around the world. It's a time to celebrate the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance. On today's episode, we'll celebrate Diwali with music by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail.
Sergei Rachmaninoff's First Symphony was panned by the critics, and the young composer was devastated. But when he premiered his Third Symphony, 40 years later, Rachmaninoff believed that he had written something special, whether the critics liked it or not. On today's episode of Performance today, we'll hear Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3, from a recent concert in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1928, Maurice Ravel spent some time hanging out with George Gershwin in Harlem jazz clubs. The sounds Ravel heard in Harlem made their way into some of his subsequent compositions. On today's Performance Today, we'll hear Ravel's playful jazz-influenced Piano Concerto in G Major.
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