In 1899, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius began work on a tone poem that has become Finland's unofficial second national anthem. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll take you to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a performance of Finlandia. There's more of Sibelius in the second hour: a concert performance of the symphony that Sibelius premiered on his 50th birthday.
In 1910, Maurice Ravel wrote a set of piano duets for some friends... musical fairy tales inspired by the Mother Goose stories. One year later, he turned those duets into music for orchestra. On Thursday's Performance Today, the New York Philharmonic plays Mother Goose by Maurice Ravel, in concert at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Czech composer Bedrich Smetana and his wife had four beautiful daughters. They were a happy family until, over the course of two years, three daughters and Smetana's wife all died from illness. On Wednesday's Performance Today, hear dramatic music inspired by personal heartbreak: Bedrich Smetana's Piano Trio, Op. 15.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a dashing, virtuosic pianist around the turn of the 20th century. In 1919, he was the Prime Minister of Poland (his signature is on the Treaty of Versailles). On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear Paderewski's Piano Concerto No. 1, from a concert in his hometown of Warsaw, Poland.
Douglas Lora and Joao Luiz met when they were teenagers, and have been playing guitar together for almost 20 years as the Brasil Guitar Duo. On Monday's Performance Today, hear them perform an arrangement of "A Fala Da Paixao" (Passion Talk) by Egberto Gismonti, from a concert in New York City.
In 1908, Igor Stravinsky wrote a piece called Fireworks, then proudly sent a copy to his mentor, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. But the package was returned unopened, with a shocking note attached. On this weekend's Performance Today, the Oregon Symphony plays the music that was returned to it's sender: Fireworks, by Igor Stravinsky.
In 1908, Igor Stravinsky wrote a piece called Fireworks, then proudly sent a copy to his mentor, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. But the package was returned unopened, with a shocking note attached. On Friday's Performance Today, the Oregon Symphony plays the music that was returned to it's sender: Fireworks, by Igor Stravinsky.
Szymon Laks was a prisoner at Auschwitz, and leader of the prison orchestra. He says music did not offer comfort or peace, that music became a kind of torture, but he played on because his very life depended on it. On Thursday's Performance Today, the story and the music of Szymon Laks.
Benjamin Grosvenor is just 25 years old, but he's already a veteran of concert halls around the world, and is one of the most insightful pianists of his generation. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll take you to hear Grosvenor give a majestic performance of music by J. S. Bach, from a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.
Share your question or comment about Performance Today. Individual questions and themes may be answered or incorporated into future episodes or digital updates.
