Cynthia Phelps grew up in a musical family. Two of her sisters and her mother all played the violin. In Cynthia's words, "It was WAY too much E string surrounding me." Cynthia escaped by switching to viola. We'll hear Cynthia Phelps play Robert Schumann's Fairytales on Thursday's Performance Today.
Claude Debussy wanted to offer his friend Erik Satie a little advice. "Your music needs structure and shape," Debussy told him. Satie had a sense of humor. On Wednesday's Performance Today, listen to Erik Satie's response to his friend's advice: "Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear," a collection of seven short, nearly structureless pieces for piano.
Fred Child is host of Performance Today. He has an incredible music library, which reflects his appetite for fascinating compositions and unforgettable performances. Fred has chosen his absolute classical favorites from his library for this stream.
Times were good for young Dmitri Shostakovich in 1933. The Soviet government hadn't begun condemning his work quite yet. You can hear his high spirits and youthful exuberance in his 'Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings'. Hear the music of an optimistic Shostakovich on Tuesday's Performance Today.
In 1892, when Czech composer Antonin Dvorak was in New York, he heard 25 year-old Harry Thacker Burleigh sing African-American spirituals. Those songs were part of Dvorak's inspiration for his most famous piece, his Symphony No. 9. On Monday's Performance Today, join the audience for Dvorak's ninth, then hear a new piece inspired by Dvorak AND Burleigh, 'Sorrow Song and Jubilee' by Libby Larsen.
Pianist Yuja Wang has had a major-label recording contract for 8 years. She is known for playing virtuosic pieces by the likes of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Liszt... and yet, she feels intimidated about playing music by Mozart. On Saturday's Performance Today, hear Yuja Wang perform a Mozart piano concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Lionel Bringuier.
Steve Reich is one of the most influential and acclaimed composers alive. In the 1960's, he was among a group of composers that pioneered what is known as minimal music. On Friday's Performance Today, cellist Rose Bellini performs Reich's "Cello Counterpoint" with 7 more cellos, all pre-recorded and played by cellist Maya Beiser. Join us for our weekly celebration of 21st century music!
Pianist Yuja Wang has had a major-label recording contract for 8 years. She is known for playing virtuosic pieces by the likes of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Liszt... and yet, she feels intimidated about playing music by Mozart. On Thursday's Performance Today, hear Yuja Wang perform a Mozart piano concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Lionel Bringuier.
It took Johannes Brahms nearly 20 years to complete his first symphony, in part because he was intimidated by Beethoven's symphonies. After rave reviews, Brahms confidently finished his second symphony in less than a year. On Wednesday's Performance Today, hear the San Francisco Symphony perform Johannes Brahms's Symphony No. 2.
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