Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

Rachmaninoff's Isle of the Dead

Rachmaninoff's Isle of the Dead

The Isle of the Dead is a painting of a dark, forbidding island. After viewing it, Sergei Rachmaninoff was inspired to write a symphonic poem; a musical depiction of the journey of a newly departed soul. On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear the Nashville Symphony perform Rachmaninoff's Isle of the Dead in concert in Nashville.

Dukas' famous tone poem

Dukas' famous tone poem

If you saw Mickey Mouse in "Fantasia," you might remember the moral of the story: don't try to do too much. French composer Paul Dukas followed that advice. He wrote one opera, one ballet, one symphony, and one famous tone poem - The Sorcerer's Apprentice. On this weekend's Performance Today, we'll hear that piece from a concert in Buffalo, New York.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

If you saw Mickey Mouse in "Fantasia," you might remember the moral of the story: don't try to do too much. French composer Paul Dukas followed that advice. He wrote one opera, one ballet, one symphony, and one famous tone poem - The Sorcerer's Apprentice. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll hear that piece from a concert in Buffalo, New York.

Strauss at the Musikverein

Strauss at the Musikverein

Go put on your dancing shoes and your fanciest duds - we're going to the Musikverein in Vienna! The concert hall decked out in gold banners, everyone dressed in their finest, the chandeliers sparkling. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll head to Vienna to hear the Vienna Philharmonic play a sparkling waltz by Johann Strauss Jr.

Musical highlights from near and far

Musical highlights from near and far

Classical music is meant to be played - and heard - in concert, and today's concert scene is bursting with creativity, vitality, and talent. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear highlights from concerts across the country.

Ravel's Mother Goose Suite

Ravel's Mother Goose Suite

Hey diddle diddle, a section of fiddles; the horn jumped over the moon. The audience cheered to hear such sport, and the flute ran away with the tune. On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear the New York Philharmonic play Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose Suite in concert at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Sascha and Mischa Maisky play Brahms

Sascha and Mischa Maisky play Brahms

Sascha Maisky is a fine up-and-coming violinist. His dad, Mischa Maisky is among world's great cellists. On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear father and son in concert together in Switzerland, playing the Brahms' Double Concerto.

Stephen Lias on our National Parks

Stephen Lias on our National Parks

This year marks the 100th anniversary of our National Park system. On this weekend's Performance Today, composer Stephen Lias joins us to discuss how he discovered a love of the outdoors, and how the National Parks have inspired 20 of his compositions. And we'll hear one such piece; Crown of the Continent, inspired by Glacier National Park.

Stephen Lias' Crown of the Continent

Stephen Lias' Crown of the Continent

This year marks the 100th anniversary of our National Park system. On Friday's Performance Today, composer Stephen Lias joins us to discuss how he discovered a love of the outdoors, and how the National Parks have inspired 20 of his compositions. And we'll hear one such piece; Crown of the Continent, inspired by Glacier National Park.

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