Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

The Humor of Beethoven's Symphonies

The Humor of Beethoven's Symphonies

Conductor, pianist and candid commentator Bill Eddins joins host Fred Child in the studio to take listeners on a tour of his favorite pieces of classical music. He talks about the unappreciated humor in Beethoven's symphonies, the sly keyboard prowess of Alicia de Larrocha, and Eddins reveals what he calls "the sexiest piece of classical music ever written." Find out the answer and get the conductor's take on classical music on Tuesday's Performance Today.

Cellist Christopher Costanza

Cellist Christopher Costanza

Christopher Costanza a member of the St. Lawrence String Quartet and he's a talented cello soloist, as well. On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear his complete performance of the Solo Cello Suite No. 1, by Bach in concert at the 2013 Spoleto Festival USA, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Bach Compositions Old and New

Bach Compositions Old and New

If you enjoy classical music, there's no escaping Johann Sebastian Bach. This 18th Century German composer continues to influence how we organize pitches, put notes in order and create harmony. We'll hear Bach at work in the 21st Century from modern performances of his music to new compositions playing upon Bach's themes, on this weekend's Performance Today.

The Power of Musical Youth

The Power of Musical Youth

On Friday's Performance Today, the power of musical youth. Great young performers from across the country. We'll hear the National Youth Orchestra of the U.S. in concert this summer in London, and 15 year-old pianist George Li tearing up a Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt.

Performance Today for Thursday, August  1, 2013

Performance Today for Thursday, August 1, 2013

Pianist Stephen Hough says the melody in Rachmaninoff's Paganini Variations is so nimble, so adaptable, it could be a musician's most valuable tool in his repertoire. Or wardrobe. "It's like a white shirt," Hough says. "You can do anything with it. You can put jean, a suit, evening dress, a tie." Hough performs the white shirt in a white shirt on Thursday's Performance Today with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Performance Today for Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Performance Today for Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi led the Cleveland Orchestra for 18 years. When his tenure came to an end in 2002, the orchestra liked him so much, they named Dohnanyi "Conductor Laureate." Something similar happened in London. Dohnanyi led the Philharmonia Orchestra for 10 years. Again, they didn't want to see the relationship come to an end so the Philharmonia gave Dohnanyi the title: "Honorary Conductor for Life." On Wednesday's Performance Today we'll hear from a conductor whom is not just respected, but loved by the orchestras he works with.

Performance Today for Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Performance Today for Tuesday, July 30, 2013

If you enjoy classical music, there's no escaping Johann Sebastian Bach. This 18th Century German composer continues to influence how we organize pitches, put notes in order and create harmony. We'll hear Bach at work in the 21st Century from modern performances of his music to new compositions playing upon Bach's themes, on Tuesday's Performance Today.

Performance Today for Monday, July 29, 2013

Performance Today for Monday, July 29, 2013

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was the son of the immortal Johann Sebastian Bach. But CPE was also a great composer and musician in his own right. He was the harpsichordist and composer for the Prussian King, Frederick the Great. We'll hear a cello concerto by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, on Monday's Performance Today.

Performance Today for Saturday, July 27, 2013

Performance Today for Saturday, July 27, 2013

Composer Maurice Ravel was a dear friend of the Gaudin family. When World War One began, the brothers Pascal and Pierre Gaudin proudly signed up for the French army. On the day they arrived, the two brothers were killed by a single German shell. On this weekend's Performance Today we'll hear music Ravel wrote this in memory of his friends Pierre and Pascal, Le Tombeau do Couperin. And we'll sample music celebrating new life, the birth of a royal baby.

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