Performance Today®

Johannes Brahms thought he was at the end. He was 58, convinced he was not only done with composing, but maybe even done with living. He put down his pen, got his affairs in order, said his goodbyes, and waited. But life sometimes does funny things just when you think you have it all figured out. Brahms met an amazing clarinetist, heard him play, and decided maybe there was some music left in him after all. Turns out, it was some of the most sublime music he ever wrote. We'll hear one of Brahms' autumnal works, his clarinet trio, from a concert at the Spoleto Festival.

Part of conductor's job is to be a glorified traffic cop, to make sure the music doesn't come apart at the seams. But even more important than that, it's to be a leader and a unifier, to convey an artistic vision to the orchestra. If the first part of the job description seems better-suited to younger people, it's the second part that has historically swung the baton in favor of the senior generation. Krzysztof Urbanski is young conductor who seems to have both halves in good order. Today, he leads the Indianapolis Symphony in Bedrich Smetana's suite, "Ma Vlast."

Caprice, capricious, capriccio. A set of words all meaning whimsical, light-hearted, and free-spirited. As you'll find out today, that can encompass a lot of territory. Everything from the thoughtful, wandering improvisation on a Brahms Capriccio by the amazing jazz pianist Eldar Djangirov (pictured), to the sometimes ferocious yet ultimately playful Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra by Igor Stravinsky. Join us as we explore some of the many facets of the Capriccio in today's show.

To many in the audience sitting in the Champs-Elysees Theater in Paris, what unfolded before them was ghastly, unthinkable, an affront to the senses. Like finding that someone laced your ice cream with jalapeno peppers. Noses wrinkled, ears prickled, and eventually, fists started flying. It was the premiere of the most revolutionary piece of music of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." This year marks the centennial of the ballet. We'll revisit that day in Paris 100 years ago, and the riot that ensued. And we'll hear a peaceful performance from New York City.

How often have you listened to a piece of music and thought, "What on earth was the composer thinking when he/she wrote that?" Usually that reaction is reserved for something we don't like. But American composer Kevin Puts took on the question in a serious, thoughtful way. He started with the first movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, and wondered what inspired him to write it. The result is an engaging new piece, "Inspiring Beethoven." We'll hear it from a concert in North Carolina.

American composer Gabriela Lena Frank paid tribute to her Peruvian heritage when she wrote a new chamber piece in 2010. It's called "Hilos," which means "Threads." The title is a reference to the beautiful woven textiles from the Andean region. But the idea of threads also refers to the common language of music, and how different musical styles can be woven together into a common fabric. Gabriela Lena Frank and the Alias Chamber Ensemble join host Fred Child in the PT studios today for a performance of "Hilos."

Music that connects Peruvian and American traditions.

To many in the audience sitting in the Champs-Elysees Theater in Paris, what unfolded before them was ghastly, unthinkable, an affront to the senses. Like finding that someone laced your ice cream with jalapeno peppers. Noses wrinkled, ears prickled, and eventually, fists started flying. It was the premiere of the most revolutionary piece of music of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." This year marks the centennial of the ballet. We'll revisit that day in Paris 100 years ago, and the riot that ensued. And we'll hear a peaceful performance from New York City.

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Those opening lines from Dickens'"A Tale of Two Cities" are burned into almost everyone's consciousness. But what about the rest of the book? Who can quote that? In today's show, we'll have another great opening line, the sunrise from "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Everyone knows it from the film "2001: A Space Odyssey." Plus, we'll hear the part no one remembers. Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the complete half-hour tone poem by Richard Strauss.