Performance Today®

"To shiver, frozen, amid icy snow in the bitter blast of a horrible wind; to run constantly stamping one's feet; and to feel one's teeth chatter on account of the excessive cold." Antonio Vivaldi wrote those words to describe one of his biggest hits. Winter, from "The Four Seasons," is on the way in today's show, in honor of the winter solstice. Plus, PT's annual celebration of Christmas around the Country.

In today's show, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, flutist Joshua Smith, and violist Cynthia Phelps sit down with host Fred Child for holiday music and conversation. Kondonassis has made a number of lovely arrangements for the trio, including Greensleeves and two arias by Johann Sebastian Bach. Plus, Andre Jolivet's gentle Christmas meditation, Pastorales de Noel.

It's Christmas Eve, and there's a big party. Young Clara gets a special present, a nutcracker. At midnight, the Christmas tree grows magically, the Nutcracker turns into a dashing prince, and takes Clara on a tour of his kingdom. It's "The Nutcracker," by Peter Tchaikovsky. We'll hear highlights, from a concert in Montreal.

Handel's Messiah has been a hit ever since it premiered in Dublin in 1742. So much so that, in early performances, ladies were asked not to wear hoop skirts and men were advised to leave their swords at home, in order to accommodate more concertgoers in the hall. There wasn't a sword or a hoop in sight at a recent Messiah performance in Boston. We'll bring you highlights in today's show.

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a classical composer. We get one of our listeners on the phone to try to guess the tune, and the composer Bruce is mimicking. Is it "Stand by Your Man" in the style of Tchaikovsky? Or maybe "Do Re Mi" in the style of Schoenberg? Play along, see if you can guess the tune and the composer in this week's Piano Puzzler.

One critic said a recent performance by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic was "like sitting on top of the orchestra world." But the praise wasn't just for the orchestra. Part of what made the concert so electrifying was the two soloists, brothers Renaud and Gautier Capucon. They teamed up for the Brahms Double Concerto for violin and cello. We'll hear it in today's show.

The women of Anonymous 4 recently joined host Fred Child for music and conversation in a chilly St. Paul church. Even so, their performances radiated warmth and joy. They tell the story of the Cherry Tree carol, and sing early English and American Christmas carols.

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a classical composer. We get one of our listeners on the phone to try to guess the tune, and the composer Bruce is mimicking. Is it "Stand by Your Man" in the style of Tchaikovsky? Or maybe "Do Re Mi" in the style of Schoenberg? Play along, see if you can guess the tune and the composer in this week's Piano Puzzler.

Joaquin Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez is perhaps the most popular guitar concerto of all time. Even if you don't think you know it, there's a good chance you've at least heard the gorgeous, tender slow movement. In today's show, flamenco guitarist Juan Manuel Canizares performs it with the Berlin Philharmonic, from their special 2011 Europa concert.