Performance Today®

Noted for his crusty, curmudgeonly demeanor, Johannes Brahms was usually gruff, not gracious. So when he gave a compliment, you knew he meant it. After hearing Dvorak's "Legends," Brahms wrote to the publisher, "Please tell Dvorak how much his Legends have given me lasting pleasure. They are fascinating, and the man's fresh, exuberant, rich powers of invention are enviable." Those enviable Legends are on the show today, performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony and Ilan Volkov.

Ottorino Respighi loved his adopted city of Rome. He wrote three memorable pieces about the city. Today we'll hear his "Roman Festivals," with its final movement a musical depiction of the sights, sounds, and smells of a Roman Epiphany festival. And, after taking a week off, Bruce Adolphe is back with the first "Piano Puzzler" of the new year. Make a resolution to tune in.

Arvo Part wrote angular, dissonant music in the 1950s and 60s. After taking time off to study mediaeval works, he had a conversion experience -- he returned to composition a different man, and his music took on a completely different character. We'll hear one of the first things he wrote after his return, a piece that's become iconic for fans of his spare, evocative sound: "Fratres." Plus, two works by a fine 19th century composer whose last name is Franck...but whose first name isn't Cesar. We'll remember the neglected composer, Eduard Franck.

Two special introductions: the winner of the 2010 Gilmore Artist Award, and PT's Artists-in-Residence. Once every four years, the Gilmore Keyboard Festival names their "Gilmore Artist." The winner gets $300,000 and bookings in major concert halls around the world. Performance Today has the exclusive broadcast announcement of the 2010 Gilmore Artist Award, and host Fred Child talks with the winner. Also: we'll introduce the Parker Quartet as Performance Today Artists-in-Residence. They'll join Fred in the studio to play Mendelssohn's Quartet No. 2. And we'll begin PT's nationwide string quartet competition for high school and college age string quartets.

We'll have music for Epiphany this January 6th. Ottorino Respighi loved his adopted city of Rome. He wrote three memorable pieces about the city. Today we'll hear his "Roman Festivals," with its final movement a musical depiction of the sights, sounds, and smells of a Roman Epiphany festival. And, after taking a week off, Bruce Adolphe is back with the first "Piano Puzzler" of the new year. Make a resolution to tune in.

Conductor Simon Rattle joins Fred to introduce the Symphony No. 1 by Johannes Brahms. This begins a month-long look at the Brahms symphonies with Sir Simon, he'll be on PT every Tuesday through the month of January introducing his performances with the Berlin Philharmonic. And...it was the source of a summer-long debate on PT in 2008, and the subject never goes away -- is it okay to applaud between movements? We'll hear cellist Lynn Harrell in concert in Athens, Georgia, playing a Mendelssohn Sonata. The audience gave him an enthusiastic round of applause after the opening movement. Harrell weighs in on the subject, as does conductor Charles Dutoit, and we invite your comments, as well.

A Chinese folk tale became music in the hands of composers Chen Gang and He Zhanhao. And violinist Gil Shaham decided that he wanted to share this beautiful piece with the world. He's joined by Lan Shui and the Singapore Symphony for the "Butterfly Lovers" Violin Concerto.

The lush sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra is an ideal fit for Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. We'll go to the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia to hear Christoph Eschenbach conduct the final three movements of this emotionally turbulent masterpiece.

It just wouldn't be New Year's Day without some Strauss from Vienna. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in two works: the march from "The Gypsy King," and "Roses from the South," from last year's New Year's Day concert in Vienna. Plus, some of the greatest party music of the last three centuries, Handel's Water Music, adds to the celebration. Jeanne Lamon conducts the Tafelmusik Baroque ensemble in Toronto.