Performance Today®

The Oslo Chamber Choir was founded as a purely classical ensemble 25 years ago. They have the beautiful rich sound of the best classical choirs, but they've also become intrepid musical adventurers. They'll join Fred in the studio for day 2 of music and conversation. Today, Norwegian folk music inspired by the calls of shepherds looking for lost sheep in the mountains, with vocal imitations of the sounds of wild Norway in the background. Plus, an innovative combination of Norwegian folk songs and sacred music by Rachmaninoff.

The Oslo Chamber Choir was founded as a classical vocal ensemble 25 years ago. Then they added some Norwegian folk songs. Now, they're experimenting with laying the folk songs right on top of choral classics. The Oslo Chamber Choir joins Fred in the studio to explain, and to demonstrate their new versions of choral works by Anton Bruckner and Edvard Grieg; these are daring and hauntingly beautiful combinations.

When Mozart was writing his Symphony Number 29 in 1774, Australia was pretty much as it had been for the previous 40,000 years. Westerners wouldn't start arriving for another decade or more. Much has changed in the intervening centuries. Today, Australia is a thoroughly modern nation with a thriving arts scene. On today's show, we'll hear Richard Tognetti lead the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Mozart's 29th symphony, from a recent concert in Melbourne.

Earlier this month, we broadcast a performance of "New York Counterpoint," a 1985 minimalist classic by Steve Reich, with parts for 11 clarinets. Performance Today listeners responded in droves: some absolutely loved it, others...not so much. Today, Fred has PT listener comments about New York Counterpoint...and composer Steve Reich comments on the comments. Fred talks with Reich, who describes the piece and explains what he had in mind. (And...Reich says he doesn't compose "minimalist music," he simply composes "music.") Of course, we'll hear it again! Richie Hawley in concert in Santa Barbara, California plays "New York Counterpoint."

American conductor James Levine is normally very busy this time of year. He's music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York as well as the Boston Symphony. But Levine is out recuperating from back surgery. He was supposed to make his return to the podium this week, but Levine's doctors nixed that. He's under orders to take it easy for a while longer. The staff of PT wishes him a speedy recovery. In today's show, we'll feature a pre-surgery performance of Levine conducting the Boston Symphony in Haydn's Symphony Number 104.

When you think of three instruments that just naturally belong together, it's not likely your first thought would be banjo, string bass, and tabla (Indian drums). Banjoist Bela Fleck, bassist Edgar Meyer, and tabla player Zakir Hussain come from very different musical backgrounds, but they've formed a unique and compelling trio that is capturing the attention of music lovers. PT's Fred Child hosted a live event last Sunday in Miami, featuring interviews and performances by Fleck, Meyer, and Hussain. We'll hear highlights on today's show.

Violinist Rachel Podger was once told by her teacher that Baroque violin playing was only for those who can't play real violin. So she sneaked out and took Baroque violin lessons on the side. Podger has since become one of the great early music interpreters, and performs with London's Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in today's show. Podger is both soloist and conductor in a Haydn violin concerto.

American conductor James Levine is normally very busy this time of year. He's music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York as well as the Boston Symphony. But Levine is out recuperating from back surgery. He was supposed to make his return to the podium this week, but Levine's doctors nixed that. He's under orders to take it easy for a while longer. The staff of PT wishes him a speedy recovery. In today's show, we'll feature a pre-surgery performance of Levine conducting the Boston Symphony in Haydn's Symphony Number 104.

Pianist Maurizio Pollini says it's his job as a performer to "make the sense clear: the necessity of the notes." Not just to get the notes right or even just to make them expressive or beautiful. He says he has to convince the listener of the rightness of what the composer wrote, so that it sounds as if no other notes could possibly follow. We think Pollini does a convincing job on Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 12, in a performance with the Vienna Philharmonic.