The Piano Sonata No 31 was written while Beethoven recovered from a long illness. The composer's instructions are both in German -- 'wieder auflebend' (again reviving) -- and in Italian, 'poi a poi di nuovo vivente' (little by little with renewed vigor). Nikolay Khozyainov's performance of Sonata No. 31 from the Frederic Chopin Society is in this week's Regional Spotlight.
The lake place can wait on the weekends when the Summer Singers are performing. The ensemble is in this week's Regional Spotlight with a performance of Daniel Elder's "A Breathing Peace.
Gravity takes a holiday at the end of the Arabesque by Robert Schumann. The music is marked 'Light and Delicate' (Liecht und Zart). Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor opened his February Frederic Chopin Society recital with this letter of love. Grosvenor's performance makes time and gravity stand still.
In this week's Regional Spotlight, you'll hear Beatrice Rana perform (a portion of) the Bach Goldberg Variations from a Frederick Chopin Society recital last month.
The Bach Society of Minnesota concluded their last season with a performance of the Reformation cantata, 'Ein feste Burg,' Bach Cantata 80. The opening movement is Bach at his celebratory best. Trumpets sound as orchestra and chorus combine to make an ecstatic shout, a joyful noise.
For the last seven years, Anna Clift and Laura Sewell have been the brains and the brawn behind the International Cello Institute for young cellists. The International Cello Institute also includes a recital series, including a performance by cellist Tanya Remenikova and pianist Ivan Konev. Hear it on this week's Regional Spotlight.
Composed at the end of the 18th century when Haydn himself was approaching 70, the Opus 76 set of string quartets are the composer's summation in the genre. The Fry Street Quartet opened their Chamber Music Society of St Cloud performance with a vigorous reading of this quintessential Haydn work. Their performance is in this week's Regional Spotlight.
The Mankato Symphony Orchestra is a model for what a community orchestra can be. The ensemble is in and about the community it serves. In this week's Regional Spotlight, conductor Kenneth Freed leads the ensemble in 'Hebrew Melody' by Joseph Achron. The soloist is Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira.
Opportunity knocked and Tony Yike Yang was ready. The young pianist was preparing for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition when the Frederic Chopin Society called. The pianist originally scheduled for the May 7 recital had cancelled; could Tony take her place? Tony's performance of the Chopin Sonata No. 2 is in this week's Regional Spotlight.
The Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester has had a new music commissioning series for more than a decade. The series has created a gold mine of attractive and memorable choral works, including Jake Runestad's 'My Song.' The Choral Arts Ensmble's new recording is in this week's Regional Spotlight.
