John Fitzgerald Kennedy — the 35th president of the United States — was born 100 years ago, on May 29, 1917. In this hour-long special, "From Casals to Camelot," we mark his centenary with a look at the way classical music formed an important part of his legacy.
Playlist
• Leonard Bernstein: Fanfare for the Inauguration of JFK
National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach
• Catalan Folk Song: Carol of the Birds
Pablo Casals, cello / Mieczyslaw Horszowski, piano - recorded at the White House, November 13th, 1961
• John La Montaine: Overture - From Sea to Shining Sea
National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Mitchell - recorded at Constitution Hall, January 19th, 1961
• Peter Lieberson: Remembering JFK (An American Elegy) final section
National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach with Richard Dreyfuss reading the text of a speech by John F Kennedy
• Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings
• Gustav Mahler: from Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection)- 'Urlicht'
New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein, with soprano Christa Ludwig
• Herbert Howells: Take Him Earth, For Cherishing
The Dale Warland Singers, Dale Warland conducting
• Leonard Bernstein: from Mass - 'A Simple Song'
Jubilant Sykes, baritone, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop
• Steven Mackey final section from One Red Rose
The Brentano String Quartet
• Frederick Loewe: Camelot (title theme - instrumental)
Supplemental Music
• Stravinsky - Elegy for JFK
Elegy for J.F.K. (text by W.H. Auden)
When a just man dies,
Lamentation and praise,
Sorrow and joy, are one.
Why then, why there,
Why thus, we cry, did he die?
The heavens are silent.
What he was, he was:
What he is fated to become
Depends on us
Remembering his death,
How we choose to live
Will decide its meaning.
When a just man dies,
Lamentation and praise,
Sorrow and joy, are one.
• John Williams: music from the film JFK - "Arlington"
• William Kraft: A Kennedy Portrait
Commissioned by the Boston Philharmonic for the 25th anniversary of the assassination - 1988
• Leo Sowerby: Thy word is a Lantern Unto My Feet
(in memoriam - John Fitzgerald Kennedy)
• Roy Harris: Epilogue to Profiles in Courage - JFK
Commissioned by Broadcast Music Inc. for the International Festival of Los Angeles County - premiered under Franz Waxman in 1964
• James MacMillan: A Cecilian Variation for JFK (2nd movement of "Kennedy Variations" for piano solo)
Composer note: This piece is one of a composite set of solo piano variations on the overture to Purcell's 1683 St Cecilia Ode "Welcome to all the pleasures." The other variations were written by Williams Matthias, Michael Berkeley and Gerald Victory. The four composers represent the four countries of the British Isles and the variations were written as a tribute to John F Kennedy on the anniversary of the President's assassination on November 22, which is also the Feast Day of St Cecilia, Patron Saint Music
From disc: "juxtaposes violence and angry dischord against remote chorales and dances before it evaporates into silence."
• Darius Milhaud: Murder of a Great Chief of State
Premiered Dec 2, 1963
• Conrad Tao: The World is Very Different Now
Title taken from a line from Kennedy's inaugural address - composed for the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination, 2012.
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