On Midday Music Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma perform the cello sonata of Richard Strauss from CD. In real life, Emanuel Ax gives a recital Sunday at Spivey Hall.
In the noon hour we hear the Atlanta Symphony and Cecylia Arzewski play Sheherazade. In real life, Arzewski has announced she'll step down as concertmaster of the ASO after this season. That's her at right. Meanwhile, she'll be on stage this weekend as the Atlanta Symphony performs Wagner, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. A few other concerts of note: The Turtle Island Quartet with guitarist Leo Kottke play Saturday at Atlanta's Ferst Center and Sunday at UGA in Kottke's native Athens. Sunday at Tift County High School in Tifton, the Charleston Ballet and local ballet students peform The Nutcracker, presented by South Georgia Arts. The annual Augusta Opera at Saint Paul's holiday concert takes place Sunday at (yes) Saint Paul's in Augusta.Today's Midday Music playlist:
11 AM . . .
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- Mendelssohn: Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde (Return Home from Abroad). New Philharmonia Orch, Atzmon (EMI 81788)
- Strauss, R.: Cello Sonata in F, Op. 6. Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax (CBS 44980/Sony 90397)
- Wagner: Parsifal, Act 1 Prelude. New York Phil, Mehta (Sony 45749)
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- Bach: Cantata No. 174: Sinfonia (first part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, with winds, brass and organ thrown in). Taverner Players, Parrott (Virgin 391340)
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherezade, Symphonic Suite after The Thousand and One Nights. Atlanta Sym Orch, Cecylia Arzewski, Spano (Telarc 80568)
- Perkinson, C.-T.: Sinfonietta No. 1 for strings: Rondo. Chicago Sinfonietta, Freeman (Cedille 90000 087)
- Rabl, W.: Quartet in E-flat for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, Op. 1 (1896). Orion Ensemble (Cedille 90000 088)
- Handel: Concerto a Due Cori No. 2 in F. Tafelmusik, Lamon (Sony 63073)