Midday Music playlist for Friday, August 29

Eric Nauert from member station WSVH Savannah is your Midday Music host today; the playlist is here. Sarah Zaslaw will host on Monday, and Alan Cooke's requests edition of the show returns next week. Happy Labor Day weekend!

Midday Music playlist for Thursday, August 28

GPB provides classical music on the radio; we also support live performances in the communities we serve. Starting in September, check this blog often. In addition to Midday Music playlists I'll resume listing classical happenings around the state as concert series rev back up for the 2008-2009 season.

11 AM

  • Walton: Scapino, comedy overture. London Sym, Previn. EMI 47624.
  • Rossini/Berr: String Sonata No. 1 in G, arr. wind quartet. Michael Thompson Wind Quartet. Naxos 8.554098.
  • Napravnik: Piano Concerto ("Concerto Symphonique") in A minor. Evgeny Soifertis, BBC Scottish Sym, Titov.
  • Soler: Harpsichord Sonata No. 84 in D major. Maggie Cole. Virgin 91172.
12 N
  • Bernstein: Candide Overture. Saint Louis Sym, Slatkin. EMI 47522.
  • Dvorak: "New World" Symphony (No. 9 in E minor). New York Phil, Masur. Teldec 73244.
  • Debussy: En Bateau. Yolanda Kondonassis. Telarc 80622.
1 PM
  • Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1. Dennis Brain, Philharmonia Orch, Sawallisch. EMI 47834.
  • Tuma: Sonata a quattro in E minor. Concerto Italiano, Alessandrini. Naive 30436.
  • Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 62 in E-flat. Malcom Bilson. Bridge 9263.

Midday Music playlist for Wednesday, August 27

11 AM

  • Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty, Suite. Boston Sym, Ozawa. DG 435 619.
  • Turina: Piano Trio in F major. Trio Arbos. Naxos 8.555870.
  • Dvorak: Sousedska (Slavonic Dance Op. 46/6). New York Phil, Masur. Teldec 73244.
12 N
  • Bach: Violin Sonata No. 4 in C minor. Lucy van Dael, Bob van Asperen. Naxos 8.554614.
  • Salzedo: Chanson dans la nuit. Yolanda Kondonassis. Telarc 80691.
  • Haydn: Symphony No. 73, "The Hunt." Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne, Lopez-Cobos. Denon 18079.
  • Respighi: Fantasia Slava for piano and orchestra. Geoffrey Tozer, BBC Phil, Downes. Chandos 9311.
1 PM
  • Danielpour: First Light. Seattle Sym, Schwarz. Delos 3118.
  • Weiss: Lute Sonata No. 45 in A major. Robert Barto. Naxos 8.555722.

Midday Music playlist for Tuesday, August 26

11 AM

  • Dvorak: In Nature's Realm, Concert Overture. New Jersey Sym, Macal. Delos 3314.
  • Rachmaninoff: Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos, Op. 17. Martha Argerich, Alexandre Rabinovitch. Teldec 9031 74717.
  • Haydn, M.: Symphony in E-flat, P. 1. Franz Liszt Chamber Orch, Rolla. Teldec 8.43188.
  • Gabrieli: Canzon Quarta a 4. London Sym Orch Brass. Naxos 8.554129.
12 N
  • Tuma: Sinfonia in B-flat. Concerto Italiano, Alessandrini. Naive 30436.
  • Ravel: Violin Sonata in G major. Viktoria Mullova, Bruno Canino. Philips 426 254.
  • Schumann: Genoveva, Overture. BBC National Orch of Wales, Weller. BBC Mag Vol. 10/8.
  • Wagner/Liszt: Isolde's Lovedeath (Liebestod). Alfre dBrendel. Philips 420 254.
  • Sammartini: Recorder Sonata in E minor, Op. 2/3. Maurice Steger et al. Harmonia Mundi 905266.
1 PM
  • Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy; Symphony No. 2 (mvts 3-5). BBC Philharmonic, Sinaisky. BBC Mag Vol. 10/10.

Midday Music playlist for Monday, August 25

Several Americans today on GPB. For the 90th birth anniversary of composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein today, the San Francisco String Quartet plays its version of Bernstein's "Gee Officer Krupke," from West Side Story. We hear Virgil Thomson's music for an arty film the government put out in 1937 to convince Americans of the need for dams on the Mississippi: The River. And from just last decade, by Christopher Theofanidis, sounds for string orchestra titled Visions and Miracles.

Other highlights include selections from Edvard Grieg's music for the drama Peer Gynt and the seldom-heard second suite of Caucasian Sketches by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, based on music of the Caucasus region (the area known as Georgia).

11 AM

  • Grieg: Peer Gynt, Incidental Music: selections. San Francisco Sym & Chorus, Malmberg, Haeggander, Blomstedt. London 425 448.
  • Tuma: Sinfonia a quattro in B-flat. Concerto Italiano, Alessandrini. Naive 30436.
  • Francaix: Piano Sonata. Nicole Narboni. Independently produced.
12 N
  • Bernstein: Gee Officer Krupke. San Francisco String Quartet. ViolinJazz JCCD 105.
  • Thomson: The River. Post-Classical Ensemble, Gil-Ordonez. Naxos 8.559291.
  • Godowsky: Symphonic Metamorphosis on "Die Fledermaus," after Strauss.
  • Turina: Sinfonia Sevillana: Fiesta en San Juan de Aznalfarache. Castile & Leon Sym, Darman. Naxos 8.555955.
1 PM
  • Theofanidis: Visions and Miracles. SONYC (String Orchestra of New York City). Albany 941.
  • Ippolitov: Caucasian Sketches, Suite No. 2 (obscurer than Suite No. 1). Sydney Sym, Lyndon Gee. Marco Polo 220369.
  • Sarasate: Caprice Basque, from Danses Espagnoles. Yossif Ivanov, Itamar Golan. Ambroisie 136.

Playlist for Thursday, August 21

We're going for more than eight golds on GPB's Midday Music.

In the Goldberg Variations, Bach presents a beautiful initial tune, riffs on its bass line in many ways and finally returns to the opening tune. We hear the Goldberg Variations (in Glenn Gould's 1955 recording) plus variations on them - from Bach's own canons on that same bassline, to Gabriela Montero's Goldberg-inspired improv, to a rag on mandolin, piano and tuba.

Also on this glittering show, there's gold from the River Rhine, a golden rooster of Russian lore, the golden spike that connected America's railroads, goldenrods, a golden age and a golden spinning wheel. Phelps, schmelps!

11 AM

  • Bach: Fourteen Canons on the Bass-line of the Goldberg Variations. Richard Egarr. Harmonia Mundi 907425.26.
  • Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988. Glenn Gould. Sony 87703.
  • Montero: Improvisation on the Theme from Bach's Goldberg Variations. Gabriela Montero. EMI 58039.
  • Gladd: The Goldberg Rag, from Three Rags after Bach. Ugo Orlandi, Maura Mazzonetto, Daniele Bosio. Naxos 8.557999.
12 N
  • Wagner/Stokowski: Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla. Bournemouth Sym Orch, Serebrier. Naxos 8.570293.
  • Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel: Bridal Procession and the Lamentable Death of King Dodon. Philadelphia Orch, Ormandy. Sony 61699.
  • Zimbalist: Fantasy on Themes from Rimsky-Korsakov's Golden Cockerel. Alexander Sitkovetsky, Olga Sitkovetsky. EMI 57025.
  • Antheil: "American" Symphony (No. 3), including "The Golden Spike." Radio Sym Orch Frankfurt, Wolff. CPO 777 040.
  • Oswald: The Golden Rod. Matthew Dixon, Broadside Band. Dorian 80164.
1 PM
  • Shostakovich: The Golden Age, Suite. Chicago Sym, Stokowski. RCA 74321 70931.
  • Dvorak: The Golden Spinning Wheel. Royal Concertgebouw Orch, Harnoncourt. Teldec 8573 87630.

Playlist for Wednesday, August 20

Going for the silver! (Also, big pieces by Tchaikovsky and Schubert.)

11 AM

  • Waxman: The Silver Chalice, Suite. Queensland Sym, Mills. Varese 5480.
  • Wagner: Parsifal: Prelude; Good Friday Music. Philadelphia Orch, Thielemann. DG 289 453 485.
  • Scheidt: Suite for Ten Wind Instruments. German Brass. EMI 47692.
  • Joplin: Silver Swan. Giovanni de Chiaro. Centaur 2457.
12 N
  • Hovhaness: Silver Pilgrimage (Symphony No. 15): Marava Princess. Louisville Orch, Whitney. First Edition 0006.
  • Lehar: Gold and Silver Waltz. Vienna Phil, Gardiner. DG 289 463 185.
  • Mason: Silver Spring. Kenneth Bolton. Naxos 8.559142.
  • Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto. Midori, Berlin Phil, Abbado. Sony 68338.
1 PM
  • Musick's Silver Sound (by various). Baltimore Consort. Dorian 90601.
  • Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat, D. 960. Vladimir Ashkenazy. London 417 327.

Playlist for Tuesday, August 19

Olympic medal fever seizes Midday Music! In today's loose musical tie-ins we go for two bronzes (both equestrian, as it happens). Tomorrow: a nice handful of silvers. Thursday: aiming for more than eight golds.

11 AM

  • Gliere: Bronze Horseman, Suite. BBC Philharmonic, Downes. Chandos 9379.
  • Auber: The Bronze Horse, Overture. Detroit Sym, Paray. Mercury 434 309.
  • Vierdanck: Capriccio in A minor.
12 N
  • Torke: Javelin. Boston Pops, Williams. Sony 62592.
  • Mendelssohn: "Reformation" Symphony (No. 5 in D major). New Philharmonia Orch, Muti. EMI 81788.
  • Telemann: Concerto in G for Two Violas. Goebel, Deuter, Musica Antiqua of Cologne. Archiv 289 463 074.
  • Finney: Fiddle-doodle-ad, Eight American Folk Tunes. Miranda Cuckson, Thomas Sauer. Centaur 2757.
1 PM
  • Thuille: Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 20. Oliver Triendl, Vogler Quartet. CPO 777 090.
  • Wang: Yi Dance. Xuefei Yang. EMI 06322.

Playlist for Monday, August 18

John Powell was many things: a Virginian-born composer, an international concert pianist, a collector of Appalachian old-time tunes, an amateur astronomer who discovered a comet, and a racist who supported Virginia's Racial Integrity Law in 1924. (The American John Powell is not to be confused with the living British film composer by the same name.)

In the first hour of GPB's Midday Music we hear the mid-century symphony in which John Powell set folk tunes he'd collected during his years traipsing around rural Virginia listening to the locals. The Virginia Symphony performs Powell's Virginia Symphony.

11 AM

  • Powell: Virginia Symphony. Virginia Symphony, Falletta. Albany 589.
12 N
  • Kreisler: Syncopation. Gidon Kremer, Oleg Maisenberg. DG 289 453 440.
  • Dvorak: Romantic Pieces, Op. 75. Kremer, Maisenberg. DG 289 453 440.
  • Alfven: Swedish Rhapsody No. 2, "Dalarapsodi." Iceland Sym, Sakari. Chandos 9313.
  • Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag. Richard Dowling. Klavier 77035.
  • Liadov: The Enchanted Lake. Russian National Orch, Pletnev. DG 447 084.
1 PM
  • Faure: Ballade for piano and orchestra, Op. 19. Stephane Lamelin, CBC Vancouver Orch, Bernardi. SMCD 5178.
  • Bach: Aria Variata "in the Italian Style." Angela Hewitt. Hyperion 67499.
  • Kodaly: Summer Evening. Orpheus Chamber Orch. DG 447 109.

Playlist for Thursday, August 14

11 AM

  • Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending. Pinchas Zukerman, English Chamber Orch, Barenboim. DG 289 453 909.
  • Goldmark: String Quartet in B-flat, Op. 8. Lajtha String Quartet. Hungaroton 31556.
  • Atterberg: Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1. Love Dervinger, NDR Radio Phil, Rasilainen. CPO 999 732.
12 N
  • Mendelssohn: Overture for Winds, Op. 24. London Sym, Abbado. DG 423 104.
  • Faure: Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor. Schubert Ensemble of London. BBC Music Magazine, vol. 82.
  • McKay: Suite for Flute and Harp: Allegro Ostinato. Laurel Zucker, Susan Jolles. Cantilena 66034.
  • Qian Shao-xi: Willows and Waves Playing with the Oriole. Shanghai Film Chinese Orch, Wang. Hugo 7107.
1 PM
  • Tallis: Magnificat for four voices. Tallis Scholars. Gimell 203.
  • Janacek: On an Overgrown Path, Book 1. Leif Ove Andsnes. Virgin 91222.

Playlist for Wednesday, August 13


<- This is a new CD of Puccini's popular opera La Boheme. It's the first American Boheme recording in half a century.

Captured in concert in Atlanta in September 2007 and released this summer, it features a fresh young (i.e. age-appropriate), not-yet-brand-name cast, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus led by Robert Spano. Norah Amsellem sings the part of the poor Parisian seamstress Mimi, and Marcus Haddock is the poet Rodolfo.

In the noon hour on GPB, we hear the second half of Act I, where Mimi and Rodolfo meet. They're in a cold garret, but as their hearts warm up the hit tunes come thick and fast.

(P.S. 8/18: The New York Times mentions the Atlanta Symphony's new Boheme recording in a substantial article about Puccini Sunday, August 17.)


11 AM

  • Mozart: Piano Sonata in E-flat, K. 282. Leon Fleisher. Vanguard 1796.
  • Vivaldi: Concerto in G minor for two cellos, RV 531. Academy of Ancient Music Berlin. Harmonia Mundi 901975.
  • Ginastera: Malambo. Fernando Viani. Naxos 8.557911-12.
  • Vaughan Williams: The Wasps, Aristophanic Suite. London Phil, Boult. EMI 47216.
12 N
  • Winstin: Taliban Dances (Violin Concerto). Galyna Hornostai, Kiev Phil, Winstin. ERM 5555.
  • Gaubert: Ancient Medallions. Smith, Lowe, Pinkas. Naxos 8.557305.
  • Puccini: La Boheme, second half of Act I. Norah Amsellem, Marcus Haddock, Atlanta Sym Orch, Spano. Telarc 80697.
  • Chen, P.: Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake. Li Fan. Centaur 2652.
1 PM
  • Eccles: Orchestral Suite (made for the Queen's Coronation). Parley of Instruments, Holman. Hyperion 66817.
  • Fibich: Quintet for piano, clarinet, horn, violin and cello, Op. 42. Endymion Ensemble. ASV 943.

Playlist for Tuesday, August 12

Armed conflict has thrown the other Georgia, in the Caucasus region east of the Black Sea, into headlines this week. Did you know there's a well-known piece of classical music based on the folk music of that Georgia? It's by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, a Russian who after graduation from conservatory spent years living in Georgia conducting the Tiflis (Tbilisi) Symphony and studying the sounds of the region. We hear his Caucasian Sketches in the noon hour.

11 AM

  • Mozart: Adagio in B-flat for winds, K. 411; Serenade No. 11 in E-flat for winds, K. 375. Netherlands Wind Ensemble. Chandos 9284.
  • Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1, "Dance in the Village Inn." John Ogdon. Philips 456 916.
  • Corelli: Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 5/6. Andrew Manze, Richard Egarr. Harmonia Mundi 907298.99.
12 N
  • Tomlinson: Aladdin Dances: Belly Dance. Slovak Radio Sym Orch, Tomlinson. Marco Polo 8.223513.
  • Ippolitov-Ivanov: Caucasian Sketches. Baltimore Sym, Zinman. Telarc 80378.
  • Dubensky: Concerto Grosso for Three Trombones and Tuba. Pittsburgh Sym Low Brass Section. Albany 1003.
  • Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante for violin ,cello, oboe and bassoon. Berlin Phil, Rattle. EMI 94237.
1 PM
  • Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 2 in F major. Ying Quartet. Telarc 80685.
  • Still: Suite for Violin and Piano. Fritz Gearhart, Paul Tardiff. Koch 7268.

Playlist for Monday, August 11

Many thanks to Eric Nauert, Russell Wells and Alan Cooke for hosting Midday Music last week while I played hooky. After a quick end-of-summer family getaway to the coast, it's back to school and I'm happy to be back with you and the music.

A few loose Olympic tie-ins on Midday Music: We'll count Handel's Water Music as a tribute toward sports of the splashy variety. Janacek's Sinfonietta owes its genesis to a gymnastics festival, so that's a fair connection. And for the geographic angle, Chinese-born guitarist Xuefei Yang plays The Chinese Garden by Stephen Goss.

And please note the season finale of The ASO on GPB, coming up this Thursday and Sunday evening.

11 AM

  • Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. Mischa Maisky, Pavel Gililov. DG 5831.
  • Handel: Water Music, Suite No. 2 in D major. London Classical Players, Norrington. Virgin 391334.
  • Brahms: Clarinet Sonata in E-flat, Op. 120/2. Jon Manasse, Jon Nakamatsu. Harmonia Mundi 907430.
  • Albeniz: Castilla. Xuefei Yang. EMI 06322.
12 N
  • Goss: The Chinese Garden. Xuefei Yang. EMI 06322.
  • Beethoven: "Emperor" Piano Concerto No. 5. Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chicago Sym, Solti. London 417 703.
  • Friml: Valse Silhouette. Stephanie Chase, Sara Davis Buechner. Koch 7662.
1 PM
  • Haydn: Symphony No. 88 in G major. Orch of the 18th Century, Bruggen. Philips 426 169.
  • Mendelssohn/Liszt: On Wings of Song. Bertrand Chamayou. Naive 5131.
  • Janacek: Sinfonietta. Czech State Phil, Serebrier. Reference 65.

Early August playlists

Fridays, August 1 and August 8

Alan Cooke hosts Midday Music requests from WACG Augusta. 
Playlists here.

Monday-Thursday, August 4-7
Eric Nauert and Russell Wells host from WSVH Savannah. 
Playlists here.

I'll next be with you for Midday Music on Monday the 11th.  Meanwhile, please enjoy my co-hosts. I also invite you to tune in for The ASO on GPB Thursday or Sunday.  There's a world premiere of a new piano concerto by Behzad Ranjbaran, featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet, as well as music of Bach and Rachmaninoff.  Happy listening!  -Sarah