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.
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