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Francis Poulenc
The Pianist Who Plays 'The Rascal And The Sparrow'

Antonio Pompa-Baldi's new album is a tribute to Francis Poulenc and Edith Piaf. Steinway & Sons hide caption

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Steinway & Sons

Deceptive Cadence

The Pianist Who Plays 'The Rascal And The Sparrow'

In his new tribute album, pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi finds common ground between two odd bedfellows — composer Francis Poulenc and singer Edith Piaf. Their connection, he says, is the powerful way they expressed emotions through the beautiful melodies in their songs.

Concerts

Love Stinks: Massenet, Poulenc Double Bill

French composers Jules Massenet and Francis Poulenc provide a potent reminder that love isn't always what it's cracked up to be in their one-act operas Portrait of Manon and La Voix Humaine, produced by Glimmerglass Opera.

Hear an audio introduction to 'Portrait of Manon' and 'La Voix Humaine'

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From the Top

Classical Kids Shine in New England

From the Top returns to its home at Boston's New England Conservatory, where an 18-year-old Texan puts a new spin on a piece of musical Americana, a teen quartet plays Mendelssohn, and a formerly "reluctant" cellist discovers Debussy. This program originally aired February 13, 2008.

Classical Kids Shine in New England

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From the Top

Tiny Tots Make Big Music

In its "Pipsqueak Highlights Show," From the Top revisits performances by very young musicians, accomplished beyond their years, including a 12-year-old violinist with a virtuoso showpiece by Wieniawski and an eight-year-old pianist who plays Debussy. This show originally aired January 24, 2007

Tiny Tots Make Big Music

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A Thanksgiving Feast For The Ears And Eyes

Slimming Down the Classics

Like overeating at Thanksgiving, composers can overindulge on music. Commentator Miles Hoffman discusses the reaction some composers had to the "musical bloat" of the Bruckner and Mahler years. The result was a leaner musical waistline.

Slimming Down the Classics

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From the Top

The Buffalo Philharmonic Joins From the Top

This week's From the Top comes from Artpark in Lewiston, New York, where four outstanding teenage musicians perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic and its music director JoAnn Falletta.

The Buffalo Philharmonic Joins From the Top

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Music

High School Choirs Perform at Carnegie Hall

This Monday, high school students from around the country will sing on the stage of Carnegie Hall, as part of the National High School Choral Festival. We put the spotlight on one choir from Bentonville, Ark.

High School Choirs Perform at Carnegie Hall

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Music News

Audra McDonald, Stepping Up to Opera

Tony-winner Audra McDonald, a classically trained singer, is taking on two solo operas. She sings Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine in Houston, along with a debut work. Both have a common theme.

Audra McDonald, Stepping Up to Opera

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Poulenc, Palestrina And Two-By-Fours: New Classical Albums

This beautiful wooden box houses the new Michael Gordon piece, Timber, scored for six percussionists and six two-by-fours. Cantaloupe Records hide caption

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Cantaloupe Records

Deceptive Cadence

Poulenc, Palestrina And Two-By-Fours: New Classical Albums

NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin an eclectic mix of new classical releases.

Poulenc, Palestrina And Two-By-Fours: New Classical Albums

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