Saturday March 29, 2003

Music

War Music

March 29, 2003 • Last week, we looked at some music inspired or affected by war. This week, Fred Child of NPR's Performance Today brings us a few more examples: "L'Homme Arme," "Laqad fatanatni farandjiyya," "La Guerre," "Fanfare for the Common Man," "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima," and an impromptu work played by Vedran Smilovic.

War Music

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Monday March 24, 2003

Performance Today

Happy Birthday, Byron

March 24, 2003 • In the big picture of pianists in the twentieth century, Byron Janis is a monumental figure. Today is his birthday — he's 75 — and we've got a few historic performances that trace his career. We also spent some time with Byron Janis recently in his New York apartment. Fred Child talked with him about one highlight of his last 60 years of piano playing, which came when he discovered the autograph manuscripts of two Chopin waltzes. We hear a little of his 1999 recording of one of them, the Waltz Brilliante, Op. 18.

Happy Birthday, Byron

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Friday March 21, 2003

Performance Today

Oscars, Part 2

March 21, 2003 • Royal Brown continues his conversations this week with Fred Child about the five Academy Award nominees for Best Original Score. 10:00

Oscars, Part 2

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Thursday March 20, 2003

Performance Today

The Envelope Please

March 20, 2003 • The Oscars are right around the corner. Each year Fred Child talks with PT's film music expert Royal Brown. In this first of a two-part interview Fred and Royal discuss Eliot Goldenthal's score for the movie "Frida," Thomas Newman's score for "Road to Perdition" and the film music from "Catch me If You Can" by John Williams.

The Envelope Please

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Thursday February 20, 2003

Performance Today

Hough plays Brahms

February 20, 2003 • A couple of weeks ago, Performance Today caught up with pianist Stephen Hough, in California. He was in town to play at Sherwood Auditorium, home of La Jolla (HOY-ah) Chamber Music Society concerts. Fred Child talked with Hough on stage before Hough played two Ballades by Brahms, Op. 10, Nos. 1 and 4.

Hough plays Brahms

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Wednesday February 12, 2003

Performance Today

Fred and Abe

February 12, 2003 • Performance Today host Fred Child narrates Aaron Copland's "A Lincoln Portrait," with the U.S. Marine Band, conducted by Colonel Timothy Foley. The performance took place last year at the University of Maryland.

Fred and Abe

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Friday February 7, 2003

Performance Today

Host

February 7, 2003 • Fred Child is host

Host

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Tuesday January 28, 2003

Performance Today

Van Cliburn on Browning

January 28, 2003 • In light of John Browning's death, Fred Child talks with pianist Van Cliburn, a long time friend of Browning. We'll also hear Browning's recording of music by Prokofiev, the last movement from the Piano Concerto No. 3, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Erich Leinsdorf.

Van Cliburn on Browning

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Performance Today

Browning in Studio 4A

January 28, 2003 • John Browning's final public appearance as a pianist was last May in the studios of NPR, during a taping of Performance Today. We go back to that session to hear some of his conversation with Fred Child, as well as his performance. We hear Chopin's Nocturne, Op. 27, No. 2, and his Scherzo, Op. 39.

Browning in Studio 4A

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Friday January 24, 2003

Performance Today

Zehetmair Quartet in Studio 4A

January 24, 2003 • The Zehetmair Quartet joins Fred Child live in NPR's studio 4A. The Quartet is kicking off a US tour with a concert in Washington, DC over the weekend. They stop by Performance Today to talk about their unusual existence as a part time ensemble that plays all its concerts from memory. They open their PT appearance with music by John Cage -- two movements from the lovely "String Quartet for Four Parts." We hear the first and fourth movements from the quartet, titled, respectively, "Quietly Flowing Along," and "Quodlibet."

Zehetmair Quartet in Studio 4A

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Monday January 20, 2003

Performance Today

Mozart Requiem

January 20, 2003 • Fred Child is onstage at the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta for A King Celebration 2003. As Dr. King's dream was left unfulfilled and unfinished at his untimely death, so too was Mozart's last work - the Requiem, K. 626. Music Director Robert Spano conducts soprano Arietha Lockhart, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and members of the Morehouse and Spelman College Glee Clubs in a moving performance of the Introit and Kyrie from the Requiem.

Mozart Requiem

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Performance Today

Bernice King

January 20, 2003 • Host Fred Child is joined onstage by Rev. Bernice King, youngest daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rev. King recalls the musical life growing up in the Martin Luther King, Jr. household.

Bernice King

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Performance Today

Explosion of Freedom

January 20, 2003 • Fred Child is back onstage with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and more of Dr. King's words: passages from his Nobel Peace Prize speech in Oslo in 1964, concerning "the explosion of Freedom."

Explosion of Freedom

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Friday January 17, 2003

Performance Today

Pines of Rome

January 17, 2003 • Atlanta Journal-Constitution music critic Pierre Ruhe joins Fred Child for more on the Atlanta Symphony and Music Director Robert Spano. Then we hear Spano in action, with the ASO and "The Pines of Rome," by Ottorino Respighi.

Pines of Rome

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Performance Today

Mozart from Atlanta

January 17, 2003 • Pierre Ruhe is the music critic for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He joins Fred Child at Georgia Public Radio to talk about Atlanta Symphony and its current season. Then we hear the ASO under guest conductor Roberto Abbado in music by Mozart. The pianist is Jon Kimura Parker. It's Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20.

Mozart from Atlanta

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