Episodes
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Works by Brahms and Beethoven performed by Daniel Lebhardt on March 12, 2017.
Brahms, Johannes: Six Pieces, Op. 118 Beethoven, Ludwig van: Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3, "The Hunt"Hungarian pianist Daniel Lebhardt is one of a long line of Young Concert Artists competition winners to make their Boston debut at the Gardner, and on this podcast, weâll hear two recordings from the 24-year-oldâs recent recital: Brahmsâ Six Pieces, opus 118 and Beethovenâs Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, sometimes called âThe Hunt.â
A student at the Royal Academy in London, the young pianist has swept a number of competitions in recent years, claiming first prizes all across Europe, including in Italy, Slovakia, Romania, and the UK. His 2016 New York debut earned a rave from the Times critic Anthony Tommasini, who wrote that Lebhardt âdispatched the [Beethoven sonata] with scintillating crispness and conveyed its brash humor.â
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Works by Schumann performed by Miriam Fried, violin and Jonathan Biss, piano on January 15, 2017.
Schumann, Robert: Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 Schumann, Robert: Gesange der Fruhe, Op. 133For many years, musicologists and music-lovers have tried to understand what it was that led to Robert Schumannâs troubling symptoms and ultimate death at age 46 in a psychiatric hospital. And for years, writers dismissed many of his later works as the incoherent products of a mind in decline.
But, more recently, many have come to appreciate Schumannâs later worksâtwo of which weâll hear on this podcast: his second violin sonata, in D minor, and âGesĂ€nge der FrĂŒhe,â or âSongs of Dawn,â a five-movement work for pianoâand one of the last pieces Schumann published before admitting himself to the psychiatric hospital where he ultimately died.
On this recording, weâll heard pianist Jonathan Biss in both works. In the sonata, he is joined by violinist Miriam Fried.
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Works by Webern and Brahms performed by A Far Cry and Stefan Jackiw, violin and Anna Polonsky, piano on December 11, 2016 and October 5, 2014.
Webern, Anton: Langsamer Satz Brahms, Johannes: Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78Hope youâre ready for a trip down memory lane: On this podcast, we hear two works tinged with the melancholy sweetness of youthful passion, remembered.
Sweetness and passion arenât necessarily the words most closely associated with the first composer on the program: Anton Webern, best known for his economical, exacting 12-tone works, written as a student of Schoenberg. Today, weâll hear the pre-atonal Webern, in his Langsamer Satz (or slow movement) for strings. Webern wrote this piece as a young man falling in love. Weâll hear it played by A Far Cry, the Gardnerâs resident ensemble.
Next up: Johannes Brahmsâ Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, opus 78. Unlike Webern, who wrote his Langsamer Satz in the throes of youth, Brahms composed this violin sonata in middle age, when he was in his 40âs. But it has an unmistakable, naĂŻve sweetness. And, indeed, the piece is sometimes dubbed the âRain Sonataâ because it quotes from a song by Brahms called âRegenlied,â or âRain Song.â Weâll hear the sonata performed by violinist Stefan Jackiw, and pianist Anna Polonsky.
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Work by Korngold performed by Alexi Kenney, violin and Dina Vainshtein, piano on March 6, 2016.
Korngold, Erich: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 6The piece weâll hear on the podcast today was written when Erich Korngold was in his teens: his Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 6. Why is this fascinating work, by such a promising composer, so little known today?
In the 1930s, Korngoldâs life took a dramatic turn, as the Nazi regime began to rise to power in his native Austria. Korngold was Jewish, and he accepted an invitation to come the United Statesâa move that would dramatically alter the course of his career. Once here, he quickly achieved success writing scores for Hollywood. Then, as the 20th century moved on musically, his early concert works fell out of favor, seen as too melodic and Romantic.
But it is high time they got another hearing. Today, weâll hear a recording from the Gardner Museum recital by young violinist Alexi Kenney and pianist Dina Vainshtein, recorded in March 2016âalmost 100 years after the piece was written. Take a listen and see what you think: how does it stand the test of time?
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Works by Bach and BartĂłk performed by the Borromeo String Quartet and Yoo Jin Jang, violin and Renana Gutman, piano on August 14, 2016 and March 8, 2015.
Bach, Johann Sebastian: Preludes and Fugues from Well-Tempered Klavier Book 1 trans. Nicholas Kitchen: C Major, C Minor, E-flat Minor BartĂłk, BĂ©la: Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz. 75Todayâs podcast features two works that present tests of sortsâfor the listener, the performer, the composer. Sharpen your ears and letâs get to it.
The Well-Tempered Clavier was likely written to test a few different things: the keyboard playerâs technical skills; the advantages of equal temperament tuning, which enabled playing in every key; and also the listenerâs ability to pick out the many, interweaving musical lines. Today, weâll hear three movements from the WTC in a version for string quartet, created by violinist Nicholas Kitchen.
Bartokâs Violin Sonata No. 1, written in 1921, also pushed boundaries. Today, Bartok is perhaps best known for his explorations of Hungarian traditional music and his folk-tinged, dance-infused symphonies. But he also had a period, between the world wars, of audacious musical experimentation, and this work dates from those years. Weâll hear the piece second on the podcast, played by violinist Yoo Jin Jang and pianist Renana Gutman.
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Works by Mozart performed by Charlie Albright on February 14, 2016.
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: 12 Variations on âAh vous dirai-je, Mamanâ Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: 9 Variations on a Minuet by Duport, K. 575Many of us think of âimprovisationâ as a modern concept, usually linked to jazz. But throughout the centuries, so-called âclassicalâ keyboard players were often expected to improvise, whether they were vamping at the organ to fill time during a church service or creating a spontaneous piano version of an opera score for friends and patrons gathered around a salon.
Indeed, there are many accounts that suggest that Mozartânow thought of for his notated scoresârelied heavily on improvisation in creating and even performing his own works.
All to say, Mozart was a master of the art of improvised variation. Today, weâll hear two notated works that hint at the sort of thing we might have heard, had we been so lucky to be in the room when Mozart was improvising at the keyboard. First, weâll hear his 12 Variations on âAh, vous dirai-je, Maman.â Next, weâll hear 9 Variations on a Minuet by Duport, based on a cello sonata theme.
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Works by Vivaldi and Beethoven performed by the Gardner Chamber Orchestra and Musicians from Marlboro on September 11, 2004 and October 19, 2014.
Vivaldi, Antonio: Concerto in C Major for Soprano Recorder and Orchestra Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quintet in C Major, Op. 29The two pieces on this podcast have many points of difference: different eras (Baroque and Classical), different instrumentation (a recorder concerto and a string quintet), and different performers. The list goes on. But as different as they are, both works share a wonderful commonality at their core: a gorgeous slow movement.
The first slow movement weâll hear comes right in the middle of Vivaldiâs Concerto in C Major for sopranino recorder and orchestra, played by Aldo Abreu and the Gardner Chamber Orchestra. When the piece begins, the recorder enters on a dazzling, virtuosic note, but it is the middle movement where he truly gets to stretch out and show not just his technical prowess, but his musicality.
After the Vivaldi, weâll hear Beethovenâs String Quintet in C Major, Opus 29, played by Musicians from Marlboro. Like Vivaldi, Beethovenâs slow movement comes second, after a cheery opening allegro. This slow movement has a lovely, Mozartean quality, tending to the âsweeterâ side of âbittersweet.â
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Works by Bach and Brahms performed by the Borromeo String Quartet and Raviniaâs Steans Music Institute on August 7, 2016 and April 10, 2016.
Bach: Preludes and Fugues from Well-Tempered Klavier Book 1 arr. Nicholas Kitchen: F Major, F Minor, B-flat Minor Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111Both of the works on our podcast this week have a sort of finality, a sense of summing things up, or making a statement that is somehow comprehensive, and thatâs saying a lot given the composers in question: Johannes Brahms and Johann Sebastian Bach.
We begin with a novel setting of a familiar work: a selection of preludes and fugues from Bachâs Well-Tempered Klavier, arranged for string quartet by Nicholas Kitchen of the Borromeo Quartet, who weâll hear playing on the recording. The Well-Tempered Klavier consists of 24 small pieces, one prelude and one fugue in each key, ascending chromatically from C to B.
Then, weâll hear a piece that Brahms apparently intended to be his last: the String Quintet in G Major, Opus 111. Brahms lovers may already be raising an eyebrow at that last statement, because this was not, in fact, the last piece Brahms wroteâhe went on to publish another 11 works, much to the delight of the clarinetists, pianists, and singers who regularly perform these final few works today.
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Works for string quartet by BartĂłk and Webern performed by the Omer Quartet on November 27, 2016.
BartĂłk: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 Webern: Six bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 9In this podcast, weâll follow two 20th century composers on their quest for new directions and inspirations, in a musical landscape increasingly reaching beyond traditional ideas about form and tonality.
We begin with BĂ©la BartĂłkâs First String Quartet, his Opus 7, a three-movement work. It begins quite somber, but the mood gradually brightens, and by the last movement, it has begun to exhibit some of the Hungarian folk color that became such a unique and defining part of BartĂłkâs voice as a composer.
After the BartĂłk, weâll hear a brief work, written around the same time, but by a composer with a very different musical vocabulary. Like the BartĂłk work, Webernâs Six Bagatelles for String Quartet were a relatively early composition, Webernâs Opus 9, and the composer was still finding his voice, and his way of working within the atonal system that he and his teacher Schoenberg were developing.
Weâll hear both pieces performed by the skilled musicians of the Omer Quartet, an ensemble formed at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and currently in residence at Bostonâs New England Conservatory.
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Works for clarinet and piano by Berg and Weber performed by Raphaël SévÚre, clarinet and Paul Montag, piano on October 23, 2016.
Berg: Four Pieces, Op. 5 Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48On this podcast, number 253, weâve got a couple great pieces that come in smaller packages than you might expect: a set of four miniatures by Berg and a duet masquerading as a concerto, by Carl Maria von Weber. Both pieces are scored for clarinet and piano, performed by clarinetist RaphaĂ«l SĂ©vĂšre and pianist Paul Montag.
Bergâs âFour Piecesâ, Opus 5 is a petite suite of four movements, each lasting less than two minutes. Though brief, each piece makes an impactful and evocative musical statement. The music is atonal but pleasingly melodic, like much of the composerâs work.
The Berg serves to whet our appetite for a slightly more substantial work: Carl Maria von Weberâs âGrand Duo Concertant,â Opus 48. Weber wrote this virtuosic duet over a couple of years leading up to his 30th birthday. It requires a true partnership between the woodwind and the keyboard, with both taking on critical roles musically.
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Works for piano by Handel and Brahms performed by Charlie Albright, piano on October 2, 2016.
Handel: Chaconne in G Major, HWV. 435 Brahms: Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel, Op. 24This podcast starts with the Baroque composer George Frideric Handel, in more ways than one.
The first work on the podcast is, indeed, by Handel: his Chaconne in G Major, a set of about 20 very brief variations, each built on a recurring eight-bar bass line.
Following that, we have another set of variations on a theme by Handel, this time written by another composer: Brahmsâ Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel, Opus 24. This piano piece has a distinctly Romantic sensibility, but Brahms clearly delighted in uncovering and augmenting the many musical possibilities present in Handelâs fairly simple theme.
When Brahms published the piece in in 1860s, it stood apart from the musical explorations of contemporaries like Wagner and Liszt; it seemed much more related to composers who came beforeâa homage, perhaps, to Bachâs famous Goldberg Variations or Beethovenâs Diabelli Variations.
Weâll hear both worksâHandelâs Chaconne, and Brahmsâ Variations on Handelâperformed by pianist Charlie Albright.
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Works for solo piano by Falla and Albeniz performed by Alessio Bax, piano on May 17, 2015. Work for string quartet and guitar by Boccherini performed by Jason Vieaux, guitar with Escher String Quartet: Adam Barnett-Hart, violin, Aaron Boyd, violin, Pierre Lapointe, viola, and Dane Johansen cello on May 17, 2015.
Falla: Danza del molinera from El sombrero de tres picos for PianoAlbeniz: Tango from Espana: Seis Hojas de Album for Piano, Op. 165 (arr. Godowsky)Boccherini: Quintet No. 4 in D Major for Guitar, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, G. 448Itâs time to get out of your chair: this podcast is all about la danza, the dance.
The inspiration came from the final piece on the podcast: Boccheriniâs Quintet for guitar and string quartet, G. 448, subtitled âFandango.â The first two movements of the piece are relatively unassuming: a delicate Pastoral, followed by an Allegro that foregrounds the guitar a bit more. But in the final movements, the pace accelerates, the music gets livelier.
To get us in the mood to tango, weâve got a few openers, both featuring pianist Alessio Bax. First, the Dance of the Miller, by Manuel de Falla. After an attention-grabbing introduction, we get a spirited dance, which is no surprise, since the piece is actually a reworking of a ballet that Falla originally wrote for the great Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes.
Next is Tango, from the six-movement collection Espana by Isaac Albeniz. Tango is the second piece in the original grouping, and Albenizâs most famous melody. Itâs been reworked for many instruments over the years. It is a charming, slightly seductive tune, immediate in its appeal.
We conclude with the Boccherini quintet.
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Works for solo piano by Beethoven, performed by Charlie Albright, piano on March 27, 2016.
Beethoven: Sonata in E Major, Op. 109Beethoven: 15 Variations and Fugue in E-flat Major on an original theme "Eroica Variations" Op 35You know when you just canât get a tune out of your head? Well, starting around 1800, Beethoven seems to have had the tune from the finale of his ballet, The Creatures of Prometheus, stuck in his head for quite some time. After first appearing in the ballet, the melodyâwhich would come be known as his âeroicaâ or âheroicâ themeâpopped up repeatedly in his works in the early 1800s.
As a sort of introduction to the variations, weâll hear another Beethoven piano work: a late sonata, the Sonata in E Major, opus 109. Unlike many of Beethovenâs other late works, this one is quite compact. The piece has a slightly frenetic quality at times, hopping between different themes, different time signatures, different moods. The final movement is, again, a set of variations.
Both performances weâll hear are taken from a concert given by the young pianist Charlie Albright at the Gardner in March 2016.
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Work for voices by David Lang, performed by Lorelei Ensemble on January 10, 2016.
Lang, David: Love FailThis monthâs podcast tend towards the introspective: an hourlong work by contemporary composer David Lang for womenâs voices, a timeless meditation on the allures and disappointments of love, titled Love Fail.
Lang started with one of historyâs most famous tales of star-crossed love: the Tristan and Isolde myth. But he added words and ideas from modern stories and authors, stripping away specific references to his historical source, creating a text that explores the promises and pitfalls of love in a timeless, anonymous setting. The protagonists are referred to as âheâ and âsheââbecause they are nameless, they come to feel universal.
The work was written for and premiered by vocal quartet Anonymous 4, an ensemble that specializes in medieval music, and there is a starkness and simplicity to the music that evokes ancient times. Weâll hear it performed in a newer, slightly lusher version for chamber chorus, sung by the all-female Lorelei Ensemble.
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Work for harp by Zabel performed by Emmanuel Ceysson, harp on January 6, 2008 and work for string orchestra by Sibelius, arranged by Frank Shaw, performed by A Far Cry on February 7, 2016.
Zabel: Fantasy on Gounod's FaustSibelius: String Quartet No. 2 "Voces Intimae" arr. Frank ShawChamber music is one of the most intimate forms of classical music: quieter moments, smaller ensembles, and generally shorter works. On this podcast, weâll listen to two works that play up that sense of intimacy: Zabelâs Fantasy on Gounodâs opera Faust, arranged for harp; and one of Sibeliusâs few string quartets, subtitled âVoces Intimaeâ, or Intimate Voices.
Albert Heinrich Zabel was a German harpist and composer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He performed for a time at the Berlin Operaâwhere he likely played the full Gounod score that inspired this workâand then moved to St. Petersburg to become solo harpist with the Imperial Ballet. Weâll hear the Faust fantasy performed by harpist Emmanuel Ceysson.
Next comes Jean Sibeliusâs second string quartet, which the composer himself gave the subtitle âIntimate Voices,â writing it in the score above a striking, hushed three-chord progression in the central slow movement. The piece is his only mature string quartet, and one of the few chamber works he composed later in life. Many regard it as his chamber music masterpiece.
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Work for string orchestra and voice by Olga Bell, performed by A Far Cry and Olga Bell on November 1, 2016.
Bell, Olga: Krai arranged for A Far CryToday, weâre going on a journey across the vast expanse of Russia: lush forests and blustery tundra, uninhabited landscapes and small villages. Our guide is composer Olga Bell, whose evening-length work Krai had its string orchestra version premiere at the Gardner in March 2016, with A Far Cry.
Bell was born in Moscow. She moved with her mother to Anchorage, Alaska at the age of seven, but Russia has always loomed large in her memory and her imagination. In this workâpremiered a few years ago at the Walker Art Center, and then released as an albumâshe combines folk-influenced melodies with a modern sense of rhythmic drive and classical orchestration, drawing on her diverse background. Following her childhood in Russia, she studied classical piano in Alaska and Boston, and later toured as a vocalist and keyboard player with indie bands like the Dirty Projectors and Chairlift. All those influences are present in this work, which is a unique mash-up of indie, folk, and classical.
Weâll hear more about the piece from the composer herself, whose comments are interspersed throughout the recording. She is also featured on vocals.
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Work for string orchestra by Phyllis Chen performed by A Far Cry on April 17, 2014 and works for clarinet and piano by Peter Sculthorpe and Richard Stoltzman performed by Richard Stoltzman, clarinet and David Deveau, piano on January 11, 2015.
Chen, Phyllis: Three LullabiesSculthorpe, Peter: Songs of Sea and SkyTraditional: Amazing Grace, arrangement by Richard StoltzmanOn this podcast, weâll hear three works that weâre grouping under the title Sweetly Sung. All three pieces were written within the past several decades, some based on real, traditional folk songs, others on imagined lullabies.
The first of the three pieces is by composer and pianist Phyllis Chen, who is particularly known for her performances on an instrument rarely seen in the classical concert hall: the toy piano. Weâll hear Chen perform with A Far Cry, a set of three Lullabies she wrote for string orchestra and herself, as soloist.
Following the lullabies are two pieces featuring clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and pianist David Deveau. First is Songs of Sea and Sky, a 1987 piece of about 15 minutes by Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe. The work builds on a traditional tune from the tiny island nation of Saibai.
Last, weâll hear an arrangement of another traditional tune, this one much more familiar to American listeners: Amazing Grace, arranged by the clarinetist himself, Richard Stoltzman.
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Works for chorus by various composers performed by Boston Childrenâs Chorus on November 17, 2015.
Selections from 10th Anniversary concertFor more than a decade, the Boston Childrenâs Chorus has brought together children of diverse backgrounds to discover the power of singing and transcend social barriers. In 2015, the chorus celebrated its tenth year under the baton of artistic director Anthony Trecek-King with a concert at the Gardnerâs Calderwood Hallâone of his favorite spaces in Boston.
On this podcast, weâll hear much of what they sang that afternoon, from spirituals to Renaissance love songs. Some of the selections you may recognizeâShenandoah; My Lord, What a Morning; Elijah Rockâwhile others will be new. All were handpicked by the director to showcase the groupâs incredible rangeâquite a feat for an ensemble composed entirely of children ages 12 to 18.
If youâd like to learn more, look them up online. For now, sit back and enjoy this delightful program.
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Work for harp by Salzedo performed by Catrin Finch, harp on April 14, 2001 and work for violin and piano by Ravel performed by Benjamin Beilman, violin and Alessio Bax, piano on May 17, 2015.
Salzedo: BalladeRavel: Sonata for Violin and Piano (1923)Harpist and educator Carlos Salzedo was born in France and trained at the Paris Conservatoire in piano at the age of nine, before taking up the harp and returning to the Conservatoire to earn a degree in that instrument as well. In 1909, knowing no English whatsoever, Salzedo emigrated to New York, where heâd been invited by Toscanini to join the Metropolitan Opera orchestra. A few years later, he wrote this pieceâa virtuosic showcase for the harp, firmly rooted in the harmonic vocabulary widely employed in France at the time. Salzedo would go on to found the harp department at the Curtis Institute and teach at Juilliard, splitting his time between Europe and the States, and his influences lives on, through his pupils and his compositions. Weâll hear the piece played by harpist Catrin Finch.
Next up, another Frenchman enamored of America: Ravel. His Sonata for Violin and Piano, written between 1923 and 1927, displays an interest in the uniquely American art form, jazz, which was all the rage in Paris at the time. Ravel wrote the piece before traveling to the States himself, in 1928, but the middle movement in particular (called âBluesâ) was clearly inspired by the American music heâd heard performed in Europe.
Weâll hear the sonata played by violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Alessio Bax, from Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. First, the Salzedo, performed by Catrin Finch.
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