Classical Performance

Robert Schumann was born in this month in 1810, so we have Krista River and Judith Gordon performing  Schumann's great song-cycle, "Frauenliebe und Leben", "A Woman's Love and Life", composed in 1840, the year Schumann married Clara Wieck.  Also on the program, Schumann's Three Romances for Oboe and Piano, played by oboist Keisuke Wakao with pianist Christoph Eschenbach. Robert Schumann: Frauenliebe und Leben, Op.42 Krista River, mezzo-soprano; Judith Gordon, piano Recorded in a live broadcast at WCRB's Fraser Performance Studio on February 4th, 2008. Robert Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 94 Keisuke Wakao, oboe; Christoph Eschenbach, piano Recorded in a live broadcast at WCRB's Fraser Performance Studio, March 1st, 2012

We're celebrating Rachmaninov's birthday! Ya-fei Chuang's virtuosity and passion are front and center in this live performance of his Piano Sonata No. 2. Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor, Op.36 Ya-fei Chuang, piano Recorded in a live broadcast in WGBH's Studio One on June 21st, 2005.

Ravel once said: “We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art.“  Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska brings his art to life in "Jeux d'Eau".  Also, the Moet Trio was the first ensemble to participate in the New England Conservatory's Professional Piano Trio Training Program - and they did a great performance for us of Ravel's Trio. Ravel: Jeux d'Eau Janina Fialkowska, piano Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on October 6th, 2008. Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor (1914) Moet Trio: Yuri Namkung, violin; Yves Dharamraj, cello; Michael Mizrahi, piano Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on April 15th, 2008.

February is Mendelssohn's birthday month, and it's also the month of Valentine's Day.  Felix wrote the Andante and Rondo Capriccioso for a girl he was smitten with, and his 2nd String Quartet is based on a gorgeous love song, "Ist es wahr?" ('Is it true?')! Felix Mendelssohn: Andante and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 Benjamin Grosvenor, piano Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 12 Pacifica String Quartet: Simin Ganatra, violin; Sibbi Bernhardsson, violin; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; Brandon Vamos, cello Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on November 5, 2013, and October 18, 2007 (string quartet).

Mozart's birthday is January 27th, and we're celebrating with a couple of great performances from our studio.  Mozart: Violin Sonata in G major, K.301. Haldan Martinson, violin; Sally Pinkas, piano Mozart, arr. Ulf-Guido Schäfer: Selections from “Cosi fan tutte”. Ma’Alot Wind Quintet: Christina Fassbender, flute; Christian Wetzel, oboe; Ulf-Guido Schäfer, clarinet; Volker Tessmann, bassoon; Volker Grewel, horn Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studioon February 26, 2009 (violin sonata), and at WGBH's, Studio One, February 6, 2004 (wind quintet).

It's Beethoven's birthday on December 16th! We celebrate with a studio performance featuring some of his more out-of-the way pieces. Beethoven: Sonata in F for Horn and Piano, Op. 17 William Purvis, horn; Mihae Lee, piano Beethoven: Three Irish and Welsh Songs     Cupid’s Kindness, WoO 155 No.2     The Kiss, Dear Maid, Thy Lip Has Left, WoO 153, No. 9     Come Draw We Round The Cheerful Ring, WoO 152, No. 8 William Hite, tenor; Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Brian Howard, cello; Bruce Milano, mandolin Beethoven: Two works for Mandolin and Fortepiano     Sonatina in C, Woo44a     Adagio in E flat, WoO 43b Bryce Milano, mandolin; Sylvia Berry, fortepiano Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on December 8, 2011.

The chamber music ensemble Mistral is in its 21st season. We take a look back at a studio performance of a scaled-down version of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons". Vivaldi:  The Four Seasons Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, "Spring" (Gabriela Diaz, solo violin); Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, "Summer" (Kristopher Tong, solo violin); Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, "Autumn" (Yura Lee, solo violin); Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, "Winter" (Irina Muresanu, solo violin) Mistral: Irina Muresanu, Yura Lee, Gabriela Diaz, and Kristopher Tong, violins; Yura Lee, viola; Jan Muller-Szeraws, cello; Karl Doty, bass; Leon Schelhase, harpsichord  Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on December 3, 2009.

Baritone Tyler Duncan sings Vaughan Williams's tribute to the open road: "Songs of Travel", set to the poetry of Robert Louis Stephenson. Ralph Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel (texts by Robert Louis Stevenson) 1. The Vagabond 2. Let Beauty Awake 3. The Roadside Fire 4. Youth and Love 5. In Dreams 6. The Infinite Shining Heavens 7. Whither Must I Wander? 8. Bright is the ring of words 9. I have trod the upward and the downward slope Tyler Duncan, baritone; Erika Switzer, piano Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on January 10, 2008.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein has been acclaimed world-wide since she performed in our studio back in 2008. We revisit that perfromance with Inon Barnatan, in honor of her appearance with the BSO at Tanglewood on August 11th, 2017. Chopin:  Sonata for Piano and Cello in G minor, Op. 65 Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Inon Barnatan, piano Recorded at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on May 1st, 2008.

Looking forward to the Boston Early Music Festival, June 11-18, 2017, we remember three great performances from past festivals. Handel: Fuga in D; and Sweelink: Pavana Lacrimae, with the Flanders Recorder Quartet, (June 14, 2009). J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050, with the Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble, Paul O’Dette and Robert Mealy, directors; Sandra Miller, baroque flute; Robert Mealy baroque violin; Kristian Bezuidenhout, harpsichord (June 11, 2009). Purcell: Sweeter than Roses, with Carolyn Sampson, soprano; Elizabeth Kenny, lute; Paul O’Dette, theorbo; Stephen Stubbs, Baroque guitar (June 14, 2007). Recorded at NEC's Jordan Hall, Boston.

Clarinetist James Campbell and pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin got together in our WCRB studio to celebrate Brahms: Johannes Brahms: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, Op. 120 James Campbell, clarinet; Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano Recorded at WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio (October 20, 2010)

Celebrating Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday, with two fine performances from our WCRB studio: J.S. Bach: Partita No. 2 for Violin in D minor, BWV 1004 with Angelo Xiang Yu, violin J.S. Bach: Flute Sonata in B minor, BWV 1030 with Marten Root, flute; Menno van Delft, harpsichord Recorded at WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio (January 4, 2013 and April 1, 2008)

Celebrating the March birthday of Frederic Chopin - Two performances from our WCRB Studio: Chopin: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op.65 with Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Inon Barnatan, piano Chopin: Ballade No. 1 with Lise de la Salle, piano Recorded at WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio (May 1, 2008 and November 10, 2009)

It's a Mozart Birthday Celebration - three fabulous peformances from our WGBH/WCRB Studios: Mozart: Violin Sonata in E minor, K. 304, with Corey Cerovsek, violin; Jeremy Denk, piano Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, Part II, "Tu Virginum Corona" with soprano Kristen Watson and the Acadia Players Mozart: Sonata for two pianos in D major, K. 448, with pianists Alexander Korsantia and Yelena Beriyeva Recorded at WGBH's Studio One (January 27, 2006) and WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio (October 3,  2012 and March 24, 2009)

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Even having seen it, one cannot quite believe it. Such is the artistry of pianist-composer Daniil Trifonov.” Nicolai Medtner:  Fairy Tales (selections) - Fairy Tale in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2; Fairy Tale in E-flat Major, Op. 26, No. 1; Fairy Tale in B-flat minor, Op. 20, No. 1 Igor Stravinsky (arr. Guido Agosti): Danse infernale du roi Katschei: Allegro feroce Recorded at WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio on October 3, 2012.

Blue Heron sings Guillaume Du Fay Guillaume Du Fay: Entre vous, gentils amoureux Du Fay: Je me complains Du Fay: J’atendray tant qu’il vous playra Hugo de Lantins: Mon doulx espoir Du Fay: Puisque vous estez campieur Gilles Binchois: Tant plus ayme Du Fay: Helas, mon dueil Du Fay: Adieu m’amour Du Fay: Par droit je puis complaindre Recorded at WGBH’s Studio One on February 28, 2006.

Beethoven, with Trio Cleonice Beethoven: Piano Trio Op. 70, No. 2 in E-flat Major Trio Cleonice: Ari Isaacman-Beck, violin; Gwen Krosnick, cello; Emely Phelps, piano. Recorded at WGBH’s Fraser Performance Studio on February 22, 2013.

The Washington Post calls him “one of the most gifted musicians of his generation.” Robert Schumann, trans. Franz Liszt:  Widmung Frederic Chopin: Etudes, Op. 25:  No. 1 in A-flat, No. 2 in F major, No. 7 in C-sharp minor, No. 9 in G-flat major, and No. 12 in C minor. Charlie Albright, piano Recorded at WCRB's Fraser Performance Studio on May 5, 2011.

Biber's Mystery Sonatas, with violinist Christina Day Martinson Heinrich Biber:  Mystery Sonatas Nos. 9-12 Christina Day Martinson, violin; Martin Pearlman, harpsichord Recorded at WGBH Studio One on April 6, 2007.

Schumann, with pianist Max Levinson Robert Schumann:  Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13; Arabesque, Op. 18 Recorded at WGBH's Studio One on September 21, 2001.

Brahms and Hubay, with Boston-based violinist Irina Muresanu Johannes Brahms:  Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 Irina Muresanu, violin; Dana Ciocarlie, piano Jeno Hubay:  Czardas Scene No. 2 Irina Muresanu, violin; New England String Ensemble, Federico Cortese, conductor Recorded at WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio on February 14, 2008 (Brahms) and September 20, 2007 (Hubay).

The self-conducted string orchestra A Far Cry plays Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence". Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Sextet in D minor, Op. 70 “Souvenir de Florence” Recorded at WCRB’s Fraser Performance Studio on January 22, 2010.

Cellist Wendy Warner and pianist Irina Nuzova play Beethoven's arrangement of a Mozart aria. Ludwig van Beethoven: Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen”, from Mozart’s “Magic Flute”

Pianist David Deveau and the Shanghai String Quartet play Brahms at the 2015 Rockport Chamber Music Festival. Johannes Brahms: Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25 David Deveau, piano; Shanghai String Quartet

The Shanghai Quartet play Beethoven on opening weekend of the 2015 Rockport Chamber Music Festival Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat, Op. 18 No. 6 Shanghai String Quartet

Bach, with Sergey Schepkin Johann Sebastian Bach:  Capriccio on the Departure of His Most Beloved Brother, BWV. 992 Sergey Schepkin, piano

Ravel, with the Chameleon Arts Ensemble Maurice Ravel: Introduction and Allegro Members of the Chameleon Arts Ensemble:  Anna Reinersman, harp; Deborah Boldin, flute; Kelli O'Connor, clarinet; Joanna Kurkowicz, violin; Heidi Braun-Hill, violin; Scott Woolweaver, viola; Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello

Pianist Anton Nel plays Beethoven and Mendelssohn Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 6 in F, Op. 10 No. 2 Mendelssohn: Fantasy in F-sharp minor, Op. 28 Anton Nel, piano

Violinist Sarah Chang is joined by pianist Andrew von Oeyen for music by Franck and Elgar Cesar Franck: Sonata in A major, Mvt. 4 (Allegretto poco mosso) Edward Elgar: Salut d’Amour Sarah Chang, violin; Andrew von Oeyen, piano

Maurice Ravel:  String Quartet in F major Parker String Quartet:  Daniel Chong, violin; Karen Kim, violin; Jessica Bodner, viola; Kee-Hyun Kim, cello