Podcasts about zwilich

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 18, Walk of Shame, which originally aired on March 3, 2015 and was written by Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and directed by Christine Gernon. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess and Cece, emboldened by their new blowouts, are out for a good time, meanwhile, Coach and the rest of the loft is invited to watch May perform at an art show.This episode got a 8/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Coach and Kelly rated this episode a 8.5/10 and her favorite character was Bearclaw!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Hillary Clinton - Cece and Jess were remarking on their blow-outs and Schmidt shared they can give a woman too much confidence and he then referenced Hillary Clinton.Property Brothers - Bearclaw shared that twin architects would be at his party, referring to the “Property Brothers”, Jonathan and Drew Scott.Taylor Swift - Jess and Cece were remembering what their hairdresser said while they got their blow-outs, which was that he was worried about Taylor Swift living in New York alone.[Johann Sebastian] Bach / "Cello Suite No. 1" - May mentioned that she was playing Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1” for her performance.Oscar Pistorius - Jess was making the point that “If that South African runner who killed his girlfriend can run with no legs, [she and Cece could] walk in heels.”Neoromanticism / [Wolfgang] Rihm / [George] Rochberg / [Ellen Taaffe] Zwilich / Shine / [Sergei] Rachmaninoff - When we saw Coach at coffee with May and her friend, they were talking about classical music and mentioning Neoromanticism and composers like Rihm, Rochberg, Zwilich. Coach they tried to say he knew about classical music because he “played the ghost of Rachmaninoff in a loosely based high school production of Shine.”Liza Minnelli - When Jess and Cece were found at the kids birthday party, Jess tried to pass as a Liza Minnelli impersonator.Dukes of Hazzard / Isaiah Thomas - When in the bathroom at the art show, they guys mentioned that Coach embarasses them by sitting on the hood of his car when he pumps gas into it. They thought he was doing it to be like the TV show Dukes of Hazzard, but really Coach shared that he saw Isaiah Thomas do it on a poster once and he thought it looked cool.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 19! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

SynopsisMusic — Beethoven's music, in particular — played an important role in the life of Schroeder, a piano-playing character in Peanuts, the comic strip created by Charles Schulz, who was born in Minneapolis on today's date in 1922.But new music snuck in the strip on occasion, too. In a 1990 installment, Peppermint Patty is at a young person's concert and when informed that American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich had won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, stands up and yells, ''Way to go, Ellen!''Turns out Schulz had been impressed by a piece by Zwilich that he heard at a concert, and the cartoonist and composer struck up a friendship. So when Zwilich was asked to write a new work for a young people's concert at Carnegie Hall, the result was a suite titled Peanuts Gallery.Its 1997 premiere was acknowledged in a Sunday Peanuts strip that had Schroeder telling Lucy about the new work. “We're all in it,” he says, and goes on to list the movements, including “Schroeder's Beethoven Fantasy,” “Lullaby for Linus” and “Lucy Freaks Out.”Of course, Lucy's only comment is: “My part should be longer.''Music Played in Today's ProgramEllen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Peanuts Gallery; Jeffrey Biegel, p; Florida State University Symphony; Alexander Jiménez, cond. Naxos 8.559656

SynopsisAs far as housewarming gifts go, a nice bottle of champagne is common, or maybe a bouquet of flowers. But if you're a composer, and the occasion is the ceremonial opening performance at a new concert hall, you write a celebratory piece of music.On today's date in 1984, for the inaugural concert of the Indianapolis Symphony's new home, the Circle Theater, American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich wrote an orchestral work titled, appropriately enough, Celebration.“In writing this work,” Zwilich said, “I was motivated by three complementary goals. First, I wanted to celebrate a joyous and historic occasion with all its inspiring symbolism of beginning and renewal. My second goal was to write a kind of ‘toccata' or test piece for the new Circle Theater. Finally, I wanted to celebrate the orchestra itself, which is, after all, the centerpiece of the occasion. Thus, ‘Celebration' is like a mini-concerto for orchestra.”Zwilich's housewarming gift was dedicated to the Indianapolis Symphony's music director in 1984, conductor John Nelson. Despite its origins as an occasional piece for a particular event, Celebration has gone on to become one of Zwilich's most popular and frequently performed orchestral works.Music Played in Today's ProgramEllen Taafe Zwilich (b. 1939) Celebration - Indianapolis Symphony; John Nelson , cond. New World 336

SynopsisPerformers need composers and composers need performers. And some performers really like composers–and vice versa.  That seems to be the case with the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, comprised of Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Jaime Laredo, violin; and Sharon Robinson, cello, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.On today's date in 2011, at a La Jolla Music Society concert in San Diego, California, the Trio premiered the fourth work they had commissioned from Zwilch.  She created a blues-y piano quintet, scored for the same ensemble as Schubert's famous Trout Quintet, so for this “blue trout” Quintet, the Trio were joined by violist Michael Tree and double-bassist Harold Robinson.In notes for her new piece, Zwilich wrote: "My Quintet is in three movements, the second of which has the title ‘Die Launische Forelle' (roughly translated: ‘The Moody Trout'). I couldn't resist using a very small quote from the Schubert song on which his Quintet is based. I also took the liberty of allowing that movement to spin out musical images of a ‘moody' trout. In all three movements the weight and character of the contrabass is an important element in the overall design.”Music Played in Today's ProgramEllen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Piano Quintet The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio; Michael Tree, vla; Harold Robinson, db. Azica 71292

Synopsis It was Mozart who wrote the first great piano concertos, with Beethoven, Brahms and others following suit in the 19th century. Closer to our own time, the tradition continues, with new contributions appearing each year. On today's date in 1986, it was the turn of American composer, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, when her new piano concerto received its premiere by the Detroit Symphony with Marc-Andre Hamelin the soloist. “My piano concerto does not cast the pianist as the prototypical 19th-century hero battling the orchestral forces and triumphing through overwhelming virtuosity,” said Zwilich at the time. “My concerto calls for a blending of forces – a joint exploration of the piano soloist and orchestra. The pianist is even asked to merge with various sections of the rather large orchestra at times.” “To me,” continued Zwilich, “a part of the nobility of the piano is that it can change its color, chameleon-like without losing its special identity … One composer treats the piano as a percussion instrument, another as a singer… Certainly the vast and wonderful piano repertoire explores this remarkable range. And the world of composer-pianists is large enough to embrace Serge Rachmaninoff and Art Tatum.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Piano Concerto Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Florida State Orchestra; Michael Stern, Koch 7537 On This Day Births 1747 - Bohemian composer Leopold Kozeluh, (Kotzeluch) in Welwearn; He was the cousin of Johann (Jan) Antonín Kozeluh, who was also a composer; 1928 - American composer Jacob Druckman, in Philadelphia; Premieres 1870 - Wagner: opera "Die Walküre" (The Valkyrie), in Munich at the Hoftheater, with Franz Wüllner conducting; The opera was performed at the Bavarian King Ludwig II's request, but against the composer's wishes; 1912 - Mahler: Symphony No. 9, by Vienna Philharmonic, Bruno Walter conducting; 1986 - Zwilich: Piano Concerto, by the Detroit Symphony with Günther Herbig conducting and soloist Marc-André Hamelin; 2000 - Robert Kapilow: "DC Monuments," by the National Symphony; Others 1788 - Mozart finishes his Symphony No. 39 in E-flat, K.543 in Vienna. Links and Resources More on Zwilich

Synopsis On today's date in 1988, the New York Philharmonic gave a concert in a city then called Leningrad and in a country then called the Soviet Union.For their visit to the city we now call St. Petersburg in a country known today as Russia, the Philharmonic commissioned a brand-new work by American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.  Her Symbolon received its premiere performance there, and, in fact, was first American symphonic work to be premiered in the USSR.“The word ‘symbolon' comes from the Greek,” explained Zwilich, “and refers to the ancient custom whereby two parties broke a piece of pottery in two, each party retaining half. Each half (or symbolon) thus became a token of friendship.”“From the beginning,” continued Zwilich, “I knew this piece would receive its first performance in the Soviet Union, and I found this profoundly moving. I'm sure my complex feelings, embracing both hope and sadness about the state of the political world, found their way into this work.” After its premiere, Zwilich's Symbolon was performed in Moscow, New York, London, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Paris, and the former East Berlin, making it one of Zwilich's “most-travelled” works. Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Symbolon New York Philharmonic;Zubin Mehta, cond. New World CD

Synopsis On today's date in 2020, a new cello concerto by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich was given its premiere in Fort Lauderdale, by cellist Zuill Bailey the South Florida Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sebrina María Alfonso, the same performers who had commissioned the work. About the work, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich said, “A Cello Concerto is something that had been on my ‘composer's wish list' for a long time. One of the things I love about the cello is that it covers virtually the entire range of the human voice— I particularly like its evocation of the mezzo-soprano … I sometimes refer to string instruments as ‘singers on steroids,' because of the power they give to a composer to explore virtuosity as well as expressivity. My Cello Concerto engages both the lyrical, singing nature of the instrument and its technical possibilities.”Zwillich dedicated the new concerto to the memory of two legendary cellists, Leonard Rose and Mstislav Rostropovich. Following the premiere, Dennis D. Rooney of the Palm Beach Arts Paper wrote, "The concerto's three linked movements suggested a meditation on melodic gestures from the American vernacular. The blues hovered over the work allusively … Throughout, the mood was thoughtful but not elegiac.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (Zuill Bailey , vcl; Santa Rosa Symphony; Francesco Lecce-Chong, conductor.) Delos DE-3596

In this episode, Dave and Andrew discuss the first female Pulitzer Prize winner, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, who wrote a symphony of all things. What will they think about the first symphony to win the prize since Walter Piston's Symphony No. 7 back in 1961?   As promised in the episode, here's Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's appearance in Peanuts. If you'd like more information about Zwilich, we recommend: Julie Schnepel's article "Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Symphony No. 1: Developing Variation in the 1980s" in Indiana Theory Review Vol. 10 (Spring and Fall 1989): 1-19 Anthony J. Palmer's "Interview with Ellen Taaffe Zwilich" in Philosophy of Music Education Review Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring 2011): 80-99. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's website.

Today Darrian and Angela talk with Ellen Taafe Zwilich, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in composition.

Synopsis As the season begins, we offer you this “Autumn Music” — a woodwind quintet by American composer Jennifer Higdon. Higdon says she wanted to write a companion piece to another famous woodwind quintet titled “Summer Music” by Samuel Barber. Higdon's “Autumn Music” was commissioned by Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honorary society, and premiered at their 1994 national convention in Pittsburgh. “Autumn Music,” says Higdon, “is a sonic picture of the season of brilliant colors. The music of the first part represents the explosion of leaves and the crispness of the air of fall. As the music progresses, it becomes more spare and introspective, moving into a more melancholy and resigned feeling.” Jennifer Higdon was born in Brooklyn in 1962, and teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her chamber and orchestral pieces have been performed by ensembles coast to coast. She's also active as a performer and, as she explains, as an enthusiastic member of the audience: “I love exploring new works — my own pieces and the music of others — in a general audience setting, just to feel a communal reaction to new sounds. Music speaks to all age levels and all kinds of experiences in our lives. I think it can express anything and everything.” Music Played in Today's Program Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962): Autumn Music –Moran Woodwind Quintet (Crystal 754) On This Day Births 1875 - Lithuanian composer Mikolajus Ciurlionis, in Varena (then the Kaunas province of the Russian Empire; Julian date: Sept. 10); 1933 - Spanish composer Leonardo Balada, in Barcelona; 1961 - American composer Michael Torke, in Milwaukee, Wisc.; Deaths 1989 - American song composer Irving Berlin, age 101, in New York City; Premieres 1869 - Wagner: opera, "Das Rheingold," in Munich at the Hoftheater, Franz Wüllner conducting; The opera was performed at the Bavarian emperor Ludwig II's request, but against the composer's wishes; 1938 - Webern: String Quartet, Op. 28, at South Mountain, Pittsfield, Mass., during the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival; This work was commissioned for $750 by the American music patron, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge; 1964 - Jerry Bock: musical "Fiddler On the Roof" opens on Broadway: It would run for 3,242 performances before closing; 1971 - Barber: "The Lovers" for solo voice and chorus (after a poem by Pablo Neruda), in Philadelphia; 1989 - Bernstein: "Arias and Barcarolles" (orchestrated version prepared by Bright Sheng), at the Tilles Center of Long Island University with the New York Chamber Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz and featuring vocalists Susan Graham and Kurt Ollmann; The first version of this work, for soloists and piano four-hands, premiered on May 9, 1988, at Equitable Center Auditorium in New York City; 1990 - James MacMillan: "The Beserking" (Piano Concerto), at Henry Wood Hall in Glasgow by pianist Peter Donohoue and the Royal Scottish Orchestra, Matthias Bamert conducting; 1990 - Christopher Rouse: "Jagannath" for orchestra, by the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach conducting; 2000 - Philip Glass: “Tirol Concerto” for piano and orchestra, by Dennis Russell Davies (piano and conductor) with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, at the 7th annual Klangspuren Festival in Schwaz, Tirol (Austria); 2000 - Zwilich: "Millennium Fantasy" for piano and orchestra, by the Cincinnati Symphony, Jesús Lopez-Cobos conducting with soloist Jeffrey Biegel; Others 1937 - During the Spanish Civil War, Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas conducts his 1935 composition “Homage to Federico Garcia Lorca” in Madrid while the city was under siege by Spanish fascist forces; The Spanish poet Lorca had been killed by the Falangists; Links and Resources On Jennifer Higdon On Barber's "Summer Music"

Synopsis It was on this day in 1913 that the French Academy of Fine Arts – for the first time in its history – presented its highest award, the Prix de Rome, to a woman. The honor was awarded to Lili Boulanger, who was just 19 years old at the time. She was born in Paris in 1893, the younger sister of Nadia Boulanger, who would become the most famous teacher of composition in the 20th century, numbering an amazing array of famous American composers among her students, ranging from Aaron Copland to Philip Glass. Nadia's sister Lili, however, suffered from poor health. Her tragically short career was interrupted by World War I, when she volunteered to nurse wounded soldiers. She died before the great conflict was over, on March 15th, 1918, at the age of 24. Nearer to our own time, another woman, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, made history when she became the first woman composer to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music. That was in 1983, and the piece was her Symphony No. 1. Born in Miami, Florida, in 1939, Zwilich studied composition with Elliott Carter and Roger Sessions at Juilliard, and accomplished another “first” by becoming the first woman to earn the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition at the famous school. Her Third Symphony was commissioned in 1992 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic. Music Played in Today's Program Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) – Hymne au Soleil (New London Chamber Choir; James Wood, cond.) Hyperion 66726 Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) – Symphony No. 3 (Louisville Orchestra; James Sedares, cond.) Koch International 7278

Synopsis Like Rodney Dangerfield, the viola is often an instrument that “gets no respect“ – so no viola jokes, today, folks. Quite the opposite, in fact. For its 150th Anniversary celebration, the New York Philharmonic commissioned a number of new orchestral works. One of them premiered at New York's Avery Fisher Hall on today's date in 1993:  the Third Symphony of the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. It's no exaggeration to suggest that Zwilich knows the symphony orchestra from inside out: for seven years she was a violinist in the American Symphony Orchestra, a New York-based ensemble conducted by Leopold Stokowski when Zwilich was a player. For her Third Symphony, Zwilich confessed she had an often-neglected section of the orchestra in mind: “I had noticed over the years the rising quality of viola playing,” she said in an interview, “and I thought that the Philharmonic's section was absolutely amazing. So when I had this commission .... I really wanted to put the spotlight on the viola section and give THEM a great deal to do, not only in terms of virtuosity, but of importance and centrality to the piece. This symphony really grew out of my love for this section of the orchestra.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) — Symphony No. 3 (Louisville Orchestra; James Sedares, cond.) Koch 7278

Synopsis On today's date in 1996, a trio of soloists joined forces with the Minnesota Orchestra for the premiere performance of a new concerto by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. This “Triple Concerto” was commissioned by those soloists – pianist Joseph Kalichstein, violinist Jaime Laredo, and cellist Sharon Robinson – and no less than five orchestras in addition to Minnesota's. Now, the MOST famous Concerto for Piano, Violin, Cello and Orchestra is by Beethoven, as Zwilich well knows. “My Triple Concerto is scored for exactly the same instrumentation as Beethoven's,” she writes, “although Beethoven would certainly be startled by some of the American jazz techniques and the extraordinary facility the modern timpanist can be expected to have at his fingertips... My piece has other vague and hidden references to Beethoven, as a kind of homage to a composer who has deeply affected my life." “As contemporary artists always have,” continues Zwilich, “today's composers exist at a juncture between past and present. And all of us, whether we write, perform, or listen to music, face a similar challenge: how to relate meaningfully to the past without becoming imbedded in it; how to press toward the future without abandoning the richness of our heritage.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taafe Zwilich (b. 1939) — Triple Concerto (Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio; Florida State University; Michael Stern, cond.) Koch 7537

Synopsis For many professional musicians, summertime is spent away from home at one or more summer music camps and festivals. And if the camp or festival just happens to in a gorgeous mountain or lakeside setting, well, so much the better. Since 1987, world-class musicians and ensembles have made the climb to scenic Vail, Colorado, at this time of year for the Bravo! Music Festival. And on today's date in 1993, it was at the Bravo! Festival that this new Concerto for Horn and Strings by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich received its premiere. The concerto was a triple commission from the Rochester Philharmonic, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the New York-based French horn virtuoso David Jolley, who was the soloist for the Vail premiere. Zwilich writes: “While I think of the solo horn as a heroic figure, I enjoyed the interplay and dialogue between horn and strings and allowed the character and nature of the horn to influence the strings and visa-versa… For me, the combination of solo horn and string orchestra is rich and evocative, as is the unique nature of the horn: its warmth and color, its dramatic legato as well as it pungent staccato, the sheer breadth of its sound.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) — Horn Concerto (David Jolley, horn; MSU Symphony Orchestra; Leon Gregorian, cond.) Koch 7487

Synopsis "Chamber music” is defined as “music written for and performed by a small ensemble, with one performer on a part.”  The website of a Portland, Oregon, organization called Chamber Music Northwest, once added this description: “Music that is inspiring, stimulating and intensely personal.”On today's date in 1990, Chamber Music Northwest premiered a Quintet for Clarinet and Strings by the American composer Ellen Taafe Zwillich, who commented, “In writing chamber music, I am inspired by the electricity of a dialogue among equals. When a performer can be asked to be a brilliant soloist one moment and a responsive partner the next, the possibilities for musical discourse are seemingly endless.” Today's date also marks the debut of another chamber work given in the Great Northwest: “Partita Appassionata,” by the late American composer Stephen Paulus, a work given its premiere by violinist William Preucil and pianist Arthur Rowe at the 1996 Seattle Chamber Music Festival. “One of the joys of writing chamber music,” said Paulus, “is that often the composer also knows the performers. So, not only are you writing a work for an intimate gathering of musicians, but for your friends—and that often encourages a deeper and more meaningful musical dimension.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Clarinet Quintet David Shifrin, cl; Ida and Ani Kavafian, vn; Paul Neubauer, vla; Fred Sherry, vcl Delos 3183 Stephen Paulus (1949 - 2014) Partita Appassionata Troy Gardner, violin; Jill Dawe, piano innova 539

Synopsis "Chamber music” is defined as “music written for and performed by a small ensemble, with one performer on a part.”  The website of a Portland, Oregon, organization called Chamber Music Northwest, once added this description: “Music that is inspiring, stimulating and intensely personal.”On today's date in 1990, Chamber Music Northwest premiered a Quintet for Clarinet and Strings by the American composer Ellen Taafe Zwillich, who commented, “In writing chamber music, I am inspired by the electricity of a dialogue among equals. When a performer can be asked to be a brilliant soloist one moment and a responsive partner the next, the possibilities for musical discourse are seemingly endless.” Today's date also marks the debut of another chamber work given in the Great Northwest: “Partita Appassionata,” by the late American composer Stephen Paulus, a work given its premiere by violinist William Preucil and pianist Arthur Rowe at the 1996 Seattle Chamber Music Festival. “One of the joys of writing chamber music,” said Paulus, “is that often the composer also knows the performers. So, not only are you writing a work for an intimate gathering of musicians, but for your friends—and that often encourages a deeper and more meaningful musical dimension.” Music Played in Today's Program Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Clarinet Quintet David Shifrin, cl; Ida and Ani Kavafian, vn; Paul Neubauer, vla; Fred Sherry, vcl Delos 3183 Stephen Paulus (1949 - 2014) Partita Appassionata Troy Gardner, violin; Jill Dawe, piano innova 539

One of the best-loved works of classical music, Handel’s oratorio “Messiah,” had its first performance on today’s date in Dublin, Ireland, in the year 1742. Handel wrote “Messiah” in a period of only four weeks, then put it aside until he received an invitation to present a new work in the Irish capital. Dublin gave “Messiah” an enthusiastic reception, but it took a few years before London recognized that ‘Messiah” was a masterpiece. Baroque composers like Handel freely borrowed materials from previous works or even other composers to use in new ones, and among Handel’s own instrumental works, the Concerti “Due Cori,” for example, contain melodies familiar from “Messiah.” The American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich harks back to this Baroque custom in her own “Concerto Grosso 1985,” in which she quotes directly from Handel’s Violin Sonata in D—which in turns quotes from no fewer than four of Handel’s own earlier compositions. Born in Miami, Florida in 1939, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich studied at Juilliard with two noted American composers, Roger Sessions and Elliott Carter, and in 1983 became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for her Symphony No. 1.

Music—Beethoven’s music in particular—played an important role in the life of Schroeder, a piano-playing character in “Peanuts,” the comic strip created by Charles Schulz, who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on today’s date in 1922. But new music snuck in the strip on occasion, too. In a 1990 installment, Peppermint Patty is at a young person’s concert and when informed that the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich had won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, stands up and yells, ''Way to go, Ellen!'' Turns out Schulz had been impressed by a piece by Zwilich that he heard at a concert, and the cartoonist and composer struck up a friendship. So when Zwilich was asked to write a new work for a young people’s concert at Carnegie Hall, the result was a suite entitled “Peanuts Gallery.” Its 1997 premiere was acknowledged in a Sunday “Peanuts” strip that had Schroeder telling Lucy about the new work. ``We're all in it,'' he says, and goes on to list the movements: “Schroeder's Beethoven Fantasy,” “Lullaby for Linus,” “Lucy Freaks Out,” etc. Of course, Lucy's only comment is: “MY part should be longer.''

Music—Beethoven’s music in particular—played an important role in the life of Schroeder, a piano-playing character in “Peanuts,” the comic strip created by Charles Schulz, who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on today’s date in 1922. But new music snuck in the strip on occasion, too. In a 1990 installment, Peppermint Patty is at a young person’s concert and when informed that the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich had won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, stands up and yells, ''Way to go, Ellen!'' Turns out Schulz had been impressed by a piece by Zwilich that he heard at a concert, and the cartoonist and composer struck up a friendship. So when Zwilich was asked to write a new work for a young people’s concert at Carnegie Hall, the result was a suite entitled “Peanuts Gallery.” Its 1997 premiere was acknowledged in a Sunday “Peanuts” strip that had Schroeder telling Lucy about the new work. ``We're all in it,'' he says, and goes on to list the movements: “Schroeder's Beethoven Fantasy,” “Lullaby for Linus,” “Lucy Freaks Out,” etc. Of course, Lucy's only comment is: “MY part should be longer.''

As far as housewarming gifts go, a nice bottle of champagne is common, or maybe a bouquet of flowers. But if you’re a composer, and the occasion is the ceremonial opening performance at a new concert hall, you write a celebratory piece of music. On today’s date in 1984, for the inaugural concert of the Indianapolis Symphony’s new home, the Circle Theater, American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich wrote an orchestral work entitled, appropriately enough, “Celebration.” “In writing this work,” said Zwilich, “I was motivated by three complementary goals. First, I wanted to celebrate a joyous and historic occasion with all its inspiring symbolism of beginning and renewal. My second goal was to write a kind of “toccata” or test piece for the new Circle Theater. Finally, I wanted to celebrate the orchestra itself, which is, after all, the centerpiece of the occasion. Thus ‘Celebration’ is like a mini-concerto for orchestra.” Zwilich’s housewarming gift was dedicated to the Indianapolis Symphony’s music director in 1984, conductor John Nelson. Despite its origins as an occasional piece for a particular event, “Celebration” has gone to become one of Zwilich’s most popular and frequently performed orchestral works.

As far as housewarming gifts go, a nice bottle of champagne is common, or maybe a bouquet of flowers. But if you’re a composer, and the occasion is the ceremonial opening performance at a new concert hall, you write a celebratory piece of music. On today’s date in 1984, for the inaugural concert of the Indianapolis Symphony’s new home, the Circle Theater, American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich wrote an orchestral work entitled, appropriately enough, “Celebration.” “In writing this work,” said Zwilich, “I was motivated by three complementary goals. First, I wanted to celebrate a joyous and historic occasion with all its inspiring symbolism of beginning and renewal. My second goal was to write a kind of “toccata” or test piece for the new Circle Theater. Finally, I wanted to celebrate the orchestra itself, which is, after all, the centerpiece of the occasion. Thus ‘Celebration’ is like a mini-concerto for orchestra.” Zwilich’s housewarming gift was dedicated to the Indianapolis Symphony’s music director in 1984, conductor John Nelson. Despite its origins as an occasional piece for a particular event, “Celebration” has gone to become one of Zwilich’s most popular and frequently performed orchestral works.

Performers need composers and composers need performers. And some performers really like composers–and vice versa. That seems to be the case with the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, comprised of Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Jaime Laredo, violin; and Sharon Robinson, cello, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. On today’s date in 2011, at a La Jolla Music Society concert in San Diego, California, the Trio premiered the fourth work they had commissioned from Zwilch. She created a blues-y piano quintet, scored for the same ensemble as Schubert’s famous “Trout” Quintet, so for this “blue trout” Quintet, the Trio were joined by violist Michael Tree and double-bassist Harold Robinson. In notes for her new piece, Zwilich wrote: "My Quintet is in three movements, the second of which has the title ‘Die Launische Forelle' (roughly translated: ‘The Moody Trout'). I couldn't resist using a very small quote from the Schubert song on which his Quintet is based. I also took the liberty of allowing that movement to spin out musical images of a ‘moody' trout. In all three movements the weight and character of the contrabass is an important element in the overall design.”

Performers need composers and composers need performers. And some performers really like composers–and vice versa. That seems to be the case with the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, comprised of Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Jaime Laredo, violin; and Sharon Robinson, cello, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. On today’s date in 2011, at a La Jolla Music Society concert in San Diego, California, the Trio premiered the fourth work they had commissioned from Zwilch. She created a blues-y piano quintet, scored for the same ensemble as Schubert’s famous “Trout” Quintet, so for this “blue trout” Quintet, the Trio were joined by violist Michael Tree and double-bassist Harold Robinson. In notes for her new piece, Zwilich wrote: "My Quintet is in three movements, the second of which has the title ‘Die Launische Forelle' (roughly translated: ‘The Moody Trout'). I couldn't resist using a very small quote from the Schubert song on which his Quintet is based. I also took the liberty of allowing that movement to spin out musical images of a ‘moody' trout. In all three movements the weight and character of the contrabass is an important element in the overall design.”

It was Mozart who wrote the first great piano concertos, with Beethoven, Brahms and others following suit in the 19th century. Closer to our own time, the tradition continues, with new contributions appearing each year. On today's date in 1986, it was the turn of American composer, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, when her new piano concerto received its premiere by the Detroit Symphony under Guenter Herbig, with Marc-Andre Hamelin the soloist. "My piano concerto does not cast the pianist as the prototypical 19th-century hero battling the orchestral forces and triumphing through overwhelming virtuosity," said Zwilich at the time. "My concerto calls for a blending of forces—a joint exploration of the piano soloist and orchestra. The pianist is even asked to merge with various sections of the rather large orchestra at times." "To me," continued Zwilich, "a part of the nobility of the piano is that it can change its color, chameleon-like without losing its special identity. Of all the instruments, the piano is perhaps the most able to be whatever it is asked to be… One composer treats the piano as a percussion instrument, another as a singer… Certainly the vast and wonderful piano repertoire explores this remarkable range. And the world of composer-pianists is large enough to embrace Serge Rachmaninoff and Art Tatum."

It was Mozart who wrote the first great piano concertos, with Beethoven, Brahms and others following suit in the 19th century. Closer to our own time, the tradition continues, with new contributions appearing each year. On today's date in 1986, it was the turn of American composer, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, when her new piano concerto received its premiere by the Detroit Symphony under Guenter Herbig, with Marc-Andre Hamelin the soloist. "My piano concerto does not cast the pianist as the prototypical 19th-century hero battling the orchestral forces and triumphing through overwhelming virtuosity," said Zwilich at the time. "My concerto calls for a blending of forces—a joint exploration of the piano soloist and orchestra. The pianist is even asked to merge with various sections of the rather large orchestra at times." "To me," continued Zwilich, "a part of the nobility of the piano is that it can change its color, chameleon-like without losing its special identity. Of all the instruments, the piano is perhaps the most able to be whatever it is asked to be… One composer treats the piano as a percussion instrument, another as a singer… Certainly the vast and wonderful piano repertoire explores this remarkable range. And the world of composer-pianists is large enough to embrace Serge Rachmaninoff and Art Tatum."

On today's date in 1988, Zubin Mehta led the New York Philharmonic in a concert at Bolshoi Hall in a city that was then called Leningrad and in a country that was then called the Soviet Union. For their visit to the city we now call St. Petersburg in a country today known as the Russian Federation, the Philharmonic had commissioned a brand-new work by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and so her orchestral piece entitled "Symbolon" received its premiere performance there. It was the first American symphonic work to be premiered in the USSR, in fact. "The word 'symbolon' comes from the Greek," explained Zwilich, "and refers to the ancient custom whereby two parties broke a piece of pottery (or a stone, or a coin) in two, each party retaining half. Each half (or symbolon) thus became a token of friendship." "From the beginning," continued Zwilich, "I knew this piece would receive its first performance in the Soviet Union, and I found this profoundly moving. I am sure that my complex feelings, embracing both hope and sadness about the state of the political world, have found their way into this work." After its premiere, Zwilich's "Symbolon" was performed in Moscow, New York, London, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Paris, and the former East Berlin, making it one of Zwilich's "most-travelled" orchestral works.

On today's date in 1988, Zubin Mehta led the New York Philharmonic in a concert at Bolshoi Hall in a city that was then called Leningrad and in a country that was then called the Soviet Union. For their visit to the city we now call St. Petersburg in a country today known as the Russian Federation, the Philharmonic had commissioned a brand-new work by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and so her orchestral piece entitled "Symbolon" received its premiere performance there. It was the first American symphonic work to be premiered in the USSR, in fact. "The word 'symbolon' comes from the Greek," explained Zwilich, "and refers to the ancient custom whereby two parties broke a piece of pottery (or a stone, or a coin) in two, each party retaining half. Each half (or symbolon) thus became a token of friendship." "From the beginning," continued Zwilich, "I knew this piece would receive its first performance in the Soviet Union, and I found this profoundly moving. I am sure that my complex feelings, embracing both hope and sadness about the state of the political world, have found their way into this work." After its premiere, Zwilich's "Symbolon" was performed in Moscow, New York, London, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Paris, and the former East Berlin, making it one of Zwilich's "most-travelled" orchestral works.

USA:s Grand Old Lady inom nutida musik är Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, en världstonsättare som varken vill kännas vid det eller ser sig som den pionjär hon är. Birgitta Tollan mötte Ellen Taaffe Zwilich i tonsättarens våning på Manhattan och fick en upplevelse hon inte haft på 40 år. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich är nestorn bland tonsättande kvinnor som givit inspiration till och varit förebild för många. En pionjär av högsta klass vars musik har framförts, spelats in och sänts ut över hela västvärlden. Nu har hon fyllt 75.Som första kvinna tog Ellen Taaffe Zwilich 1975 kompositionsexamen på legendariska Juilliard School of Music på Manhattan. Hon var även första kvinna att tilldelas Pulitzerpriset i musik. Året var 1983 och hon fick priset för sin Symfoni Nr 1. Zwilich är också första och förmodligen den enda kvinnliga tonsättare som blivit omnämnd i den tecknade serien Snobben av Charles M Schulz (se bild).Namnet Taaffe är irländskt och namnet Zwilich fick hon av sin för många år sedan avlidne make, violinisten Joseph Zwilich, som spelade i Metropolitanoperans orkester i New York. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich började som violinist och redan 1964 tog den brittiske dirigenten Leopold Stokovsky med henne i sin orkester The American Symphony i New York. Orkestern hade flera kvinnor, afroamerikaner och asiater bland sina musiker. Något som var mycket ovanligt på den tiden då de flesta amerikanska symfoniorkestrar mest bestod av manliga europeiska musiker. Att hon bedömdes för sin musikaliska begåvning och inte för sitt kön gav Ellen Taaffe Zwilich både styrka och självkänsla när hon sedan började komponera på allvar.Hennes verklista är synnerligen lång. Den innehåller alla genrer förutom opera, bl a en solokonserter för svenske trombonisten Christian Lindberg.I programmet medverkar även pianisten Joseph Kalischstein i trion Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson som Zwilich skrivit musik till under 30 år. - Jag känner en fysisk glädje över att spela hennes stycken. På samma sätt som det känns att spela Mozarts musik. Hennes musikaliska material; rytmen, energin och intensiteten, liknar den hos Beethoven, förklarar Joseph Kalischstein.De musiker, ensembler och orkestrar som hon samarbetar med kallar Ellen Taaffe Zwilich för sina familjemedlemmar. - Jag vill inte sitta i något elfenbenstorn och pumpa ut odödliga mästerverk en syssla som är helt irrelevant för världen. Nej, mina stycken skall vara något som musikerna behöver, säger Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.Vi hör bl a musik ur den nyutgivna CDn Passionate Diversions med trion Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson, Miami String Quartet, basisten Harold Robinson och violasten Michael Tree. De spelar bl a Ellen Taaffe Zwilichs vackra Kvintett for piano, violin, viola, violoncell, kontrabas. Det är en pendeng till Franz Schuberts Forellkvintett, fast med jazz- och bluesinfluenser.En P2 Dokumentär av Birgitta TollanLåtlista:14:00 Read Gainsford, Heidi Louise Williams, Alexander Jiménez, Florida State University Symphony Orchestra - Images 14:02 John Nelson, Indianapolis Symfoniorkester - Symfoni Nr 1 14:05 Jeffrey Biegel, Alexander Jiménez, Florida State University Symphony Orchestra - Peanuts Gallery 14:08 John Nelson, Indianapolis Symfoniorkester - Symfoni Nr 1 14:11 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion - Trio För Piano, Violin & Violoncell 14:14 Jeffrey Biegel, Alexander Jiménez, Florida State University Symphony Orchestra - Peanuts Gallery 14:19 Christian Lindberg, James Depreist, Malmö Symfoniorkester - Konsert För Trombon & Orkester 14:24 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion - Trio För Piano, Violin & Violoncell 14:26 Christian Lindberg, James Depreist, Malmö Symfoniorkester - Konsert För Trombon & Orkester 14:31 Joseph Zwilich, James Gemmel - Sonat För Violin & Piano 14:33 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion, Miami-Kvartetten - Septett För Pianotrio & Stråkkvartett 14:35 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion, Miami-Kvartetten - Septett För Pianotrio & Stråkkvartett 14:41 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion, Miami-Kvartetten - Septett För Pianotrio & Stråkkvartett 14:46 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion, Michael Tree, Harold Robinson - Kvintett För Piano, Violin, Viola, Violoncell, Kontrabas 14:51 Kalichstein-Laredo-Trion, Michael Tree, Harold Robinson - Kvintett För Piano, Violin, Viola, Violoncell, Kontrabas

USA:s Grand Old Lady inom nutida musik är Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, en världstonsättare som varken vill kännas vid det eller ser sig som den pionjär hon är. (Söndagens utannonserade Västanå-dokumentär sänds istället i september) Birgitta Tollan mötte Ellen Taaffe Zwilich i tonsättarens våning på Manhattan och fick en upplevelse hon inte haft på 40 år. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich är nestorn bland tonsättande kvinnor som givit inspiration till och varit förebild för många. En pionjär av högsta klass vars musik har framförts, spelats in och sänts ut över hela västvärlden. Nu har hon fyllt 75. Som första kvinna tog Ellen Taaffe Zwilich 1975 kompositionsexamen på legendariska Juilliard School of Music på Manhattan. Hon var även första kvinna att tilldelas Pulitzerpriset i musik. Året var 1983 och hon fick priset för sin Symfoni Nr 1. Zwilich är också första och förmodligen den enda kvinnliga tonsättare som blivit omnämnd i den tecknade serien Snobben av Charles M Schulz (se bild). Namnet Taaffe är irländskt och namnet Zwilich fick hon av sin för många år sedan avlidne make, violinisten Joseph Zwilich, som spelade i Metropolitanoperans orkester i New York. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich började som violinist och redan 1964 tog den brittiske dirigenten Leopold Stokovsky med henne i sin orkester The American Symphony i New York. Orkestern hade flera kvinnor, afroamerikaner och asiater bland sina musiker. Något som var mycket ovanligt på den tiden då de flesta amerikanska symfoniorkestrar mest bestod av manliga europeiska musiker. Att hon bedömdes för sin musikaliska begåvning och inte för sitt kön gav Ellen Taaffe Zwilich både styrka och självkänsla när hon sedan började komponera på allvar. Hennes verklista är synnerligen lång. Den innehåller alla genrer förutom opera, bl a en solokonserter för svenske trombonisten Christian Lindberg. I programmet medverkar även pianisten Joseph Kalischstein i trion Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson som Zwilich skrivit musik till under 30 år.  - Jag känner en fysisk glädje över att spela hennes stycken. På samma sätt som det känns att spela Mozarts musik. Hennes musikaliska material; rytmen, energin och intensiteten, liknar den hos Beethoven, förklarar Joseph Kalischstein. De musiker, ensembler och orkestrar som hon samarbetar med kallar Ellen Taaffe Zwilich för sina familjemedlemmar.  - Jag vill inte sitta i något elfenbenstorn och pumpa ut odödliga mästerverk en syssla som är helt irrelevant för världen. Nej, mina stycken skall vara något som musikerna behöver, säger Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. Vi hör bl a musik ur den nyutgivna CDn Passionate Diversions med trion Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson, Miami String Quartet, basisten Harold Robinson och violasten Michael Tree. De spelar bl a Ellen Taaffe Zwilichs vackra Kvintett for piano, violin, viola, violoncell, kontrabas. Det är en pendeng till Franz Schuberts Forellkvintett, fast med jazz- och bluesinfluenser. En P2 Dokumentär av Birgitta Tollan (repris från sep-14)