The Concert - Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

263. Building on History

262. Introducing Daniel Lebhardt

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, we’ll hear two recordings from the 24-year-old’s recent recital: Brahms’ Six Pieces, opus 118 and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major...

261. Near the End

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. 133 For many years, musicologists and music-lovers have tried to understand what it was that led to Robert Schumann’s 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 r...

260. The Sweetness of Youth

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. 78 Hope you’re 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 aren’t necessarily the words most closely associated with the first composer on the program: Anton Webe...

259. All That Glitters

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. 6 The piece we’ll 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, Korngold’s life took a dramatic turn, as the Nazi regime began to rise to power in his native Austria. Korngold was...

258. Putting it to the Test

Works by Bach and Bartók 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 Bartók, Béla: Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz. 75 Today’s podcast features two works that present tests of sorts—for the listener, the performer, the composer. Sharpen your ears and let’s get to it. The Well-Tempered Cla...

257. Twinkle

Works by Mozart performed by Charlie Albright on February 14, 2016. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: 12 Variations on “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman” Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: 9 Variations on a Minuet by Duport, K. 575 Many of us think of “improvisation” as a modern concept, usually linked to jazz. But throughout the centuries, so-called “classical” 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 ve...

256. Taking it Slow

Works by Vivaldi and Beethoven performed by the Gardner Chamber Orchestra and Musicians from Marlbor o 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. 29 The 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...

255. Summing it Up

Works by Bach and Brahms performed by the Borromeo String Quartet and Ravinia’s 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. 111 Both 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 that’s saying a lot given the composers...

254. New Directions

Works for string quartet by Bartók and Webern performed by the Omer Quartet on November 27, 2016. Bartók : String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 Webern : Six bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 9 In this podcast, we’ll 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 Béla Bartók’s First String Quartet, his Opus 7, a three-movement work. It begins quite somber, bu...

253. Small Packages

Works for clarinet and piano by Berg and Weber performed by Raphaël Sévère, clarinet and Paul Montag, piano on October 23, 2016. Berg : Four Pieces, Op. 5 Weber : Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48 On this podcast, number 253, we’ve 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 Raphaël Sévère and pianis...

252. Baroque Inspirations

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. 24 This 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 variation...

251. Danza!

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 Piano Albeniz : Tango from Espana: Seis Hojas de Album for Piano, Op. 165 (arr. Godowsky) Boccherini : Quintet No. 4 in D...

250. Heroic Measures

Works for solo piano by Beethoven, performed by Charlie Albright , piano on March 27, 2016. Beethoven : Sonata in E Major, Op. 109 Beethoven: 15 Variations and Fugue in E-flat Major on an original theme "Eroica Variations" Op 35 You know when you just can’t 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 melody—w...

249. Love Fail

Work for voices by David Lang, performed by Lorelei Ensemble on January 10, 2016. Lang, David : Love Fail This month’s podcast tend towards the introspective: an hourlong work by contemporary composer David Lang for women’s voices, a timeless meditation on the allures and disappointments of love, titled Love Fail . Lang started with one of history’s 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 sp...

248. Intimate Voices

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 Faust Sibelius : String Quartet No. 2 "Voces Intimae" arr. Frank Shaw Chamber music is one of the most intimate forms of classical music: quieter moments, smaller ensembles, and generally shorter works. On this podcast, we’ll listen to two works that play up that sense of intimacy:...

247. Krai

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 Cry Today, we’re 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 An...

246. Sweetly Sung

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 Lullabies Sculthorpe, Peter: Songs of Sea and Sky Traditional: Amazing Grace , arrangement by Richard Stoltzman On this podcast, we’ll hear three works that we’re grouping under the title Sweetly Sung. All three pieces were written w...

245. Boston Children’s Chorus, Ten Years In

Works for chorus by various composers performed by Boston Children’s Chorus on November 17, 2015. Selections from 10th Anniversary concert For more than a decade, the Boston Children’s 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 Gardner’s Calderwood Hall—one of his favorite spaces in Boston. On...

244. New York to Paris, Nonstop

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: Ballade Ravel : 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 n...

243. Schubert’s Parting Notes

Works for solo piano by Schubert performed by Charlie Albright , piano on March 24, 2013. Schubert: Impromptus, D. 899, Op. 90 Schubert : Sonata in B-Flat Major, D. 960 In the late 1820s, all of Franz Schubert’s hard work and struggle seemed finally to be paying off. His performances were increasingly well received, and he was at the height of his compositional powers. Yet, even as his career took off, his health began to deteriorate, and his music increasingly focused on darker emotions. In 182...

242. The Lyrical Cello

Works for cello and piano by Schumann, Debussy, and Peter John performed by Cicely Parnas, cello and Noreen Cassidy-Polera, piano on April 5, 2015. Schumann : Fantasiestucke , Op. 73 Debussy : Sonata for Cello and Piano John, Peter: From the Zodiac (2014) Today, we’ll celebrate the beauty of the solo cello, with three works played by the fantastic young artist Cicely Parnas, joined on piano by Noreen Cassidy-Polera. Her performance at the Gardner began with Schumann’s Fantasiestucke , opus 73, a...

241. Musical Omnivores

Works for string orchestra by Borodin and Frank performed by A Far Cry on April 21, 2013 and September 27, 2015. Borodin, Alexander : String Quartet No. 2, Mvt. 3 Notturno: Andante Frank, Gabriela Lena : Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout (2001) These days, many of us think of the gulf between classical and popular music as fairly wide and immovable, but it wasn’t always so—and it’s not necessarily so today, either. On this podcast, we’ll hear A Far Cry play works by two musical omnivores: composers ...

240. Baroque Concertos

Works by Vivaldi and Bach for orchestra and flute solo performed by Gardner Chamber Orchestra , Paula Robison , and Orlando Cela , flute, and John Gibbons , harpsichord on January 17, 1999. Vivaldi : Concerto (Sinfonia) in G Major "alla Rustica" RV 151 Vivaldi: Concerto in C Major RV 533 Vivaldi: Concerto in G Minor "La Notte" No. 5, F XII Vivaldi: Concerto in G Major, Rv 437 J.S. Bach : Concerto in F Major, BWV 1057 For this podcast, we dug into the archives to resurrect an older recording, of ...

239. Second Impressions

Works for solo piano by Griffes performed by Richard Masters on September 20, 2015 and by Debussy performed by Paavali Jumppanen on November 29, 2015. Griffes : Roman Sketches , Op. 7: Night fall Debussy : 12 Preludes, Book 2 On this podcast, we return to a pairing from several weeks ago: Debussy’s Preludes (Book 2, this time) and the Roman Sketches of Charles Griffes. The second set of Debussy Preludes is similar in conception to the first: a series of fairly brief works, each intended to captu...

238. Schubert’s Swan Songs

Works by Schubert for voice and piano performed by Mark Padmore , with Jonathan Biss on October 12, 2014 and for solo piano performed by Charlie Albright on September 29, 2013. Schubert : Ständchen from Schwanengesang Schubert: Sonata in A Major, D. 959 In 1828, as Schubert’s health was rapidly deteriorating, the composer entered a period of phenomenal compositional productivity. In the final months of his life, he would write many works that were published posthumously and recognized to be amon...

237. Northern Lights

Works for chamber orchestra performed by A Far Cry on February 22, 2015 by Grieg and Marin arr. Higgins. Grieg : Two Elegiac Melodies , Op. 34 Marin : A Swedish Set arr. Erik Higgins On this podcast, we look north, to works from a recent program by the Gardner’s chamber-orchestra-in-residence, A Far Cry. Called “Aurora Borealis,” the concert featured numerous works by Nordic composers. We begin with Edvard Grieg’s Two Elegiac Melodies , a tuneful work for string orchestra based on the composer’s...

236. Lineage

Works for solo piano by Liszt performed by Gleb Ivanov on April 11, 2010 and work by Faure performed by Michael Brown , Chad Hoopes , Matthew Lipman , and Colin Carr on November 22, 2015 Liszt : Schubert Songs (trans Liszt): Gute Nacht Liszt: Schubert Songs (trans Liszt): Ave Maria Fauré : Quartet No. 2 in G Minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 45 As a listener to this podcast, you’ve probably realized by now the importance of lineage in classical music. The links between past and futu...

235. Diversions

Works by Mozart for violin and viola performed by Chad Hoopes and Matthew Lipman on November 22, 2015 and for chamber orchestra performed by A Far Cry on September 7, 2014. Mozart : Duo in G Major for Violin and Viola, K. 423 Mozart: Divertimento in F, K. 138 The word “diversion” has two, related meanings. Sometimes – as in Mozart’s Duo in G Major for violin and viola – it is about a surprise change in course. Mozart was in Salzburg for an extended visit with his new wife when he discovered that...

234. Quite an Impression

Works for solo piano by Griffes performed by Richard Masters on September 20, 2015 and Paavali Jumppanen on November 29, 2015. Griffes: Roman Sketches , Op. 7: The White peacock Debussy : 12 Preludes, Book 1 The gently unfurling plumage of a white peacock. A barren winter landscape dinted with footprints. This podcast is all about using music to evoke and communicate impressions. The bulk of the program is made up of Debussy’s 12 Preludes, from Book 1. A series of brief works meant to evoke a pa...