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

Schumann and Romance

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.

The Passion of Rachmaninov with pianist Ya-fei Chuang

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.

A Celebration of Maurice Ravel!

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).

It's Mendelssohn's birthday! Let's celebrate!

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).

Happy Birthday Mozart!

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.

A Beethoven Birthday celebration

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.

Mistral plays Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"

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.

Tyler Duncan sings "Songs of Travel" by Vaughan Williams

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.

Alisa Weilerstein plays Chopin with Inon Barnatan

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.

The Boston Early Music Festival - Retrospective

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)

A Brahms Celebration with James Campbell and Marc-Andre Hamelin

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)

A Bach Celebration from WCRB's Studio

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)

A Chopin Celebration from WCRB's Studio

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)

A Mozart Celebration from WCRB's Studios

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.

Daniil Trifonov plays Fairy Tales by Medtner

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.

Blue Heron sings Du Fay

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.

Trio Cleonice plays Beethoven

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.

Charlie Albright plays Liszt and Chopin

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.

Christina Day Martinson plays Biber

Schumann, with pianist Max Levinson

Robert Schumann:  Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13; Arabesque, Op. 18

Recorded at WGBH's Studio One on September 21, 2001.

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