Byrd, Verdi, and more on WETA Classical this week

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd, and this weekend on Choral Showcase, we'll hear The Great Service. His grandest work for the Anglican Church, it was, oddly enough, never published in his lifetime. We'll also hear two shorter services, one by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, and the other by Sir Charles Hubert H. Parry.

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Opera Matinee presents Verdi's I Lombardi alla prima crociata. Adapted from an epic poem about love and revenge set against the First Crusade, Verdi's first grand opera explores themes of conflict, mercy, and redemption.  This production of Munich Radio Opera stars Nino Machaidze and Michele Pertusi, led by Ivan Repušić.

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A late Beethoven piano sonata is performed by a teenage pianist. He’s joined by a string quartet made up entirely of siblings, a talented 16-year-old violinist, and a cellist who shares a moving performance of Rachmaninoff.

Early mornings are extra glorious in the height of summer. Join us for perfectly selected music for each weekday's sunrise and make your early mornings a special moment!

• Monday 6:05AM Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor": III. Rondo.
• Tuesday 6:05AM Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol
• Wednesday 6:05AM Wagner - Festive March from Tannhäuser
• Thursday 6:05AM Beethoven - Rage Over a Lost Penny
• Friday 6:05AM Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries

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