Front Row Washington
In his remarkable book, The Inextinguishable Symphony, Martin Goldsmith tells the true story of his parents who were members of Berlin’s all-Jewish orchestra, and Nazi propaganda tool, the Jüdischer Kulturbund. The book inspired the making of a film, Winter Journey, which in turn inspired this concert. The program features works for winds and piano and includes composers whose voices were silenced as victims of the Holocaust, as well as works performed by the Jüdischer Kulturbund.
Classical Breakdown
John Banther chats with WETA Classical recording engineer, Charles Lawson, about life as a classical music engineer and fine tuning your ears to listen to music.
NSO Showcase
The National Symphony Orchestra’s recent European tour took them to Spain, Germany, and Italy, but not to Vienna, England, and France. This month’s NSO Showcase will make up for this omission: Gianandrea Noseda leads the orchestra in Johann Strauss Junior’s Tales from the Vienna Woods. The Vienna Woods are in the foothills of the Alps, and a favorite retreat for Viennese citizens eager to enjoy some fresh country air. Strauss’ charming waltz is replete with folkdance themes, birds, and horn calls.
England is represented by Gemma New’s reading of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and the NSO’s performance of Weber’s Oberon Overture under Maestro Noseda. Weber traveled to London for this opera, even learning English to better understand the libretto. Sadly, he died in London of tuberculosis at the early age of 40.
French conductor Louis Langlée (director of the Théâtre national de l’Opéra comique and former music director of the Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra and Mostly Mozart Festival) presents several well-loved French masterpieces including Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Ravel’s Boléro. Yan Pascal Tortelier conducts the orchestra in 6 movements from Bizet’s l’Arlésienne suites.
Choral Showcase
Three Cantatas on the journey of the soul, this weekend on Choral Showcase. From Johann Sebastian Bach, the "Trauerode," BWV 198 for the death of Queen Christiane of Saxony, and the "Actus Tragicus", BWV 106, a work of gentle consolation written when he was just 22. And from 2011, Songs of the Soul, a cantata in the manner of Bach by Robert Kyr, composed for - and performed by - Conspirare.
Opera Matinee
The forces of destiny advance Verdi's epic account of ill-fate love, revenge and family conflict set against war and refuge in spirituality. This new production of La Forza del Destino from the Metropolitan Opera is led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and stars Lise Davidsen, Brian Jagde and Igor Golovatenko.
From the Top
18-year-old violinist and From the Top alum Julia LaGrand co-hosts this special episode dedicated to celebrating the stories and performances of disabled and neurodivergent musicians. Julia, who is blind, also interviews special guest Itzhak Perlman. We meet a 16-year-old double bassist who began studying music when spina bifida made it difficult to keep up with youth sports leagues, a 14-year-old pianist who uses Braille scores to learn his repertoire, a 26-year-old cellist who believes his musical skills are sharpened by his autism, and a 16-year-old pianist with Escobar Syndrome who shares her journey to millions on social media. They perform works by Grieg, Liszt, and more.
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