Front Row Washington
It's an exquisite all-Beethoven program featuring prominent musicians in the Washington area. The National Chamber Players have been the resident chamber ensemble at Episcopal High School since 2004. Made up of members of the National Symphony Orchestra and other prominent artists and under the artistic direction of N.S.O. cellist James Lee, the National Chamber Players perform four concerts per year in the Ainslie Arts Center's Pendleton Hall.
Classical Breakdown
John Banther and Evan Keely explore the inspiring life and music of 20th-century French composer Germaine Tailleferre, a member of the famous group of composers Les Six. She overcame hardships and obstacles in her lifetime, but the lasting beauty of her music has us wanting more of her music today. John and Evan also give us 5 pieces of Tailleferre to explore.
NSO Showcase
On November 1, WETA Classical’s 2023-2024 NSO Showcase broadcast season opens with an epic concert in which Beethoven’s graceful 4th Symphony is complemented by three dramatic, death-defying works by Michael Daugherty, Richard Wagner and Sergei Prokofiev. Last November at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Gianandrea Noseda led the NSO in the world premiere of Daugherty’s Blue Electra, a concerto commissioned by the soloist in the performance, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, in honor of Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra10E Special airplane and the disappeared aviator’s pioneering career. Next is Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, inspired by the composer’s near-death experience at sea. And finally, the program concludes with Prokofiev’s rarely performed but masterful Symphony No. 6, written to honor the victims of World War II.
Choral Showcase
In spite of what you may have seen in Peter Shaffer’s play, Amadeus – or in the Milos Forman film version – Antonio Salieri had nothing to do with Mozart’s death, or the composition of his Requiem. Yes, they were rivals, but they greatly respected one another, and each viewed death in the same way: not as something to be dreaded, but rather welcomed, as the entry into life eternal. Mozart’s Requiem was a commissioned work, but as the last piece he was working on before his death he came to believe he was writing his own. Salieri in fact did write his own Requiem, for his own funeral mass, which would occur 20 years later. We’ll hear both in fresh performances on Choral Showcase, Sunday November 5.
Opera Matinee
Verdi's Attila, steeped in the bel canto heritage of Verdi's early years, is an historical adaptation of a ruthless king of the Huns and his invasion of Italy in the mid-5th century. Presented by Opera Festival of Chicago, led by Emanuele Andrizzi with Andrea Silvestrelli in the title role.
From the Top
A 16-year-old violist plays one of Brahms’ most beautiful sonatas, a young percussionist shares an experience that inspired him to connect with his Mexican-American heritage, and a teen violinist recalls his “bucket list” performance at the White House for First Lady Michelle Obama.
Classical Sunrise
Classical Sunrise is your musical companion to each weekday's sunrise. This week's selections:
- Monday 7:32AM von Weber - Abu Hassan: Overture
- Tuesday 7:33AM Bach - Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828: III. Courante
- Wednesday 7:34AM Chabrier - Espana
- Thursday 7:36AM Bach - Sinfonia, BWV 1045
- Friday 7:37AM Mozart - Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K 448: III. Molto allegro
WETA Passport
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