For Your Listening Pleasure

"Fidelio - Act 1" Beethoven wrote and premiered his only opera, Fidelio on November 20th, 1805, in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien. Fidelio takes place in Seville, Spain during the 18th Century. Florestan is a political prisoner in the hands of Governor Don Pizarro. Leonore, Florestan’s wife, wants to free her husband on her own. She dresses up as a man and gets hired under the name Fidelio by the prison ward Rocco. Rocco’s daughter Marzelline falls in love with Fidelio. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/Fnao-Fidelioklemperer1962 [First time on our podcasting channel]

|Piano Quintets" Schubert wrote a piece that was quite popular at the time, his lied "Die Forelle" (The Trout), D 550. Set to a poem by Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart,it tells the story of a trout being caught by a fisherman, but in its final stanza reveals its purpose as a moral piece warning young women to guard against young men. Schubert’s “Trout” quintet for piano and strings, written for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass. Drtails on our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast215

"Skandalkonzert" The Skandalkonzert of March 31st 1913 (as it has been referred to since), was a concert of the Wiener Konzertverein conducted by Arnold Schoenberg . The audience, shocked by the expressionism and experimentalism of the music created by members of the emerging Second Viennese School, began rioting, and the concert was ended prematurely. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast235

[Fifth Tuesday Montage] As large organs became more common in new concert halls in the later 19th century, a modest repertoire of celebratory music for organ and orchestra also began to develop. The three works featured this week – two symphonies with organ and a short festive piece for organ and orchestra exemplify how composers use the organ both as a way to extend colours and as a “friendly foe” to the orchestra. Read our commentary on March 31 @ https://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/, details @ https://archive.org/details/pcast335-Playlist

"Beethoven: Sonatas & Concerto" This listener guide proposes an all-Beethoven program featuring two piano sonatas and the Emperor concerto. Of the five Beethoven concertos, the fifth (Emperor) is surely his best known, and its powerful rondo stands out as probably a precursor of the great piano concertos that will follow in the coming century – notably the great Russian concertos, part virtuoso showpiece and part catchy tune. Details on our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast158

"St. Matthew Passion (Unabridged) Part 2" Although Johann Sebastian Bach wrote "five passions, of which one is for double chorus", only two works have survived: the St John Passion (performed 1724, 1725, 1732 & 1749) and the St Matthew Passion (1727, 1729, rev. 1736, 1742), this last using double chorus. Their popularity rests in their immense emotional power, and in the blend of drama and spirituality that Bach's music offers. Neither of his Passions is a work that an audience or a choir embarks on without due thought: The Passion According to St John of 1724 runs to about two hours, the St Matthew of 1727 to three or more. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/bach_bwv244_leh_76_mache_dich_m [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"St. Matthew Passion (Unabridged) Part 1" Although Johann Sebastian Bach wrote "five passions, of which one is for double chorus", only two works have survived: the St John Passion (performed 1724, 1725, 1732 & 1749) and the St Matthew Passion (1727, 1729, rev. 1736, 1742), this last using double chorus. Their popularity rests in their immense emotional power, and in the blend of drama and spirituality that Bach's music offers. Neither of his Passions is a work that an audience or a choir embarks on without due thought: The Passion According to St John of 1724 runs to about two hours, the St Matthew of 1727 to three or more. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/bach_bwv244_leh_35_o_mensch_bew [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

[Project 366 Listener Guide # 179] Today's featured artist, Rudolf Serkin, is what we call in French "une valeur sûre", a trusted hand at the wheel when it comes to the great classical and romantic keyboard repertoire. Read our fresh take on March 27 @ https://itywltmt.blogspot.com. Details @ https://archive.org/details/pcast267-Playlist (ITYWLTMT Podcast #267 - 22 Dec 2017)

"Beethoven & Schoenberg" Glenn Gould is featured in vintage CBC broadcasts in the piano music and concerti of Beethoven and Arnold Schoenberg. Details on our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/BeethovenAndSchnberg

"Brautigam & Beethoven" Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam is not necessarily a household name, but as his recordings on the BIS label multiply, he very well should be. Ii’s not Brautigam’s enviable technical polish that sets him apart from many of his colleagues, nor his lofty musical grasp. It is his individuality. He has a searching musical intelligence, a disarming self-effacement before the score, and an astonishing conscientiousness that, in combination, make him sound like no one else. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/BrautigamBeethoven

"Beethoven 'Number One' Montage" This all-Beethoven program, featuring three "firsts"', including his first (of four) overtures to his only opera, Leonore (which later was retitled Fidelio). Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/BeethovennumberOneMontage

"Theme and Variations: The Beethoven Edition" A look at some variations by Beethoven, With the exception of the first piece - for cello and piano - on today's montage, all the others are taken from Beethoven's variation catalog for the keyboard. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast138

"One-Aria Operas" The works in this listener guide are not too dissimilar – they are essentially single arias, meant to stand alone in concert, and in some cases sound like they’re taken out of a larger (contemporaneous) operatic work, inspired by a character from literature. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast253

"Haydn at the Keyboard" When we think of Joseph Haydn, we think primarily of his symphonies and his string quartets – at least, I do. However, and it should not be surprising, Haydn left a substantial amount of work for the keyboard – 21 piano trios, 13 divertimentos, 52 piano sonatas and 11 piano concertos – and that’s only the pieces that are in the “official” Hoboken catalog! Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast249

[Project 366 Listener Guide # 218] This week;s pair of works have a few things in common: they are both "first symphonies", they are both inspired by seasons, and they are both important - albeit not necessarily most important - compositions for their respective composers. Read our fresh take on March 20 @ https://itywltmt.blogspot.com. Details @ https://archive.org/details/pcast154-Playlist (ITYWLTMT Podcast #154 - 2 May 2014)