Classical Music Playlist, June 19, 2023
American composer Margaret Bonds was a child prodigy who grew to be a tireless promoter of African American music and art, curating concerts and exhibitions. In 1936 she met poet Langston Hughes who became a lifelong friend and collaborator especially from the 1950s. In 1962 he began writing text for a cantata “Simon Bore the Cross” for which Bonds finished the music in 1965. It tells of Simon of Cyrene from North Africa who helped Jesus carry his cross on the way to Calvary. By definitively making Simon a black man, Bonds and Hughes gave African American audiences the opportunity to see themselves in the Crucifixion story. “Simon Bore the Cross” is today’s Midday Masterpiece.
Some of the text by Langston Hughes:
Who is that man? So dark, so beautiful his face.
Look at his face so strong and full of Grace.
Don't you know, Mary, the dark man's name is Simon.
Simon of Cyrene bears the cross for Jesus
In a world, Mary, that's filled with trials and troubles
Simon out of Africa shares your sorrow.
Black men will share the pain of the cross.
Simon bears the cross, Mary, Simon bears the cross!
6:00 a.m.
Johann Friedrich Fasch
Sinfonia for Strings in G major FWV M: G4
Les Amis de Philippe; Ludger Remy, conductor
6:13 a.m.
Anton Reicha
Wind Quintet No. 2 in Eb major Opus 88/2
Albert Schweitzer Quintet
6:39 a.m.
Amy Beach
From Blackbird Hills
Lara Downes, piano
6:44 a.m.
Jan Dismas Zelenka
Capriccio No. 1 in D major Z 182
Bern Camerata; Alexander van Wijnkoop, conductor
7:00 a.m.
Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto Grosso No. 7 in D major Opus 6
Musica Amphion; Pieter-Jan Belder, conductor
7:10 a.m.
William Grant Still
Africa: Symphonic Poem
Fort Smith Symphony; John Jeter, conductor
7:39 a.m.
Jean Sibelius
Violin Concerto: III. Allegro, ma non tanto in D minor Opus 47
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; Klaus Makela, conductor Janine Jansen, violin
7:42 a.m.
Claudio Monteverdi
Monteverdiana
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
7:50 a.m.
Felix Mendelssohn
Ruy Blas: Overture Opus 95
London Symphony Orchestra; Claudio Abbado, conductor
8:00 a.m.
Georg Philipp Telemann
Tafelmusik II: Concerto for 3 violins in F major
Musica Antiqua Koln; Reinhardt Goebel, conductor Members of...
8:15 a.m.
Florence Price
Piano Concerto in One Movement
New York Youth Symphony; Michael Repper, conductor Michelle Cann, piano
8:33 a.m.
Aaron Copland
Our Town
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor
8:43 a.m.
George Gershwin
Second Rhapsody
Buffalo Philharmonic; JoAnn Falletta, conductor Orion Weiss, piano
9:00 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 34 in C major K 338
English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
9:27 a.m.
Harry Thacker Burleigh
From the Southland: I. Through Moanin' Pines
Jeni Slotchiver, piano
9:29 a.m.
Harry Thacker Burleigh
From the Southland: IV. A Jubilee
Jeni Slotchiver, piano
9:34 a.m.
William Grant Still
Lyric Quartet
Catalyst Quartet
9:50 a.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique": III. Molto Vivace in B minor Opus 74
Kirov Orchestra; Valery Gergiev, conductor
10:00 a.m.
Carl Maria Von Weber
Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra in Eb major Opus 26
Staatskapelle Dresden; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor Sabine Meyer, clarinet
10:10 a.m.
Florence Price
Piano Quintet in A minor
Catalyst Quartet Michelle Cann, piano
10:38 a.m.
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Blue Danube Waltz Opus 314
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Fritz Reiner, conductor
10:47 a.m.
Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto Grosso No. 5 in Bb major Opus 6
Musica Amphion; Pieter-Jan Belder, conductor
10:59 a.m.
Franz Liszt
Symphonic Poem No. 12: The Ideal (Die Ideale)
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Kurt Masur, conductor
11:25 a.m.
Margaret Bonds
Hold On
PubliQuartet Musicality Vocal Ensemble; Lara Downes, piano
11:30 a.m.
Joseph Kraus
Sinfonia in Eb major VB 144
Concerto Koln
11:52 a.m.
Arturo Sandoval
Wildflower (Yolanda's Song)
Catalyst Quartet Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
12:00 p.m.
Paul Hindemith
Symphonic Metamorphosis: IV. March
San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor Randall Goosby, violin
12:17 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
The Hero's Song Opus 111
Scottish National Orchestra; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
12:40 p.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Flute Concerto No. 1 "La Tempesta di Mare" (The Storm at Sea) in F major Opus 10 RV 433
Tokyo Bach-Mozart Ensemble Masahiro Arita, flute
12:48 p.m.
Frederic Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 1: III. Rondo in E minor Opus 11
Mahler Chamber Orchestra; Mikhail Pletnev, conductor Daniil Trifonov, piano
12:59 p.m.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor
1:16 p.m.
William Grant Still
Symphony No. 3 "The Sunday Symphony"
Fort Smith Symphony; John Jeter, conductor
1:34 p.m.
Alexander MacKenzie
Second Scottish Rhapsody Opus 24
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Martyn Brabbins, conductor
1:51 p.m.
ANONYMOUS
Saltarello
Calliope
1:55 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata No. 29: Sinfonia BWV 29
Brandenburg Consort; Roy Goodman, conductor Paul Nicholson, organ
2:00 p.m.
Margaret Bonds
Simon Bore the Cross
The Dessoff Choirs & Orchestra; Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
2:40 p.m.
Clara Schumann
Soirees Musicales: II. Notturno Opus 6/2
Leanne Rees, piano
2:46 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in Eb major Opus 117/1
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
2:53 p.m.
Hamilton Harty
In Ireland
Ulster Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor Colin Fleming, flute; Denise Kelly, harp
3:03 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 6: III. Scherzo (Furiant) in D major Opus 60
Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph Von Dohnanyi, conductor
3:13 p.m.
Florence Price
String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
Catalyst Quartet
3:45 p.m.
Igor Stravinsky
The Firebird: Finale (1911)
Orchestre de Paris; Klaus Makela, conductor Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano
3:50 p.m.
George Enescu
Symphony No. 1 in Eb major Opus 13
National Orchestra of France; Cristian Macelaru, conductor Raphael Feuillatre, guitar
4:00 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio italien Opus 45
Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Eduardo Mata, conductor
4:16 p.m.
Alberto Ginastera
Danzas Argentinas: II. Danza de la moza donosa Opus 2 Dance of the Donosa Girl
Martha Argerich, piano
4:20 p.m.
William Grant Still
Symphony No. 2 "Song of a New Race" in G minor
Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
4:50 p.m.
Georg Philipp Telemann
Polish Concerto (Concerto Polonois) in G major
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
4:59 p.m.
Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto Grosso No. 10 in C major Opus 6
Musica Amphion; Pieter-Jan Belder, conductor
5:13 p.m.
Mykola Lysenko
Suite on Ukrainian Themes: II. Courante Opus 2
Anna Shelest, piano
5:16 p.m.
Arthur Foote
Serenade: Gavotte Opus 25
Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, conductor
5:21 p.m.
Florence Price
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major
Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor Randall Goosby, violin
5:51 p.m.
Maurice Ravel
Miroirs: Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester)
Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph Von Dohnanyi, conductor
6:00 p.m.
William Dawson
Negro Folk Symphony
Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
6:29 p.m.
Margaret Bonds
Spiritual Suite
Michelle Cann, piano
6:43 p.m.
Edward K. (Duke) Ellington
Isfahan
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Simon Rattle, conductor Bobby Watson, alto sax; Peter Walden, english horn
6:49 p.m.
Zenobia Powell Perry
Pavane for Piano
Josephine Gandolfi, piano
6:51 p.m.
Jessie Montgomery
Strum
Catalyst Quartet
