---FIRST HALF HOUR---
:04—Erik Satie (1866-1925): “En habit de chavel,” finale, 1911, Michel Plasson, Toulouse Capitol Orchestra [EMI 49471]. One of the few works Satie orchestrated himself. The work has themes that sound like fugue subjects but Satie didn’t develop them. He said the artist is not entitled to waste the public’s time.
:07—Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951): Suite for String Orchestra in G, 1934, finale, John Mauceri, Berlin Radio Symphony [London 448 619[.
:15—Anton Webern (1883-1945): “Im Sommerwind,” 1904, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Cleveland Orchestra [London 289 444 593]. Written before his official Op. 1 Passacaglia, indeed before becoming a student of Schoenberg.
---SECOND HALF HOUR---
:30—Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1828): Beethoven: Serenade, Op. 41, first move., Jean-Pierre Rampal, flute, and Robert Veyron, piano [Vox 5000].
:34—Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Quartet in D minor, 1884, minuet, Peter Lonnqvist, piano; Jaakko Kuusisto and Satu, violins; and Taneli Turunen, cello. [BIS 1182]. Written at 19 and not a trace of the later style.
:39—Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012): Fantasia for Strings, 1966, first and second moves., Paul Sacher, Collegium Musicum of Zurich [DG 449 864]. Henze was known for serial music but, like Schoenberg, sometimes broke out of that rut to write perfectly good tonal music. This started as movie music but was tightened up for concerts.
:44—J.J. Johnson (1924-2001): “Sonnet for Brass,” 1956, Gunther Schiller and musicians including the composer on trombone and Milt Hinton on bass. Johnson later wrote music for movies – like “Cleopatra Jones” – and TV shows – like “Starsky & Hutch.”
:48—Mack Gordon and Harry Warren: “(I’ve Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo,” 1942, Paul Whiteman & Orchestra [Capitol 30103]. Bing Crosby is one of the singers, who collectively were called the Mellowaires! A version of the same song recorded the same year by Glenn Miller became a number one hit, was used in the movie “Orchestra Wives,” and won the Oscar for best original song. Babyboomers too young to remember 1942 may have heard Harvey Korman sing it on the Carol Burnett Show in 1976.
:53—Count Basie (1904-1984): Trio Blues, 1977, Count Basie, piano; Ray Brown, bass; Jimmie Smith, drums [Smithsonian RD 039]. A rare recording of Basie playing with a trio, and of Basie playing a lot of notes, especially when he wants the audience, at the Montreux festival in Switzerland, to stop clapping.
---THIRD HALF HOUR---
:04—Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Symphony in B minor, 1880, first move., Jun Markl, Lyon National Orchestra [Naxos 572583]. A youthful work, of which only this movement was finished. Debussy later repudiated the whole idea of symphony format.
:09—Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): String Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op. 2, first move., 1915, The Danish Quartet [CPO 999 287].
:21—Joe Zawinul (1932-2007): “Mountain Waters, from “Stories of the Danube,” 1993, Casper Richter, Czech State Philharmonic of Brno [Philips 454 143].
:25—Paul McCartney (1942- ): “Lament,” 2006, Gavin Greenaway, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the London Voices under Terry Edwards [EMI 70424].
---FOURTH HALF HOUR---
:30—Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908): Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, Op. 30, finale, 1883, Malcolm Binns, piano w/David Lloyd-Jones, English Northern Philharmonia [Hyperion 66640]. An early work – in his late thirties – it was the last work the leader of the Mighty Five, Mily Balakirev completely approved of, probably because the main theme came from a folk song he liked.
:35—Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999): Concierto Heroico, finale, 1943, Jorge Federico Osorio, piano w/Enruique Batiz, Royal Philharmonic [EMI 67435]. Best known for his guitar concertos, Rodrigo also wrote concertos for harp, flute, violin, cello and piano.
(TRICK QUESTION: WHAT IS THIS PIECE?)
:41—Beethoven, arr. Loussier: Sym. No. 2, second move., Jacques Loussier Trio. In this performance Loussier melds the funeral march of Beethoven’s Second Symphony with the “Moonlight Sonata.”
:44—Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757): Sonata for Viola d’Amore and Harpsichord, K90, second move. (of four), Valerio Losito, viola d’amore; Andrea Coen, harpsichord [Brilliant 94242]. Unusual because when we hear Scarlatti it’s almost always keyboard solo.
:48--Jon Anderson (1944- ): “View from the Coppice,” 1994, Gwen Mok, piano, and the London Chamber Academy [Angel 55088].
:51—Neil Sedaka (1939- ): “Manhattan Intermezzo,” finale, 2008, Jeffrey Biegel, piano, Paul Phillips, Brown University Orchestra [Naxos 573490]. Before he sang “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” Sedaka was a classically-trained pianist.