Barber - Schuman Centenary [Afternoon Concert]

Episode

First
Broadcast

Comments

20101115

How do you link Barry Manilow and Alan Greenspan (Chairman of the USA Federal Reserve till 2007) in a Radio 3 programme? Easy - both are graduates of the prestigious New York 'Juilliard School of Music' (Alan Greenspan studied the saxophone with Stan Getz). And as part of a week celebrating two giants of American Music - Samuel Barber and William Schuman - we are including graduates from both the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute. These two music education establishments are connected with both composers, and through their doors has emerged so much musical talent which we celebrate this week.

In today's programme, Penny Gore presents two instrumental soloists from the Juilliard School - pianist Stephen Hough in Greig's Piano Concerto, and violinist James Ehnes in Brahms Violin concerto.

Also in today's programme, Barber's Adagio for Strings, William Schuman's 5th Symphony, and songs by Barber, specially recorded for the programme by the BBC Singers and Bob Chilcott, and a piece by Barber for orchestra called 'Souvenirs' - a series of dance movements, also specially recorded for the programme, this time by the BBC Philharmonic and Clark Rundell.

Wagner: Rienzi Overture

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Vassily Sinaisky, conductor

2.15pm

Barber: Adagio for Strings

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Rory MacDonald (conductor)

2.25pm

Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor

Stephen Hough, piano

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

2.55pm

William Schuman: Symphony No.5

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Grant Llewellyn, conductor

3.30pm

Barber: Under the willow tree (from Vanessa)

Sure on this shining night

The monk and his cat

Richard Pearce, piano

Bob Chilcott, conductor

4pm

Brahms: Violin Concerto

James Ehnes, violin

Gunther Herbig, conductor

4.40pm

Barber: Souvenirs

Clark Rundell, conductor

Precis for the week:

2010 is the centenary of the births of two American giants of music - Samuel Barber and William Schuman.

In the afternoons this week we will be hearing two symphonies by each composer across the week and more music in performances specially recorded for these programmes.

We will also hear performances from graduates of two of the most influential musical establishments on the eastern seaboard of the USA - the Juilliard School of Music in New York and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, with which Schuman and Barber are associated.

William Schuman's musical career began as a teenager in 1920s New York collaborating with Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, Baby, It's Cold Outside), but then the curious teenager took a chance and went to a classical concert in the Carnegie Hall. That was it - 'The visual thing alone was astonishing. But the sound! I was overwhelmed. I had never heard anything like it. The very next day I decided to become a composer.' - which he did, dropping out of business school and eventually becoming the president of the Juilliard School of music (1945-1961), where he founded the Juilliard Quartet.

Samuel Barber was born in Pennsylvania and became interested in music at an early age. Aged 9, he wrote a letter to his mother:

'Dear Mother: I have written to tell you my worrying secret. Now don't cry when you read it because it is neither yours nor my fault. I suppose I will have to tell it now, without any nonsense. To begin with I was not meant to be an athlete. I was meant to be a composer, and will be I'm sure. I'll ask you one more thing .- Don't ask me to try to forget this unpleasant thing and go play football.'

By 14 Samuel Barber was enrolled in the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and by his late teens was composing seriously and had early successes - maybe his best known piece the 'Adagio for Strings' was arranged from an existing quartet when Barber was 28.

With Penny Gore. Barber: Adagio for Strings. William Schuman: Symphony No 5.

20101116

Penny Gore presents a week of programmes celebrating the centenary of Samuel Barber and William Schuman.

The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia was founded in 1924 by the daughter of media magnate Cyrus Curtis, with advice from Stokowski and Josef Hoffmann. A 14 year old Samuel Barber enrolled as a student in that first year.

In today's programme we can hear two of Barber's most popular works: the Overture 'School for Scandal' and 'Knoxville - Summer of 1915', as well as the less well known 2nd Symphony, which Barber wrote in 1943 when he was serving with the Army Air Corps - and specially recorded for the programme by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with conductor Baldur Bronnimann.

We can also hear 2 graduates from the Curtis Institute- violinist Hilary Hahn in Dvorak's Violin Concerto, and pianist Jonathan Biss playing Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata.

2.30pm

Barber: Overture School for Scandal

BBC Philharmonic

Vassily Sinaisky, conductor

2.40pm

Dvorak: Violin Concerto

Hilary Hahn, violin

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

3.10pm

Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915

Ruby Hughes, soprano

BBC Concert Orchestra

Johannes Wildner, conductor

3.25pm

Beethoven: Sonata for Piano Op.57 'Appassionata

Jonathan Biss, piano

3.45pm

Barber: Symphony No.2

Baldur Bronnimann, conductor

William Schuman: New England Triptych

Clark Rundell, conductor.

With Penny Gore. Barber: School for Scandal Overture. Schuman: New England Triptych.

20101117

Presented by Penny Gore.

It's the turn of 2 graduates from the Juilliard School of music in New York to shine in today's programme. Violinist Sarah Chang performs Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jiri Belohlavek, and James Conlon conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Debussy's La Mer.

William Schuman's orchestration of Charles Ives' Variations on 'America' let us know from the start where we are, and the programme includes Samuel Barber's first symphony of 1936, and his first Essay for orchestra of 1937.

Ives (orch. William Schuman): Variations on 'America

BBC Scottish Symphony

Martyn Brabbins, conductor

2.40pm

Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1

Sarah Chang, violin

Jiri Belohlavek, conductor

3.05pm

Barber: Symphony No.1

BBC Philharmonic

Andreas Delfs, conductor

3.25pm

Debussy: La Mer

James Conlon, conductor

3.50pm

Barber: Essay for Orchestra No.1

Andreas Delfs, conductor.

With Penny Gore. Ives, orch Schuman: Variations on America. Barber: Symphony No 1.

20101119

Presented by Penny Gore.

The conclusion of a week of programmes featuring anniversary composers Samuel Barber and William Schuman includes the first orchestral work of his that Barber heard performed in public, his 'Music for a scene from Shelley'- specially recorded for the programme by the BBC Philharmonic and Clark Rundell. William Schuman's 3rd Symphony is performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Juilliard School of Music graduate Leonard Slatkin.

And there's more from the Juilliard school as conductor Jo Ann Falletta performs fellow American Amy Beach's 'Gaelic Symphony' of 1896 with the BBC Philharmonic. 2 Curtis Institute alumni perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat - pianist Richard Goode and conductor Alan Gilbert, with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

And to round off the week, Samuel Barber's delicious Violin Concerto, performed by Tai Murray with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Nicholas Braithwaite.

Barber: Music for a scene from Shelley

Clark Rundell, conductor

Mozart: Piano Concerto No.18 in B flat

Richard Goode, piano

Alan Gilbert, conductor

2.40pm

Amy Beach: 'Gaelic' Symphony

Jo Ann Falletta, conductor

3.20pm

Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.2 in F (Op.102)

Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Andrew Litton, conductor

3.40pm

William Schuman: Symphony No.3

Leonard Slatkin, conductor

4.30pm

Barber: Violin Concerto

Tai Murray, violin

Nicholas Braithwaite, conductor.

With Penny Gore. Barber: Music for a scene from Shelley. William Schuman: Symphony No 3.

Episodes

Episode	First Broadcast	Comments
01	20101115	How do you link Barry Manilow and Alan Greenspan (Chairman of the USA Federal Reserve till 2007) in a Radio 3 programme? Easy - both are graduates of the prestigious New York 'Juilliard School of Music' (Alan Greenspan studied the saxophone with Stan Getz). And as part of a week celebrating two giants of American Music - Samuel Barber and William Schuman - we are including graduates from both the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute. These two music education establishments are connected with both composers, and through their doors has emerged so much musical talent which we celebrate this week. In today's programme, Penny Gore presents two instrumental soloists from the Juilliard School - pianist Stephen Hough in Greig's Piano Concerto, and violinist James Ehnes in Brahms Violin concerto. Also in today's programme, Barber's Adagio for Strings, William Schuman's 5th Symphony, and songs by Barber, specially recorded for the programme by the BBC Singers and Bob Chilcott, and a piece by Barber for orchestra called 'Souvenirs' - a series of dance movements, also specially recorded for the programme, this time by the BBC Philharmonic and Clark Rundell. Wagner: Rienzi Overture BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Vassily Sinaisky, conductor 2.15pm Barber: Adagio for Strings BBC National Orchestra of Wales Rory MacDonald (conductor) 2.25pm Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor Stephen Hough, piano Gianandrea Noseda, conductor 2.55pm William Schuman: Symphony No.5 BBC Symphony Orchestra Grant Llewellyn, conductor 3.30pm Barber: Under the willow tree (from Vanessa) Sure on this shining night The monk and his cat Richard Pearce, piano Bob Chilcott, conductor 4pm Brahms: Violin Concerto James Ehnes, violin Gunther Herbig, conductor 4.40pm Barber: Souvenirs Clark Rundell, conductor Precis for the week: 2010 is the centenary of the births of two American giants of music - Samuel Barber and William Schuman. In the afternoons this week we will be hearing two symphonies by each composer across the week and more music in performances specially recorded for these programmes. We will also hear performances from graduates of two of the most influential musical establishments on the eastern seaboard of the USA - the Juilliard School of Music in New York and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, with which Schuman and Barber are associated. William Schuman's musical career began as a teenager in 1920s New York collaborating with Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, Baby, It's Cold Outside), but then the curious teenager took a chance and went to a classical concert in the Carnegie Hall. That was it - 'The visual thing alone was astonishing. But the sound! I was overwhelmed. I had never heard anything like it. The very next day I decided to become a composer.' - which he did, dropping out of business school and eventually becoming the president of the Juilliard School of music (1945-1961), where he founded the Juilliard Quartet. Samuel Barber was born in Pennsylvania and became interested in music at an early age. Aged 9, he wrote a letter to his mother: 'Dear Mother: I have written to tell you my worrying secret. Now don't cry when you read it because it is neither yours nor my fault. I suppose I will have to tell it now, without any nonsense. To begin with I was not meant to be an athlete. I was meant to be a composer, and will be I'm sure. I'll ask you one more thing .- Don't ask me to try to forget this unpleasant thing and go play football.' By 14 Samuel Barber was enrolled in the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and by his late teens was composing seriously and had early successes - maybe his best known piece the 'Adagio for Strings' was arranged from an existing quartet when Barber was 28. With Penny Gore. Barber: Adagio for Strings. William Schuman: Symphony No 5.
02	20101116	Penny Gore presents a week of programmes celebrating the centenary of Samuel Barber and William Schuman. The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia was founded in 1924 by the daughter of media magnate Cyrus Curtis, with advice from Stokowski and Josef Hoffmann. A 14 year old Samuel Barber enrolled as a student in that first year. In today's programme we can hear two of Barber's most popular works: the Overture 'School for Scandal' and 'Knoxville - Summer of 1915', as well as the less well known 2nd Symphony, which Barber wrote in 1943 when he was serving with the Army Air Corps - and specially recorded for the programme by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with conductor Baldur Bronnimann. We can also hear 2 graduates from the Curtis Institute- violinist Hilary Hahn in Dvorak's Violin Concerto, and pianist Jonathan Biss playing Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata. 2.30pm Barber: Overture School for Scandal BBC Philharmonic Vassily Sinaisky, conductor 2.40pm Dvorak: Violin Concerto Hilary Hahn, violin Gianandrea Noseda, conductor 3.10pm Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915 Ruby Hughes, soprano BBC Concert Orchestra Johannes Wildner, conductor 3.25pm Beethoven: Sonata for Piano Op.57 'Appassionata Jonathan Biss, piano 3.45pm Barber: Symphony No.2 Baldur Bronnimann, conductor William Schuman: New England Triptych Clark Rundell, conductor. With Penny Gore. Barber: School for Scandal Overture. Schuman: New England Triptych.
03	20101117	Presented by Penny Gore. It's the turn of 2 graduates from the Juilliard School of music in New York to shine in today's programme. Violinist Sarah Chang performs Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jiri Belohlavek, and James Conlon conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Debussy's La Mer. William Schuman's orchestration of Charles Ives' Variations on 'America' let us know from the start where we are, and the programme includes Samuel Barber's first symphony of 1936, and his first Essay for orchestra of 1937. Ives (orch. William Schuman): Variations on 'America BBC Scottish Symphony Martyn Brabbins, conductor 2.40pm Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 Sarah Chang, violin Jiri Belohlavek, conductor 3.05pm Barber: Symphony No.1 BBC Philharmonic Andreas Delfs, conductor 3.25pm Debussy: La Mer James Conlon, conductor 3.50pm Barber: Essay for Orchestra No.1 Andreas Delfs, conductor. With Penny Gore. Ives, orch Schuman: Variations on America. Barber: Symphony No 1.
04	20101119	Presented by Penny Gore. The conclusion of a week of programmes featuring anniversary composers Samuel Barber and William Schuman includes the first orchestral work of his that Barber heard performed in public, his 'Music for a scene from Shelley'- specially recorded for the programme by the BBC Philharmonic and Clark Rundell. William Schuman's 3rd Symphony is performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Juilliard School of Music graduate Leonard Slatkin. And there's more from the Juilliard school as conductor Jo Ann Falletta performs fellow American Amy Beach's 'Gaelic Symphony' of 1896 with the BBC Philharmonic. 2 Curtis Institute alumni perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat - pianist Richard Goode and conductor Alan Gilbert, with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. And to round off the week, Samuel Barber's delicious Violin Concerto, performed by Tai Murray with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Nicholas Braithwaite. Barber: Music for a scene from Shelley Clark Rundell, conductor Mozart: Piano Concerto No.18 in B flat Richard Goode, piano Alan Gilbert, conductor 2.40pm Amy Beach: 'Gaelic' Symphony Jo Ann Falletta, conductor 3.20pm Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No.2 in F (Op.102) Marc-Andre Hamelin (piano) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Andrew Litton, conductor 3.40pm William Schuman: Symphony No.3 Leonard Slatkin, conductor 4.30pm Barber: Violin Concerto Tai Murray, violin Nicholas Braithwaite, conductor. With Penny Gore. Barber: Music for a scene from Shelley. William Schuman: Symphony No 3.