Week of August 4, 2025 - To The Finland Station, Part 2 The theme of my Fifth Symphony is the making of man.” — Dmitry Shostakovich. In 1949, Shostakovich traveled to New York for the first time to perform his Fifth Symphony on the piano for 30,000 listeners at Madison Square Garden. The shy composer made this trip and concert at the request of Joseph Stalin. The theme of the making of mankind was prevalent among many artists in the 1930s, who used their creativity to respond to the tumultuous political climate of the time, sometimes composing entire symphonies in just a matter of weeks. This week marks the second part of our two-week exploration into the hidden phrases and chords of these Russian musicians. Bill will feature composers from both sides of the Iron Curtain.
Week of August 11, 2025 - Haydn Symphonies Dear old Papa Haydn, as he was known in eighteenth-century Vienna, was a fatherly figure to the finest musicians of his day. He is also the father of the symphonic form. This week we will sample some of his 104 symphonies, following their development from modest orchestral pieces to expressions of wit, humor, and drama. We will listen to the Orchestra of St. Luke’s conducted by Charles Mackerras, the Pittsburgh Symphony under the direction of André Previn, and Leonard Bernstein with the Vienna Philharmonic, among other ensembles performing Haydn's symphonies.
Week of August 18, 2025 - Top Shelf, Part I Closing in on twenty years, Bill has been collecting and programming music for Exploring Music. However, many of his favorite recordings don’t find their way into a thematic week of EM and end up orphaned on a top shelf in his back room. These are special recordings that wait and wait for the right theme, and it begins to feel like they become a character in Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot. This week Bill pulled down these CDs and they became the theme – colorful, great performances of music that Bill adores.
Week of August 25, 2025 - Bach Sleeps in on Sundays Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated most of his life to serving God and the Lutheran Church. As noted by Bill, “Bach family members worked as church musicians from Martin Luther to Otto von Bismarck…nearly 400 years.” However, Bach also composed remarkable and enduring secular music, particularly during the five years (1717-1722) he spent working for Prince Leopold. During this time, he created the cello suites, violin sonatas and partitas, and the Brandenburg Concertos. Bill chronicles this intensely creative period in the life of JS Bach.
