For Your Listening Pleasure

"Mignon (Act 2)" Ambroise Thomas left about twenty operas, most notably Raymond (1851),Hamlet (1868) and today’s feature, Mignon (1866) . Mignon is an opéra comique in three acts with an original French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Thomas' goddaughter, English operatic soprano Mignon Nevada, was named after the main character. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/Fnao-Mignonpelletier145 [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"Mignon (Act 1)" Ambroise Thomas left about twenty operas, most notably Raymond (1851),Hamlet (1868) and today’s feature, Mignon (1866) . Mignon is an opéra comique in three acts with an original French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Thomas' goddaughter, English operatic soprano Mignon Nevada, was named after the main character. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/Fnao-Mignonpelletier145 [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"Auferstehung" The genesis for Mahler\s Resurrection symphony is a 1988 tone poem he called Todtenfeier (Funeral Rites). Leaving it for a few months to complete his Symphony No. 1, he finished his funeral piece in September of that year. By 1893 he had decided the piece was really part of a symphony- Friedrich Klopstock's "Resurrection Ode," with additional lyrics by the composer, forms the climax of his second symphony. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast218

Among liturgical western churches including the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheran churches, Easter Vigil, is observed in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.. Read our commentary on April 11 @ https://itywltmt.blogspot.com/, details @ https://archive.org/details/pcast336-Playlist

"Messiah: Easter Section" Handel's Messiah was originally an Easter offering. It burst onto the stage of Musick Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742. The audience swelled to a record 700, as ladies had heeded pleas by management to wear dresses "without Hoops" in order to make "Room for more company." Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/214WorthyIsTheLambBlessingAn [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"Haydn: The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross" The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross (German: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze) was a commission made to Joseph Haydn in 1786 for the Good Friday service at Oratorio de la Santa Cueva (Holy Cave Oratory) in Cádiz, Spain. Published in 1787 and performed then in Paris, Berlin and Vienna. The composer adapted it in 1787 for string quartet and in 1796 as an oratorio (with both solo and choral vocal forces), and he approved a version for solo piano.Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/SevenLastWordsOfChristOnTheC [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

“Felix Mendelssohn: Concertos” Felix Mendelssohn composed eight concertos, for solo piano, violin and combinations thereof. In addition to the E Minor violin concerto we can add the two piano concertos (opp. 25 and 40) as part of the “mature” works in the genre by Mendelssohn. The violin concerto in D Minor from 1823 is probably the best-known of the “early” Mendelssohn concertos. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast183

"Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé" Daphnis et Chloé is a ballet in one act with three tableaux by Maurice Ravel described as a "symphonie chorégraphique" (lit. trans. choreographic symphony). The scenario was adapted by Michel Fokine from a romance by the Greek writer Longus thought to date from around the 2nd century AD. The story concerns the love between the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/01DaphnisEtChloBalletEnUnAc [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"In Memoriam - Claude Debussy (1862-1918)" Claude Debussy died a century ago, but his music has not grown old. Bound only lightly to the past, it floats in time. As it coalesces, bar by bar, it appears to be improvising itself into being—which is the effect Debussy wanted. After a rehearsal of his orchestral suite “Images,” he said, with satisfaction, “This has the air of not having been written down.” In a conversation with one of his former teachers, he declared, “There is no theory. You merely have to listen. Pleasure is the law.” Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast297

"Debussy: Jeux" Jeux is ballet music commissioned by Diaghilev and his Ballets Rusees, and was part of a gloriuos year of memorable ballets by the Paris-based company in 1912 and 1913, which included Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/DebussyAnniversary-PartI

"Don´t be frightened, Mr. Gould is here..." For the NY Philharmonic subscription concert of April 6 1962, the program called for a performance of Brahms’ first piano concerto, and the soloist was a longtime collaborator, Glenn Gould. As the story goes, Gould called Bernstein regarding some discoveries he had made while studying the score. Gould wanted to attack the concerto at a much slower tempo, and it follows that conductor and soloist didn’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to their overall conception of the piece. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/ThisDayInMusicHistory-6April1962

"Debussy: Preludes (Book I)" Claude Debussy's Préludes are divided into two separate livres (or books) of twelve preludes each. Unlike previous collections of preludes, such as those of J.S. Bach and Chopin, Debussy's do not follow a strict pattern of key signatures. There is no proof that Debussy necessarily intended the preludes to be performed as a cycle, although the musical language throughout each book is so consistent that performers often do so. An important precedent was set on 3 May 1911 by the pianist Jane Mortier who played the entire first book of preludes at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Details at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/ClaudeDebussySergeySchepkinPreludesBookIImagesFirstSeries [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"The Chopin 'Number One' Montage" Chopin is the absolute master of the romantic piano, and nobody (save maybe Liszt) has managed to so intelligently combined musicality and virtuosity. Many pianists attempt Chopin, few stand out as having that rare combination themselves. This Listener Guide features Chopin played by two of our favourite pianists of the 20th century – Vladimir Ashkenazy and Artur Rubenstein. Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/Montage27-ChopinnumberOneMontage

"Fidelio - Act 2" 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]

Christus am Ölberge is all about the anguish and despair felt by Christ on the eve of his crucifixion, as he reflects in the Mount of Olives during a sleepless night. The oratorio ends with Christ accepting his fate, choosing his sacrifice of his own free will. Read our fresh take on April 3rd @ https://itywltmt.blogspot.com. Details @ hhttps://archive.org/details/pcast192-Playlist (ITYWLTMT Podcast #192 - 3 Apr 2015)