Bill McGlaughlin
About Exploring Music
Weekdays at 9pm
Host Bill McGlaughlin guides listeners through a new musical theme each week, devoting five hours to a single topic. McGlaughlin’s in-depth knowledge of and deep passion for classical music gives the series his customary enthusiasm, imagination, and spontaneity. He is a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, conductor, and composer. For playlists, click on the link at the top of this page.
Program Schedule
Beethoven at Parnassus, Part I
Week of August 10, 2020
This is a festival of the late music of Beethoven, from the last ten years of his life. Parnassus refers to the great mountain that towered over Delphi in Greek legend, and was the home of the Muses. In these years from 1816 to 1826, Beethoven soared to almost mythological heights with some of his greatest works—the Ninth Symphony, last four piano sonatas, Missa Solemnis, and his final string quartets. All of these compositions still sit at the top of Mt. Parnassus.
MONDAY
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in d minor, IV (excerpt)
Vienna Phil/Bernstein
Beethoven: The Symphonies / John Eliot Gardiner
DG 474924
1:47
Beethoven: Sonata No. 21 in C, Waldstein, I (excerpt)
Schnabel, piano
The Complete String Quartets
Phil 456961
1:18
Beethoven: Sonata No. 23 in f minor, Op. 57, Appassionata, I (excerpt)
Lang Lang, piano
Live In Vienna
Sony 71901
:47
Beethoven: Sonata No. 29 in B-flat, Hammerklavier
Alfred Brendel, piano
Beethoven: The Late Piano Sonatas
Phil 438374
13:58, :35, 30:11
TUESDAY
Beethoven: Piano Sonata #30 In E, Op. 109, I-III
Artur Schnabel, piano
Great Pianists of the 20th Century – Artur Schnabel
Phi 456961
20:39
Beethoven: Piano Sonata #31 in A Flat, Op. 110
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op 109, 110, 111
Phil000637902
1:30 excerpt
Beethoven: Piano Sonata #31 In A Flat, Op. 110
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op 109, 110, 111
Phil000637902
20:53
Beethoven: Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli in C, Op, 120: Theme, Var. I-VI
Artur Schnabel, piano
Great Pianists Of The 20th Century – Artur Schnabel
Phil456 961
8:39
WEDNESDAY
Beethoven: Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli in C, Op, 120: Theme, Var. 28-37
Artur Schnabel, piano
Great Pianists of the 20th Century – Artur Schnabel
Phil 456 961
:31, 23:24
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Alfred Brendel, piano
Beethoven: The Late Piano Sonatas
Phil438374
27:43, :51, 1:11
THURSDAY
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125,, II Scherzo
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein
Beethoven: Symphony no 9
DG410859
:56
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
I. Adagio Molto, Allegro Con Brio (excerpt)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
DG002137760
2:20
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major, Op. 55, Eroica
I. Allegro Con Brio (excerpts)
II. Marcia Funebre/Adagio Assai (excerpts)
III. Eroica
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
DG002137760 ,
1:02, 1:07, 2:50
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
I. Allegro Con Brio (excerpt)
III. Scherzo/ Allegro (excerpt)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
DG002137760
:58, 2:40
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, Pastoral
I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (excerpt)
II. Andante Molto Mosso (excerpt)
III. Allegro (excerpt)
IV. Allegro (excerpts)
V. Allegretto (excerpt)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
DG002137760
1:20, 2:00, 1:07, 2:21
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
I. Adagio Molto, Allegro Con Brio (excerpts)
II. Larghetto (excerpt)
IV. Allegro Molto (excerpt)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
DG002137760
2:11, 1:36
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125,
Choral, I
Choral, II
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
DG4195982
15:24, 11:19, :56
FRIDAY
Beethoven: Choral Fantasy, finale (excerpt)
Leipzig Gewandhaus/Masur; Pressler, piano
Beethoven: Triple Concerto
Phil 438005
2:44
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in d minor,Choral, III Adagio
Vienna Philharmonic/Furtwängler
Beethoven: Symphony No 9
EMI 66953
19:17
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in d minor,Choral, IV Finale
Vienna Phil/Bernstein; Jones, soprano.; Schwarz, contralto; Kollo, tenor.; Moll, bass.
Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies
DG 474924
26:33
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in d minor,Choral, IV
Orchestra/Bernstein
Ode to Freedom · Bernstein in Berlin · Symphony No. 9
DG 429861
:53, 3:00
Beethoven at Parnassus, Part II
Week of August 17, 2020
In the second part of a two-week series, we'll take an in-depth look at this music of a master reaching the pinnacle of his abilities. Bill starts with Missa Solemnis and Consecration of the House and ends in the rarified atmosphere of Mt. Parnassus as we take on Opus 135 performed by the Guarneri Quartet. Robert Schumann said, “[Beethoven’s quartets] stand...on the extreme boundary of all that has hitherto been attained by human art and imagination.” In 1977 his quartets were added to the Time Capsule of Humanity and sent into space in Voyager I.
TBA
Week of August 24, 2020
TBA
The Symphony, Part 11
Week of August 31, 2020
Join us as we continue our journey exploring the symphonic form. During this week you'll hear familiar pieces from Copland, Prokofiev, Hindemith, and Piston, as well as intriguing works from some of their contemporaries who may have slipped under your radar. Please let us introduce you to American works by Carpenter, Cowell, and Hanson; Finnish symphonies by Madetoja, Melartin, and Merikanto; the Austrian composers Gál, Schmidt, Toch, and Zemlinsky; and other symphonists from England, France, Russia and Spain. We'll even sample some works from the conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler and Otto Klemperer, who wrote 9 symphonies between them.
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