Bill McGlaughlin
About Exploring Music
Weekdays at 9pm
Bill McGlaughlin guides listeners through a new musical theme each week, devoting five nights 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.
Program Schedule
Sounds of the City of Light
Week of June 30, 2025
Music in Paris from Hector Berlioz to Claude Debussy, spanning from 1830 to the early 1900s. Paris, known as the City of Light, is illuminated by many musical stars. No time was this more true than in this period between Berlioz’s birth and Debussy's death. In this edition of Exploring Music, Bill McGlaughlin discovers what made luminaries such as Georges Bizet, Charles Gounod, and Charles-Valentin Alkan shine.
MONDAY, JUNE 30
Berlioz, Hector: Symphonie Fantastique
Radio de Fussion Francaise/Beecham
Symphonie Fantastique
ALP 1633
1:33
Alkan, Charles-Valentin: Scherzo Diabolico, Op. 39 No. 3
Bernard Ringeissen, piano
ALKAN, C.-V.: 12 Études, Op. 35 / Le Festin d’Esope / Scherzo Diabolico
Naxos 8.555495
4:39
Franck, César: Piano Quintet in F minor, II.
Borodin Quartet; Richter, piano
Franck: Piano Quintet = Klavierquintett /
Liszt: Pensées Des Morts • Andante Lagrimoso • Ave Maria
Philips 432142
11:33
Franck, César: Symphony in D minor, II. Allegretto, III. Allegro non Troppo
New York Philharmonic/Kurt Masur
Symphony In D Minor / Les Eolides
Apex 741372
19:45
Franck, César: Violin Sonata in A Major, M8,
I. Allegretto Ben Moderato, IV. Allegretto Poco Mosso
Itzhak Perlman, violin; Martha Argerich, piano
Music from Saratoga
EMI 56815
12:14
Alkan, Charles-Valentin: Saltarelle in E minor (excerpt)
Bernard Ringeissen, piano
Romantic Pieces for Piano
Challenge 72154
2:16
TUESDAY, JULY 1
Gounod, Charles: Petite Symphonie for Winds
I. Adagio – Allegretto
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra/Hogwood
Bizet: L’Arlésienne • Gounod: Petite Symphonie / Symphony No.1
Decca 430231
5:33
Gounod, Charles: Faust: Act 1
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Davis
Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano.; Francisco Araiza, tenor; Evgeny Nesterenko, bass
Faust
Philips 420 164-1
9:35
Gounod, Charles: Faust: Act 3
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Davis
Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano.; Francisco Araiza, tenor; Evgeny Nesterenko, bass
Faust
Philips 420 164-1
9:30
Gounod, Charles: Faust: Soldier’s Chorus
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Davis;
Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano.; Francisco Araiza, tenor; Evgeny Nesterenko, bass
Faust
Philips 420 164-1
8:00
Lalo, Édouard: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in D minor, I.
Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin/Chailly; Harrell, violincello
Cello Concertos / Élégie
London 414387
12:53
Lalo, Édouard: Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21
II. Scherzando: Allegro Molto
LSO/Previn; Itzhak Perlman, violin
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21. Sibelius: Violin Concerto. Ravel: Tzigane
RCA 6520
4:10
Gounod, Charles: Faust: Introduction
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Davis;
Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano.; Francisco Araiza, tenor; Evgeny Nesterenko, bass
Faust
Philips 420 164-1
2:19
WEDNSEDAY, JULY 2
Fauré, Gabriel: Requiem, Op. 48
Santus (excerpt)
Montreal Symphony/Dutoit; Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano; Milnes, baritone
Requiem · Pelléas Et Mélisande · Pavane
Decca 421440
1:07
Fauré, Gabriel: Piano Quintet in D minor, Op. 120, I.
Gil Shaham, piano; Brinton Smith, violoncello; Akira Eguchi, piano
The Fauré Album
Vanguard 1239
6:06
Fauré, Gabriel: Pelléas Et Mélisande Suite, Op. 80, I.-III.
Montreal Symphony/Dutoit
Requiem · Pelléas Et Mélisande · Pavane
Decca 421440
13:49
Fauré, Gabriel: Piano Quartet No. 2 in g minor, Op. 45, II.
Emanuel Ax, piano; Isaac Stern, violin; Jaime Laredo, viola.; Yo-Yo Ma, violoncello
The Piano Quartets
Sony 92745
3:22
Fauré, Gabriel: Requiem, Op. 48, IV.-VII.
Montreal Symphony/Dutoit; Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano; Milnes, baritone
Requiem · Pelléas Et Mélisande · Pavane
Decca 421440
18:28
Fauré, Gabriel: Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 13, IV.
Gil Shaham, piano; Akira Eguchi, piano
The Fauré Album
Vanguard 1239
5:33
Fauré, Gabriel, trans. Ronchini: "Serenade Toscane"
Gil Shaham, piano; Akira Eguchi, piano
The Fauré Album
Vanguard 1239
3:14
THURSDAY, JULY 3
Bizet, Georges: L’Arlésienne Suite (excerpts)
London Symphony Orchestra/Abbado
L’Arlésienne-Suiten Nos. 1 + 2
DG 874602
0:30
Bizet, Georges: L’Arlésienne Suite (excerpts)
London Symphony Orchestra/Abbado
L’Arlésienne-Suiten Nos. 1 + 2
DG 874602
21:50
Bizet, Georges: Symphony in C Major
II. Adagio, III. Scherzo: Allegro Vivace Adagio
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra/Wolff
Symphonies Nos. 1
Teldec 9031773092
15:57
Bizet, Georges: Carmen Suite No. 1 and No. 2 (excerpts)
New York Philharmonic/Bernstein
Carmen Suites No. 1 & No. 2 • L’Arlésienne Suites No. 1 & No. 2
Sony 63081
12:50
FRIDAY, JULY 4
Saint-Saëns, Camille: Samson Et Dalila
Bastille Opera Orchestra & Chorus/Myung-Whun Chung;
Placido Domingo, tenor; Waltraud Meier, soprano
Samson Et Dalila
EMI 54470 2
2:00
Saint-Saëns, Camille: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61, II
Orchestre de Paris/Barenboim; Itzhak Perlman, violin
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3
DG 445549
8:27
Saint-Saëns, Camille: Africa, Op. 89
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Oramo; Stephen Hough, piano
The Romantic Piano Concerto 27 – Saint-Saëns
Hyperion 673312
9:46
Saint-Saëns, Camille: Samson Et Dalila “Mon Cœur S’Ouvre A Ta Voix”
Bastille Opera Orchestra & Chorus/Myung-Whun Chung;
Placido Domingo, tenor; Waltraud Meier, soprano
Samson Et Dalila
EMI 54470 2
6:00
Saint-Saëns, Camille: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, Organ
1b. Poco adagio; 2. Allegro moderato – Presto – Allegro moderato – Maestoso – Più allegro – Molto allegro 2b. Maestoso – Più allegro – Molto allegro
Berlin Philharmonic/James Levine; Simon Preston, organ
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 ‘Organ Symphony
DG 4196172
0:25:40
Debussy, Claude: "Afternoon of the Faune"
London Symphony Orchestra/Previn
Debussy
ASD 3804
1:22
Invitation to the Dance II
Week of July 7, 2025
Experience five hours of beautiful music composed for dramatic performances, including stage plays, opera, and ballet. We begin with Jean-Baptiste Lully, an Italian-born French composer described by Bill as “the most ‘dancingest’ composer who ever lived.” Next, enjoy dance music from Stravinsky, Schubert, and even Beethoven! On Wednesday’s program, Bill will introduce his children’s favorite dance music, featuring Bartok’s Miraculous Mandarin Suite and The Wooden Prince. This week will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and a charming suite of dances from Manuel de Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat.
Songs of Parting
Week of July 14, 2025
Adiós, adieu, sayonara, vale, zàijiàn — no turning back this week as Bill explores musical farewells. He features works ranging from Purcell’s "Sonata for Trumpet" to Bach’s “Capriccio,” a heartfelt goodbye to his eldest brother. Prokofiev’s ballet "Romeo and Juliet" includes a moving farewell from Romeo, where the mandolin cleverly sets the scene in Italy, and the saxophone expresses Romeo’s poignant departure. Kathleen Ferrier sings a Northumbrian folk song, “Blow the Wind Southerly,” and Ray Charles doesn’t mince words in his shout to “Hit the Road Jack!” that includes a snarling vocal by Margie Hendricks of the Raelettes, and yes, more saxophone.
The Art of the Transcription
Week of July 21, 2025
This week’s theme, musical transcriptions refer to taking a composition and changing its instrumentation. For example, transforming a piano piece into an orchestral work or adapting a string quartet into a wind quintet. We will start with Johann Sebastian Bach’s discovery of the works of Antonio Vivaldi while exploring the library at the court of Leopold, Prince of AnhaltKöthen. Bill will present Vivaldi's "Concerto for Four Violins," followed by Bach's transcription of this piece for four harpsichords. Additionally, we will hear transcriptions of Bach's organ works by Edward Elgar, John Barbirolli, and Otto Klemperer. This week concludes with Maurice Ravel's well-known, orchestral transcription of Modest Mussorgsky's piano work "Pictures at an Exhibition” performed by the Berlin Philharmonic.
To The Finland Station, Part 1
Week of July 28, 2025
“I have spoken Russian all my life. I think in Russian, my way of expressing myself is Russian. Perhaps this is not immediately apparent in my music, but it is latent there, a part of its hidden
nature.” —Igor Stravinsky, Russian-born, naturalized French, and then American, spoke these words in an emotional visit to his homeland after an almost fifty-year absence. For the next two weeks, we will follow the lives of some of our favorite Russian musicians, and how the revolution changed them and their music. Starting a decade before the Revolution, we will then spend time on the period 1918 to 1924, Lenin’s reign, and then on into the era of Stalin, with the music of Shostakovich and Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.
Support Our Radio Station
Help keep Classical 89 alive by making a charitable donation today!