大象传媒

Penny Gore introduces a week of music making from the American Mid-West. In this first programme, the Minnesota Orchestra under its Music Director Osmo V盲nsk盲, performs music by Brahms and Stravinsky, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra performs works by Wynton Marsalis and Mozart, joined by guest director and soloist Richard Egarr.

2pm
Brahms: Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor, Op 15
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Rafal Blechacz (piano)
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo V盲nsk盲 (conductor)

3.35pm
Wynton Marsalis: String Quartet No 1 (At the Octoroon Balls)
Players from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

4.15pm
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 12 in A major, K414
Richard Egarr (piano/director)
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

The US twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have a long tradition of first class music making, and all this week Penny Gore introduces, on Afternoon Concert, recordings of their flagship ensembles, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra. Under the baton of their Finnish Music Director Osmo V盲nsk盲, the Minnesota Orchestra starts the week with two staples of the classical repertoire: Brahms First Piano Concerto and Stravinsky's simmering ballet score for The Rite of Spring. The prodigious Polish virtuoso Rafal Blechacz is tasked with tackling Brahms's daunting technical demands.

That's followed by a performance of Wynton Marsalis's String Quartet No 1 featuring players from The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Subtitled 'At the Octoroon Balls', the piece is a celebration of the Creole culture in New Orleans.

To finish, the British early music specialist Richard Egarr joins The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for an authentic 18th century-style performance of Mozart's 12th Piano Concerto, including extra improvised passages that Wolfgang Amadeus himself might have played in the European salons.