The Evening Concert

Last Sunday night was the Grammys. Next Sunday night is the Oscars. THIS Sunday night from 7 to 9, it's “Soundtracks 2012.”

You'll hear Grammy and Oscar nominees from the past year's movies with music composed by John Williams, Thomas Newman, Mychael Danna and others from films like “Lincoln,” “Skyfall,” “Life of Pi,” “The Artist” and others.

The "Lincoln" soundtrack is classic John Williams,and that is meant as high praise; he always delivers the perfect sonic soundscape for the images he is given. And since John WIlliams is a master composer, he can channel Aaron CopIand any time he wants to, and he does. On first listen I found myself saying at times (in a good way), "That sounds like Copland could have written that." The score by Mychael Danna for "Life of Pi" offers a more "world-music" take on filmscore, while Thomas Newman makes many a sly nod to the original Bond themes in his score to "Skyfall." I hope you can tune in for a tremendously fun show!     - Vincent Trauth

7:01:40 -  "Lincoln" - a Suite of selections, music by John Williams (Nominee for Oscar: Best Original Score) “Lincoln” the film is based in part on a book by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, which explores the difficult final months of the 16th president’s life as he presses to end the Civil War and ban slavery. Williams’ folk-flavored, Coplandesque music has an appropriately somber, sometimes even elegiac quality. Unlike some of his other films, where the music is prominently featured, it plays a more subtle, intimate role here, keeping the focus on the pivotal words and action. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was chosen to do the recording because of Lincoln’s strong ties to Illinois. CSO principal clarinetist Stephen Williamson said “I think that Williams and Spielberg really didn’t want to do too much to distract you…The music just complements what is happening. It draws you in but it doesn’t overwhelm you. The composer conducts the CSO, on the Sony Classical label. (CD# 88725446852)

7:32:25 - "Life of Pi" - a Suite of selections, music by Mychael Danna (Nominee for Oscar: Best Original Score) Danna is recognized in the world of film music as one of the pioneers of combining non-Western sound sources with orchestral and electronic minimalism. His music is heard in films like “Monsoon Wedding” and “Little Miss Sunshine”. “Life of Pi” has already won Best Original Score from the Golden Globes for its fascinating mix of traditional Western orchestral music and what we might consider to be the exotic sounds of hammered dulcimer, zither, mandolin and other non-western instruments.  Director Ang Lee said this about the score: “Mychael Danna’s soundtrack for “Life of Pi” is a gift, a beautiful score which plays an integral part in the film. It takes us through the movie, which is hard to grasp, in a beautiful and gentle way, expressing the inexpressible and giving form to emotion as only music can.” Mike Nowak conducts a group of “contract” musicians in a Suite of selections from “Life of Pi” on the Sony Classical label. (CD# 887254477252)

8:01:45 - "The Artist" - a Suite of selections, music by Ludovic Bourse (Nominee for Grammy: Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media) “The Artist”, set in 1927, is a story of a love affair between George Valentin, superstar of silent films and the young “extra” Peppy Miller. Sound is arriving in the movies, George’s career is nearing its end and Peppy is destined for stardom. The film is structured in narrative blocks to which the composer Ludovic Bourse responded with brilliant and catchy original music in the spirit of Charlie Chaplin, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and Bernard Herrmann. Bourse said about the music “..it’s a tribute, a declaration of love to the world’s greatest composers of great Hollywood films.”  The Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra is led by Ernst Van Tiel on the Sony Classical label. (CD# 88697978952)

8:27:25 - "Argo" - a Suite of selections, music by Alexandre Desplat (Nominee for Oscar: Best Original Score) Desplat has been honored with 5 previous Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The King’s Speech”. He’s probably better known for his music to the last two Harry Potter films: The Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2.  “Argo” received seven Academy Awards nominations including Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The film also won the Best Picture – Drama, and Best Director at the Golden Globes. The music of “Argo” is a combination of traditional orchestral music, electronica and “world-music” instruments and vocals.  The composer Alexandre Desplat conducts a group of “contract” musicians, the CD is on the Water Tower label. (CD# WTM39382)

8:32:25 - "Skyfall" - a Suite of selections, music by Thomas Newman (Nominee for Oscar: Best Original Score) “Skyfall”, the latest James Bond movie, is composer Thomas Newman’s 11th Academy Award nomination; he’s not yet won one. He’s known for the music to films like “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E”.  His uniquely expressive musical style fits perfectly with the humor and slickness of a Bond movie.  The expressive range goes from thunderous and dramatic to broodingly atmospheric.  With its big orchestral effects, Newman’s music is equal to the spectacular events that the movie portrays. The score connects with the past Bond movies by his interpolations of the original Bond Theme by Monty Norman. The composer conducts a group of contract players, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, on the Sony Classical Label. (CD# 88765410402)

Tonight, it’s “A Classical Valentine’s Day: Love Themes and Romantic Music.” Host Vincent Trauth presents some of the world’s most beautiful music, such as the “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture” by Tchaikovsky, love themes from the movies and opera and Rachmaninoff’s sensual 2nd Piano Concerto, for your Valentine’s Day evening activities.

If you'd like to see the playlist from the program click on the following link:

http://will.illinois.edu/highlights/story/a-classical-valentines-day

Tonight  it’s ‘The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’ with music by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff on the program. At 8 pm, it’s the 2012 Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Ingrid Fliter is the piano soloist in one of the Haydn Piano Concertos.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
TCHAIKOVSKY: Valse Sentimentale for cello and piano, op.51, no.6 (Julie Albers, cello; Alessio Bax, piano)
RACHMANINOFF: Trio elegiaque in D minor for piano, violin and cello, op.9 (Alessio Bax, piano; Elmar Oliveira, violin; Paul Watkins, cello)

2012 Gilmore International Keyboard Festival
BLIND TOM WIGGINS: Cyclone Gallop (John Davis, piano)
TAKEMITSU: Far Away (peter Serkin, piano)
PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat n A Minor, op.54 (Natasha Paremski, piano)
HAYDN: Concerto for Keyboard and Orchestra in D.  (Gilmore Festival Chamber Orchestra, David Lockington, cond.; Ingrid Fliter, piano)
GOTTSCHALK: The Banjo (excerpt) (John Davis, piano)

Tonight on The Evening Concert it’s the New York Philharmonic This Week. You’ll hear two monumental works, one by Brahms and the other by Sibelius. Yefim Bronfman is the piano soloist in Brahms’ 1st Piano Concerto. Lorin Maazel guest conducts. Also on the program: Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony.

BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 in D, op.43

Tonight on The Evening Concert it's the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra led by guest conductor Evan Rogister. On the program: Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade for Strings’ and Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony. You'll also hear the brilliant “Trumpet Concerto” by Arutiunian featuring MSO Principal Trumpeter Mark Niehaus.

TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade for Strings in C, op.48
ARUTIUNIAN: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 in D, op.43
BORODIN: In the Steppes of Central Asia

Tonight's concert is the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Lars Vogt as piano soloist for Mozart’s 16th Piano Concerto. Also on the program: Beethoven’s First Symphony and Respighi’s The Fountains of Rome and The Pines of Rome.

Tonight starting at 7:00 on The Evening Concert it’s ‘The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’. The University of Illinois’ String Quartet-in-Residence, the Jupiter String Quartet, plays Beethoven’s “Harp” Quartet on the program. At 8:00 it’s the 2012 Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.

Tonight at 7:00 on The Evening Concert it’s the New York Philharmonic This Week. You’ll hear Bruckner’s 6th Symphony in A with Christoph Eschenbach guest conducting. Also on the program: Bruch’s 1st Violin Concerto with Pinchas Zukerman as the soloist.

Tonight, it’s the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra led by music director Edo de Waart. On the program: Schumann’s 4th Symphony in D minor and Mahler’s 1st Symphony in D major. You’ll also hear a work by Arnold Schoenberg, Transfigured Night, from the period before his 12-tone compositions.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra music director Manfred Honeck leads the group on a musical trip to Vienna with waltzes and polkas of the Strauss family and the Merry Wives of Windsor Overture by Nicolai. Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, pictured, is the soloist in Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto.