New York Philharmonic Podcast

Alan Gilbert and Frank Peter Zimmermann

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Host Elliott Forrest highlights moments from the works being conducted by Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2. He also discusses the history behind these works, while The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Frank Peter Zimmermann, the soloist in the Beethoven, shares his hopes for his collaboration with the Philharmonic, and Alan Gilbert talks about the juxtaposition of the Stravinsky and Ravel works.

Alan Gilbert and Lang Lang

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Elliott Forrest hosts this podcast in which Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert speaks glowingly of the music of Magnus Lindberg, The Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence, whose Feria is being performed. Mr. Gilbert also talks about his shared history with piano superstar Lang Lang, who will be playing Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2, and Mr. Forrest offers a musical preview of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, which Alan Gilbert describes as an "exciting piece to perform," with "propulsive, rhythmic power."

Zubin Mehta Conducts Bruckner

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Elliott Forrest joins us as podcast host of this edition of On the Music, and speaks with former Philharmonic Music Director Zubin Mehta about the work he will be conducting on the concerts of January 12–14: the Symphony No. 8 by Anton Bruckner, a composer Mr. Mehta describes as “very personal.” Composer-conductor Victoria Bond discusses the “wall of sound” that results from Bruckner’s rich orchestrations in this symphony and the conductor walks the listener through the work.

Alan Gilbert Conducts Mahler and Adès

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis provides a guide to the two works on the program of January 5, 7 & 10: Thomas Adès’s Polaris — a New York Philharmonic co-commission receiving its New York Premiere with these performances — and Mahler’s Symphony No. 9. Music Director Alan Gilbert talks about the music of Thomas Adès — whom he describes as "a composer who has absolute control over what he puts on the page and how it translates into actual sound in the concert hall" — and Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, which he has termed the "quintessential Mahler symphony."

Alan Gilbert and Anne Sofie von Otter

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the works on the concerts of December 28–30: Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, which he describes as the “most charming and delightful” of the composer’s works; two works by “master orchestrator” Ravel — the complete Mother Goose ballet and La Valse; and orchestrations of selected Schubert songs, which will be performed by Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, “the perfect combination of vocal perfection and expressive communicative ability,” who brings her “mastery … of the art song” and powerful storytelling to the concert stage. Elliott Forrest is your musical tour guide to the works on the program.

CONTACT! The New-Music Series Returns

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The third season of CONTACT! — the New York Philharmonic's new-music series — begins December 16-17. Music Director Alan Gilbert talks about the series' enthusiastic reception, his expectations for its future, and his commitment to bringing contemporary music "at the highest level" to New York audiences to make CONTACT! a "star in the galaxy of New York contemporary music." Also, Gilbert and host Mark Travis discuss the works on the program: Alexandre Lunsqui's Fibers, Yarn, and Wire; Gran Duo by Magnus Lindberg — the Orchestra's Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence; and HK Gruber's Frankenstein!!

Harding Conducts Knussen, Tchaikovsky, and The Rite of Spring

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis speaks with Daniel Harding about the works he will be leading December 7–10, 2011: Oliver Knussen’s festive Flourish with Fireworks; Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, with virtuoso Joshua Bell as soloist; and Stravinsky’s paradigm changing score for the ballet The Rite of Spring. The British composer discusses the inspiration behind the contemporary work that opens the program, praises the artistry that Joshua Bell will bring to the Tchaikovsky, and delves into the power and brutality of Stravinsky’s ballet score, which shocked the music world at its 1913 premiere.

Harding Conducts Mahler's Tenth Symphony

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis shares the history behind Mahler’s Symphony No. 10, a work begun during a turbulent time in his life and which he did not complete before the composer and former Philharmonic Music Director died at age 50. Mr. Travis also guides the listener through the work, which is being performed this December in a "completion" prepared by British musician, musicologist and broadcaster Deryck Cooke.

Kahane Conducts and Plays Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis speaks about Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe with conductor, harpsichordist, and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, as well as with the Philharmonic musicians joining him in this “musical conversation” — Principal Associate Concertmaster Sheryl Staples and Principal Oboe Liang Wang. Mr. Kahane explains why he has a “soft spot” for Mozart’s graceful and sonorous Symphony No. 33, and talks about how he approaches the challenge of appearing as both conductor and soloist in Beethoven’s C-major Piano Concerto.

Four Greats: Leonard Bernstein

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This special podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the November 12, 2011 Young People's Concert.

Haitink Conducts Haydn and Bruckner

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis explores the two symphonic works on this program: Haydn's Symphony No. 96 — one of the so-called "London" symphonies written by the composer during his first visit to the capital city — and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7, which signaled the end of the composer's decades-long struggle to gain acceptance in the music community. Principal Oboe Liang Wang discusses the joyful simplicity of the third-movement oboe solo in Haydn's Symphony No. 96.

Don Quixote and the Pastoral Symphony

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis speaks with New York Philharmonic Principal Cello Carter Brey and Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, who portray the protagonists in Richard Strauss's tone poem Don Quixote. Mr. Travis illuminates the history behind Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, Pastoral, and provides the listener with a tour through this musical ode to nature.

Koyaanisqatsi

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis, conductor Michael Riesman, Collegiate Chorale director James Bagwell, and author/radio producer William Berger discuss Philip Glass’s groundbreaking score for "Koyaanisqatsi," which the New York Philharmonic, Philip Glass Ensemble, and Collegiate Chorale will perform live during a screening of the film, November 2–3. Among the topics: the "almost unique collaboration" that led to the work’s creation; the history of its growing critical success; and how this essentially wordless film tells its story of "life out of balance."

Masur Conducts Schubert and Shostakovich

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis introduces Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, a work that wasn’t premiered until nearly four decades after the composer’s death, and Director of Education Theodore Wiprud discusses Schubert’s melodic approach to the composition of symphonies. Through an archival recording, Laureate Conductor Leonard Bernstein recollects meeting the “reserved” and “shy” Shostakovich when the Philharmonic was on tour in Russia in 1959. Mark Travis and Theodore Wiprud also explore Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar — an impassioned “song cycle” or “choral symphony” that was a major political risk for the composer.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: Four Greats: Johann Sebastian Bach

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This special podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the October 15, 2011 Young People's Concert.

Maazel Conducts Strauss

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert talks about the astonishing talent of Lorin Maazel, whose return to the New York Philharmonic continues with an all-Richard Strauss program. Mr. Maazel expresses his "unbounded admiration" for the Orchestra, whom he will be leading in Strauss's An Alpine Symphony, Horn Concerto No. 1, and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks. Philharmonic Principal Horn Philip Myers, the soloist in the concerto, comments on the work he will be performing, and Mr. Maazel talks about the composer's fondness for that instrument. Composer-conductor Victoria Bond discusses the “mountain adventure” that inspired An Alpine Symphony, and podcast host Mark Travis takes us on a musical stroll through Strauss's alpine countryside.

Lorin Maazel Returns

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Former Music Director Lorin Maazel, in his first return to the Orchestra since the end of his tenure, expresses his affection and respect for the Philharmonic and its musicians, including Philharmonic Principal Flute Robert Langevin and Harp Nancy Allen, who discuss Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp, which they will perform on this program. Mr. Maazel discusses what draws him to the music of Debussy, whose playful Jeux and Spanish-inflected Iberia are being performed. Also, composer-conductor Victoria Bond shares the genesis of Jeux, and podcast host Mark Travis introduces all the works on these concerts, which open with Mozart's Symphony No. 38, Prague.

Bach, Berg, and Brahms

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses a program featuring what he calls "our version of the three Bs" — J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, Berg’s Violin Concerto, and Brahms’s introspective Symphony No. 3. Podcast host Elliott Forrest discusses the works on the program and introduces violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, the 2011–12 season Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence, and Alan Gilbert discusses the origins of his Philharmonic solo debut as Zimmermann’s "sparring partner."

Music by Barber, Corigliano, and Dvorák

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert explains why he commissioned John Corigliano to create One Sweet Morning, and the American composer himself talks about why he selected “poetry from all ages and all nationalities” for his reflection on the decade since 9/11; mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe is the soloist in this World Premiere. Podcast host Mark Travis also provides history and descriptions of the other works on the program: Barber’s Essay No. 1 for Orchestra and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7, which Alan Gilbert has characterized as this great symphonist’s most powerful work.

Alan Gilbert Conducts Mahler's Resurrection Symphony

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection — a monumental work that he describes as having a "universal message of renewal and rebirth" — one of the three Mahler symphonies he will conduct in the Philharmonic's 2011–12 season. Artistic Administrator Ed Yim explores the Philharmonic's Mahler tradition, as well as the symphony's cosmic themes and the emotions it can evoke in the listener.

Alan Gilbert Conducts Opening Night

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the program for Opening Night of the Philharmonic's 170th season. Podcast host Elliott Forrest speaks with the evening's soloist, Deborah Voigt, about the works she is singing and introduces the other works on the program.

Janácek's The Cunning Little Vixen

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis is your guide to Janácek’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen, a witty and poignant tale of a determined female fox and the humans and animals she encounters. Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the underlying human message of the work, and why it is so right for the Philharmonic, and director/designer Doug Fitch, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian (who portrays the Vixen), tenor Keith Jameson (Schoolmaster), and Janácek scholar Gavin Plumley also shed light on the works message and delights.

Ludovic Morlot and Gil Shaham

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Gil Shaham describes Walton’s Violin Concerto as a work that has “some of the most moving, soaring violin music ever written for violin” and one that he wants to go back to “again and again.” Artistic Administrator John Mangum discusses the two Musorgsky works on this program: the Prelude to Khovanshchina, with its evocative proto-impressionist depiction of dawn on a river, and Pictures at an Exhibition, which will be performed in the arrangement by Ravel. Podcast host Elliott Forrest discusses Ravel’s poignant Pavane pour une Infante défunte.

David Robertson and Deborah Voigt

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis and Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud discuss the two Russian works on this program, exploring the appeal of Shostakovich’s youthful yet finely crafted First Symphony, and the context and character of Rachmaninoff’s tone poem The Isle of the Dead. Soprano Deborah Voigt, who is joining the Orchestra for Schoenberg’s Erwartung, talks about this psychodrama’s artistic rewards and technical challenges.

Alan Gilbert and Anne-Sophie Mutter

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Elliott Forrest speaks with composer Sebastian Currier, whose Time Machines will be given its World Premiere by the Philharmonic and The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Anne-Sophie Mutter, for whom the work was written. Music Director Alan Gilbert, who is conducting the concerts, offers his thoughts on the violinist's residency and discusses the two works that bookend this program: Beethoven's Romance No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra — also featuring Ms. Mutter — and Bruckner's Symphony No. 2.

Alan Gilbert and Lisa Batiashvili

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis provides a guide to the two works on the program: Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, Eroica. Music Director Alan Gilbert praises violinist Lisa Batiashvili, who in turn lauds Mr. Gilbert and explains what she finds most compelling in the Bartók concerto, and archival audio of the late Philharmonic Conductor Laureate Leonard Bernstein reveals how the Eroica Symphony helped create Romanticism in music.

Alan Gilbert and Emanuel Ax

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The season-long Focus on Mahler concludes with Mahler's Symphony No. 5, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert, who provides an overview of the works on this program. Pianist Emanuel Ax discusses his milestone 100th performance with the Orchestra — which he makes on April 28 — as well as the works he is performing on this program: Debussy's "evocative" and "revolutionary" Estampes for solo piano, and Messiaen's challenging Couleurs de la cité céleste.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: The Ages of Music - Modern

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the April 2, 2011 Young People's Concert.

Kurt Masur, Cynthia Phelps, and Rebecca Young

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Emeritus Kurt Masur discusses how great music can convey an important human message. In addition, Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses the "story" of Liszt's Les Préludes; Philharmonic President Zarin Mehta introduces Sofia Gubaidulina's Two Paths, and Philharmonic Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps and Associate Principal Viola Rebecca Young speak about the roles they "portray" in it; and composer/conductor Victoria Bond addresses the high standards that Brahms set for himself in his Symphony No. 1.

Anne-Sophie Mutter, in Residence Again

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, the New York Philharmonic's Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence, discusses Sofia Gubaidulina's In Tempus Praesens, a work that was written for her and which is receiving its New York Premiere in this program that is conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. Podcast host Mark Travis also discusses the origins of Prokofiev's Overture in B-flat major, American, and provides a guide through the Ukrainian folk tunes that infuse Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, Little Russian.

Hungarian Echoes: A Philharmonic Festival, Program IV

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen discusses the thematic link that ties the three composers whose works are performed on this program — Haydn, Bartók, and Ligeti — and explores Ligeti’s dreamlike and hypnotic Clocks and Clouds. New York Philharmonic Artistic Administrator John Mangum talks about the folk-derived elements heard in Haydn’s Symphony No. 8, Le Soir. Podcast host Elliott Forrest explores Bartók’s “eerie and percussive” Piano Concerto No. 1, featuring Olli Mustonen, and the scandalous Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: The Ages of Music - Romantic

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the March 12, 2011 Young People's concert.

Hungarian Echoes: A Philharmonic Festival, Program III

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen talks about the element of "shock-value" that binds together the music of Haydn, Bartók, and Ligeti, the three composers featured on the three-week Hungarian Echoes: A Philharmonic Festival. Podcast host Mark Travis describes Ligeti's early, accessible Concert Românesc; Philharmonic Artistic Administrator John Mangum talks about the virtuosity displayed in Haydn's Symphony No. 7, Le Midi; and Mr. Salonen discusses the psychological aspects of Bartók's Duke Bluebeard's Castle, a dark tale of the revelation of secrets and the risks it poses.

Hungarian Echoes: A Philharmonic Festival, Program I

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis and Music Director Alan Gilbert introduce the three-week Hungarian Echoes: A Philharmonic Festival. Artistic Administrator John Mangum discusses Haydn's early masterful three-symphony cycle that binds the festival, beginning with the Sixth, Le Matin; pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard describes Ligeti's Piano Concerto, which he calls "an absolute masterpiece"; and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen speaks of the difficult time during which Bartók composed his Concerto for Orchestra.

Harding, Dicterow, and Milne

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The season-long Focus on Mahler continues with Daniel Harding conducting Szymanowski's Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, and Mahler's Symphony No. 4, with Scottish soprano Lisa Milne. Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses the influence of French impressionism on Szymanowski's concerto, and Mr. Dicterow offers his thoughts on the work's poetry and sensuality, and reflects on performing the work. Artistic Administrator John Mangum explores the origins of Mahler's Symphony No. 4.

Paavo Järvi and Janine Jansen

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Paavo Järvi speaks about the various influences, including rock music, that lead to the accessibility of Aditus, composed by fellow-Estonian Erkki-Sven Tüür; the power and honesty that Janine Jansen brings to the Britten Violin Concerto; and why Beethoven's Fifth Symphony continues to be fresh and relevant to every new generation. Composer-conductor Victoria Bond discusses the structures and vocal qualities in the Britten concerto, and the late Leonard Bernstein considers the importance of the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

Andrey Boreyko and Branford Marsalis

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis — who makes his New York Philharmonic subscription debut with these concerts — talks about the jazz influence of Schulhoff's Hot-Sonate for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, and shares his insights on rehearsing the work with conductor and orchestra. Artistic Administrator John Mangum explores the Russian romantic roots that infuse Glazunov's melodic and melancholic Concerto for Alto Saxophone, and the theatrical origins of the works that bookend this program: Haydn's six-movement Symphony No. 60, Il distratto, and R. Strauss's Le Bourgeois gentilhomme.

Nelsons and Biss

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Pianist Jonathan Biss discusses Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, which he describes as one of the composer's most dramatic works. Podcast host Mark Travis explores both the Beethoven concerto and the other work on this program, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5. Further insights into Shostakovich's heartrending work are provided by composer-conductor Victoria Bond and the composer himself, in an interview recorded in 1973 during one of the composer's rare visits to the United States.

Alan Gilbert and Karita Mattila

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Elliott Forrest introduces the works on the all-Beethoven first half of this program: Symphony No. 8 and the concert aria "Ah, perfido." Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses his close relationship with Scandinavian music and the natural pairing of the works on the second part of the program: three songs for soprano and orchestra by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, performed by soprano Karita Mattila, and Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: The Ages of Music - Classical

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the January 15, 2011 Young People's Concert.

More Brahms, and Dvorák

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Christoph von Dohnányi shares his thoughts on Brahms's stormy Piano Concerto No. 1, which Radu Lupu performs with the New York Philharmonic, as well as on Dvorák's Symphony No. 8. Podcast host Mark Travis, composer/conductor Victoria Bond, and Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud also contribute to the understanding of the history and highlights of these two pillars of the repertoire.

Widmann, Schumann, and Brahms

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis speaks with Christoph von Dohnányi about the program he is leading, comprising the "Beethovenesque" Con brio, Concert Overture for Orchestra, by Jörg Widmann, as well as Schumann's Fourth Symphony and Brahms's Second Piano Concerto, which will feature Yefim Bronfman as soloist. Composer and conductor Victoria Bond also sheds light on the history of the Schumann symphony, and Mr. Travis guides you through highlights of the Brahms concerto.

Mozart, Mahler, and Adès

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis shares the history and impact of Mozart's penultimate symphony, No. 40, and talks with baritone Thomas Hampson about Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, settings of poems Rückert wrote reacting to the death of his children. Philharmonic Artistic Administrator John Mangum discusses Thomas Adès's In Seven Days (Concerto for Piano with Moving Image) — a musical exploration of the creation story in Genesis — which will feature the composer as pianist as well as imagery created by video artist Tal Rosner.

Alan Gilbert and Philharmonic Soloists

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert discusses the program, which features New York Philharmonic musicians as soloists. Podcast host Elliott Forrest is joined by composers Aaron Jay Kernis — whose a Voice, a Messenger will receive its World Premiere, featuring Principal Trumpet Philip Smith — and Christopher Rouse, whose Oboe Concerto will receive its New York Premiere, with Principal Oboe Liang Wang, soloist. Also discussed are Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins, featuring violinists of the Philharmonic, Hindemith’s Horn Concerto, Principal Horn Philip Myers, soloist; and Director of Education Theodore Wiprud explores the sensual power of Ravel’s Boléro.

Labadie conducts Messiah

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Elliott Forrest is joined by composer-conductor Joelle Wallach in a lively discussion of the operatic origins and secular traditions of Handel's Messiah, a perennial favorite that will be performed by the New York Philharmonic in five concerts conducted by Baroque specialist Bernard Labadie.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

This special podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of our December 4, 2010 Young People’s Concert - Ages of Music, which features Baroque music of the 17th and 18th centuries, including music by Bach and Handel.

Sir Colin Davis and Nikolaj Znaider

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Violinist Nikolaj Znaider discusses Elgar's Violin Concerto, which he will be playing on the very instrument that was used at the work's premiere 100 years ago. Composer-conductor Victoria Bond travels back in time to explore what Mozart was doing when he wrote his Symphony No. 36, Linz, and joins podcast host Mark Travis in a discussion of Elgar's Introduction and Allegro — a work the composer described as "a devil of a fugue" — and his Violin Concerto, considered by many to be one of Elgar's most personal expressions in music.

Sir Colin Davis Conducts Beethoven and Mahler

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Elliott Forrest explores the first work on this program, Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, and is joined by Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud, who shares a letter Beethoven wrote at the time in which he reflected on his own increasing isolation due to his deafness. The Philharmonic's season-long Focus on Mahler continues with Des Knaben Wunderhorn; tenor Ian Bostridge discusses his role as a soloist in these performances — the first time he will sing the complete work with orchestra.

CONTACT! The New-Music Series of the New York Philharmonic

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert expresses his and the Orchestra's enthusiasm for presenting CONTACT!, the New York Philharmonic's new-music series, and discusses the experience of making musical contact with New York audiences in a less formal setting. Podcast host Elliott Forrest explores the works programmed on this season's CONTACT! concerts with Philharmonic Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg, and the composers on the programs: Julian Anderson, James Matheson, and Jay Alan Yim.

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Leonidas Kavakos

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Joining podcast host Elliott Forrest is Spanish conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, who discusses the thematic connection between the works on this mostly Russian program — from Glinka's boisterous Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto to Debussy's Nocturnes and Stravinsky's Suite from The Firebird. Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos shares a musical exploration of the romanticism of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.

Anne-Sophie Mutter in Residence

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis spends time with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who discusses her role as the 2010–11 Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence and what she hopes the audience will find challenging and memorable experiences during her residency. Music Director Alan Gilbert also offers his thoughts on her residency, and Ms. Mutter talks about the concerts of November 18–20 and 23, on which she will perform three Mozart Violin Concertos and the World Premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's Lichtes Spiel.

Gilbert Conducts Elijah

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert talks about his passion for Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah, as well as the commitment required of singers in performing this dramatic work. Bass-baritone Gerald Finley, who sings the title role in these performances, discusses the "fire-and-brimstone" drama of the libretto, with its sensitive and powerful depiction of its main character. Podcast host Mark Travis provides a guide to the biblical story of the prophet Elijah and the history of Mendelssohn's work.

Gilbert and Zukerman

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses this program, which both begins and ends with music based on the traditional form known as the passacaglia, with Webern's first published work opening the program. Mr. Gilbert also discusses the awe-inspiring artistry of Pinchas Zukerman, the soloist in Brahms's Violin Concerto, and Program Annotator James M. Keller and podcast host Mark Travis shed light on the history and highlights of Brahms's Fourth — and final — Symphony.

Gilbert Conducts Magnus Lindberg's Kraft

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the New York Premiere of the theatrical event that is Magnus Lindberg's Kraft. Lindberg, the Orchestra's Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence, traces the origin of the work to his experiences with the alternative music scene of 1980s Berlin, and talks about the instrumentation, staging, and choreography of this sound spectacle. Podcast host Elliott Forrest explores the lush, sensual sound-world of Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Sibelius's masterful Violin Concerto, which will be performed on these concerts by Joshua Bell.

Gilbert Conducts Mahler

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the New York Philharmonic's 2010–11 season Mahler Focus — the Orchestra's tribute to the composer-conductor on the 150th anniversary of his birth and the 100th anniversary of his death and final Philharmonic season, and shares his thoughts on the musical journey that is Mahler's Symphony No. 6. New York Philharmonic Archivist/Historian Barbara Haws talks about the importance of Mahler's tenure with the Orchestra at a pivotal time in its history, and Elliott Forrest shares a recording from the New York Philharmonic Archives of a 1964 interview with a Philharmonic musician who recollects playing under Mahler's baton.

Gilbert and Perlman

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the works on the program, including R. Strauss's Don Juan, which Mr. Gilbert describes as an "explosion of creative energy"; Henri Dutilleux's Métaboles, with its echoes of Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky; and Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, a true orchestral showcase. Joining Mr. Gilbert and the Philharmonic for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, who talks about the pleasure of performing this work.

Alan Gilbert Conducts on Opening Night

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert launches the 2010–11 season — the Orchestra's 169th — and talks about the Opening Night concert and programming the new season. Elliott Forrest explores the jazzy sounds of Wynton Marsalis's Symphony No. 3, Swing Symphony, which receives its U.S. Premiere on this concert — as well as the romantic adventures of R. Strauss's tone poem Don Juan, and Hindemith's exuberant and ever-popular Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.

Gilbert Leads Lindberg and Beethoven

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert praises the work of New York Philharmonic Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg, whose EXPO opened Mr. Gilbert's first season as Music Director and whose Al largo, his second Philharmonic commission, is being premiered on these concerts. Mr. Gilbert also discusses how he is preparing for these performances of Beethoven's Missa solemnis, a piece of great spirituality that is close to his heart.

Gilbert and Hardenberger

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses opening and closing the program with two contrasting but heartfelt works by Wagner — his Siegfried Idyll and his Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde — as well as the dazzling technical prowess Håkan Hardenberger brings to his performances of HK Gruber's Aerial, and Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller talks about what sets Mozart's striking Symphony No. 25 apart from the composer's earlier works.

Gilbert and Batiashvili

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert and podcast host Mark Travis guide you through two works by Finnish conductors: Arena, a lush and rhythmically exciting tour de force written in 1995 by Magnus Lindberg, the Philharmonic's Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence, and the Violin Concerto by his great predecessor, Jean Sibelius. Mr. Travis also discusses the beauties of Brahms's Second Symphony, which Mr. Gilbert extols, calling it "sunny."

Davis and Graham

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham talks about performing Chausson's lush and nostalgic Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses the powerful effect of the organ, played in these concerts by Philharmonic Organist Kent Tritle, in Saint-Saëns's famous Symphony No. 3, and podcast host Elliott Forrest explores Berlioz's popular concert piece, the Overture to Les Francs-juges.

Masur Conducts Beethoven and Bruckner

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Music Director Emeritus Kurt Masur reveals how we can catch a glimpse of Beethoven as a young, uncertain composer in his fascinating Symphony No. 1, and he discusses the influence that Wagner had on Bruckner and, in particular, on his masterful Symphony No. 7.

Alan Gilbert Conducts Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis is your guide to Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre, a strange world populated by cartoon characters who may or may not be facing the end of time. He is joined by Music Director Alan Gilbert and director and designer Doug Fitch, who let you know what to expect to hear and see on the stage of Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center when the Orchestra gives the opera's first-ever staged performances in New York.

Gergiev on The Russian Stravinsky, Program VI

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Elliott Forrest discusses Stravinsky's evocative wartime piece titled Symphony in Three Movements and talks about the Bach-like influences in the Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, featuring Alexei Volodin, and Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller explains why a riot broke out at the premiere of Stravinsky's controversial ballet, The Rite of Spring.

Gergiev on The Russian Stravinsky, Program V

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis describes how Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in C was written during a very troubled period in the composer's life, and guides listeners through the influences that can be heard in the light-hearted Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, which will feature pianist Denis Matsuev in his Philharmonic debut. Also, conductor Valery Gergiev remembers that his first exposure to Stravinsky's music was through one of the composer's early triumphs: his score to the ballet Petrushka, which concludes this program. Mr. Travis also discusses the Orchestra's plans for celebrating its 15,000th concert, on May 5, 2010.

Gergiev on The Russian Stravinsky, Program IV

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Elliott Forrest relays the tragic tale from mythology that inspired the ballet score for Orpheus, and Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses the powerful and monumental opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex.

Gergiev on The Russian Stravinsky, Program III

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Valery Gergiev explains how he hopes audiences will be enriched by the New York Philharmonic’s Russian Stravinsky festival and podcast host Mark Travis highlights the unusual Le Roi des étoiles and discusses the history and structure of the Violin Concerto. Mr. Gergiev also speaks about the irony in Oedipus Rex, while Mr. Travis recounts the story of this, one of the world’s most influential tragedies.

Gergiev on The Russian Stravinsky, Program II

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Valery Gergiev talks with Music Director Alan Gilbert about Stravinsky's Russian identity; podcast host Elliott Forrest explores the composer's playful Jeu de cartes (Game of Cards) and spiritual Symphony of Psalms, featuring the Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre; and Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses Stravinsky's opulent and masterful orchestration of his ballet The Firebird.

Gergiev on The Russian Stravinsky, Program I

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Valery Gergiev explains why his three-week festival at the New York Philharmonic is titled The Russian Stravinsky and also expresses his enthusiasm for the "folkish" ballet-cantata Les Noces; and podcast host Mark Travis gives a sampling of the spare and compelling Symphonies of Wind Instruments and looks at the story Stravinsky recounts in his score to The Firebird, the composer's breakthrough to fame.

Pappano and Bell

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses Mozart's charming Symphony No. 31, Paris; Bruch's use of traditional Scottish folk tunes in his Scottish Fantasy, featuring violinist Joshua Bell; and the inspiration behind Brahms's masterful Symphony No. 4.

Muti and Brey

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis guides you through Mozart's brilliant and energetic Symphony No. 34; Philharmonic Principal Cello Carter Brey discusses the life and influence of Boccherini, as well as the pleasures of that composer's sunny Cello Concerto in D major; and Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller sheds light on Schubert's not-that-very Tragic Symphony.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, Jupiter

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

This podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the March 27, 2010 Young People's Concert.

Kahane's All-Mozart Program

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis converses with pianist/conductor Jeffrey Kahane about the rewards and challenges of conducting from the keyboard as well as the all-Mozart program he will perform with the New York Philharmonic: the charming and youthful Piano Concerto No. 6, the poignant Piano Concerto No. 24, and the masterful Piano Concerto No. 25.

Eschenbach and Zukerman

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Composer Matthias Pintscher discusses drawing inspiration from ancient mythology for his work towards Osiris; violinist Pinchas Zukerman talks about the haunting qualities of Berg's Violin Concerto; and conductor Christoph Eschenbach shares his thoughts about what Schoenberg's orchestration brings to Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: Lindberg's Feria

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

This podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the March 6, 2010 Young People's Concert.

Muti and Repin

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Podcast host Mark Travis shares the history and highlights of Beethoven's famous Violin Concerto, in which Vadim Repin will join the Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller and English Horn Thomas Stacy shed light on the appeal of César Franck's Symphony in D minor.

Muti and Schiff

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses Hindemith's powerful yet rarely performed Symphony in E-flat, and podcast host Elliott Forest offers a brief guide through Brahms's popular, ultra-Romantic Piano Concerto No. 1, featuring András Schiff.

Robertson and Shaham

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor David Robertson explains the storytelling that lies behind this program, which includes two musical depictions of fairy tales: Ravel's enchanting Mother Goose Suite and Bartók's compelling The Wooden Prince. Mr. Robertson, podcast host Mark Travis, and Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud share additional insights on the history and challenges of Barber's Violin Concerto, and Mr. Robertson explains why Gil Shaham is the ideal soloist for this work.

Robertson and Hodges

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Pianist Nicolas Hodges discusses his favorite moment in Ravel's beautiful Concerto for the Left Hand, and conductor David Robertson talks about the dance theme of the concert as a whole, which includes George Benjamin's strikingly original Dance Figures, Debussy's evocative and one-time controversial Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and Ginastera's Dances from the Ballet Estancia, which ends the concerts on an energizing high note.

New York Philharmonic EUROPE / WINTER 2010 Tour: Special Video Podcast by Credit Suisse

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Credit Suisse, Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic, spotlights Music Director Alan Gilbert and the Orchestra during their EUROPE / WINTER 2010 tour. Filmed in Barcelona and Zaragoza, Spain, the video documents the launch of the tour through performances by the Orchestra and interviews with Alan Gilbert, Philharmonic musicians, and Philharmonic President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta.

Gilbert Leads Mozart and Rouse

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert shares his passion for Mozart's Jupiter Symphony; his pleasure in showcasing soloists from the Philharmonic's wind section in Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon; and his admiration for the work of composer Christopher Rouse, whose Odna Zhizn, a Philharmonic commission, is being premiered in these concerts. Also, host Mark Travis talks with Mr. Rouse about the “code” he created for the work, as well as for his commitment to writing music that is expressive.

Gilbert and Hampson

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Philharmonic Artist-in-Residence Thomas Hampson discusses the hauntingly beautiful text by Walt Whitman in John Adams’s The Wound-Dresser, Director of Education Theodore Wiprud explores the dual nature of Haydn’s Symphony No. 49, La passione; and Music Director Alan Gilbert explains the direct line he sees between the works of Schubert and Berg.

An All-Russian Program with Gilbert and Bronfman

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert talks about how Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony reflect different sides of Russian music, as well as pianist Yefim Bronfman’s astounding musicianship, and podcast host Mark Travis sheds light on the early history of these works.

Gilbert and Andsnes

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes talks about the contrasting emotions found in Mozart's extraordinary Piano Concerto No. 23; host Elliott Forrest looks at Webern's romantic-sounding Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Wind) and groundbreaking Symphony, Op. 21; and Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the autobiographical elements in Schumann's beautiful Symphony No. 2, and why he chose to program the four works featured in these concerts.

Rilling conducts Handel's Messiah

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Alan Gilbert talks about the timeless message of hope in Handel's masterwork, Messiah, and podcast host Mark Travis explores the work as a meditation on the salvation of humankind.

Mozart and Bruckner

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow talks about performing Mozart's emotionally complex Sinfonia concertante with Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, and Director of Education Theodore Wiprud discusses the meaning behind the subtitle of Bruckner's popular Romantic Symphony.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast: Debussy’s La Mer

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of the December 12, 2009 Young People’s Concert.

Salonen and Fray

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

David Fray talks about the challenges of performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, and New York Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud discusses the Impressionist sensibilities of Debussy’s La Mer and the completely original idea behind Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta.

Muti conducts Honegger and Beethoven

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses Honegger's edgy but hopeful and beautifully crafted Symphony No. 2, and Director of Education Theodore Wiprud explains how Beethoven's revolutionary Eroica Symphony changed the course of classical music history.

Muti conducts Liszt, Elgar, and Prokofiev

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses the famous opening passage of Liszt’s beautiful and fascinating tone poem Les Préludes, and Mark Travis talks about Elgar’s romantic In the South and selections from Prokofiev’s passionate Romeo and Juliet

A Conversation with Alan Gilbert, Part I

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In the first podcast of this two-part series (the second one will air in January), Music Director Alan Gilbert talks with host Mark Travis about the excitement of conducting on Opening Night, developing a unique sound with the Orchestra, the importance of touring, and the role he hopes the Philharmonic will play in the cultural life of his and the Orchestra's hometown, New York City.

Special Young People's Concert Podcast

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This special podcast is designed especially to acquaint young listeners with the themes and music of our November 7, 2009 Young People’s Concert, which features Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Zhang and Ohlsson

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Xian Zhang discusses why she finds Haydn's symphonies — including his Symphony No. 95 — the most challenging to perform; pianist Garrick Ohlsson reflects on Martinu's emotional Incantation, Piano Concerto No. 4; and Elliott Forrest looks at the musical influences behind Sibelius's stirring Symphony No. 1.

Järvi and Hampson

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Baritone Thomas Hampson, the Philharmonic's Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence, talks about performing Zemlinsky's beautiful Lyric Symphony, which also features soprano Hillevi Martinpelto; Philharmonic Program Annotator James M. Keller discusses Mozart's masterful Symphony No. 38, Prague; and Mark Travis explores Beethoven's high-spirited Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus.

Gilbert and Ax

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert discusses the beauty and importance of Ives's Symphony No. 2, and why Ives's compelling Unanswered Question and Beethoven's groundbreaking Piano Concerto No. 4 – performed by pianist Emanuel Ax – are kindred spirits.

Gilbert Conducts Brahms and Schoenberg

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert discusses leading his friend Frank Peter Zimmermann in Brahms's Violin Concerto — one of the greatest works in the repertoire — as well as conducting Schoenberg's beautiful and expressive tone poem Pelleas und Melisande.

Gilbert Conducts Mahler

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert shares his excitement about conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 3 – featuring mezzo-soprano Petra Lang, the Women of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, and The American Boychoir – in his first subscription concerts as the Orchestra's Music Director, and he discusses what fueled Mahler's enormous ambitions as a composer.

Opening Night Concert

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Alan Gilbert — who begins his tenure as the Philharmonic's Music Director with this Opening Night Concert — talks about the unique sound he hopes to bring to the Orchestra this season; Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg discusses the influences on his work, including EXPO, a World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commission; and Elliott Forrest explores Berlioz's wildly evocative Symphonie fantastique and Messiaen's labor of love Poèmes pour Mi, featuring soprano Renée Fleming.

Maazel conducts Mahler

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Lorin Maazel brings his tenure as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic to a grand finale with Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8, featuring sopranos Christine Brewer, Nancy Gustafson, and Jeanine De Bique; mezzo-sopranos Mary Phillips and Nancy Maultsby; tenor Anthony Dean Griffey; bass Wolfgang Schöne; bass-baritone Jason Grant; the New York Choral Artists; The Dessoff Symphonic Choir; and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Mr. Maazel discusses how he struggled to understand Mahler's work – eventually becoming enamored of it – and Ms. Gustafson reflects on the message of the work: that the power of love will triumph over evil.

Maazel and Sibelius

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Lorin Maazel, in his penultimate concerts as Music Director, talks about leading the New York Philharmonic in Sibelius's uplifting Second Symphony, as well as two of his own works – the march-like Monaco Fanfares and the apocalyptic symphonic movement Farewells.

Maazel conducts Britten's War Requiem

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Lorin Maazel talks about the message behind Britten's haunting War Requiem — with Lionel Bringuier conducting the chamber orchestra, and featuring soprano Nancy Gustafson, tenor Vale Rideout, baritone Ian Greenlaw, the New York Choral Artists, Dessoff Symphonic Choir, and Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Also, Ms. Gustafson discusses her emotional reaction when performing this work.

Drucker plays Copland

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker reflects on performing Copland’s soulful Clarinet Concerto as he ends his unprecedented 60-year tenure with the Orchestra; Music Director Lorin Maazel discusses featuring Philharmonic musicians as soloists in J.S. Bach’s warmhearted Fourth Brandenburg Concerto; Mark Travis explores Haydn’s charming Trumpet Concerto, featuring Principal Trumpet Philip Smith; and Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud describes what makes Ravel’s Boléro the most dramatic piece in the orchestral repertoire.

Zinman and Tetzlaff

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen talks about how he went from disliking his fellow countryman, Sibelius, as a composer, to greatly admiring his work — including his masterful Symphony No. 5, in which David Zinman will lead the New York Philharmonic for the concerts of May 14–16.

Mahler and Lieberson

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Travis explores the tortured origins of Mahler's Blumine and Symphony No. 1; Peter Lieberson discusses the diverse literary and spiritual inspirations behind his New York Philharmonic Commission The World in Flower; and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato expresses her excitement over joining baritone Russell Braun in the World Premiere of Lieberson's piece.

Gilbert and Bell

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller discusses Dvorák's tone poem The Golden Spinning Wheel and why Martinu's optimistic Symphony No. 4 is very much a work of our time, and Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud reflects on what makes Saint-Saëns's pyrotechnic Third Violin Concerto an exciting vehicle for virtuoso Joshua Bell.

Muti conducts Verdi, Puccini, and Respighi

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Travis explores conductor Riccardo Muti's all-Italian program, which features Verdi's rarely heard Overture to Giovanna d'Arco and graceful Ballet of the Four Seasons, from Les Vêpres siciliennes; Puccini's gorgeous Preludio sinfonico; and Respighi's evocative tone poem Pines of Rome.

Muti and Uchida

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Matías Tarnopolsky, New York Philharmonic Vice President of Artistic Planning, expresses his excitement over virtuoso Mitsuko Uchida performing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major – one of the masterpieces of the 20th century – and Theodore Wiprud, Philharmonic Director of Education, explains why, as a listener, he never wants Schubert's Great Symphony in C major to end.

Dutoit and Batiashvili

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Vice President of Artistic Planning Matías Tarnopolsky talks about Stravinsky's Bach-inspired Dumbarton Oaks Concerto in E-flat; Prokofiev's searching and mysterious Violin Concerto No. 2, featuring Lisa Batiashvili; and Tchaikovsky's momentous Symphony No. 5.

McGegan and Schäfer celebrate Handel

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Nicholas McGegan discusses his upcoming all-Handel program with the New York Philharmonic, which features the composer's Concerto a due cori No. 3 in F major, soprano Christine Schäfer singing arias from three of his operas — Partenope, Alcina, and Giulio Cesare — the Concerto Grosso in C major, and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Zubin Mehta and PercaDu

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Composer Avner Dorman discusses his exciting work Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! – which is receiving its U.S. premiere and features dynamic percussion duo PercaDu – and the Philharmonic’s Vice President of Artistic Planning, Matías Tarnopolsky, talks about conductor Zubin Mehta’s brilliant pairing of Dorman’s work with Bartok’s percussive masterpiece, Concerto for Orchestra.

Maazel conducts Mendelssohn, Telemann, Bruch, and Mussorgsky

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Philharmonic oboe d'amorist Thomas Stacy discusses performing Telemann's virtuosic Concerto in A major under the baton of Music Director Lorin Maazel, Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow talks about the joys of playing Bruch's heart-melting Violin Concerto in G minor, and Elliott Forrest explores Mendelssohn's spirited Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Mussorgsky's evocative Pictures at an Exhibition.

Masur, Mutter, and Mendelssohn

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter discusses her love of Mendelssohn's passionate and enduringly popular Violin Concerto, and Elliott Forrest explores Mendelssohn's fiery Overture to Ruy Blas and mysterious Die erste Walpurgisnacht (The First Walpurgis Night).

Muti and Lupu

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Riccardo Muti discusses how Scriabin's own personality as well as his many influences can be heard in his masterful Symphony No. 2, and Matías Tarnopolsky, Vice President of Artistic Planning, expresses the Philharmonic's excitement over Radu Lupu performing Beethoven's pivotal Piano Concerto No. 3.

Muti and Quasthoff

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff talks about performing arias from Haydn's Armida and L'anima del filosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice; Matías Tarnopolsky, Philharmonic Vice President of Artistic Planning, discusses why he is delighted that the concerts will open with Haydn's Symphony No. 89; and Mark Travis looks at Brahms's exquisite Serenade No. 1.

Dudamel and Zukerman

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Director of Education Theodore Wiprud talks with Elliott Forrest about Oliver Knussen's colorful Violin Concerto, performed by Pinchas Zukerman, Mahler's emotional Symphony No. 5, and the return to the Philharmonic of the electrifying conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

Morlot and Mustonen

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Ludovic Morlot and pianist Olli Mustonen talk about the French-inspired program, which features the U.S. Premiere of Tristan Murail's Gondwana, Messiaen's ingenious Oiseaux exotiques, and Debussy's evocative La Mer, in addition to Mozart's joyous yet rarely performed Piano Concerto in F major.

Emanuel Ax plays Szymanowski and Strauss

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

James M. Keller, New York Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence, discusses the particular challenges of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, while Mark Travis explores Mussorgsky’s masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition as well as Szymanowski’s Symphonie concertante and Richard Strauss’s Burleske – both featuring piano virtuoso Emanuel Ax.

Koopman conducts Handel's Messiah

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller talks with Elliott Forrest about why Handel's 1741 masterpiece, Messiah, is an enduring favorite, and why audience members may leap to their feet during the work's glorious "Hallelujah" chorus.

Bach, Prokofiev, Mozart, and Falla

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Principal Horn Philip Myers discusses why Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 2 is always a treat for concertgoers; Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller talks about the mysterious second movement of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; Director of Education Theodore Wiprud reflects on Falla’s passionate El amor brujo; and Mark Travis explores how Prokofiev came to write his Piano Concerto No. 4 for left hand.

Kaplan conducts Mahler

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Gilbert Kaplan discusses leading the New York Philharmonic in Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection — featuring soprano Christiane Oelze, mezzo-soprano Janina Baechle, and the Westminster Symphonic Choir — on the one-hundredth anniversary of the work's U.S. premiere, while Elliott Forrest explores the individual movements of the monumental work.

Maazel conducts Elektra

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Music Director Lorin Maazel talks about his incredible love for opera and how symphony orchestras love to wrestle with a great score like R. Strauss's Elektra, while Elliott Forrest explores the story behind the opera, based on the Greek tragedy by Sophocles.

Maazel conducts Bach, Mozart, and Schumann

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller discusses the distinct personality of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 1; Music Director Lorin Maazel talks about how the Orchestra's season-long presentation of the Brandenburg Concertos spotlights the virtuosic talents of the Philharmonic's musicians; and Mark Travis explores Mozart's infectious Turkish Violin Concerto, featuring Julia Fischer, and how Schumann's Symphony No. 4 rebounded from a disastrous premiere in 1841.

Maazel conducts Bach, Penderecki, and Beethoven

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein reflects on the dark language in Penderecki's gripping but accessible Second Cello Concerto; New York Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller talks about J.S. Bach's buoyant Sixth Brandenburg Concerto; and Mark Travis looks at Beethoven's immortal Symphony No. 5, which the Philharmonic performed in its first concert, in 1842.

Boreyko conducts Lyadov, Khachaturian, Kancheli, and Stravinsky

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Violinist Gil Shaham talks about the pleasure of performing Khachaturian's spectacular Violin Concerto, a piece he grew up listening to; Matías Tarnopolsky, the Philharmonic's Vice President of Artistic Planning, discusses Lyadov's tone poem Kikimora and Giya Kancheli's alluring Abii ne viderem; and Elliott Forrest explores Stravinsky's dramatic 1919 suite from his ballet score The Firebird.

Christoph Eschenbach conducts Beethoven and Bruckner

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Elliott Forrest explores Bruckner's powerful and dramatic Ninth Symphony, which the composer was working on up until his death, while music commentator Charles Zachary Bornstein discusses how Beethoven, emerging from Mozart's shadow, asserts his own originality in his Piano Concerto No. 1, performed in these concerts by pianist Lang Lang.

David Robertson conducts Copland, Carter, Bernstein, and Rouse

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor David Robertson returns to the New York Philharmonic to lead the Orchestra in works by four American composers: the ballet Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland; Of Rewaking, featuring mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, by Elliott Carter — who reflects on his composing habits as he approaches his 100th birthday; Symphony No. 1, Jeremiah, also featuring Ms. DeYoung, by Leonard Bernstein; and Rapture by Christopher Rouse — which, the composer explains, is the most blissful and ecstatic of his works.

David Robertson conducts Mozart, Bartók, and Brahms

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

New York Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller discusses Mozart's dazzling Symphony No 34 – the last of the composer's Salzburg symphonies; music commentator Charles Zachary Bornstein explores the folk elements in Bartók's melodic Second Violin Concerto, featuring Leonidas Kavakos; and host Elliott Forrest talks about Brahms's magnificent and moody Symphony No. 3.

Frühbeck conducts Falla's La vida breve

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos leads the New York Philharmonic in two passionate and transporting Spanish masterworks: Albéniz's Suite española (featuring selections set to Frühbeck's own orchestrations), and Falla's opera La vida breve, presented here in a semi-staged version starring a dynamic international cast.

Special Video Podcast: Rands' CHAINS LIKE THE SEA

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From nature to poetry, composer Bernard Rands finds inspiration all around him. Learn more about his muse and what to expect of his CHAINS LIKE THE SEA.

Special Video Podcast: Bach's Brandenburg Concertos

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos are among the greatest works of the Baroque era. The Philharmonic performs the entire cycle throughout the 2008–09 season, with all 24 solos played by musicians from the Orchestra. Learn about what makes these concertos great.

Alsop conducts Dvorák's New World Symphony

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Conductor Marin Alsop discusses Bartók's adult fairy tale, The Wooden Prince Suite, Chopin's glorious Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring Rafal Blechacz in his New York Philharmonic debut, and Dvorák's evocative and always popular Symphony No. 9, From the New World, which was given its World Premiere by the Orchestra in 1893.

Special Video Podcast: Steven Stucky's Rhapsodies

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Composer Steven Stucky discusses how the limitations put on commissions can spur creativity. This video reveals the story behind his Rhapsodies for Orchestra, receiving its U.S. premiere in Philharmonic concerts on September 18-20 and 23, 2008.

The Philharmonic premieres Bernard Rands's CHAINS LIKE THE SEA

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Composer Bernard Rands discusses his new work, a Philharmonic Commission titled CHAINS LIKE THE SEA, inspired by the Dylan Thomas poem "Fern Hill"; Philharmonic Program Annotator and Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence James M. Keller explores how Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 is the starting point of the great piano concerto tradition; and Music Director Lorin Maazel reflects on the brilliant orchestration of Tchaikovsky's popular Suite No. 3.

Maazel conducts works by Philharmonic Music Directors

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Lorin Maazel and others discuss the program of works by past Philharmonic Music Directors — Gustav Mahler’s Adagio from Symphony No. 10, Pierre Boulez’s Pli selon Pli: Improvisation II sur Mallarmé, and Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety — as well as Mr. Maazel’s own Music for Flute and Orchestra, with Tenor Tuba Obbligato.

Bronfman performs Rachmaninoff

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Travis explores Rachmaninoff's passionate and jaw-dropping Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring Yefim Bronfman; Ravel's endearing Mother Goose Suite; and Bartók's lurid Miraculous Mandarin Suite, while Lorin Maazel – as he enters his valedictory season as Music Director – reflects on his fondness for the Philharmonic and discusses the music of Steven Stucky, whose Rhapsodies for Orchestra will receive its U.S. premiere in these performances.

Galway performs Ibert on Opening Night

digital@nyphil.org (New York Philharmonic) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Sir James Galway talks about Ibert's challenging Flute Concerto – with its gorgeous, requiem-like second movement – while Elliott Forrest discusses Berlioz's festive Roman Carnival Overture and music commentator Charles Zachary Bornstein provides a detailed look at Tchaikovsky's stormy Symphony No. 4.