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Every Wednesday at 10:00pmAbout the Show
Classical Challenge
'Dr. Mike and Mark Andruss share 'The Classical Challenge' and present classical music for 2 1/2 hours every Wed. 9--1130 pm. This program concentrates on music composed in the last 100 years, with special emphasis on recently created works, as well as local performances. This is KKFI's only classical music program (although we hope for more!) so tune in to the sublime.....and enjoy.
For Wednesday, February 7, on KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City or streaming at www.kkfi.org, 9:00-11:30 pm CT, The Classical Challenge presents a selection of 2018 Classical Grammy award winners.
I don’t usually look to the Grammys for classical music recommendations. They devote so little attention to classical music and so much hype to the hip hop, R&B, and rock nominees (who, granted, sell more product in a day than even excellent classical recordings do in half a year), that it’s hard to imagine that they show great judgment.
But last week we heard a superb recording of a live performance of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony by The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck, which won the Best Orchestral Performance Grammy this year. And when I looked at other Grammy winners, I found that I had already purchased many of them based on other recommendations. So I decided to present selections from four additional winners this Wednesday.
We’ll hear:
1-2. Franz Liszt – 2 Etudes de Concert S. 145 (Waldesrauschen and Gnomenreigen) – Daniil Trifonov (Best Classical Instrumental Solo)
3-5. Jennifer Higdon – Viola Concerto – Nashville Symphony, Roberto Diaz viola, Giancarlo Guerrero conducting (Best Contemporary Classical Composition; the album won Best Classical Compendium, whatever that means)
6. Luciano Berio – Sequenza III – Barbara Hannigan (Best Classical Solo Vocal Album)
7. after George Gershwin – Girl Crazy Suite – Barbara Hannigan and the Ludwig Orchestra (ditto)
8-17 Franz Schubert with August Normiger, Anonymous, John Dowland, Carlo Gesualdo, and Gyorgy Kurtag – Quartet for Strings D.810 “Death and the Maiden” arranged for string ensemble with interludes by the others mentioned – Saint Paul Chamber Ensemble with its concertmaster Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble performance)
18-23. Franz Liszt – Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S. 141 – Daniil Trifonov (see above).
The photo is of violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja (left) and composer Jennifer Higdon (right).
