Fred Child
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At the piano in NPR's Studio 1, Louis Lortie re-creates Wagner's vocal and orchestral palette in Liszt's arrangement of the rapturous "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde.
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The pianist has such an intimate relationship with the Well-Tempered Clavier, hearing him play its kaleidoscopic preludes and fugues is like getting an inside view of a wondrously successful lifelong marriage. Communing daily with Bach helps the pianist stay fit and inspired.
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A rising Venezuelan pianist explains how she overcame her mother's fears to pursue her destiny. She shares music by Chopin, Villa-Lobos and Albeniz with us live from NPR's Studio 4A.
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The four symphonies by Brahms are like four distinct personalities, ranging from the dark and dramatic to the sunny and lyrical. The great Berlin Philharmonic has this music in its blood. Hear the entire new three-disc set, with conductor Simon Rattle, for the week leading up to its Oct. 6 release.
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The adventurous harpist joins flutist Joshua Smith and violist Cynthia Phelps in the Performance Today studio to explore the musical connections between two impressionist composers — Toru Takemitsu and his hero, Claude Debussy.
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Improvisation is making a comeback in certain corners of the classical world. Early-music specialists honor the tradition of improvising on what the composer wrote, and some young classical musicians who grew up with jazz, rock and world music feel as comfortable with improv as they do with interpretation.
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Haimovitz's idea of the "classics" includes Bach, Beethoven and, yes, classic rock. He talks to Performance Today host Fred Child about taking musical risks, and offers up a passionate studio performance of music by Bach.