Four Centuries of Great Music June 9, 2024 Three Composers with Birthdays This Week

FCGM-06-09-24 Birthdays

I was looking at composers born this month and found 3 for who the anniversary of their births are this week Carl Nielsen born 159 years ago today June 9th, Richard Strauss born 160 years ago on Tuesday June 11th and Edvard Grieg born 181 years ago on Saturday June 15th.  So today’s Four Centuries of Great Music episode will feature works by these three great composers.

Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 (1899)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - I. Der Held (The Hero)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - II. Des (Helden Widersacher (The Hero’s Adversaries)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - III. Des Helden Gefährtin (The Hero’s Companion)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - IV. Des Helden Glück (The Hero’s Luck)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - V. Des Helden Walstatt (The Hero at Battle)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - VI. Gewissheit des Sieges (Certainty of Victory)
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - VII. Des Helden Weltflucht (The Hero’s Retirement from this World
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40 - VIII. Des Helden Vollendung (The Hero’s Completion)

Orchestre symphonique de Montréal conducted by Rafael Payare with Andrew Wan, solo violin
Strauss Ein Heldenleben, Mahler Rückert-Lieder     Pentatone Records


Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34: No. 2, The Last Spring
John Hollingsworth & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Grieg: Haugtussa, Op. 67; Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34
Past Classics Records

Edvard Grieg:  Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano in C minor, op. 45 - I.  Allegro molto ed appassionato
Edvard Grieg:  Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano in C minor, op. 45 - II.  Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano in C minor, op. 45 - Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza
Edvard Grieg:  Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano in C minor, op. 45 - III.  Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano in C minor, op. 45 - Allegro animato

Duo Gazzana -Natascia Gazzana: violin; Raffaella Gazzana: piano
Korvits, Schumann, Grieg
ECM Records

Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 2. The Four Temperaments op. 16

Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 2. The Four Temperaments op. 16 1. Allegro collerico         10:08
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 2. The Four Temperaments op. 16 2. Allegro comodo e flemmatico         4:56
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 2. The Four Temperaments op. 16 3. Andante malincolico     12:56
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 2. The Four Temperaments op. 16 4. Allegro sanguineo         7:02

DANISH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA conducted by
FABIO LUISI
Carl Nielsen: The Symphonies
Deutsche Grammophon