NSO Showcase

Richard Strauss: Salome, Op. 54

March 3, 2010, 9:00 pm

When Richard Strauss saw a German-language production of Oscar Wilde's play "Salome," he felt that the work "cried out for music." Honing the text with an eye for the theatrical, Strauss created his shortest and most notorious opera. Censors were aghast, and the soprano hired for the premiere protested she couldn't sing the role, as she was "a decent woman." Yet the audience at the 1905 Dresden premiere was so enthralled they demanded no less than 38 curtain calls!

Wednesday night at 8, NSO Showcase features a concert presentation of "Salome", with celebrated soprano Deborah Voigt in the title role. Leonard Slatkin conducts orchestra and soloists, including bass Alan Held as Jokanaan the prophet; tenor Donald Litaker as Herodes, mezzo-soprano Jane Henschel as Herodias, and tenor Jason Collins as Narraboth. Host for NSO Showcase is Classical WETA's John Chester. The performance was recorded live at the Kennedy Center in January, 2007.

Russia Revisited

February 3, 2010, 9:00 pm

It's an all-Russian program as NSO Showcase presents works by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. The celebrated young Chinese pianist Yuja Wang joins the National Symphony Orchestra for a riveting performance of Sergei Prokofiev's massively difficult Piano Concerto No. 2. And, the globe-trotting young French-Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the NSO in Shostakovich's music from the film "The Gadfly", plus Rachmaninoff's ever-popular Symphonic Dances. The program concludes with another work by Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, led by guest conductor Mark Elder. All performances were recorded live in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall over the past two NSO seasons.

Dmitry Shostakovich: Suite from The Gadfly: Excerpts
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

Sergie Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

Serge Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
Yuja Wang, piano soloist
Charles Dutoit, conductor

Dmitry Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 54
Mark Elder, conductor

All Mozart Program

January 6, 2010, 9:00 pm

For the start of the new year, NSO Showcase presents an all-Mozart program, featuring two concertos and four conductors. Flutist Emmanuel Pahud, who shares Mozart's birthday, performs his own cadenzas to Mozart's Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, in a performance led by NSO Principal Conductor Iván Fischer. Pianist Jonathan Biss and guest conductor Herbert Blomstedt offer their take on Mozart's final piano concerto, No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595, a restrained and deeply personal work composed exactly eleven months before Mozart's untimely death.

Rounding out the program are three orchestral works: Overture to The Magic Flute and the early Symphony No. 32 in G major, K. 318, both conducted by former NSO Music Director Leonard Slatkin, and Mozart's popular "Linz" Symphony, No.36 in C major, K. 425, led by guest conductor James Conlon.

Mozart: The Magic flute, K. 620 (Overture)
Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Mozart: Flute concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313
Emmanuel Pahud, flute soloist
Iván Fischer, conductor

Mozart: Symphony No. 32 in G major, K. 318
Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595
Jonathan Biss, piano soloist
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

Mozart: Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425, "Linz"
James Conlon, conductor

Tchaikovsky program, featuring Lang Lang

December 2, 2009, 9:00 pm

NSO Showcase offers an all-Tchaikovsky program, featuring the Chinese-born piano phenomenon Lang Lang playing Tchaikovsky's famous Piano Concerto No. 1. The program also includes a legacy performance of Slava conducting the NSO in the holiday favorite, The Nutcracker Suite."

Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
(Recorded December 4-6, 2003)

Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Lang Lang, piano
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
(Recorded May 17-19, 2007)

Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky: Selections from The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a
Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor
(Recorded May 5-7, 2005)

Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 ("Little Russian")
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
(Recorded October 17-19, 2002)

Haydn and Mendelssohn

November 4, 2009, 9:00 pm

Mendelssohn and Haydn each share a symphony and a concerto on this month's NSO Showcase. "Firsts" from both composers are featured, including Haydn's first cello concerto with soloist Steven Isserlis, and Mendelssohn's first published symphony, written when he was just fifteen years old. The program also includes two well-loved mature works: Haydn's Symphony No. 85, nicknamed "La Reine" for its dedication to Marie Antoinette, and Mendelssohn's famous E minor violin concerto, featuring violinist Leonidas Kavakos. NSO Principal Conductor Iván Fischer conducts both concertos and the Mendelssohn symphony. The NSO's former Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducts "La Reine." Classical WETA's John Chester is your host for NSO Showcase.

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 85 in B-flat major, "La Reine"

Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Leonidas Kavakos, violin soloist

Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major
Steven Isserlis, cello soloist

Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11

Johannes Brahms

October 7, 2009, 9:00 pm

We begin our season premiere of NSO Showcase with an all-Brahms program, recorded at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall live in concert.

Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a
Kurt Masur, cond.
Recorded April 9-11, 2009

Johannes Brahms: Concerto in A minor for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 102
Renaud Capuçon, violin with Gautier Capuçon, cello
Leonard Slatkin, cond.
France's Capuçon brothers make their NSO debut in Brahms's Concerto for Violin and Cello.
Recorded February 15-17, 2007

Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Iván Fischer makes his first appearance as the new NSO Principal Guest Conductor, leading an eclectic program that concludes with Brahms's Second Symphony.
Recorded November 30 - December 2, 2006

Mahler's Symphony No. 3, conducted by Iván Fischer

April 1, 2009, 9:00 pm

Gustav Mahler's longest symphony is a tour de force that reached fruition only after years of revisions. Finally premiered in 1902, the Symphony No. 3 marked a turning point in the arc of symphonic writing. Richard Strauss made a point of expressing his enthusiasm for the work at the premiere, while the young Concertgebouw Orchestra conductor, Willem Mengleberg, was moved on the spot to dedicate his life's work on Mahler's behalf.

Mahler himself described the six movement symphony as "a musical poem that progresses through all the stages of evolution . . . beginning with inanimate Nature and proceeding step by step to God's love." In this performance, Iván Fischer offers his own thoughts on the symphony before leading the NSO, mezzo Birgit Remmert, and choirs in this monumental work.

• Birgit Remmert, mezzo-soprano
• The University of Maryland Concert Choir
• Edward Maclary, director
• Childrens Chorus of Washington

Bach St. Matthew Passion

March 4, 2009, 9:00 pm

Esteemed Bach scholar and conductor Helmuth Rilling makes his NSO debut, leading the National Symphony Orchestra, soloists, and choirs in this monumental oratorio.  Bach's melding of Lutheran chorales with biblical text from St. Matthew's gospel  and contemplative passages from his librettist created what Rilling calls "one of the greatest masterpieces ever composed in the history of music."

Classical WETA's John Chester hosts this broadcast, which also features commentary by Dr. Edward Maclary, director of the University of Maryland Concert Choir, which took part in this performance.

• Helmuth Rilling, conductor
• Kate Royal, soloist
• Ingeborg Danz, soloist
• Thomas Michael Allen, soloist
• Lothar Odinius, soloist
• Christian Gerhaher, soloist
• Georg Zeppenfeld, soloist
• The University of Maryland Concert Choir (Edward Maclary, Director)
• Children’s Chorus Of Washington (Joan Gregoryk, Music Director)

Bach: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Russian Program

February 4, 2009, 9:00 pm

Don't miss renowned conductor Valery Gergiev's revelatory interpretation of Mussorgsky's famous Pictures at an Exhibition in this all-Russian NSO Showcase program.  Gergiev also leads the NSO in two works by Rimsky-Korsakov:  the Russian Easter Overture, and Dubinushka.   NSO Principal Conductor Iván Fischer concludes our all-Russian program with Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, from a performance recorded earlier this season in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Strauss Program

January 7, 2009, 9:00 pm

In his lifetime, Richard Strauss was celebrated world-wide as a great conductor, but it's his music that endures today. On January's NSO Showcase, hear Lorin Maazel conduct two of Strauss' most famous works: the orchestral tone poems Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, as well as his ethereal Four Last Songs with soprano Nancy Gustafson. Also, former NSO Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducts Strauss' autobiographical "a day at home with my family" Sinfonia Domestica.

• Lorin Maazel, conductor
• Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Nancy Gustafson, soprano

• Strauss: Don Juan, Op. 20
• Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28
• Strauss: Four Last Songs
• Strauss: Symphonia Domestica

Invitation to Dance

December 3, 2008, 9:00 pm

This month's NSO Showcase features Leonard Slatkin and Iván Fischer conducting some favorite dance pieces.

• Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Iván Fischer, conductor

Weber/Berlioz: Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65

Kodály: Dances of Galanta Sibelius: Valse triste, Op.44 No. 1

Copland: Dance Symphony R.

Strauss: Second Waltz Sequence from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59

Mctee Symphony No. 1: Ballet for Orchestra

Dvořák: Slavonic Dance in C, Op.72, No. 7

Ravel: La Valse

Verdi Requiem

November 5, 2008, 9:00 pm

NSO Showcase presents guest conductor Stéphane Denève, leading the National Symphony Orchestra, chorus and soloists in a performance of Verdi's monumental Requiem. This 2005 performance, recorded live at the Kennedy Center features The Washington Chorus, directed by Robert Shafer, as well as soprano Marina Mescheriakova, mezzo-soprano Olga Bordodina, tenor Marcus Haddock, and bass Ildar Abdrazakov.

• Stéphane Denève, conductor
• Marina Mescheriakova, soloist
• Olga Borodina, soloist
• Marcus Haddock, soloist
• Ildar Abdrazakov, soloist
• The Washington Chorus (Robert Shafer, Director)

Verdi: Requiem

Vive La France

October 1, 2008, 9:00 pm

October's NSO Showcase presents "Vive La France" featuring works by French composers, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, Stéphane Denève, and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

• Eduard Lalo: Overture to Le Roi d'Ys
• Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970): Une lueur dans l'age sombre
• Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
• Gabriel Fauré: Pavane (with The Washington Chorus)
• Albert Roussel: Suite No.2 from Bacchus et Ariane
• Henri Duparc: Songs featuring Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano
• Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No.2

NSO Soloists

September 3, 2008, 9:00 pm

The focus is on the orchestra, as members of the NSO play concertos by Mozart, Sibelius, Dutilleux, Frank Martin, and John Williams.

• W.A. Mozart: Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for Violin and Viola, K. 364
  Nurie Bar-Josef, violin; Daniel Foster, viola
• John Williams: The Five Sacred Trees: Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra
  Sue Heineman, bassoon
• Henri Dutilleux: "Tout un monde lointain..." for Cello and Orchestra
  David Hardy, cello
• Jean Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela
  Kathryn Meany, English horn
• Frank Martin: Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments (1949)

An American in Britain

August 6, 2008, 9:00 pm

Leonard Slatkin’s affinity for British music is well-known; he leads a program of works by Britten and Elgar.

American Classics

July 2, 2008, 9:00 pm

Music Director Leonard Slatkin leads a program of American music, including works by Gershwin, Barber, Bernstein, Creston, and Hovhaness.

Czech Choice

June 4, 2008, 9:00 pm

• Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Iván Fischer, conductor
• Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor

• Janáček: Sinfonietta (Leonard Slatkin)
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 6 (Leonard Slatkin)
• Smetana: Vltava (Iván Fischer)
• Dvořák: Overture To Othello (Jiří Bělohlávek)

A Tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich

May 7, 2008, 9:00 pm

• Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor
• Mayu Kishima, violin

• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9
• Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 64
• Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5

Beethoven from A to C Minor

April 2, 2008, 9:00 pm

Classical WETA's inaugural broadcast of the NSO Showcase series features great Beethoven performances conducted by Ilan Volkov, Leonard Slatkin and Kurt Masur.

Leonard Slatkin, conductor Kurt Masur, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano

• Ilan Volkov, conductor Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major (Ilan Volkov)
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor (Leonard Slatkin/Emanuel Ax)
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major (Kurt Masur)