Classical Music Playlist, May 19, 2026
Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
There exists an ancient Hungarian folk song that is a lament of peasantry in bondage. In 1907, Hungarian poet Endre Ady transformed the song into a poem with a distinctly more revolutionary tone, promising an uprising and freedom of the imprisoned at the time. Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály used this modified poem as the basis for his choral piece “The Peacock,” performances of which were promptly banned by Hungarian authorities. In 1939 Kodály dropped the text and made a set of variations on the original ancient song’s melody. Understanding the music’s history, Germans of the Third Reich also banned performances. Kodály’s instrumental “Peacock Variations” are today’s Midday Masterpiece.
6:00 a.m.
Johann Fischer
THE JOURNAL OF SPRING: Suite No. 6
L'Orfeo Barokorkester; Michi Gaigg, conductor
6:12 a.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor Opus 37
Mahler Chamber Orchestra; Leif Ove Andsnes, conductor Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
6:48 a.m.
Carl Maria Von Weber
Invitation to the Dance Opus 65
Hanover Band; Roy Goodman, conductor
6:59 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO: Overture K 492
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor
7:04 a.m.
Florence Price
Symphony No. 4 in D minor
Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor
7:41 a.m.
Josef Suk
Piano Trio: II. Andante in C minor Opus 2
Neave Trio
7:45 a.m.
Frederic Chopin
Waltz No. 1 "Grande Valse Brillante" in Eb major Opus 18
Stephen Hough, piano
7:52 a.m.
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4: I. Preludio W284
Plinio Fernandes, guitar
7:55 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in D major: I. Allegro in D major BWV 972
Bamberg Symphony; Jakub Hrusa, conductor Raphael Feuillatre, guitar
7:59 a.m.
Gustav Holst
St. Paul's Suite Opus 29/2
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Christopher Hogwood, conductor
8:13 a.m.
Franz Liszt
Piano Concerto No. 1 in Eb major
Boston Symphony Orchestra; Seiji Ozawa, conductor Krystian Zimerman, piano
8:33 a.m.
Johann Friedrich Fasch
Concerto in D major L: D8
Tempesta di Mare
8:44 a.m.
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Sinfonie in F major F 67
Les Violons du Roy; Bernard Labadie, conductor
8:59 a.m.
Bernhard Crusell
Clarinet Concerto No. 3 in Bb major Opus 11
Cologne Academy; Michael Alexander Willens, conductor Eric Hoeprich, clarinet
9:25 a.m.
Maurice Ravel
Sonatine
Robert Hamilton, piano
9:38 a.m.
Edvard Grieg
Holberg Suite Opus 40
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
10:00 a.m.
Jules Massenet
Suite No. 4 "Picturesque Scenes" (Scenes pittoresques)
Monte Carlo National Opera Orchestra; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
10:17 a.m.
Gabriel Faure
Impromptu No. 6 in Db major Opus 86
Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
10:27 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
String Quartet No. 22 in Bb major K 589
Dover Quartet
10:52 a.m.
Gustav Holst
A Moorside Suite: March
The Paramount Brass
10:56 a.m.
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Te Deum: Prelude
English Chamber Orchestra; Anthony Newman, conductor Wynton Marsalis, trumpet
10:59 a.m.
Claude Debussy
Images for Orchestra: Iberia
Cleveland Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, conductor
11:18 a.m.
Enrique Granados
Danzas espanolas No. 5 "Andaluza"
Narciso Yepes, guitar
11:23 a.m.
Reinhold Gliere
Concert Waltz Opus 90
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Vassily Sinaisky, conductor
11:30 a.m.
Carl Reinecke
Flute Concerto in D major Opus 283
Residentie Orkest Den Haag; Neeme Jarvi, conductor Sharon Bezaly, flute
11:50 a.m.
Michael Torke
Javelin
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Yoel Levi, conductor
11:59 a.m.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Overture
Polish National Radio Orchestra; Antoni Wit, conductor
12:11 p.m.
David Kellner
Gigue in D major
Ronn McFarlane, lute
12:13 p.m.
Gaspar Sanz
Canarios
Chatham Baroque
12:17 p.m.
Joaquin Rodrigo
Concierto Serenata for harp and orchestra
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Ernst Marzendorfer, conductor Nicanor Zabaleta, harp
12:42 p.m.
Frederic Chopin
Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise in G major/Eb major Opus 22
Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra; Marcin Nalecz-Nieslolowski, conductor Tatiana Shebanova, piano
12:59 p.m.
George Friederich Handel
Concerto Grosso No. 1 in G major Opus 6/1 HWV 319
Academy of Ancient Music; Andrew Manze, conductor
1:11 p.m.
Louise Farrenc
Symphony No. 3 in G minor Opus 36
North German Radio Symphony; Johannes Goritzki, conductor
1:44 p.m.
Franz Schubert
Impromptu No. 3 in Gb major Opus 90/3 D 899
Paul Lewis, piano
1:51 p.m.
Franz Von Suppe
Jolly Robbers Overture (Banditenstreiche)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Gustav Kuhn, conductor
2:00 p.m.
Zoltan Kodaly
Peacock Variations
Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, conductor
2:26 p.m.
Chen Peixun
Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake
Lang Lang, piano
2:30 p.m.
Federico Moreno Torroba
Still Water (Remanso)
Los Romeros
2:33 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major BWV 1046
European Brandenburg Ensemble; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
2:53 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO Overture K 384
Tafelmusik; Bruno Weil, conductor
2:59 p.m.
Benjamin Britten
Gloriana: Courtly Dances
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor
3:11 p.m.
Franz Joseph Haydn
Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major HOB VIIb:1
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Neville Marriner, conductor Heinrich Schiff, cello
3:35 p.m.
Cui Shiguang
Mountain Spring
Li Fan, piano
3:41 p.m.
Johan Halvorsen
Entry March of the Boyars
Bergen Philharmonic; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
3:47 p.m.
Manuel de Falla
Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 2
Boston Pops Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler, conductor
3:59 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Piano Sonata No. 1: IV. Finale in C major Opus 1
Norman Krieger, piano
4:08 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 in D major Opus 36
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
4:42 p.m.
Vincenzo Capirola
Renaissance Dances for Lute
Ronn McFarlane, lute
4:47 p.m.
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Chaconne "The Love Doctor" (de l'Amour medecin) Suite
Le Concert des Nations; Jordi Savall, conductor
4:52 p.m.
Franz Strauss
Nocturno for Horn and Piano Opus 7
Peter Landgren, horn; Ann Schein, piano
5:00 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40: I. Molto allegro in G minor K 550
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor
5:08 p.m.
Agustin Barrios
Vals de Primavera
David Russell, guitar
5:12 p.m.
Emmanuel Chabrier
Aubade
Kathryn Stott, piano
5:18 p.m.
Muzio Clementi
Symphony No. 4 in D major WoO 35
Philharmonia Orchestra; Francesco d'Avalos, conductor
5:45 p.m.
Pieter Hellendaal
Concerto Grosso in F major Opus 3/6
Combattimento Consort; Jan Willem de Vriend, conductor
6:00 p.m.
Franz Berwald
Symphony No. 4 in Eb major
San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
6:31 p.m.
Cecile Chaminade
Piano Sonata in C minor Opus 21
Joanne Polk, piano
6:49 p.m.
Hector del Curto
Trace of Time
Apollo Chamber Players Hector del Curto, bandoneon
