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British conductor and impresario Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) was one of the world’s greatest conductors. He brought music to life in ways that very few conductors could. Adored by the musicians who played for him and by his audiences, he pretended in interviews that he was very casual but, in fact, he was intensely devoted to music. In this first program, we’ll hear some of his specialties with music by Berlioz, Delius, Gounod, Massenet and Handel.

German composer Richard Strauss wrote a wide range of music, some charming and some shocking. We’ll hear examples of both in this week’s show with a showpiece for organ and orchestra, two diverse works for winds, an homage to his hometown of Munich, and finally a dramatic scene that’s been described as the most appalling moment in all of opera. It’s one peek into the world of music Strauss composed in his long career.

Five of the world’s greatest conductors came together in Berlin, 1929. In the third of five shows paying tribute to these extraordinary musicians we profile Erich Kleiber. He was a master interpreter and superlative musician. He left a prominent post in Germany in protest of Nazi racial policies and lived in Buenos Aires for years while conducting opera and symphonic concerts wherever he could. After World War II he was embraced and revered as one of the world’s great conductors. We’ll hear his legendary recording of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony which still inspires many decades later.

This show features four great overtures – two French and two Italian – composed between 1823 and 1855. We’ll hear music by Adolph Adam, Gioacchino Rossini, Hector Berlioz, and Giuseppe Verdi in thrilling performances that capture the spirit and majesty of grand opera.

Five of the world’s greatest conductors came together in Berlin, 1929. In the first of five shows paying tribute to these extraordinary musicians we profile Bruno Walter, far left in the photo. Walter was one of the most respected and beloved conductors of the 20th century. A master in both the opera house and the concert stage, we’ll hear music by Brahms, Mozart, and Wagner as only he could conduct it.

Five of the world’s greatest conductors came together in Berlin, 1929. In the second of five shows paying tribute to these extraordinary musicians we profile Arturo Toscanini, second from the left in the photo. Toscanini was a genius conductor and musician, and also perhaps the first superstar in the mass media of his day. His drive for perfection and his intensely committed performances captivated audiences then and now. In this program, we’ll hear some of his most compelling recordings.

We’re just days after Christmas and, in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas, we have a sleigh full of great music from Tchaikovsky to Tiomkin to delight and entertain you. We’ll hear a fabulous recording of music from The Nutcracker, as well as music by Bach, Humperdinck, Rimsky-Korsakov and selections from the immortal film score to “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Beethoven’s 250th birthday occurs days before this show airs, so we devote the entire program to his music. We open with his stirring and noble “Consecration of the House” overture and the main course of our Beethoven buffet is his magnificent Septet in E-flat, Op. 20 in a classic recording by the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. Both recordings show Beethoven at his best, as well as at his most bombastic and most intimate.

Happy 2021! For many decades music lovers have enjoyed the New Year’s concerts from Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic. In this show we have our own Viennese New Year’s extravaganza with sparkling music by the Strauss family Johann (Sr. and II), Eduard, and Josef, and some of the best conductors of this music – Clemens Krauss, Carlos Kleiber, Herbert von Karajan and Willi Boskovsky. It’s a fabulous and fun hour of music.

The favorite composers for Sir Thomas Beecham were Haydn and Mozart. While he could lead enormous Wagner operas with skill and flair, Sir Thomas was fascinated by these great musicians and their perfectly crafted masterpieces. In today’s show we will hear Haydn’s Symphony No. 100, the “Military Symphony,” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, the “Prague” Symphony. We’ll also hear an excerpt from an historic opera recording that Beecham made in Berlin.