'The guy couldn't write a bad tune': A celebration of Saint-Saëns plus an appreciation of Bacewicz

By Dan Margolies,

Published October 19, 2023 at 11:38 AM CDT

Violinist Gil Shaham performs with the Kansas City Symphony in Helzberg Hall, September 2022

This week, co-hosts Michael Stern and Dan Margolies celebrate the birthday of the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. We'll hear his Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring Behzod Abduraimov, his Violin Concerto No. 2 featuring Gil Shaham and his Symphony No. 3 featuring organist Jan Kraybill. Michael and Dan also explore the life and work of Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz and we'll hear her delightful Overture.

An agreement with the Kansas City Symphony allows us to share audio for this program up to four weeks after the program's original air date. You can listen to currently available episodes here.

Hosts

Michael Stern
Dan Margolies

Program

Overture
by Grażyna Bacewicz
Ruth Reinhardt - guest conductor
Live performance, February 2023

Concerto No. 2 in G minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 22
by Camille Saint-Saëns
Behzod Abduraimov - piano
Live performance, October 2013

Concerto No. 3 in B minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61
by Camille Saint-Saëns
Gil Shaham - violin
Live performance, September 2022

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 - Organ Symphony
by Camille Saint-Saëns
Gemma New - guest conductor
Jan Kraybill - organ
Live performance, June 2022