The three main works on tonight's broadcast are "programmatic" works, that is, they are purely instrumental but attempt to 'tell a story' (Sensemaya) or convey a particular time and place (Lt. Kije).
The 2nd Symphony has a melody or two that was borrowed and used in a couple of 'pop' tunes from the 1970s...listen for them.
The dictator of the Soviet Union was a music lover who enjoyed special privileges.
University of Illinois Chamber Orchestra brings you works from Haydn, Beethoven and Prokofiev.
Szymanowski's "First Violin Concerto" is getting more recognition as a work that deserves to be regularly heard by concert audiences. Benedetti makes a compelling case for that.
