By Scott Yoo
The host of Now Hear This and Mexico City Philharmonic music director shares some of his favorite pieces by the composers spotlighted in the fourth series of the critically acclaimed classical music series, Now Hear This.
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Now Hear This, Series 4 premieres Fridays in April 2023 on PBS, pbs.org/nowhearthis, and the PBS App.
Astor Piazzolla – Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Astor Piazzolla
I’ve listened to this so many times, I’ve nearly memorized every little scratch, every effect, every nuance, all of which add up to perfection. We violinists have appropriated this for use as a violin piece, but really nobody can match the charisma and sheer energy of Piazzolla himself.
Astor Piazzolla – Muerte del Ángel
Quinteto Revolucionario
One of my Piazzolla favorites, performed some of the greatest tango players in the world. Check out the searing virtuosity of Lautaro Greco–the apparition of Piazzolla himself—on the bandoneon. Truly hair-raising.
Diego Schissi – Riel
Diego Schissi Quinteto
I had the privilege of meeting this modern-day genius and tango composer in my visit to Buenos Aires. Diego stretches the boundaries of what exactly tango is. All of the tracks on this superbly recorded album are truly worth listening to.
Anibal Troilo – Tinta Roja
Anibal Troilo, Francisco Fiorentino
Piazzolla wouldn’t be Piazzolla without playing in Troilo’s orquesta típica in the 1940s. A measure of Troilo’s importance to Argentina: His birthday was declared “National Bandoneón Day” by the Argentinian Congress.
Schumann – Piano Quartet in E-flat major, op. 47
Emanuel Ax/Isaac Stern/Jaime Laredo/Yo Yo Ma
My favorite Schumann chamber music—and maybe one of my favorite pieces of chamber music by any composer. The third movement, in simple song form, gives each instrument a chance to shine. The last iteration of the tune, for my money, is the only reason one needs to learn the cello.
Schumann – Carnaval, op. 9
Arthur Rubinstein
How Schumann could create 22 completely different short pieces of music based on the musical notes A, E-flat, C, and B are a testament to the staggering genius that was Robert Schumann. Some of the movements refer to Schumann’s friends. One movement is entitled “Chopin”, another, “Paganini.” Two others are “Florestan” and “Eusebius”, referring to the volatile and calm poles of Schumann’s mood swings. Rubenstein’s is the recording I grew up with as a child, and it is a good one!
Schumann – Fantasiestúcke, op. 73
Jacqueline du Pré/Gerald Moore
This clarinet and piano piece is often performed by cellists—and no recording is finer than this with Jacqueline du Pré with Gerald Moore, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s long time lieder partner. This is one of du Pré’s first recordings at the tender age of 18—and it is easy to see why we still revere her today even though her career was cut short before she turned 30.
Schumann – Cello Concerto in a, op. 129
Bion Tsang/Scott Yoo/Royal Scottish National Orchestra
One of Schumann’s last pieces, the Cello Concerto was completed in a flurry of activity in 1850. He would never hear it performed in his lifetime. Cellist Bion Tsang uses a new edition of the concerto with an alternate ending in this new release, recorded in 2022.
Akiho – Seven Pillars
Sandbox Percussion Quartet
Andy Akiho’s magnum opus, Seven Pillars, is the culmination of an eight-year collaboration between Andy Akiho and Sandbox Percussion. It was premiered at Emerald City Music in Seattle, and is a 2022 Pulitzer Prize Finalist.
Akiho – Deciduous
Kristin Lee/Andy Akiho
Commissioned by violinist Kristin Lee, “Deciduous” features Andy Akiho both as composer and as a virtuoso steel pan player. This piece is fiendishly difficult for both instruments but played effortlessly by both performers in this wonderful recording.
Akiho – Red
Andy Akiho Ensemble
This piece is a great reflection of Andy’s versatility—it appears on Now Hear This as a trio for bass, drums, and steel pan, but can be played with a small orchestra, or by solo steel pan.
Akiho – Particle Of
Erika Dohi
A fascinating piece that blurs the line between acoustic and electronic music. This toccata is written for both electronics and prepared piano— a piano that has various implements (coins, cloth, etc.) inserted into the strings in order to change the sound of the instrument. One of my favorite pieces of Andy’s.
Albéniz – Granada
Manuel Barrueco
Albéniz wrote nearly exclusively for the piano, but that did not stop guitarists from appropriating his catalog of works for their own performances. “Granada,” from Albéniz’s suite “española,” is heavily influenced by the Moors and their magnificent Alhambra.
Albéniz – Asturias
Alicia de Larrocha
Another movement from the suite “española,” but this time performed on the piano by the late Spanish virtuoso, Alicia de Larrocha.
Albéniz, arr. Kreisler – Tango (from España, op. 165)
Itzhak Perlman/Samuel Sanders
A violinist’s only opportunity to perform anything by Albéniz, thanks to the genius of Fritz Kreisler, one of the true giants in the history of the violin. This recording is performed by another giant of the violin, Itzhak Perlman, in his famous recording of Kreisler encores with Samuel Sanders.