This episode begins with a Tchaikovsky work, Souvenir de Florence, heard at the Salzburg Festival this summer. There are other “souvenirs” from the festival too—by Mozart, Scriabin, et al. And the variety of performers is gratifying.

Tchaikovsky, Sextet in D minor (“Souvenir de Florence”)

Handel, “Vivi, tiranno! Io t’ho scampato,” from “Rodelinda”

Scriabin, Poème in F-sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 1

Mozart, “Dalla sua pace,” from “Don Giovanni”

Mompou, “Secret Bird” from “Intimate Impressions”

Huang Tzu, “Flower in the Mist”

Mozart, “Chi in Dio solo spera,” from “David penitente”

Jay offers a personal appreciation of Rodion Shchedrin (1932–2025).

Bizet-Shchedrin, “Changing of the Guard,” from “Carmen Suite”

Bizet-Shchedrin, “Bolero,” from “Carmen Suite”

Rachmaninoff, Prelude in G-sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12

Shchedrin, “Humoresque”

Shchedrin, Piano Concerto No. 1, Scherzo-toccata

Tchaikovsky, “Miniature overture,” from “The Nutcracker”

Shchedrin, Chamber Suite, Finale

In recent days, the music world—classical and popular—has lost Alfred Brendel and Brian Wilson. Jay pays due tribute. He has other selections as well—beginning with a summer song, refreshing on a hot day, or any.

Berlioz, “Villanelle,” from “Les nuits d’été”

Mozart, Piano Sonata in E flat, K. 282, third movement

Schubert, “Moments musicaux” No. 3

Liszt, “Eclogue,” from “Years of Pilgrimage: Year One: Switzerland”

Trad., “Do, Lawd, Oh, Do, Lawd”

Trad., “Walk Together, Children”

Wilson-Love, arr., Chilcott, “Good Vibrations”

Ricky Ian Gordon has written a cycle of songs about flowers. In this episode, we hear one of them. Rachmaninoff wrote a song called “Lilacs.” We hear that, too. Bach opens his Goldberg Variations with an aria (and closes the work with that same aria). Tchaikovsky’s wrote a couple of blockbuster arias in The Queen of Spades. And on we go.

Gordon, “We should not mind so small a flower”

Rachmaninoff, “Lilacs”

Bach, Goldberg Variations

Tchaikovsky, Lisa’s Aria from Act III of “The Queen of Spades”

Tchaikovsky, Prince Yeletsky’s Aria, Act II, “The Queen of Spades”

Tchaikovsky, “It was in early spring”

Shostakovich, Prelude in D-flat major

Bach-Kempff, Siciliano

Have you ever heard Contemplazione, a piece for orchestra by Catalani, the composer of La Wally? Have you ever heard “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”—but arranged for piano? These are two of the offerings in this eclectic, stimulating program.

Catalani, “Contemplazione”

Catalani, “Ebben? Ne andró lontana,” from “La Wally”

Stravinsky, “Le Baiser de la fée”

Shchedrin, “Changing of the Guard” from “Carmen Suite”

Fauré, Pavane

Churchill-Walford, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”

Tveitt, “Sonata etere”

Sibelius, “Was It a Dream?”

Weill, “My Ship”

This year marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth. So we have been hearing a lot of him. Jay plays two pieces by him—two of his best, and most typical. There are also Spanish songs, by Obradors and Rodrigo. Some Schumann, some Vaughan Williams, and so on. Plus several stories—personal ones. An enriching, smile-making program.

Obradors, “Del cabello más sutil”

Rodrigo, “De ronda”

Bernstein, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano

Beethoven, “Leonore” Overture No. 3

Vaughan Williams, “Linden Lea”

Ravel, “Pavane for a Dead Princess”

Schumann, Sonata in D minor for Piano and Violin

Handel, “Son nata a lagrimar,” from “Giulio Cesare”

Ravel, “The Fairy Garden” from the “Mother Goose” Suite

This is Episode No. 100 of “Music for a While.” To mark the occasion, Jay presents music associated with that number: 100. So, we can consider this a centennial celebration.

Bach, “Darum wir billig loben dich,” from the Cantata BVW 130

Dvořák, Scherzo from Sonatina for Violin and Piano, Op. 100

Bach, “Er ist mein Licht, mein Leben,” from the Cantata BVW 100

Haydn, Presto, from Symphony No. 100 in G major, “Military”

Beethoven, “Merkenstein”

Prokofiev, Allegro marcato, from Symphony No. 5

Mozart, Serenade No. 1 in D

Brahms, Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in A major

Schumann, “The Bride of Messina,” Overture in C minor

Shostakovich, “Little Stars” from “Spanish Songs”

arr. Vaughan Williams, “Old Hundredth Psalm”

On March 19, Friends of The New Criterion gathered in New York to hear a conversation between the New Criterion contributors D. J. Taylor and Dominic Green on the question “What would Orwell do?”

An appetizing, eclectic program. Charity is represented by a sturdy American song: “If I Can Help Somebody.” Malice is represented by a movement from Walton’s Symphony No. 1, marked “Presto con malizia.” Much to listen to and absorb.

Shostakovich, “A Spin through Moscow” from “Moscow, Cheryomushko”

Fauré, “Clair de lune”

Beethoven, “Abscheulicher!,” from “Fidelio”

Walton, Symphony No. 1, Scherzo: Presto con malizia

Ruby (?), “I’m Against It”

Hoiby, “Winter Song”

Hoiby, “There came a wind like a bugle”

Androzzo, “If I Can Help Somebody”

Gubaidulina, “Glorious Percussion”

This episode begins with Pärt’s “Hymn to a Great City.” (That would be New York.) Elsewhere, there are songs, setting Langston Hughes and Mark Van Doren. Oscar Peterson plays a pop song, adding various musical ingredients. Finally, there is a tribute to Edith Mathis, the Swiss soprano, who has died at eighty-seven. Much to listen to, and maybe even think about.

Pärt, “Hymn to a Great City”

Wheeler, “If I Had a Wife”

Tchaikovsky/Wild, Pas de quatre (“Dance of the Cygnets”) from “Swan Lake”

Bonds, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”

Prokofiev, Sonata for Solo Violin

Modugno, “Volare”

Wood & Mellin, “My One and Only Love”

Bach, “Alleluja” from “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen”