The ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award winning program Between the Keys presents the fourth episode in an unprecedented seven part mini-series, where The Classical Network’s Artist-in-Residence Jed Distler takes listeners on a journey through all of Chopin’s Mazurkas.
Going in order, Jed offers at least two performances for each of the so-called “Standard” 51 Mazurkas with a different pianist, and without ever repeating a pianist over the course of seven programs. The pianists represent more than a century’s worth of recorded Chopin, from 1902 until 2025. No other repertoire lends itself to such a wide variety of interpretations, as you will readily discover.
We continue with the Mazurka Op. Op. 33 No. 2 in comparative performances from Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Shura Cherkassky. The four Op. 41 Mazurkas are next, featuring Vladimir Sofronitsky, Martha Argerich, William Kapell, Valery Afanassiev, Antonio Barbosa, Youra Guller, Henryk Sztompka and Maryla Jonas. And lastly Op. 50 Nos. 1 & 2, with Lev Oborin, Nelson Freire, Vladimir de Pachmann and Jean-Marc Luisada.
Tune in this Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM for Between the Keys, with the rebroadcast Saturday evening at 6:00 PM, exclusively on The Classical Network and WWFM,org
