For Episode 299 of the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award winning program Between the Keys, The Classical Network’s Artist-in-Residence Jed Distler returns to one of his frequently explored themes, the art of the composer/pianist.
“The composer/pianist tradition is far richer on disc than you’d suspect,” says Distler. “True, we can’t hear Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin or Liszt. But we can hear Rachmaninov, Bartok, Prokofiev and Medtner. And on this particular episode, I go way back to showcase Cécile Chamindae in 1901, and R. Nathaniel Dett in 1919.”
For the most part, however, Distler will embrace a wide scope of 20th and 21st century composer/pianists, including Jessica Krash, Lowell Liebermann, Gregg Kallor, Leonard Pennario, Girma Yifrashewa and Rodion Shchedrin. “I also found a recording of the so-called ‘Bad Boy of Music’ George Antheil playing piano behind the legendary actor Vincent Price reciting John Keats’ ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ in his unique style. How cool is that?”
Tune in this Tuesday March 16th at 10 PM for Between the Keys, with a rebroadcast Wednesday March 17th at noon, exclusively on The Classical Network and WWFM.org.