Dear Listeners, This week we begin examining the challenges facing
classical music today.  Fred checks in with writer Norman Lebrecht, who's
not shy about voicing controversial opinions, and he also puts the question
to orchestra manager Henry Fogel.  We'll also begin a series exploring
the six symphonies by the remarkable and enigmatic Danish composer Carl
Nielsen.  And on Election Day, our own Rob Kapilow has a take on what
makes the song "America the Beautiful" so great.

Happy listening,


COMING UP ON PERFORMANCE TODAY
NOVEMBER 3rd - NOVEMBER 9th, 2001

KORVA COLEMAN IS HOST

Saturday, NOVEMBER 3rd

Hour 1 -- Dvorak and his protege:  This hour, we'll hear music by both
Czech composer Antonin Dvorak and his student Josef Suk.  Suk fell in love
with Dvorak's daughter the summer he wrote his Serenade for Strings in
E-flat.  We'll hear it played at Clemson University.

Hour 2 -- Joshua Bell plays Brahms:  We'll eavesdrop on a performance this
world class fiddler gave at the Aspen Music Festival.  He's playing Violin
Sonata No.  2 by Johannes Brahms.  Plus, news of the week in review.

Sunday, NOVEMBER 4th

Hour 1 -- Music of the Baroque:  The regal sound of the trumpet from the
ensemble Music of the Baroque.  We'll hear a performance of Telemann's
Suite for Orchestra in D major, known as "The Trumpet." Plus, more baroque
delicacies in concert from the ensemble Rebel and the Philharmonia Baroque
Orchestra.

Hour 2 -- Performance Today Piano Showcase:  The star-crossed lovers, Romeo
and Juliet, are the subject of music by Sergei Prokofiev.  We'll visit
pianist Valery Kuleshov in concert in Miami, playing selections from
Prokofiev's Ten Pieces from "Romeo and Juliet."

FRED CHILD IS HOST

Monday, NOVEMBER 5th

Hour 1 -- The ultimate CD buying experience!  Commentator Steve Metcalf
has so much fun shopping for classical CDs at mall stores, why should he
mind the lackadaisical service, poor stock, and lack of organization?

Plus, rarely heard music by American composer John Alden Carpenter,
including a piece he called "Adventures in a Perambulator."

Hour 2 -- The OTHER Water Music:  Handel wrote the "Water Music" we hear
all the time, but we have "Water Music" by his contemporary, Georg Philipp
Telemann.  Our performance comes from Music of the Baroque in Chicago.
We'll also head to Atlanta to hear pianist Andras Schiff play selections
from the first book of Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier."

Tuesday, NOVEMBER 6th

Hour 1 -- What Makes "America the Beautiful" So Great?:  Pianist, composer
and conductor Robert Kapilow joins Fred to explore why this simple and
direct song has the ability to touch us so deeply.

Hour 2 -- Coming to Terms with that gaping blank space in a piece of music:
Our classical music jargon buster Miles Hoffman answers a listener's
question about the space a composer leaves for musicians to improvise.
It's called a cadenza.

Wednesday, NOVEMBER 7th

Hour 1 -- Are CDs obsolete? The author of "Who Killed Classical Music," the
spirited English writer Norman Lebrecht makes a case that the classical
record industry will soon be a thing of the past.

Hour 2 -- Nielsen Symphony Series: Today, we'll begin a six-week series
exploring the original and idiosyncratic symphonies of Danish composer Carl
Nielsen.  Music writer Michael Steinberg will be our guide, beginning today
with Nielsen's Symphony No. 1.

Thursday, NOVEMBER 8th

Hour 1 -- Are orchestras in trouble?:  This fall, several major North
American orchestras have faced debilitating budget shortfalls.  Fred
asks the President of the Chicago Symphony, Henry Fogel whether this is a
harbinger of a more serious crises to come in the classical music industry.
Fogel is also the President of the Board of the American Symphony Orchestra
League.

Hour 2 -- Basic Mozart:  Ted Libbey, curator of the Performance Today Basic
Record Library, joins Fred in the Mozart wing of our library.  Ted will
recommend must-have recordings of Mozart's Symphony No.  39

Friday, NOVEMBER 9th

Hour 1 -- Teachout on the New York Phil:  The New York Philharmonic has
recently released a 10-CD boxed set celebrating Kurt Masur's 11-year
tenure as the orchestra's music director.  Commentator Terry Teachout has
a review.

Hour 2 -- A selection of recent concert performances from the United States
and abroad.


AND ON THE NEW PERFORMANCE TODAY WEBSITE:  Listen to Midori in NPR's Studio
4A and view our exclusive slide show...  Listen to Royal Brown on film
music by Philip Glass...  Check out what music PT listeners are turning to
for solace and comfort in the wake of recent events....Tell us what music
puts you in the mood for Thanksgiving....Listen to insightful commentary on
Classical music on the web....  Get the latest news on James Levine's new
job...  Order your copy of "Peter and the Wolf:  A Special Report." You'll
find it all at http://www.npr.org/programs/pt

NOTE: SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.  FOR EXACT BROADCAST TIMES, CONTACT
YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO STATION, GO TO OUR WEBSITE, OR CALL PERFORMANCE
TODAY AT (202) 513-2370.

Don Lee
Executive Producer
Performance Today