COMING UP ON NPR's PERFORMANCE TODAY MARCH 20 -- MARCH 29, 1999 Saturday, MARCH 20 Hour 1-- Milestones of the Millennium--Nationalism and Music: We continue our countdown to the year 2001 with the ninth installment of PT's "Milestones of the Millennium." Today guest commentator Frederick Starr talks about musical nationalism--a 19th century movement in which composers celebrated their heritage by infusing their music with folk and other idioms unique to their countries--and how it served as a bridge between the music of the 18th and 20th centuries. Hour 2 -- And the Winner Should Be...: Film scholar Royal Brown talks about the scores that are vying for the Oscar on Sunday evening, including the soundtracks from "Elizabeth," "Life is Beautiful," "Shakespeare in Love," "The Thin Red Line," and "Saving Private Ryan." Sunday, MARCH 21 Hour 1-- Happy Birthday, Bach: We'll celebrate Johann Sebastian Bach's 314th birthday with an hour of his music, including a performance by pianist Angela Hewitt: She plays the monumental Goldberg Variations and "Jesu, Joy of Mans Desiring," from a concert earlier this month at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Hour 2-- Basic Vaughan Williams: PT critic Ted Libbey joins Martin for their weekly visit to the PT Basic Record Library. Today Ted recommends three outstanding recordings of another 20th century composition, the Symphony No. 4 by Ralph Vaughan Williams COMING UP ON NPR's PERFORMANCE TODAY MARCH 22--MARCH 29, 1999 LISA SIMEONE IS HOST Monday, MARCH 22 Hour 1-- McDuffie's memory slip: Violinist and periodic PT commentator Robert McDuffie entertains us and his audience in Santa Rosa, California with stories about recitals gone wrong. We'll also hear McDuffie in some music made right: by Kreisler, Paganini, Lehar, and others. Hour 2-- The Russians play Rachmaninoff: From a February 1999 concert in West Palm Beach, Florida, conductor Valery Polvansky and the Russian State Symphony offer a rare uncut performance of the Symphony No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Tuesday, MARCH 23 Hour 1-- The Original Spice Girls: PT commentator Tina Chancey talks about the Concerto Delle Donne, a 16th-century all-girl singing group that was stronger on looks than on talent, and compares their fame with that of today's Spice Girls. Hour 2-- Coming to Terms with cadenzas: In response to a listener's question, PT commentator Miles Hoffman joins Lisa to talk about the cadenza and how the tradition of playing a cadenza at the end of a piece was born. Wednesday, MARCH 24 hour 1-- Milestones of the Millennium--Mozart's Last Year: We continue our countdown to the year 2001 with the eleventh installment of PT's "Milestones of the Millennium" series. Today Lisa Simeone and guest commentator Neil Zaslaw, a Cornell University music professor and co-editor of the book "The Compleat Mozart," focus on the last year of Mozart's life, 1791, during which he composed some of his greatest works, including "The Magic Flute" and the unfinished Requiem. Hour 2-- The Boston Romantics: We'll survey the music of a fascinating series at the New England Conservatory in Boston examining works by American composers George Chadwick, John Knowles Paine, and more. Thursday, MARCH 25 Hour 1-- The Perils of Perfect Pitch: Music critic and PT commentator Steve Metcalf explains how perfect pitch can sometimes be a curse to the person who has it. Hour 2-- Basic Ravel: PT critic Ted Libbey joins Lisa for a visit to the 20th century wing PT Basic Record Library. Today Ted recommends three outstanding recordings of Maurice Ravel's ballet "Daphnis et Chloe." Friday, MARCH 26 Hour 1-- TBA Hour 2-- Live in Studio 4A--the New Century Saxophone Quartet: Lisa welcomes the members of the New Century Saxophone Quartet to NPR's Studio 4A for an hour of conversation and performances of music by Mozart, Gershwin and David Ott. Monday, MARCH 29 Hour 1--Quartetto Gelato gets a new flavor: Lisa Simeone welcomes back to NPR's Studio 4-A the popular Canadian foursome Quartetto Gelato, boasting a new accordion player and lots of new repertory. Hour 2-- American Orchestras: The Baltimore Symphony. David Zinman conducts the Batimoreans and guest pianist Radu Lupu in a stirring performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. FOR MORE PROGRAM INFORMATION, COME AND BROWSE PERFORMANCE TODAY'S WEB PAGE: http://www.npr.org/programs/pt ***NOTE: SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR EXACT BROADCAST TIMES, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO STATION OR CALL PERFORMANCE TODAY AT (202) 414-2370.