This Week at The Classical Station

(The Nativity by Perugino, c. 1500-1505)

Some say that ever ’gainst that season comes wherein our savior’s birth is celebrated … the nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, no fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, so hallowed and so gracious is that time.

~ William Shakespeare from Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 1

This Week at The Classical Station

by Chrissy Keuper & Mark Schreiner

This Week at The Classical Station is on hiatus until 12 January 2026.

Happy New Year from all of us at The Classical Station!

Tuesday, 23 December 2025

Join George Leef today at 11am ET for his weekly Legendary Performer: French conductor Jean-François Palliard.

Before the 1970s, it was not easy to find concerts or recordings of the Baroque repertory outside of Europe. But when the LP catalog of Jean-François Palliard became available in the United States, everything changed. In particular, his recording of the Canon in D by Pachelbel with a slower tempo that made it nearly twice as long as it had been heard caused a sensation that has never really dissipated.

Monday, December 22

LP on turntable with tone arm and needJJoin Vince Tillona for a special Christmas edition of Drop the Needle. From our vast vinyl collection, Vince has selected recordings of Tchaikovsky, Handel and American colonial composer Charles Theodore Pachelbel (1690-1750), son of Johann Pachelbel of Canon in D fame. The needle drops at 7 p.m. Eastern.

 

script and serif text: Monday Night at the symphonyTonight’s Monday Night at the Symphony features the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Hear violinist Hillary Hahn in two thrilling, back-to-back performances and Nelson Freire’s performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.

 

On this date in the history of classical music:

1962 — Harpist, university professor and president of the Liszt Academy Andrea Vigh was born in Hungary. A unique combination of accomplished instrumentalist and respected academic researcher, Vigh graduated from the Liszt Academy in 1986 as a harpist-professor and musicologist.

As a performer, she has been active with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, has appeared on stage at the Salzburg Festival, and has released 10 solo albums. As an educator, she made a documentary for Hungarian television on the history of the harp and has taught harp at the Liszt Academy. She was appointed president of the academy in 2013.

Now Playing

Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 "Scottish"

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Israel Philharmonic/Bernstein

Label

DG

Catalog Number

289

Today's Playlist

2:40pm Rhapsodie

Composed by

Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975)

Performed by

Yolanda Kondonassis

2:50pm Piano Sonata No. 40 in G, Hob. XVI:40

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Marc-Andre Hamelin

3:01pm Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 11

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

Frith/RTE Sinfonietta/O'Duinn

3:23pm Octet for Winds, Op. 103

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Marlboro Festival Octet/Moyse

3:46pm Fantasia in C minor, K. 475

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Alfred Brendel

4:00pm Spanish Dance No. 5, "Andalusia"

Composed by

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

Performed by

Perlman/Sanders

4:05pm Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 4 No. 4

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Spivakov/Moscow Virtuosi

4:15pm The Moldau from Ma Vlast (My Fatherland)

Composed by

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Performed by

London Symphony/Dorati

4:30pm Waltz from Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

4:36pm Symphony No. 3 in A

Composed by

Samuel Wesley (1766-1837)

Performed by

Milton Keynes Chamber Orchestra/Wetton

4:52pm Pas de deux & Variations

Composed by

Riccardo Drigo (1846-1930)

Performed by

London Festival Ballet/Kern

5:00pm 4th mvt (Allegretto grazioso) from Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, Op.83

Composed by

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Performed by

Pollini/Berlin Philharmonic/Abbado

5:10pm Overture to Il Signor Bruschino

Composed by

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Performed by

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

5:16pm Slavonic Dance in F, Op. 46 No. 4

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Philharmonia/Davis

5:25pm Canzon IX

Composed by

Giovanni Gabrieli ( c. 1554/1557 – 1612)

Performed by

Empire Brass and Friends

5:29pm Danube Waves (a waltz)

Composed by

Ion Ivanovici (1845-1902)

Performed by

Orchestra of the Vienna People's Opera/Bauer-Theussl

5:37pm Malagueña

Composed by

Celedonio Romero (1913-1996)

Performed by

P. Romero

5:43pm Le Tombeau de Couperin

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Montreal Symphony/Dutoit

6:00pm Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Pletnev/Berlin Philarmonic/Abbado

6:24pm Cantilena from Concerto Antico for Guitar & Small Orchestra

Composed by

Richard Harvey (b.1953)

Performed by

Williams/London Symphony/Daniel

6:35pm Berceuse

Composed by

Jack Gallagher (b.1947)

Performed by

London Symphony/Falletta

6:42pm I Giorni (translation: The Days)

Composed by

Ludovico Einaudi (b.1955)

Performed by

Dubeau/La Pieta

6:48pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Clarinet Quintet in A, K. 581

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Meyer/Philharmonia Quartet Berlin

7:37pm Carmen Suite No. 2

Composed by

Georges Bizet (1838–1875)

Performed by

Mexico City Philharmonic/Batiz

8:01pm Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, Op. 83

Composed by

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Performed by

Pollini/Vienna Philharmonic/Abbado

8:50pm Romance for Flute and Orchestra in D flat, Op. 37

Composed by

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)

Performed by

Hutchins/CBC Vancouver Orchestra/Bernardi

8:58pm Marche slave, Op. 31

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

Israel Philharmonic/Bernstein

9:09pm Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

9:40pm Fantasia in C, D. 760 "Wanderer Fantasy"

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)/orchestrated by Franz Liszt

Performed by

Wallisch/Vienna Academy Orchestra/Haselbock

10:02pm Prelude to Act 1 from Parsifal

Composed by

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Performed by

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Nelsons

10:16pm Symphony No. 5, Op. 107 "Reformation"

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Nezet-Seguin

10:49pm Piano Sonata No. 37 in D, Hob. XVI:37

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Marc-Andre Hamelin

11:02pm Suite Compostelana

Composed by

Federico Mompou (1893-1987)

Performed by

Julian Bream

11:22pm Dream Pantomime from Hansel and Gretel

Composed by

Engelburt Humperdinck (1854-1921)

Performed by

Boston Pops/Fiedler

11:33pm Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, BWV 1047

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Capriccio Italiano/Alessandrini

11:45pm Music selected by the announcer