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

Andante Spianato & Grand Polonaise in E flat, Op. 22

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Jon Nakamatsu

Label

Harmonia Mundi

Catalog Number

907218

Today's Playlist

6:55am Valse fantastique from Raymonda, Op. 57

Composed by

Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)

Performed by

London Symphony/Butt

7:00am Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor

Composed by

Otto Nicolai (1810-1849)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Boskovsky

7:11am For the Whole World

Composed by

Joseph Hellmesberger II (1855-1907)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Thielemann

7:19am In a Summer Garden, a Rhapsody

Composed by

Frederick Delius (1862-1934)

Performed by

Welsh National Opera Orchestra/MacKerras

7:35am Symphony No. 5 in G

Composed by

Jiri Benda (1722-1795)

Performed by

Salieri Chamber Orchestra/Pal

7:48am Hebrides Overture, Op. 26

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

London Symphony/Abbado

8:00am Spanish Dance No. 7, "Valenciana"

Composed by

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

Performed by

Angel & Celedonio Romero

8:08am Trio Sonata No. 3 in E flat

Composed by

George Frideric Handel (attributed)

Performed by

Convivium

8:20am Memory of A Summer Night in Madrid

Composed by

Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)

Performed by

Tchaikovsky Moscow Radio Symphony/Fedoseyev

8:30am Piece in the Form of a Habanera

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

B. Marsalis/English Chamber Orchestra/Litton

8:34am Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15

Composed by

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Performed by

Marc Ponthus

8:51am Music selected by the announcer

9:01am Sonatina in D, D. 384

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Stoltzman/Goode

9:15am Carnival of the Animals

Composed by

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)

Performed by

Roge/Ortiz/London Sinfonietta/Dutoit

9:39am Trio, Op. 24

Composed by

Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955)

Performed by

Nikolov/Phillips/Bensaid

10:01am Symphony No. 092 in G, "Oxford"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Bohm

10:31am Suite in G for 2 Viols

Composed by

Marin Marais (1656-1728)

Performed by

Smithsonian Chamber Players

11:00am Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op. 6 No. 10

Composed by

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

Performed by

Bath Festival Orchestra/Menuhin

11:17am Adagio in G minor

Composed by

Tomaso Albinoni (arr. Remo Giazotto)

Performed by

Capella Istropolitana/Edlinger

11:30am Piano Sonata No. 16 in C, K. 545

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Marc-Andre Hamelin

11:40am String Symphony No. 07 in D minor

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Concerto Cologne

12:01pm Oboe Concerto in C

Composed by

Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754-1812)

Performed by

Mayer/Potsdam Chamber Academy

12:20pm Rossiniana

Composed by

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)

Performed by

Buffalo Philharmonic/Falletta

12:43pm Romantic Waltz No. 3 for Two Pianos

Composed by

Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894)

Performed by

Dosse/Petit

12:50pm Music selected by the announcer

1:01pm Ballet de Xerxes

Composed by

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)

Performed by

Aradia Baroque Ensemble/Mallon

1:21pm Trumpet Concerto in E flat

Composed by

Johann Baptist Georg Neruda (1708-1780)

Performed by

Touvron/Prague Chamber Orchestra

1:40pm Holberg Suite, Op. 40

Composed by

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Performed by

Moscow Soloists/Bashmet

2:01pm Guitar Concerto

Composed by

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

Performed by

Isbin/NY Philharmonic/Serebrier

2:21pm Fantasie in F minor, Op. 49

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Gyorgy Cziffra

2:35pm Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 44

Composed by

Max Bruch (1838-1920)

Performed by

Perlman/Israel Philharmonic/Mehta

3:00pm Symphony No. 100 in G, "Military"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood

3:25pm Four entr'actes, Op. 17

Composed by

Norbert Burgmuller (1810-1836)

Performed by

Hofkapelle Stuttgart/Bernius

3:44pm Songs of Dawn, Op. 133

Composed by

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Performed by

Sylviane Deferne

3:59pm Flute Concertino in D, Op. 107

Composed by

Cecile Chaminade (1857-1944)

Performed by

Hutchins/CBC Vancouver Orchestra/Bernardi

4:08pm Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Elaine Greenfield

4:14pm Suite from The Fairy Queen

Composed by

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Performed by

Canadian Brass

4:28pm Finlandia, Op. 26

Composed by

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Performed by

Swedish Radio Symphony/Salonen

4:37pm Waltz from Act I, Swan Lake, Op. 20

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

Cincinnati Pops/Kunzel

4:45pm In Bohemia

Composed by

Mily Balakirev (1837-1910)

Performed by

Singapore Symphony/Hoey

4:59pm Romeo and Juliet Before Parting from Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75

Composed by

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Performed by

Jorge Federico Osorio

5:08pm Overture No. 2 in D

Composed by

Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764)

Performed by

London Baroque/Medlam

5:20pm Impromptu in A flat, D. 935 No. 2

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Ingrid Haebler

5:28pm España Waltz

Composed by

Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915)

Performed by

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

5:35pm Sonata a 3 in B Minor, Op. 1, No. 8

Composed by

Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751)

Performed by

Parnassi Musici

5:43pm Triana from Iberia, Book 2

Composed by

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Performed by

Earl Wild

5:49pm Concertino in E flat for Clarinet & Orchestra, Op. 26

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

Meyer/Dresden State Orchestra/Blomstedt

5:59pm Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

MET Opera Orchestra/Levine

6:04pm Suite from Coppelia

Composed by

Leo Delibes (1836-1891)

Performed by

Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi

6:36pm Piano Trio No. 23 in E flat

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Stern/Rose/Istomin

6:47pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Drop The Needle with Vince Tillona

Performed by

Vince Tillona

7:03pm Drop The Needle with Vince Tillona

7:57pm Variations on "La ci darem la mano," Op. 2

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Ohlsson/Warsaw Philharmonic/Kord

8:18pm Requiem, Op. 89

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Soloists/Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir/Wit

9:57pm Intermezzo

Composed by

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Performed by

Lloyd Webber/Forsberg

10:02pm Ballade for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 19

Composed by

Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

Performed by

Ogdon/Birmingham Symphony/Fremaux

10:17pm Violin Sonata No. 1

Composed by

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)

Performed by

Romanesca

10:30pm Incidental Music from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Cleveland Orchestra/Szell

11:01pm Ricercar a 3 from The Musical Offering, BWV 1079

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Andrew Rangell

11:09pm Paris Quartet No. 4 in B minor, TWV 43:h2

Composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Performed by

Holloway/Brunmater/Duftschmid/Becker/Mortensen

11:28pm Piano Sonata No. 21 in C, Op. 53 "Waldstein"

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Eugene Istomin

11:53pm Music selected by the announcer