"Thank you so much for making these wonderful pieces available! I plan on listening to and sharing them all." --Podcast listener
About The Concert
Since 2006, the Gardner Museum's free classical podcast The Concert has made world-class performances recorded live at the museum available to listeners across the globe.
A new program is posted on the 1st and 15th of every month, so check the website often, subscribe to The Concert in iTunes or in any RSS reader to receive automatic updates. You can also download episodes of The Concert here on our site, as well as individual musical tracks by artist and composer through our online music library.
Current Episode
Episode 166: Roots
Songs for piano trio and string trio by the Claremont Trio and Musicians from Ravinia's Steans Institute.
- Gabriela Frank: Folk Songs for Piano Trio
- Ernő Dohnányi: Serenade Op. 10 (String Trio)
We are all, in one way or another, a product of the culture into which we are born. This week’s podcast features music by two composers who built on those roots.
We’ll begin with a recording of the Claremont Trio performing a new work, a piece commissioned for the opening season at the Gardner’s new Calderwood Hall. Simply titled "Folk Songs for Piano Trio", the piece was written by Gabriela Lena Frank. Born in Berkeley, California, to a mother of mixed Peruvian/Chinese ancestry and a father of Lithuanian/Jewish descent, Frank is deeply interested in identity and culture. In this piece, she was especially inspired by her mother’s Peruvian heritage; the composer describes it as “a series of snapshots of Andean life.” It’s a wonderfully imaginative, engaging work, and one that the Claremont Trio--for whom it was written---will no doubt long enjoy playing.
Next, we have another trio, this one Dohnanyi’s Serenade for String Trio, performed by Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. Dohnanyi was vitally important to musical life in his native Hungary, sand in this string trio, it is easy to detect the distinct influence of Hungarian folk music, particularly in the first and final movements.
Before our trip to Hungary, though, we’ll begin in the Andes, with Frank’s "Folk Songs for Piano Trio."
Sharing
You are free to share and reproduce any of the Gardner’s audio files and pass this great classical music along to your friends and family. We only ask that you let people know where you found it, and don’t alter the recording or use it commercially. Visit Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Acknowledgements
We’d like to thank the following individuals and institutions, whose help and support have made this project possible:
- The musicians, without whose artistry, vision, and support we would not have been able to create this podcast.
- The Berkman Center for their legal expertise in the complex and fascinating world of digital intellectual property.
- Liberated Syndication for hosting our podcast.
- Our talented recording engineer, Tom Stephenson of Emmanuel Recording.
We welcome your comments and suggestions! Email us at podcast@isgm.org.
Want More Music from the Gardner Museum?
Visit and Discover