Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, the Baroque Viol, and more on WETA Classical this week

Do you love the mysterious and lesser-known? Don't miss a historically informed concert of baroque music by composers you may have never heard before on Front Row Washington! Praised as “remarkable” and “superb” by the New Yorker, Sonnambula is a historically informed ensemble that performs unknown music for various combinations of early instruments with the lush sound of the viol at the core. Monday at 9PM ET.

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This week on Classical Breakdown we go on a journey through time with the Fantasy genre... elusive, evocative, and sometimes virtuosic music that’s captured our imaginations for centuries. Join John Banther and Evan Keely and discovery the fascinating history of this genre that unleashed many composers' imaginations.

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​Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday is April 1st, and April’s NSO Showcase celebrates in a big way, with the composer’s towering masterpiece, the Piano Concerto No.3. This performance from November 2018 had Kennedy Center audiences and critics cheering. It was a double NSO debut—for Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto (Musical America named him Conductor of the Year the following year) and pianist Denis Kozhukhin, winner of the 2010 Queen Elisabeth Competition. Reviewers raved about a superb, breathtaking performance. As The Washington Post wrote: “What Kozhukhin offers is a 21st-century take on Russian fireworks, dazzling and strong yet emphasizing musicality over circus tricks, even in the astonishing cadenza.” Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony and The Block by Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon round out the program. Wednesday at 9PM ET.

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This Easter Sunday on Choral Showcase, we'll take in a performance of Gustav Mahler's "Resurrection" symphony, the Symphony No. 2, with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and soloists. There is no more powerful evocation of the resurrection than this masterpiece by Mahler. Sunday at 9PM ET.

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Opera Matinee presents the iconic Tosca. Puccini's dramatic thriller of love between an artist and a singer torn apart by cruelty and jealousy, set to gorgeous music and stirring choral moments. This production features renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu in the title role, led by Domingo Hindoyan. Saturday at 1PM ET.

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Center Stage from Wolf Trap concludes an exciting season with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, presenting an exciting program from Mozart to Gershwin, including Rhapsody in Blue for piano, four hands. Join us for the electrifying evening in this intimate setting. Saturday at 9PM ET.

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GRAMMY-nominated violinist and From the Top Co-Host / Creative Tessa Lark joins Peter Dugan and a cohort of extraordinary teenage musicians in this episode. A 15-year-old violinist gets a coaching from Tessa and we hear performances of Bach, Chopin, Dvorák and more.

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These early Spring mornings are a joy with singing birds and budding green everywhere we look. Classical Sunrise brings the joy to a whole new level with perfectly paired music for the sunrise. This week's offerings:

• Monday 6:51AM Rachmaninoff - Étude-tableau in E-flat major, Op. 33 No. 6
• Tuesday 6:49AM Hummel - Piano Trio, Op. 35: III. Rondo. Vivace
• Wendesday 6:48AM Mozart - Horn Concerto No. 4: Rondo. Allegro vivace
• Thursday 6:46AM Beethoven - Symphony No. 1: III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace
• Friday 6:44AM Schumann - Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish": I. Lebhaft

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