This past September, Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Musical Arts Series opened its 43rd season at the Fine Arts Recital Hall with guest tenor Jonathan Yarrington and University pianist Kate Stubbs presenting Die Winterreise, the cycle of 24 songs filled with longing and loneliness, an extraordinary depiction of a winter’s journey written by Franz Schubert for voice and piano towards the end of his tragically short life. This outstanding performance is the first of three we’ll revisit today on this special program marking the start of 2017! From the 2012 OK Mozart International Festival we’ll hear duo pianists Orion Weiss and Anna Polonsky play Schubert’s Variations on an Original Theme for piano four hands, the highly expressive work reflecting a Schubert in love and his deep reverence for Beethoven. And from the 2010 Festival, soprano Susanna Phillips, clarinetist David Shifrin and pianist Amy Jiaqi Yang offer the composer’s beloved Der Hirt auf dem Felson, The Shepherd on the Rock, Schubert's final published work beautifully illustrating his efforts to bring together both northern and southern European sensibilities in a work showing the influence of opera and Italian musical style.
This program airs Saturday, January 7th, 8pm on Classical 88.7 HD-1.