Listening Guide

Recommended Resources:

Orchestral Listening Guide
Composer Guide

Listening Guide Resources

These Listening Guides reference repertoire the BPO performed during the past 2020-2021 concert season in our BPOnDemand video-streamed series. Even though the BPO performances have expired, we have included links of all program pieces by other great performing groups, so that you may continue to access and use these fun and informative Listening Guides created by BPO double bassist, Jonathan Borden. Happy listening!

Listening Guide #1: A Celebration of the Seasons

COPLAND  Appalachian Spring
JESSIE MONTGOMERY  Starburst
VIVALDI  The Four Seasons

Listening Guide #2: Love & Longing

DVOŘÁK  Serenade for Winds, Cello and Bass in D minor, Op. 44
BACH  Concerto No. 1 in D minor for Clavier and String Orchestra, BWV 1052
GRIEG  Holberg Suite, Op. 40

Listening Guide #3: Tartan & Tango

PIAZZOLLA  Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
PUCCINI  Crisantemi
BANTOCK  Celtic Symphony

Listening Guide #4: A String Serenade

ELGAR  Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra, Op. 47
HANDEL  Concerto in B-flat major for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 4, No. 6
WALKER  Lyric for Strings
BACH  Suite No. 3 in D major for Orchestra, BWV 1068

Listening Guide #5: Bach, Beethoven & Beyond

BACH  Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
STRAVINSKY  Dumbarton Oaks
BEETHOVEN  Septet
ROBERT MERFELD  Suite for Solo Viola

Listening Guide #6: Classical Christmas

VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS/Greaves Fantasia on Greensleeves
CORELLI Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 8, “Christmas Concerto”
HANDEL Selections from The Messiah: Comfort Ye, Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted
VIVALDI Concerto in B minor for Four Violins, Cello, and Orchestra, R.580
WELLS & TORME/Simmons The Christmas Song
RESPIGHI “The Adoration of the Magi” from Trittico Botticelliano
ADAM/Naughtin O Holy Night
MARTIN & BLANE/Simmons Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
arr. Naughtin We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Listening Guide #7: From the Heart of the Orchestra

BEETHOVEN Sextet, Op. 81b
MENDELSSOHN Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20
PROKOFIEV Quintet in G minor, Op. 39

Listening Guide #8: Mozart & Tchaikovsky

AARON JAY KERNIS Musica Celestis
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major
TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings in C major

Listening Guide #9: Dreams, Dances & Variations

ELLEN TAAFFE ZWILICH Prologue and Variations
BOLOGNE de SAINT-GEORGES Violin Concerto No. 9
DEBUSSY Danses sacrée et danse profane
MOZART Symphony No. 29 in A major

Listening Guide #10: JoAnn Falletta Conducts Haydn

ARENSKY Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky
SHOSTAKOVICH Chamber Symphony for Strings in C minor
HAYDN Symphony No. 44 in E minor, “Trauer”

Listening Guide #11: Beethoven & Strauss

TURINA  La Oración del Torero (“The Bullfighter’s Prayer”)
R. STRAUSS  Metamorphosen
BEETHOVEN  Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major

Listening Guide #12: Handel & Mozart

HANDEL Concerto Grosso in C major (“Alexander’s Feast”), HWV 318
KAY Pietà
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major
IBERT Divertissement

Listening Guide #13: 20th Century Titans

BARLOW  The Winter’s Past
BERNSTEIN  Serenade
RESPIGHI  Botticelli Triptych (Trittico Botticelliano)

Listening Guide #14: Superb Shostakovich

ERNESTO CORDERO Ínsula Tropical for violin and string orchestra
I. Yerba Bruja
II. Jájome (Meditación)
III. Fantasía Salsera
IV. El colibrí dorado
SHOSTAKOVICH Concerto No. 1 in C minor for Piano, Trumpet & Strings, Op. 35
SUK Serenade in E-flat major

Listening Guide Resources

COPLAND Appalachian Spring JESSIE MONTGOMERY Starburst VIVALDI The Four Seasons

DVOŘÁK Serenade for Winds, Cello and Bass in D minor, Op. 44 BACH Concerto No. 1 in D minor for Clavier and String Orchestra, BWV 1052 GRIEG Holberg Suite, Op. 40

PIAZZOLLA Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) PUCCINI Crisantemi BANTOCK Celtic Symphony

ELGAR Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra, Op. 47 HANDEL Concerto in B-flat major for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 4, No. 6 WALKER Lyric for Strings BACH Suite No. 3 in D major for Orchestra, BWV 1068

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 STRAVINSKY Dumbarton Oaks BEETHOVEN Septet ROBERT MERFELD Suite for Solo Viola

BEETHOVEN Sextet, Op. 81b MENDELSSOHN Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20 PROKOFIEV Quintet in G minor, Op. 39

AARON JAY KERNIS Musica Celestis MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings in C major

ELLEN TAAFFE ZWILICH Prologue and Variations BOLOGNE de SAINT-GEORGES Violin Concerto No. 9 DEBUSSY Danses sacrée et danse profane MOZART Symphony No. 29 in A major

ARENSKY Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky SHOSTAKOVICH Chamber Symphony for Strings in C minor HAYDN Symphony No. 44 in E minor, “Trauer”

TURINA La Oración del Torero (“The Bullfighter’s Prayer”) R. STRAUSS Metamorphosen BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major

HANDEL Concerto Grosso in C major (“Alexander’s Feast”), HWV 318 KAY Pietà MOZART Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major IBERT Divertissement

BARLOW The Winter’s Past BERNSTEIN Serenade RESPIGHI Botticelli Triptych (Trittico Botticelliano)

ERNESTO CORDERO Ínsula Tropical for violin and string orchestra I. Yerba Bruja II. Jájome (Meditación) III. Fantasía Salsera IV. El colibrí dorado SHOSTAKOVICH Concerto No. 1 in C minor for Piano, Trumpet & Strings, Op. 35 SUK Serenade in E-flat major

COPLAND Appalachian Spring
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Starburst
VIVALDI The Four Seasons

DVOŘÁK Serenade for Winds, Cello and Bass in D minor, Op. 44
BACH Concerto No. 1 in D minor for Clavier and String Orchestra, BWV 1052
GRIEG Holberg Suite, Op. 40

PIAZZOLLA Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
PUCCINI Crisantemi
BANTOCK Celtic Symphony

ELGAR Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra, Op. 47
HANDEL Concerto in B-flat major for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 4, No. 6
WALKER Lyric for Strings
BACH Suite No. 3 in D major for Orchestra, BWV 1068

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
STRAVINSKY Dumbarton Oaks
BEETHOVEN Septet
ROBERT MERFELD Suite for Solo Viola