From Don Juan to the Orient

The Shanghai String Quartet and the Silk Road Ensemble refresh our sonic palate with exotica from the Orient. More conventional fare includes Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 1, Beethoven's Symphony No. 4, the Ravel "Sonatine," and an arrangement of Brahm's Clarinet Quintet for viola and string orchestra by Juri Bashmet. A reminder to those who find arrangements anathema: Brahms himself suggested the viola as a replacement for the clarinet.
» Evening Music playlist
Additional Resources:
» Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
» The Silk Road Project website
» Eurasianet: Musical Instruments of Kyrgyzstan