A rousing overture by Glinka and Elgar's 'massive hope in the future'

By Dan Margolies,

Published June 4, 2024 at 12:53 PM CDT

Guest conductor Michael Francis leads the Kansas City Symphony in a performance of Edward Elgar's Symphony No. 1, March 2022

This week, we celebrate the June birthdays of composers Edward Elgar and Mikhail Glinka. We'll hear Glinka's barn burner of an overture to his opera "Ruslan and Ludmila." We'll also hear Edward Elgar's first symphony led by guest conductor Michael Francis alongside a performance of his violin concerto featuring Pinchas Zukerman.

An agreement with the Kansas City Symphony allows us to share audio for this program up to four weeks after the program's original air date. You can listen to currently available episodes here.

Hosts

Michael Stern
Dan Margolies

Violinist Pinchas Zukerman performs Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto with Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony, January 2013

Program

Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila
by Mikhail Glinka
Live performance, February 2013

Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61
by Edward Elgar
Pinchas Zukerman, violin
Live performance, January 2013

Symphony No. 1 in Ab major, Op. 55
by Edward Elgar
Michael Francis, guest conductor
Live performance, March 2022