Leonard Bernstein's 'Fancy Free' and the breadth of Richard Strauss

By Dan Margolies,

Published June 20, 2024 at 12:53 PM CDT

Michael Stern conducting the Kansas City Symphony, January 2024

As Michael Stern's time as Kansas City Symphony music director comes to an end after 19 seasons, he and co-host Dan Margolies put together a very special program of music from two of Stern's favorite composers: Leonard Bernstein and Richard Strauss. We'll hear Bernstein's shore leave ballet "Fancy Free," and Strauss tone poems "Death and Transfiguration" and "A Hero's Life."

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

Program

Fancy Free
by Leonard Bernstein
Live performance, January 2016

Tod und Verklarung, Op. 24 (Death and Transfiguration)
by Richard Strauss
Live performance, October 2013

Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 (A Hero's Life)
by Richard Strauss
Live performance, June 2015

Classical KC Senior Producer Sam Wisman and co-hosts Dan Margolies and Michael Stern at the Classical KC studios