{"podcast":{"title":"Composers Datebook","slug":"composers-datebook-550176","podcast_index_feed_id":550176,"rss_url":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/composers-datebook","website_url":"https://www.yourclassical.org/composers-datebook","image_url":"https://img.apmcdn.org/1486eb29dcac7f11a5275eaa0d424ba7c6b9afc7/uncropped/8588a0-20210225-composers-datebook-2000.jpg","author":"American Public Media","episode_count":30,"summary":"Composers Datebook™ is a daily two-minute program designed to inform, engage, and entertain listeners with timely information about composers of the past and present. Each program notes significant or intriguing musical events involving composers of the past and present, with appropriate and accessible music related to each.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-24T04:22:18.702549+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/composers-datebook-550176"},"episode":{"title":"Mendelssohn sees double","slug":"mendelssohn-sees-double","published_at":"2026-07-13T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/composers-datebook-550176/mendelssohn-sees-double","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/composers-datebook-550176","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/5/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/VnCzW2iO9G8z4eDWfXCd/play.publicradio.org/podcast/o/composers_datebook/2026/07/13/datebook_20260713_128.mp3","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/5/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/VnCzW2iO9G8z4eDWfXCd/play.publicradio.org/podcast/o/composers_datebook/2026/07/13/datebook_20260713_128.mp3","summary":"Synopsis On today’s date in 1829, German composer Felix Mendelssohn was in London, participating in a gala concert to raise funds for the victims of a flood in Silesia. “Everyone who has attracted the slightest attention during the season will take part,” wrote Mendelssohn. “Many offers of good performers have had to be declined, as otherwise the concert will last till the next day!” Mendelssohn performed his Double Concerto for two pianos and orchestra, joined by his friend and fellow composer/pianist Ignaz Moscheles. Mendessohn and Moscheles jointly prepared a special cadenza, and jokingly bet each other how long the audience would applaud it — Mendessohn predicting 10 minutes, and Mosceheles, more modestly, suggesting five. In the Baroque age, double concertos were very popular, but by Mendelssohn’s day they had become less common. In our time, concertos for two pianos are even rarer. One of the most successful American Double Concertos was written between 1952 and 1953 by American composer Quincy Porter. Also known as the Concerto Concertante , commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra. It proved to be one of the most popular of Porter’s works, and even won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1954. Music Played in Today's Program Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Double Concerto; Güher and Süher Pekinel, pianos; Philharmonia Orchestra; Neville Marriner, conductor; Chandos 9711 Quincy Porter (1897-1966): Concerto for Two Pianos; Joshua Pierce and Dorothy Jonas, duo pianists; Moravian Philharmonic; David Amos, conductor; Helcion 1044","meta_description":"Synopsis On today’s date in 1829, German composer Felix Mendelssohn was in London, participating in a gala concert to raise funds for the victims of a flo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":120,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/composers-datebook-550176/episodes/mendelssohn-sees-double/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/composers-datebook-550176/mendelssohn-sees-double.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}