Compact Discoveries 29: Variations on Very Familiar Tunes
Series: Compact Discoveries
From: Fred Flaxman
Length: 00:57:30
Although this program is an evergreen and can be used at any time of the year, it is particularly appropriate around New Year's Eve due to its inclusion of "Variations on Auld Lang Syne" by Franz Waxman. Host Fred Flaxman also brings you "Happy Birthday Variations" by Peter Heidrich, "Variations on a Nursery Song" ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") by Ernst von Dohn?nyi, and "McMozart's Eine Kleine Bricht Moonlicht Musik" by Teddy Bor. Complete script with playlist available here or at www.compactdiscoveries.com.
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Piece Description
Although this program is an evergreen and can be used at any time of the year, it is particularly appropriate around New Year's Eve due to its inclusion of "Variations on Auld Lang Syne" by Franz Waxman. Host Fred Flaxman also brings you "Happy Birthday Variations" by Peter Heidrich, "Variations on a Nursery Song" ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") by Ernst von Dohn?nyi, and "McMozart's Eine Kleine Bricht Moonlicht Musik" by Teddy Bor. Complete script with playlist available here or at www.compactdiscoveries.com.
Broadcast History
First distributed by the WFMT Radio Network out of Chicago in 2003, this is the first release of this one-hour program through the Public Radio Exchange.
Transcript
Program 29
"Variations on Very Familiar Tunes"
MUSIC: "Thema" from Happy Birthday Variations by Peter Heidrich, performed by Kremerata Baltica [Nonesuch 79657-2, track 2] [under the following]
FLAXMAN: There is perhaps no more familiar tune, at least in the United States of America, than this one. Stay tuned and you?ll hear 11 very clever variations on this very familiar song by a very obscure composer named Peter Heidrich.
MUSIC: fades out.
FLAXMAN: You are listening to Compact Discoveries, and I?m your guide, Fred Flaxman. I?m going to devote the next hour entirely to "Variations on Very Familiar Tunes." The first selection comes from a CD called "Happy Birthday" and it features violinist Gidon Kremer with the Kremerata Baltica performing the Happy Birthday Variations, composed in 1994 by Peter Heidrich. Each of the variations on this theme is written in a different style, imit...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
see the script
Additional Files
- script/playlist for program (29variationsfamiliartunes.html)






Swio Gio
Posted on March 02, 2010 at 10:01 PM | Permalink
Please give a few more words on composers' style difference
Thanks for this program. As an ordinary audience, we may expect some more explanation on what makes the music coule be heard and differentiated as they were coming from the very personnel stye of the composers.