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Hi, all. For details on concerts mentioned on air, see Midday Music's weekly Classical Calendar. There are orchestral goings-on in LaGrange, Augusta, Atlanta and Roswell, plus opera in Atlanta.

I'll be with you Wednesday too, and then our Savannah crew hosts Thursday's Midday Music and Alan Cooke in Augusta takes requests on Friday.

11 AM

• Lully: The Orchestra of the Sun King. Le Concert des Nations, Savall. Alia Vox 9842.
• Bach: Overture in the French Style, BWV 831. Joyce Yang. Harmonia Mundi 907405.
  
• D'Indy: Symphony on a French Mountain Air. Schapiro, San Francisco Sym, Monteux (recorded in 1941). BMG RCA 9026 61888.
  

12 N

• Pasculli: Grand Concerto on Themes from Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani, for oboe and piano. Ivan Paisov, Natalia Shcherbakova. Naxos 8.570567.
  
• Mendelssohn: "Italian" Symphony (No. 4 in A major). New Philharmonia Orch, Muti. EMI 81788.
  
• Busnois: Motet "Incomprehensibilia/Praeter rerum ordinem." Orlando Consort. Harmonia Mundi 907333.
  

1 PM

• Tchaikovsky: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin; Francesca da Rimini. Baltimore Sym Orch, Zinman. Telarc 80378.
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Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. We follow new developments on voter ID at the polls … and clear up some confusion. We sit down with a new local author -- the son of a rabbi who wandered the Bible Belt to jazz up his Judaism. Plus, Prisoners of war remembered in south Georgia. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11 and hear our show any time at gpb.org/georgiagazette.

Here are select events of interest around the state. The usual caveats apply: No claims to be comprehensive, and please, while this is the latest information to reach GPB, check details with the folks on the ground before venturing forth on your cultural quest. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 7

• With the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn's birth coming up in early 2009, the LaGrange Symphony presents an all-Mendelssohn program, featuring globetrotting violinist Sergiu Schwartz (Columbus State faculty) in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. Patricio Cobos conducts. Callaway Auditorium, LaGrange College, 7:30.

October 7, 10 and 12

• The Atlanta Opera's production of Madama Butterfly continues its run. Starring Joanna Kozlowska and Richard Leach. Production design by Jun Kaneko. Cobb Energy Centre, off I-75 north of downtown Atlanta.

Thursday-Saturday, October 9-11

• Robert McDuffie of Macon and Mercer University and general renown soloes in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, part of the Atlanta Symphony's all-Tchaikovsky concert, which also includes the First Symphony ("Winter Dreams") and Francesca da Rimini. Robert Spano conducts. 8 p.m., Atlanta's Symphony Hall.

Saturday, October 11

• It's a real-life reality show in Augusta this season, as four conducting finalists compete to become the Augusta Symphony's next music director. The first contender, Susan Haig, takes the podium Saturday for Sibelius's Second Symphony and selections by Leoncavallo, Mozart and Verdi with baritone Leonard Rowe. 7:30, First Baptist of Augusta.
• In Roswell, the Georgia Philharmonic performs Tchaikovsky's Second Symphony ("Little Russian") plus D'Indy, Mozart and MacDowell. Philip Rice conducts. Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
  

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. Today’s the last day to register to vote in the upcoming presidential election… we investigate new confusion over voter ID. The overhaul of Jekyll Island… how the new design differs from the much criticized original plan. And we speak to legendary Georgia bulldog coach Vince Dooley about what he’s up to in his retired years. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, rebroadcast at 11, or anytime online at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette.

Here’s this week’s Georgia Gazette riddle. It’s your chance to win free entrance to Georgia state parks for a full year. The riddle describes a state park.

When Georgia was called debateable,
The King built a fort that's relateable

By describing a blockhouse of wood,
A triangle of soldiers who could

Fend off the Spanish attacks,
But not diseased bugs on their backs,

A blueprint for more forts to come,
Where river and sea become one.

Email your answer to gazette@gpb.org. You MUST include your name and address to win. This riddle is also posted online so you can take another look, just go to gpb.org/georgiagazette. You have until Friday to solve it. We will announce the name of the winner on Friday's show. Good luck!

Launching this week on Midday Music are a pair of renowned violinists who teach at universities here in Georgia. Both of these artists perform worldwide, but this week both happen to be soloing locally in Romantic violin concertos:

• Sergiu Schwartz of Columbus State's Schwob School of Music plays the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto tomorrow, Tuesday the 7th, with the LaGrange Symphony. (On GPB we hear him in a Saint-Saens sonata.)
  
• And Robert McDuffie of Macon and Mercer University soloes in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto October 9-11 with the Atlanta Symphony. (On Midday Music he plays Bruch.)
  

The Second Symphony by Jean Sibelius highlights the noon hour. That's a piece the Augusta Symphony performs Saturday. Conducting will be the first of four potential music directors the Augustans are trying out this season. She's Susan Haig, associate conductor of the Florida Orchestra.

11 AM

• Saint-Saens: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor. Sergiu Schwartz, Alec Chien. Romeo 7263.
• Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor. Robert McDuffie, Scottish Chamber Orch, Swensen. Telarc 80507.

12 N

• Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio, Overture. Lausanne Chamber Orch, Menuhin. Virgin 363284.
  
• Debussy: The Girl with Flaxen Hair. Sergiu Schwartz, Alec Chien. Rome 7263.
  
• Sibelius: Symphony No. 2. Iceland Sym Orch, Sakari. Naxos 8.505179.
  

1 PM

• Bach, C.P.E.: Trio Sonata in D major, Wq 151. Les Amis de Philippe. CPO 999 495.
  
• Ries: Symphony No. 7 in A minor. Zurich Chamber Orch, Griffiths. CPO 999 904.

GPB On Stage features Eddie's Attic Presents Saturday night October 4 at 8pm, just after A Prairie Home Companion. Eddie's Attic is a unique and innovative performance space that focuses on listening to singers performing their songs. The room's intimacy and ambiance make for a close bond between performer and audience. 'The Attic has been a place to work, rest, and woodshed for a number of musicians who've gone on to bigger things (Indigo Girls, John Mayer), as well as a place for the audience to get close to musicians who remain timeless no matter how many records they sell.
Tonight's program includes legendary Atlanta-area guitarist Glenn Phillips, Kevin Lawson and the late Alyssa Hadley, and Gove Scrivenor, among others.

If you're looking for evidence of bias in the media, you'll have to look further than Bob Schieffer. The longtime host of CBS' "Face the Nation" talked to us while in Atlanta promoting his new book,Bob Schieffer's America and was the very embodiment of the impartial observer virtually all journalists claim to be. As in his book, in our Cover to Cover interview, the veteran newsman in our interview was as folksy as he was informative as we covered a wide range of issues both historical and contemporary, including media bias. Through it all, and in Bob Schieffer's America, the legendary broadcaster was careful to avoid partisanship, expressing his personal thoughts but never in a way to provide fodder for conservatives or liberals. Schieffer shared his insights on the many presidents he has covered (every one since Nixon) and acknowledged that the current financial crisis is the most challenging story he has ever had to report on, owing to its complex nature. In the midst of this crisis--and an historic presidential election (Schieffer will moderate the final debate between John McCain and Barack Obama)--Schieffer's interview provides a tremendous opportunity to hear the thoughts of one of the most clear-headed voices anywhere on some of the most crucial issues that face our nation.
-Frank Reiss


Frank's interview with Bob Schieffer airs this Sunday at 8PM on GPB's Cover to Cover.

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show … what the latest version of a Congressional financial bailout means for Georgians. We profile Savannah's rising orchestra. Hear your emails and Facebook comments and we tour a state park - it's the answer to this week's Georgia Gazette riddle. We also announce the winner. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11, and hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette

Starting at around 12:35, director Bernard Uzan and assistant director Tara Faircloth join me to speak about Puccini's beloved Madama Butterfly - which the Atlanta Opera presents at the Cobb Energy Centre on October 4, 7, 10 and 12. Tara is a Fort Valley native, by way of Shorter College; she now lives in Houston. They'll talk about the music, the emotion, their roles and this production's untraditional sets, and they'll introduce us to highlights from the opera.

Note also that Madama Butterfly is this week's featured show on World of Opera, Saturday at 1:30 on GPB Radio.

Russell Wells hosts Friday's Midday Music; Alan Cooke returns next Friday.

11 AM

• Beethoven: Symphony No. 2. London Sym, Haitink. LSO 0082.
• Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100, plus the first movement from Violin Sonata No. 3. Pamela Frank, Peter Serkin. London 455 643.

12 N

• Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor. Olli Mustonen, San Francisco Sym, Blomstedt. London 444 518.
• Puccini: Madama Butterfly. Interview and musical excerpts. Most selections came from an old CBS CD set (no. 35181) with Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Gillian Knight, Ingvar Wixell, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Lorin Maazel. Two were from an RCA Basic Opera Highlights disc (no. 63496) with Leontyne Price and the RCA Italian Opera Orchestra and Chorus led by Erich Leinsdorf.
  

1 PM

• Madama Butterfly excerpts and interview, concluded.
• Chaminade: Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 21. Louise Cheadle. AW Promotions 2204.
• Vivaldi: Sinfonia in C major, RV 116. Helicon Ensemble, Fuller. Reference 2101.

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show… A Georgia expert weighs in on why every word matters on tonight's vice presidential debate. Explore the Great Pyramid or pilot Amelia Earhart's plane - we tour a new National Geographic exhibit… And we have tickets to give away for a one of a kind performance… These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11, and hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette

And here is another chance to win free entrance to Georgia state parks up yonder and across the state for a full year. This week’s riddle describes a state park.

Four trails do run the scope and length
To mill and bluff and rivers end

One historic, one blue, one yellow, one white
The fourth -6 miles- an energetic hike!

An active fault line bisects the park
No earthquake does this fault line spark

Three mills a target for Sherman’s troops
Outfitted soldiers with Roswell-gray suits

Stoneman’s cavalry destroyed so much
The remnants of the mill still touch

The hearts and minds of those who travel
West of Atlanta… can you this riddle unravel?


Email your answer to gazette@gpb.org. You MUST include your name and address to win. While your emailing us tell us what you think of our show. We want to know what you think of Georgia Gazette. Good luck!

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show we explain why credit is so important to the nations' economy and why when credit takes a hit, you do too. The extremes to which some Georgians are going to make ends meet as the economy slumps. And details on a new project to restore sand to Tybee Island's beaches. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, rebroadcast at 11 and hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. Two lone Georgia delegates voted for the bailout—will it affect one of their bids for re-election?  We investigate the link between campaign financing and the cost of medicine. And the life and music of Otis Redding. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7, in Athens, rebroadcast at 11, or anytime online at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette.

Much of today's music connects to Jewish religion and culture or to the theme of creation, in honor of Rosh Hashanah, which begins tonight. Happy new year to our Jewish listeners!

We also hear a couple of pieces with concert tie-ins: to Saturday's Rome Symphony performance, including a Vivaldi oboe concerto; the all-Mendelssohn LaGrange Symphony concert next Tuesday with Sergiu Schwartz as violin soloist; and the Eroica Trio's Sara Sant'Ambrogio and Emory University's William Ransom playing Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano in Atlanta over the course of two evenings, October 3-4. Also note the Atlanta Symphony's Bach-Beethoven-Brahms program with pianist Peter Serkin, October 2-4) and the Atlanta Opera's zoomy production of Madama Butterfly (October 4, 7, 10, 12) - more on that Thursday.

A note on hosts: Besides Monday and Thursday, this week's Midday Music will be hosted by Russell Wells from GPB station WSVH in Savannah. Alan Cooke's Friday show returns next week.

11 AM

• Bloch: Suite Hebraique: Affirmation. Trio Lyra. CBC 1161.
• Weinberg, J.: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C major. Jorge Federico Osorio, Barcelona Sym, Rickenbacher. Naxos 8.559457.
• Vandervelde: Genesis V. Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. Albany 207.
• Schoenfield: Klezmer Rondos for flute and orchestra: mvt 2. Scott Goff, Seattle Sym, Schwarz. Naxos 8.559403.
• Steinberg: Songs for Flute, Viola and Harp. Trio Lyra. CBC 1161.

12 N

• Haydn: The Creation: "Awake the Harp." Atlanta Sym Orch & Chorus, Shaw. Telarc 80519.
• Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes. Evgeny Kissin, members of Moscow Virtuosi. Philips 456 871.
• Vivaldi: Oboe Concerto in C major, Op. 8/12. Paul Goodwin, English Concert, Pinnock. Archiv 445 839.
• Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69. Pieter Wispelwey, Dejan Lazic. Channel 22605.
• Haydn: The Creation: "The Heavens Are Telling." Radio Sym Orch & Chorus Stuttgart, Marriner. EMI 50842.

1 PM

• Milhaud: The Creation of the World. Branford Marsalis, Orpheus Chamber Orch, Sony 89251.
• Dvorak: Romantic Pieces, Op. 75. Sergiu Schwartz, Alec Chien. Romeo 7263.
• Schoenfield: Trio for clarinet, violin and piano. Charles Neidich, Lev Polyakin, Frances Renzi. Innova 544.
• Weissgall: T'kiatot: shofar call. Steven Ovitsky. Naxos 8.559425.

Join host Orlando Montoya tonight for Georgia Gazette. How Barack Obama factors into the race for US Senate in Georgia. The longest paved bike-trail in the nation starts here: the Silver Comet Trail gets an extension into Alabama. And remembering those with Alzheimer’s. These stories and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11 and online at gpb.org/georgiagazette.

This week on Cover to Cover, Frank Reiss interviews David Maraniss about Maraniss's latest book Rome 1960. Here's a quick rundown from their conversation:

At the recently-ended Summer Olympics in China, the haul of gold medals by Michael Phelps, the otherworldly speed of the Jamaican sprinters and the fierce competition between American and Chinese gymnasts filled the airwaves for two solid weeks. As did talk of political propaganda, accusations of rule-breaking and other controversies large and small.

While it seems that the Olympics have forever been dominated in such a way, bestselling author David Maraniss argues in his most recent book, Rome, 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World, that it was at these particular summer games that the Olympics as we now know them first came into being.

That was the year when the world first became familiar with a clownish fighter from Louisville, Kentucky named Cassius Clay, who used the games as a springboard to become the most famous athlete the world has ever known: Muhammad Ali. But Maraniss goes to some lengths to restore Clay's proper place at the time: a definite second or third banana to the true heroes of that year, African-American track stars Wilma Rudolph and Rafer Johnson.

1960 was also the first Olympics for which an American television network purchased broadcast rights, and an unknown reporter named Jim McKay, working under the most primitive conditions imaginable, debuted in the role that made him as familiar as any Olympic performer.

And the Cold War politics of the day foreshadowed the political propaganda that continues to be inescapable in this quadrennial event that supposedly transcends politics.

But to Marannis--who has won the Pulitzer Prize and authored a string of bestsellers about both sports and politics--these political overtones and social developments don't detract from the games, they give them historical context and make for a fascinating read and a stimulating conversation.

Marannis' writing is unmistakably influenced by his friend and long-time mentor, the late David Halberstam. Interestingly, though, Marannis contrasts his attitude toward sportswriting and historical/political writing. Halberstam, Maraniss says in his Cover to Cover interview, wrote about sports to relax between his more "serious" books. Marannis on the other hand thinks sports can be every bit as significant as politics, and politics can be as trivial as sports. -Frank Reiss

Catch Frank Reiss's interview with David Maraniss Sunday night at 8:00PM, rebroadcast Thursday night at 11:30p on GPB Radio. You can also listen to Cover To Cover on demand at gpb.org/covertocover.

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show … gambling with your money or saving the economy? We hear what you think about Congress' plan to bail out Wall Street. Why Savannah is cracking down on social service agencies, saying show results or lose tax dollars. We hear from star 3rd baseman Chipper on what went wrong with the Braves this year. And we read from your emails. This and more tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, rebroadcast at 11, and hear our show any time online at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette.

Join us Saturday night at 8pm right after A Prairie Home Companion for The Mountain Music and Medicine Show, recorded live at the Historic Holly Theater in Dahlonega, Georgia. You'll hear plenty of old-time mountain music and a few jokes so old you'll have to blow the dust off of them. One of Rickey Bevington's favorite bands, Little Country Giants, will pick a few songs along with Bluegrass Alliance and the White Path Band. So give a listen and stay away from Doc Johnson's Wizard Water and you'll have a good time and hear some of the best of Appalachian mountain culture on GPB. For those of you who enjoy the show, you might be able to get a couple of tickets to the last scheduled live performance of the season, coming up October 4, by going to the web site linked to above.

REQUEST DAY
11 AM
Harline, Leigh: song, When You With Upon A Star. Cincinnati Pops; Kunzel. Telarc 80196.
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No.5. Rosana Lamosa, soprano; Nashville SO. Naxos 8.557460-62.
Salieri: Triple Concerto in D: mvt. 3. Holliger, Füri, Demenga; Camerata Bern. Archiv 427 125.
Hindemith: Konzertmusik for Winds, Op.41: mvt. 1. Eastman Wind Ensemble. CBS 44916.
Paganini: Caprice No.7 in A minor, Op.1. Itzhak Perlman, violin. EMI 47171.
Puccini: Turandot: aria, "Nessun Dorma." José Carreras, tenor. Philips 422 570.
Satie: Descriptions automatiques. Pascal Rogé, piano. London 421 713.
Williams, John: film, Schindler's List: Theme. Gil Shaham, violin. DG 289 471 326.
Holst: The Planets: mvt. 4, Jupiter. Chicago SO; Levine. DG 429 730.

12 PM
Rezniček: Donna Diana: Overture. Bamberg SO; Leitner. DG 423 787.
Verdi: Rigoletto: "La Donna e mobile." Luciano Pavarotti, tenor. London 417 011.
Wagner: Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music. Los Angeles PO; Leinsdorf. Sheffield Lab 7.
Mozart: Don Giovanni: duet, "Là ci darem la mano." Simon Keenlyside, Christine Schafer. You Tube.
Barber-arr. McNeff: Adagio. The Canadian Brass. RCA 68758.
Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine. The Cambridge Singers. Collegium 500.
Piaf-Louiguy: chanson, "La Vie en Rose." Edith Piaf. You Tube.
Ravel: Bolero: excerpt. Cincinnati SO; López-Cobos. Telarc 80171.
Debussy: Nocturnes: 2, Fêtes. Ulster Orchestra; Tortelier. Chandos X10144.

1 PM
Minkus: ballet, Paquita: Grand pas, excerpt. English Concert Orchestra; Bonynge. London 421 818.
Elgar: Enigma Variations, Op.36: Var. 9, Nimrod. English SO; Boughton. Nimbus 5206.
Green-Brown-Homer: song, "Sentimental Journey." Doris Day. You Tube.
Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man. London SO; Copland. CBS 42430.
Schubert: Sonatina in D for Piano & Violin, Op. 137/1: mvt. 2. Daniel Barenboim, Isaac Stern. Sony 44504.
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 in C minor: mvt. 2, Maestoso. Marcel Dupré, organ, Detroit SO; Paray. Mercury 432 719.
Acuff & Dean: gospel song, Just Over in Gloryland. Anonymous 4. HMU 907400.
Chopin: Nocturne in B, Op.32/1. Angela hewitt, piano. Hyperion 67371/2.
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi: "O mio babbino caro." Anna Netrebko, soprano. DG B0002999.
Smetana: The Moldau: excerpt. Boston SO; Kubelik. DG 429 183.

As with any other place of human interaction, conflict is bound to occur at work. Whether its as trivial as not replenishing the coffee pot or arriving late to work, these issues must be addressed before they snowball in to all out "Cubicle Clashes."

Most issues in the work place can be solved with lessons learned years ago in the sandbox such as, playing nice with others, or waiting your turn. Womenwork.org has a few tips for working through office discrepencies:

• If a conflict is between you and just one other person, try to work it out between the two of you, rather than bringing others into the conflict.
  
  
• In a workplace, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Treat others the way you want to be treated, and don’t put people down.
  
  
• Give credit where credit is due; if someone has helped you on a project or proposal, make sure others are aware that the person deserves credit for helping.

For more from them, click here. Emory Mulling addresses these issues and more on At Work, this Friday at 3:00PM. Listen on GPB Radio, or on the internet here. Leave your questions for Emory in the comment section of this blog and he'll address them on air.

(Alan Cooke will be in Friday to host Midday Music requests, and his playlists are here. Our list of Georgia classical concerts is here. See you Monday.)

11 AM

• Brahms: Romance, Op. 118/5. Mark Anderson. Nimbus 5521.
• Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor. Emanuel Ax, Chicago Sym, Levine. Sony 03510.

12 N

• Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain. Cincinnati Sym, Jarvi. Telarc 80705.
• Crittenden: A Scottish Fantasy. Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. Albany 339.
• Mozart: "Prague" Symphony (No. 38 in D major). Freiburg Baroque Orch, Jacobs. Harmonia Mundi 901958.

1 PM

• Chopin: Fantasie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor. Evgeny Kissin. RCA 68668.
• Dvorak: "Dumky" Trio (Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90). Trio con Brio. Azica 71240.
• Traditional: The Shining Shore. Anonymous 4. Harmonia Mundi 907400.
• Mandonico: Calace Rag. Italian Mando-Rag Club of Brescia. Naxos 8.557999.