by Jarrett Hoffman
MUSIC BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE INAUGURATION:
The day opens with the “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, led by Col. Jason K. Fettig. From 10 to 11:30 am, gathered below the inauguration stage, the band plays an “Inaugural Prelude” of thirteen pieces ranging from “some of the earliest pieces of music that were written for George Washington,” as Fettig told The Washington Post, to music by living composers, including Peter Boyer’s newly commissioned Fanfare for Tomorrow.
(At the time of writing, the broadcast — available on many news outlets, streaming services, and on the website of the Biden Inaugural Committee — alternates footage of the band with other shots around the Capitol, joined together with plenty of commentary of course. Fortunately, even when the band isn’t in view, they can be heard in the distance.)
View the Marine Band’s full program here, and read that Washington Post article for an interesting juxtaposition of the violent riot at the Capitol two weeks ago, and music’s ability of “gluing our nation together,” as Fettig said. The article also delves into the long history of the Marine Band in presidential inaugurations — more on that later.
After Joe Biden is sworn in as president not long before noon, the Marine Band will join Lady Gaga in The Star-Spangled Banner. Other performances on the schedule around that hour include Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks. And later this afternoon, the 3:15 “virtual parade” hosted by actor Tony Goldwyn will include music by Earth Wind & Fire.
The most star-studded feature of the day comes at 8:30 pm. An event hosted by Tom Hanks will feature a word from Biden and Kamala Harris, and performances by Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Ant Clemons, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, and the Foo Fighters.
MORE MUSIC ON THE WEB & AIRWAVES:
In the classical realm, noon brings WCLV’s Lunchtime with The Cleveland Orchestra as well as an online seminar from the Kronberg Academy with pianist Kirill Gerstein and cellist Steven Isserlis, focusing on Beethoven’s five sonatas for cello and piano.
8:00 pm brings part five of Daniel Shapiro’s complete cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas. And at that same hour, and you can catch a program from Chicago-based Third Coast Percussion. See our Concert Listings for details about these events.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
Among those anniversaries in the classical music world to honor today: the birth of three composers (Ernest Chausson – 1855, Walter Piston – 1894, and Kati Agocs – 1975), and two conductors who split the difference: Iván Fischer (born in 1951) and Claudio Abbado (died in 2014).
But today, it’s also interesting to look back on memorable performances over the years by classical musicians at U.S. presidential inaugurations. WQXR has curated a list of seven, beginning with the first such performance by the Marine Band — for noted musical enthusiast Thomas Jefferson.
Other names on the list include the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and several vocal stars: Marian Anderson, Jessye Norman, Marilyn Horne, and the duo of Susan Graham and Denyce Graves. In 2009, Barack Obama broke up the pattern with some instrumental chamber music: the premiere of John Williams’ Air and Simple Gifts by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriela Montero.