Fragmented

By Mark Chilla

Published September 23, 2019 at 3:53 PM EDT

This week, we' look at music that was left incomplete, torn up, burned or otherwise destroyed. As long as it was unfinished by the composer, you might hear it on this episode.

Did you know:

Johann Sebastian Bach's The Art of the Fugue was left unfinished at the time of his death, completed by his son C.P.E. Bach.

The overture to Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin was completed after Borodin's death by composer Alexander Glazunov. Glazunov apparently recreated the entire thing from memory, since Borodin never wrote it down!

Stephen Stucky's vocal work Sappho Fragments is based on the poetry of ancient poet Sappho, whose work mostly exists in fragments.

"Surf's Up" by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was left unfinished because the songwriter had a mental breakdown. He completed it nearly 40 years later.

See the full playlist below: