Classical News
08/01 Classical music needs more supporters. Tanglewood's new buildings are there to create them.
07/25 Dutch Cellist Anner Bylsma Has Died At Age 85
07/16 National Philharmonic bows out abruptly
06/27 When Jaap Met Yannick: New Maestros in New York
06/16 How A Conductor Used Music To Reach His Son With Autism
06/06 Philadelphia Orchestra Receives $55 Million Gift
06/05 Michael Tilson Thomas to undergo heart surgery
05/31 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Suddenly Cancels Summer Season
05/30 Jane Marshall, revered composer, dies at 94
05/23 What happens when shelter dogs listen to classical music
05/15 BBC Philharmonic launches new phone app for concert-goers
04/21 Soprano Heather Harper Dead At 88
04/17 Pianist Jorg Demus Dead At 90
04/16 After The Fire, What About Notre Dame's Organ?
04/11 Yannick Nézet-Séguin's "A Cat's Music Playlist"
04/05 Marilyn Mason, Globe-Trotting Organist and Teacher, Dies at 93
03/08 The conductor and composer Michael Gielen has died at 91
02/28 André Previn, charismatic conductor, composer and pianist, dies at 89
02/21 Dominick Argento, composer who was a modern master of opera, dies at 91
02/14 The 'von' trap: Austrian battle over three noble letters
01/31 Jean Guillou, Organ Maestro Who Broke Traditions, Dies at 88
01/26 5,000 Pages of Verdi's Drafts, Long Hidden, Will Be Made Public
01/25 'Magic baton' helps blind musicians feel conductor
01/20 To Save the Sound of a Stradivarius, a Whole City Must Keep Quiet
01/17 John Mueller, influential educator and organist, has died
01/09 English composer John Joubert dies aged 91
01/01 For One Violinist, Elevating Music By Black Composers Is A 20-Year Mission
12/23 Every Christmas Eve, a Lone Choir Boy Sings to More Than 370 Million
12/21 Opera Has a Problem: Fans Aren't Subscribing
12/18 Review: The Rarely Heard Christmas Music of a Baroque Master
12/14 Andrew Frierson, Pioneering Black Opera Singer, Dies at 94
12/12 Gustavo Dudamel’s Favorite Part of ‘Otello’ is a Quiet Prayer
12/07 Best of classical music 2018: Amid the turbulence, moments to savor
12/05 Esa-Pekka Salonen named next Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony
11/23 Wolfgang Zuckermann, Harpsichord Do-It-Yourselfer, Dies at 96
11/20 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Announces New Music Director
11/09 At 80, Joan Tower Says Great Music Comes ‘in the Risks’
11/08 Music teacher leaves $4.7 million to her orchestra
11/05 3D-printed instruments showcased
10/28 Richard Gill, world-renowned conductor and music educator, dies age 76
10/18 Rustling Gum Wrapper Causes Brawl During Mahler 5
10/06 Montserrat Caballé, Revered Spanish Prima Donna, Dies at 85
09/27 $2.5m Mellon Foundation grant launches Boston classical music initiative
09/17 Eric Lu wins Leeds International Piano Competition
09/06 Italian Conductor Claudio Scimone has Passed Away
09/01 An All-but-Extinct Piano Plays Once More
08/24 George Walker, Trailblazing American Composer, Dies At 96
08/23 Ronald Arnatt, Composer, Organist, Teacher, Dead At 88
08/14 Iraq's National Symphony Orchestra play on despite unpaid wages
08/10 Cleveland Orchestra receives $9.3 million donation
07/26 Newly discovered viola impromptu by Shostakovich
07/20 Royal College Renames Program to Shift Antiquated Perceptions of Pianists
07/02 Vasily Petrenko: New Music Director of the RPO in 2021
06/16 The conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky has died
06/05 Acoustic evolution of old Italian violins from Amati to Stradivari
06/04 Fabio Luisi Named Next Music Director of Dallas Symphony Orchestra
05/04 The Secret Life of a Music Director
04/14 Jean-Claude Malgoire died at the age of 77
04/13 Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony needs speeding up by 20 minutes, claims conductor
03/29 BBC NOW/Van Steen review – dynamic showcase of young Welsh composers
03/08 Composer John Williams to Bequeath His Life Work to The Juilliard School Library
03/02 Daniil Trifonov and His Teacher Dazzle With Dual Virtuosity
02/18 Hear How ‘Mozart in the Jungle’ Became a Music Showcase
02/02 François Girard’s production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” - Watch the Met Opera Stage a Sea of Blood
01/28 Barbara Hannigan leads list of Grammy Awards' classical winners
01/19 Meet the New Generation Leading Berlin’s Classical Scene
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All times approximate.
This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Thursday, August 22, 2019
An opportunistic and comically unsuccessful seducer gets his comeuppance in this operatic adaptation of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Giuseppe Verdi was nearly 80 years old when his final opera, Falstaff, premiered on February 9, 1893. Based on episodes from three of Shakespeare's plays--The Merry Wives of Windsor and both parts of Henry IV, its libretto by Arrigo Boito captures the character of the roguish fat knight, Sir John Falstaff, in a way that would certainly have pleased the Bard of Avon. Musically it's unlike any of Verdi's previous works, more closely resembling comic operas by Haydn and Mozart. Join host Bob Chapman for Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff this evening at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on the WCPE Opera House.
Listen on 89.7 FM in Central North Carolina, streaming everywhere on our apps and online.
Photo: Ken Howard/Met Opera
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On August 22 we observe the birthdays of English composers Christopher Gibbons (1615-1676) and Sir Edward Bairstow (1874-1946), and French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918). Gibbons was the second son of Orlando Gibbons who was one of England's prominent composers of the late Tudor period. Sir Edward Bairstow was Organist of York Minster from 1913-1946. It was Claude Debussy who stated that "Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art." The two leading impressionistic composers, Debussy and Ravel, delighted in breaking musical rules. The result was a whole new approach to musical composition.
Photos: Claude Debussy/Félix Nadar; Others/Wikipedia.org
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Go the last mile with your used vehicle. If your vehicle - automobile, truck, boat, motorcycle, RV, or aircraft - is no longer of use to you, it can still go a long way as a donation in support of the programs you rely on from WCPE. Here's how it works: Center for Car Donations (CFCD), manages the donations on our behalf. Call them toll-free at 1-877-927-3872 for more information and to begin the car donation process. Don't forget to mention that WCPE is the recipient of your donation.
A CFCD representative will schedule a pickup that's convenient for you, and provide you with confirmation of your donation. We will mail you a confirmation that states how much your vehicle sold for at auction. This amount is what you can claim on your itemized tax return. You also will be entitled to a one year subscription to Quarter Notes.
Photo: Wikipedia.org
On August 21 we observe the birthdays of French composer Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) and British mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker (1933-). Sister of Nadia Boulanger who taught many American musicians, Lili was a child prodigy who died at the very young age of twenty-five. Her compositions reveal a remarkable talent, leaving one to marvel at what might have been had she lived longer. Active from the 50s to the 80s, Dame Janet Baker was highly regarded for her interpretations of baroque as well as contemporary music. Happy 86th birthday, Dame Janet!
Photos: Wikipedia.org
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Join The Classical Station's Nick Robinson during As You Like It for a special ticket giveaway for Concerto For Two presented by the North Carolina Symphony on September 20th at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina. Listen between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday August 21st for a chance to win.
Our website now shows what music is currently playing, the music which we just played, and the piece which we will play next.
We are in the process of upgrading our streaming software and hardware. As you can imagine, it's a major project but when complete will stream the music metadata simultaneously for whatever we are playing.
Please let us know what you think of this enhancement to our website which will soon be replaced by a brand new state of the art design. Seeing what's playing on our website and apps is something you asked for. We are thrilled to be able finally to provide that information to you!
What we're doing here - keeping classical music alive - is something that's very much needed in our community, indeed, in our country. That's because this is music which has a powerful sense of history and tradition like no other. It aims to get deep into the timeless feelings and emotions that are at the core of being human. Classical music at its best heightens our sense of being alive. All of this passion is worth keeping alive on The Classical Station. YOUR donation makes that happen. Bring more music to your ears today. Keep this wonderful music alive right now with a heartfelt contribution. Give securely online or call 800-556-5178 anytime to make your pledge. A member of staff is always on duty and will be happy to take down your information. Don't forget to select a Thank You Gift!
Photo: MaxPixel
On August 20 we observe the birthdays of Austrian composer Josef Strauss (1827-1870), Canadian conductor Mario Bernardi (1930-2013), and Israeli violinist Maxim Vengerov (1974-). Josef Strauss was a member of the famous Viennese musical family. He was the son of Johann Strauss I, and brother of Johann Strauss II. Maestro Bernardi was the founding conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, as well as the conductor of the CBC Radio Orchestra. Vengerov has appeared with many of the world's major orchestras. Photos: Others/Wikipedia.org
Photos: Maxim Vengerov/Pascale Bitz; Others/Wikipedia.org
Monday, August 19, 2019
This evening Monday Night at the Symphony shines the spotlight on the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. On the program is music of Robert Schumann, George Gershwin, and Karl Nielsen in performances led by Seattle's longtime conductor Gerard Schwarz, Ludovic Morlot and the orchestra's current music director, Thomas Dausgaard. See What's Playing for details.
You can enjoy the concert beginning at 8 p.m. on 89.7 FM in Central North Carolina and streaming everywhere online and on our apps.
Photo: Wikipedia.org
On August 19 we observe the birthdays of Romanian composer and conductor George Enescu (1881-1955) and American conductor Gerard Schwarz (1947-). Enescu shares the distinction with Fritz Kreisler of being the youngest students admitted to the Vienna Conservatory at the age of seven. Maestro Schwarz has been the music director of the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina since 2007. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra from 1985-2001, and Music Director of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival from 1982-2001.
Photos: Gerard Schwarz/Yuen Lui; George Enescu/Wikipedia.org
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Ever wonder what your favorite voice looks like? That's Bob Chapman, host of the WCPE Opera House above. More about our announcers at Meet The Announcer. |
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