This Week at The Classical Station

(Paris Catacombs by Viktor Hartmann, 1860s, which was among the paintings that inspired Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition)

Art is not an end in itself, but a means of addressing humanity.

~ Modest Mussorgsky

This Week at The Classical Station

by Chrissy Keuper

Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 October 2025

Welcome to the Weekend, Listeners!

This Week at The Classical Station will be on hiatus until Monday, 3 November, so that we can put all of our energy into the WCPE 2025 Fall Membership Drive.

Join us here to listen.

Please support the wonderful classical music that we bring to you 24 hours-a-day, wherever you may be, by donating here, by calling us (starting at 8amET) at 800.556.5178, or by texting FALL 25 to 707070. We cannot thank you enough for the support that you’ve shown since 1978; we can only remind you that we are here, your funding is imperative to our station, and we love the music just like you do.

Friday, 24 October 2025

Happy Friday, Listeners!

 

We thank you for listening and for all the support you’ve shown The Classical Station over the 40+ years that we’ve been broadcasting (since 1978). It’s Day One of our 2025 Fall Membership Drive: An Ode to Joy, and along with all of our other Thank You Gifts, we’re offering an Early Bird CD Special:

Ode to Joy: Choral Classics, a Decca CD compilation of some of the most iconic and uplifting choral works in classical music, anchored by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, famously known as Ode to Joy, which has become a global symbol of unity and hope. Donate TODAY ONLY for that thank you gift.

 

 

 

All-Request Friday is on hiatus until after the Fall Membership Drive, but we’ll still be playing your requests and special dedications on the Saturday Evening Request Program.

Tune in to hear your (and your fellow listeners’) favorites.

Here are the playlists
Make your requests/dedications here

 

On this date in the history of classical music:

Marius Casadesus, c. 1930. (Photo by Lipnitzki – Courtesy of casadesus.com)

It’s the birthdate of French violinist and composer Marius Casadesus in Paris in 1892 into the famed, musical Casadesus family (he was brother of Henri Casadesus; uncle of Robert Casadesus; grand-uncle of Jean Casadesus). Casadesus attended the Conservatoire de Paris and graduated in 1914 with a first prize in violin. He followed that up with performance tours throughout Europe and the U.S., as well as many recitals with his nephew Robert, a pianist. Casadesus was among the founding members of the Société Nouvelle des Instruments Anciens, which aimed to revive the use of early string instruments, and he also composed works for the violin, and some choral music and songs. He gained notoriety for a composition (1931) called the Adelaide Concerto, a work he “discovered” and attributed to W.A. Mozart; Casadesus admitted in 1977 that he had written the piece himself.

Thursday, 23 October 2025

Happy Friday Eve to you, Listeners!

 

 

We celebrate at 7pm ET with Thursday Night Opera House, featuring a 1979 recording of Georges Pretre conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Paris National Opera, along with legendary soloists in Charles Gounod’s Faust. Join Dr. Jay Pierson for this classic tale about a deal with the devil – perfect for the Halloween season!

 

 

Our 2025 Fall Membership Drive starts tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to hearing from all of you.
Maybe you’re a listener who has never donated to The Classical Station, or perhaps you’re a Sustaining Member who automatically donates every month. Whomever (and wherever) and you may be, we are so grateful that you’re listening.

We ask you to take the extra step and donate to keep this wonderful music on the air and online and available to listeners worldwide, especially those listeners who just can’t afford to donate.

 

 

On this day in classical music history:

Eun Sun Kim. (Photo by Marc Olivier Le Blanc – Courtesy of ARSIS Artist Management)

A very Happy Birthday to South Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim, born in Seoul in 1980. Kim began piano lessons as a very young child and quickly developed an interest in composition. She attended Yonsei University in composition, while also serving as an accompanist and beginning her journey into conducting. Kim went on to study at the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart; won the 2008 Lopez Cobos International Opera Conductors Competition; was assistant conductor to Jesús López Cobos at the Teatro Real, Madrid; and made her professional conducting debut in 2012 with Oper Frankfurt. The San Francisco Opera appointed Kim as music director in 2021 and recently extended her contract through the 2030-2031 season.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Hello, All! Join us for some wonderful Wednesday music.
Just two days until our 2025 Fall Membership Drive. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

 

On this date in the history of classical music:

Federico Ricci in an aquafortis by Saro Cucinotta, c. 1869. (Courtesy of Wikmedia Commons)

It’s the birthdate of Italian composer Federico Ricci in Naples in 1809 (his older brother was composer Luigi Ricci). From age nine, Ricci was a student at the Naples Conservatory. His first performed composition (1835, an opera, Il Colonello) was the first of many collaborations with his brother, Luigi. A few years later, he composed the incredibly popular La prigione di Edimburgo, then devoted himself almost exclusively to composing comic operas until his retirement in 1876 (with the exception of a 16-year hiatus while he taught in St. Petersburg).

 

 

Tuesday, 21 October 2025

 

WCPE The Classical Station’s 2025 Fall Membership Drive starts Friday and our theme is

An Ode to Joy.

Your support brings joy to everyone who listens.

Just text CLASSICAL or FALL25 to 707070, or donate here.

We thank you!

 

On this date in classical music history:

Malcolm Arnold.

It’s the birthdate of English composer Malcolm Arnold, born in 1921 in Northampton into a family of musicians and shoemakers. When he was 12, Arnold saw Louis Armstrong perform in Bournemouth and was inspired to study the trumpet; he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music a few years later, where he studied trumpet and composition. He joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as second trumpet in 1941 and in 1943, he was named principal trumpet and was with the LPO off and on until 1948 (he spent a season as principal trumpet with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and did some military service, though he was registered as a Conscientious Objector), when he began composing full time. Beyond Arnold’s highly popular orchestral and chamber works, he was also a much sought-after film music composer. He wrote scores for more than 100 films (including his Oscar-winning score for the 1957 film, The Bridge on the River Kwai), as well as ballets for the Royal Ballet, two operas, and a musical.

Monday, 20 October 2025

New week, wonderful music. Come and get it.

 

 

Wrap yourself in the warmth of vinyl at 7pm ET with Vince Tillona and Drop the Needle, this week celebrating the lush romanticism of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

 

At 8pm ET, Monday Night at the Symphony is our spotlight on the recordings of the world’s great orchestras. This week features the National Symphony Orchestra and works by Aaron Copland, Antonin Dvorak, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, and the ensemble’s current Music Director, Gianandrea Noseda.

See you at the symphony!

 

 

Tune into Classical Café this Wednesday as Chrissy Keuper fills in and gives away two tickets (between 11am and noon ET) to NC Master Chorale’s Gates of Justice. Tune in and win!

 

 

On this date in classical music history:

Joanna Simon (right) with Walter Kronkite, c. 2007. (Photo by Amy Sussman)

American mezzo-soprano Joanna Simon was born in New York City in 1936 and grew up in the Bronx. While she was studying philosophy at Sarah Lawrence College, Simon got involved in musical theatre and started taking voice lessons; after graduating in 1962 with her philosophy degree, she trained at Switzerland’s International Opera Studio and Italy’s Spoletto Festival (under Gian Carlo Menotti); made her debut with the New York City Opera; and won the Marian Anderson Award. Simon performed and recorded with the world’s most renowned orchestras and opera companies into the late 1990s and is featured on a number of premiere recordings; she was an Emmy Award-winning arts correspondent for PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour from 1986 to 1992; and in 2006, she qualified as a real estate broker in New York State.

Now Playing

Symphony No. 35 in D, K. 385 "Haffner"

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Bernstein

Label

DG

Catalog Number

415

Today's Playlist

9:48am Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Composed by

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Performed by

Vancouver Symphony/Comissiona

10:01am Character dances from Act II, The Nutcracker, Op. 71

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

New York City Ballet Orchestra/Zinman

10:16am Deborah's Theme (From "Once upon a Time in America")

Composed by

Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Performed by

Butta/Munich Radio Orchestra/Morricone

10:24am Symphonic Dance, Op. 64 No. 3

Composed by

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Performed by

Utah Symphony Orchestra/Abravanel

10:32am Overture to William Tell

Composed by

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Performed by

National Philharmonic/Chailly

10:45am Keyboard Trio No. 8 in B flat, Hob.XV:8

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Mendelssohn Piano Trio

11:00am Sarabande ~ Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV 1010: IV

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Alon Sariel

Performed by

Alon Sariel

11:06am Prelude to Act 1 & Love-Death from Tristan & Isolde

Composed by

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

11:28am Chaconne ~ Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Alon Sariel

Performed by

Alon Sariel

11:44am Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Cleveland Orchestra/Szell

11:56am Gymnopedie No. 3

Composed by

Erik Satie, arr. Ronnie Bauch

Performed by

B. Marsalis/Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

12:01pm Symphony No. 2 in C, Op. 61

Composed by

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Sinopoli

12:40pm Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 in D

Composed by

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Performed by

Israel Philharmonic/Mehta

12:50pm Music selected by the announcer

1:01pm Guitar Quintet No. 7 in E minor

Composed by

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

Performed by

Romero/Academy Chamber Ensemble

1:21pm Danse Macabre, Op. 40

Composed by

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)

Performed by

Sax/National Philharmonic/Stokowski

1:30pm Piano Concerto No. 3 in G minor

Composed by

Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870)

Performed by

Klansky/Dvorak Chamber Orchestra/Parak

2:00pm 1st Movement ~ Piano Trio in D, Op. 101 No. 5

Composed by

Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Trio Bohemo

2:13pm L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2

Composed by

Georges Bizet (1838–1875)

Performed by

French National Orchestra/Ozawa

2:33pm Main Theme (From "Cinema Paradiso")

Composed by

Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Performed by

Butta/Munich Radio Orchestra/Morricone

2:37pm Fantasia for a Gentleman

Composed by

Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999)

Performed by

P. Romero/Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

3:00pm Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

3:07pm Piano Trio in A, Op. 101 No. 6

Composed by

Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Trio Bohemo

3:31pm Asturias (Leyenda) from Suite española, Op. 47

Composed by

Isaac Albeniz/trans. Andres Segovia

Performed by

Andres Segovia

3:40pm Women's Dignity Waltz, Op. 277

Composed by

Josef Strauss (1827-1870)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Nezet-Seguin

3:49pm Overture to Benvenuto Cellini, Op. 23

Composed by

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

Performed by

London Symphony/Previn

4:00pm Shepherd Fennel’s Dance

Composed by

Henry Balfour Gardiner (1877-1950)

Performed by

Indianapolis Symphony/Leppard

4:07pm Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld

Composed by

Jacques Offenbach/arr. Carl Binder

Performed by

La Pieta/Dubeau

4:17pm Canon & Gigue in D

Composed by

Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)

Performed by

Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood

4:23pm Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Chicago Symphony/Levine

4:30pm Alia Fantasia in A minor

Composed by

Nicola Matteis (c.1650-1713), arr. Alon Sariel

Performed by

Alon Sariel

4:36pm Horn Concerto No. 3 in D

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Baumann/Concerto Amsterdam/Schroder

4:55pm Bavarian Dance, Op. 27 No. 3

Composed by

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Performed by

English String Orchestra/Boughton

5:01pm Dances from Marouf, Cobbler of Cairo

Composed by

Henri Rabaud (1873-1949)

Performed by

Minnesota Orchestra/Oue

5:16pm Main Theme (From "H2S")

Composed by

Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Performed by

Butta/Munich Radio Orchestra/Morricone

5:20pm Overture to Oberon

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

Dresden State Orchestra/Sinopoli

5:32pm Emperor Waltz

Composed by

Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Maazel

5:43pm Slavonic Dance in C, Op. 72 No. 7

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Boston Symphony/Ozawa

5:47pm Waltz No. 2 from Jazz Suite No. 2

Composed by

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Performed by

Radio France Philharmonic/P. Jarvi

5:52pm Bassoon Concerto in E flat, RV 483

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Thunemann/I Musici

6:00pm Piano Trio in D, Op. 101 No. 5

Composed by

Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Trio Bohemo

6:32pm Symphony No. 15 in G, K. 124

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

6:46pm Music selected by the announcer

7:03pm Overture to Der Freischutz

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

New York Philharmonic/Bernstein

7:17pm Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walkure

Composed by

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Performed by

Cleveland Orchestra/Szell

7:26pm Polonaise in A flat, Op. 53 "Heroic"

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Maurizio Pollini

7:37pm Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Orchestra of the 18th Century/Bruggen

7:45pm Music for the Royal Fireworks

Composed by

George Frideric Handel, arr. by Hamilton Harty

Performed by

Pittsburgh Symphony/Previn

8:04pm Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, BWV 1047

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Herseth/Ravinia Music Festival Orchestra/Levine

8:19pm Asturias (Leyenda) from Suite Espanola, Op. 47

Composed by

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Performed by

Thibaut Garcia

8:30pm Finale (Rondo) from Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 15

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Rubinstein/Boston Symphony/Leinsdorf

8:43pm Overture to The Barber of Seville

Composed by

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Performed by

Philharmonia/Karajan

8:54pm Russian Dance from Act III, Swan Lake, Op. 20

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

Bell/Berlin Philharmonic/Tilson Thomas

9:02pm Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

E. Power Biggs

9:15pm Overture to Fidelio

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Masur

9:25pm Prelude to Act 3 from Lohengrin

Composed by

Richard Wagner

Performed by

Boston Pops/Fiedler

9:32pm Overture to William Tell

Composed by

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Performed by

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

9:47pm Etude in E, Op. 10 No. 3 "Tristesse"

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Tamás Vásáry

9:54pm Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla

Composed by

Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)

Performed by

Cincinnati Pops/Kunzel

10:02pm Pavane for a Dead Princess

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

10:10pm String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Ysaye Quartet

10:38pm Quintet No. 6 in G minor

Composed by

Antonio Soler (1729-1783)

Performed by

Schrader/Chicago Baroque Ensemble

11:02pm Fantasia on Greensleeves

Composed by

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Performed by

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

11:07pm Etudes, Op. 10

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Yunchan Lim

11:36pm Adagio in G minor

Composed by

Tomaso Albinoni (arr. Remo Giazotto)

Performed by

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

11:43pm Music selected by the announcer