This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Preview! opens with Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor in a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Rob Kennedy speaks with Russian cellist Nina Kotova about her recording of music for cello by Brahms, Reger, and Schumann.
Preview! brings you new releases and local arts news every Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
Operatic soprano Christine Weidinger is our guest on the July edition of My Life In Music in a program we first aired in July 2017. My Life In Music is made possible by our listeners and by The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. See for tickets and more information.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” for My Life In Music this afternoon at 5 p.m. Eastern.
This morning Great Sacred Music includes music sung by the Huelgas Ensemble, Currende, and the Holland Boys Choir. Also on the playlist is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Fauré, and Louis Vierne. You can find a detailed playlist as well as more information about past and upcoming programs on the Great Sacred Music page here on our website.
Great Sacred Music. Beautiful choral and organ music. Every Sunday morning. 8 a.m. Eastern. Right after Sing For Joy. With Rob Kennedy.
On July 10 we observe the birthdays of Polish violinist-composer Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1890), German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982), and German tenor Jonas Kaufmann (1969-).
Henryk Wieniawski was honored posthumously with two stamps and a coin. The income from “Carmina Burana” which was first performed in 1937 was significant to Orff. Herr Kaufmann is considered one of the great tenors of our time.
Photo: Jonas Kaufmann by Julian Hargeaves
Saturday, July 9, 2022
The number of composers represented on our playlists every day is quite remarkable. We program over 100 pieces of music every day. Some are short pieces, especially during Rise and Shine and Allegro. Others are long works, such as you hear during Classical Cafe, As You Like It, and Concert Hall. But we don’t play only Beethoven or Brahms or Bach. Neither do we play only Baroque music or Romantic music. They say that variety is the spice of life. And so it is with our programming.
Friday at The Classical Station is All-Request Friday. You get to choose the music we play during the day. On Saturday evening, you have another opportunity to select the music for the Saturday Evening Request Program. Call 919-556-0123 to make your request. Or submit it online or via our app. Thank you for supporting us.
On July 9 we observe the birthdays of Italian composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936), American composer David Diamond (1915-2005), and American conductor David Zinman (1936-).
Besides being the creator of such orchestral masterpieces as Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals, Signor Respighi was a musicologist. David Diamond was on the faculty of the Julliard School for many years. His notable students included Adolphus Hailstork and Eric Whitacre. Maestro Zinman was the conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich over the course of his career. Happy 86th birthday, Maestro!
Photos: Ottorino Respighi, Unknown Author, Fair Use, Wikimedia Commons; David Diamond, Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons; David Zinman by Priska Ketterer
July 8, 2022
Our weekly adult audience of over 180,000 listeners in Central North Carolina is mature, affluent, and well-educated. Our listeners travel, attend concerts and other cultural events, visit art museums and gift shops, buy luxury items, and take educational courses.
The Classical Station is a favored public radio station at home, work, and on the road. Your message will reach key decision-makers that can make a difference in your business. Furthermore, your support for public radio will add stature to your message.
For more information about business underwriting opportunities at The Classical Station, e-mail Mary Moonen or call 919-556-5178.
On July 8 we observe the birthdays of Australian composer and arranger Percy Grainger (1882-1961) and English pianist Benjamin Grosvenor (1992-).
Grainger moved to the United States in 1914 and spent the rest of his life here. He was friends with Frederick Delius and Edvard Grieg. Grosvenor played the Liszt Second Piano Concerto on Opening Night of the BBC Proms in 2011. He was the youngest soloist ever to play Opening Night at the Proms. Listen to Benjamin’s interview on Preview! with Rob Kennedy.
Photos: Percy Grainger, Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons; Benjamin Grosvenor, Sophie Wright on Decca
Thursday, July 7, 2022
This evening the Thursday Night Opera House presents Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico (The Triptych), a set of three one-act operas.
Suor Angelica Angelica belongs to an aristocratic Florentine family and is forced to don a nun’s habit after she gave birth to an illegitimate child. There is no respite for Angelica at the convent, only tragedy.
Il Tabarro At sunset on the Seine sits an old cargo barge owned by an equally old Michele. Michele has married the much younger Giorgetta. However, Giorgetta is passionate for another.
Gianni Schicchi In this comic opera, wealthy Buosu Donati has died leaving his assets to the monks, not his family. Outraged, greedy and wanting to
be rich, his heirs engage in a ruse with the wily Gianni Schicchi. Amid the mayhem, Lauretta sings the beloved aria, “O mio babbino caro”, pleading with her father to marry her true love, Rinuccio.
Tell your smart speaker to “play The Classical Station” at 7 p.m. Eastern. Jay Pierson hosts.
On July 7 we observe the birthdays of Austrian composer Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007), and Danish recorder player Michala Petri (1958-).
Mahler made his living as a conductor. Composing those monumental ten symphonies and his other works was a part-time activity. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Menotti wrote Amahl and the Night Visitors as well as ten other operas. Ms. Petri began playing the recorder at the age of 3. She has over thirty-four recordings to her credit.
Photos: Ms. Petri, Erik Klitgaard; Gustav Mahler, Moriz Nähr, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons; Gian Carlo Menotti, Carl Van Vechten, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
On July 6 we observe the birthday of Russian conductor and pianist Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (1937-). Besides being a superb pianist, Ashkenazy has served as conductor of several major orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Photo: Keith Saunders
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
5 reasons you should support The Classical Station.
1. You love classical music. Classical music lovers can find the music they love 24/7 at The Classical Station. Commercial free with a minimum of talk.
2. We make the music available to you in a variety of formats. On the radio, on our app, on cable systems, online, and on our partner stations all around the United States. The Classical Station is at your fingertips whenever and however you choose to listen to us.
3. We are listener-supported. We do not receive funding from a large university or national radio association. Our $2.2 million annual budget is raised by contributions from listeners like you. What you give is up to you. Any and all gifts are gratefully received.
4. We are volunteer-powered. Over 200 volunteers answer the phones, stuff the envelopes, and host our programs on-air as announcers. It’s been that way since 1978. The Classical Station could not bring great classical music to you without these dedicated folks who believe in our mission. You can speak to one today when you call 800-556-5178.
5. We make every dollar you give s-t-r-e-t-c-h as far as we can. The Classical Station gives the adjective ‘frugal’ a new meaning! If you ever visit the station, you will be amazed at just how spartan the furnishings are. Much of it is donated. No mahogany paneling or plush offices here. Your gifts are used to bring great classical music to listeners everywhere. It’s our mission. It’s all that matters.
Support us today by clicking a gift to us here on this website. And don’t forget to take a Thank You Gift.
On July 5 we observe the birthdays of English composer William Crotch (1775-1847), Polish-French harpsichordist Wanda Landowska (1879-1859), and Hungarian-American cellist János Starker (1924-2013).
Dr. Crotch was the first Principal of the Royal Academy of Music. Wanda Landowska popularized the harpsichord back in the 40s and 50s. Starker was Distinguished Professor in the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University from 1958-2013.
Photo: William Crotch, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Monday, July 4, 2022
Independence Day
A very happy Independence Day from the staff and volunteers of The Classical Station! Our playlists today feature American composers and performers as we celebrate the 246th birthday of the United States of America. Listen on 89.7 FM in Central North Carolina, streaming everywhere on our apps and online here on our website.
Photo: United States Declaration of Independence. Facsimile on velum, one of 201 produced in 1823 by William J. Stone from a copper plate engraving of the original 1776 manuscript/Original by Thomas Jefferson et al.; Engraving & facsimile by William J. Stone (1798-1865)
Operatic soprano Christine Weidinger is our guest on the July edition of My Life In Music in a program we first aired in July 2017. My Life In Music is made possible by our listeners and by The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. See their website for tickets and more information.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” for My Life In Music this evening at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Photo by Brandon Patoc
This evening Monday Night at the Symphony features the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. On the program is music by Antonín Dvořák, Ernest Bloch, and Johann Sebastian Bach in performances conducted by Gerard Schwarz, Ludovic Morlot, and Thomas Dausgaard.
The Classical Station brings you a concert by a great orchestra on Monday Night at the Symphony every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.