This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, August 21, 2022
The Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra performs Peter Drew’s Symphony No. 1, “Reminiscence” to open Preview! this evening. Rob Kennedy speaks with cellist Jennifer Kloetzel about her recording of the Beethoven Works for Cello and Piano.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” at 6 p.m. Eastern for Preview! bringing you the latest classical releases and local arts news.
This morning Great Sacred Music includes music sung by the Hilliard Ensemble, the Choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, and the Utah State University Chamber Singers. Also on the playlist is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Herbert Howells, and Sir Karl Jenkins.
Great Sacred Music. Beautiful choral and organ music. Every Sunday morning. 8 a.m. Eastern. Right after Sing For Joy. With Rob Kennedy.
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 89th birthday, Dame Janet!
Photo: Lili Boulanger, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Saturday, August 20, 2022
Go the last mile with your used vehicle. If your automobile (or 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 love here at The Classical Station. The Center for Car Donations (CFCD) manages the donations on our behalf. Call them toll-free at 877-WCPEUSA for more information or to begin the car donation process. Tell them that WCPE The Classical Station 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 will also receive a one-year subscription to Quarter Notes, our member magazine. Thank you for your support.
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.
Photo: Maxim Vengerov by Pascale Bitz
Friday, August 19, 2022
Celebrate the loved ones in your life. Day Dedications and ongoing Patron Announcements on The Classical Station are thoughtful gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Like a musical duet, you can honor a loved one and support great music, together. Contact Tanja Greaves for more information. 919-556-5178
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.
Photo: Gerard Schwarz by Yuen Lui
Thursday, August 18, 2022
This evening the Thursday Night Opera House presents Franz Lehár’s Die Luftige Witwe (The Merry Widow). This is Franz Lehar’s most celebrated and successful operetta, filled with uplifting waltzes, comical and tender moments, and the eloquent aria, Villia, O Villia. We’ll travel to Paris where a rich widow must marry one of her countrymen or lose her late husband’s fortune. Although the action takes place in Paris, it is the quintessential Viennese operetta. First performed at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien on December 30, 1905, it was the composer’s first major success, leading to Der Graf von Luxemburg (1909), Paganini (1925), Der Zarewitsch (1926), Der Land des Lächelns (1929), Schön ist die Welt (1930), and Giuditta (1934).
The curtain goes up at 8 p.m. Eastern. Jay Pierson hosts.
On August 18 we observe the birthdays of Italian composer Antonio Salieri (1750-1825), Canadian composer and conductor Sir Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973), and Russian conductor Dmitri Kitayenko (1940-).
Signor Salieri taught Schubert, Liszt and Beethoven. Sir Ernest MacMillan was one of the most influential musicians of his generation in Canada. Maestro Kitayenko was conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. He has made many recordings with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.
Photo: Dmitri Kitayenko by Gert Paul Harris
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
When your destination is The Classical Station, you’re on a journey whose goal is to enrich, excite, inspire, and relax. The strings, the keyboards, the brass, the percussion, the voices – classical is music for thinkers, for explorers, and for people who seek a deeper and richer experience in life. But the music doesn’t play for free. It’s funded by the people who listen – by people who want the door to inspiration to always be open. It’s funded by YOU. So, please, put a down payment on your next journey now with your donation to The Classical Station.
Give securely online or call us anytime to make your gift. A member of staff will be very happy to receive your gift. 800-556-5178.
Photo: WCPE Photo Services
On August 17 we observe the birthday of Spanish classical guitarist Ángel Romero (1946-).
Señor Romero comes from a family of distinguished musicians. His father is Celedonio Romero. His brothers are Pepe and Celin. Ángel was the first guitar soloist to appear with the Los Angles Symphony Orchestra which he did at the age of sixteen.
Photo: Angel Romero by Levg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Common
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
A great piece of music is a journey worth taking. It takes you to a place you know or one that you want to get to know better. A great piece of classical music lives, it breathes. It paints a picture of life in ways that no other genre can. That’s why we are dedicated to sharing the magic of this music near and far with anyone who wants to experience it. But it’s only possible with your support. Keep the music alive here on The Classical Station, your home for classical music. Do your part for music that matters.
Give securely online or, if you prefer, call us anytime at 800-556-5178. A member of staff is on duty 24/7 and will be happy to receive your gift. Don’t forget to select a Thank You Gift!
Photo: The Blue Diamond Gallery
On August 16 we observe the birthdays of French composer Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937), American organist and conductor Paul Callaway (1909-1995), and Israeli conductor Yoel Levi (1950-).
Monsieur Pierné was a student of César Franck and Jules Massenet. Dr. Callaway was organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Washington, DC, from 1939-1977. Maestro Levi is the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul, South Korea.
Photo: Yoel Levi by Kevin Abosch
Monday, August 15, 2022
This evening Monday Night at the Symphony features the Boston Symphony Orchestra which was founded in 1881. On the program is music by Franz Liszt, Maurice Ravel, and Dmitri Shostakovich in performances conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, Seiji Ozawa, and current music director, Andris Nelsons.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
On August 15 we observe the birthdays of English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), French composer Jacques Ibert (1890-1962), and German-American composer Lukas Foss (1922-2009).
Coleridge-Taylor studied composition at the Royal College of Music with Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Ibert wrote seven operas and five ballets, among other compositions. Foss was a classmate of Leonard Bernstein at the Curtis Institute.
Photo: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
