This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, September 18, 2022
This evening on Preview! The Julliard String quartet performs in a new recording of Dvorak’s String Quartet no 12 in F. Naomi Lambert speaks with Amy Hall Garner about her work as the resident choreographer of Carolina Ballet.
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 afternoon the September edition of Renaissance Fare will feature music from the Elizabethan period in England. We’ll hear tunes from Anthony Holborne, Thomas Morley, and many others, performed on all your favorite instruments from this period.
Join George Douglas for Renaissance Fare at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
This morning Great Sacred Music includes music sung by the Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, the Choir of Westminster Abbey, and the Choir of Winchester Cathedral. Also on the playlist is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, John Rutter, and Giuseppe Verdi.
Great Sacred Music. Beautiful choral and organ music. Every Sunday morning. 8 a.m. Eastern. Right after Sing For Joy. With Rob Kennedy.
On September 18 we observe the birthday of Russian soprano Anna Netrebko (1971-). Conductor Valery Gergiev gave Ms. Netrebko her start and mentored her early on in her career. She has since gone on to sing in major opera houses worldwide.
Photo: Romy 2013
Saturday, September 17, 2022
WCPE tower by Will Padgett
Forty-four years ago, we could only broadcast classical music here in Central North Carolina. Even then our signal was restricted until Deborah Proctor convinced the FCC to let us broadcast our 100,000-watt FM signal in a full circle. Now that FM signal radiating from our 1200-foot tower reaches out 100 miles. Then came satellite and cable systems carrying our classical music. In the late 90s, we began streaming our classical music online. In 2014 our app went live. And about the same time streaming services such as TuneIn and Apple began carrying our classical music. Right now listeners throughout the world are enjoying the beautiful classical music which YOU have made possible with your generous support.
So, whether you are listening in Paris, Idaho, or Paris, France, become a member online. Or call us anytime at 800-556-5178 to support the music you love here on The Classical Station. Thank you for your support!
On September 17 we observe the birthdays of Italian composer Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870), American composer Charles Griffes (1884-1920), and Dutch composer Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981).
Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante was a composer of operas who never enjoyed the fame of his younger colleagues Donizetti and Bellini. He wrote over 50 operas, only a handful of which are performed or recorded these days. Elmira, New York native Charles Griffes studied in Berlin. His music was written in what might best be described as an American impressionistic style. Professor Andriessen composed over 60 works and was instrumental in revitalizing Roman Catholic church music in The Netherlands.
Photo: Charles Griffes, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Friday, September 16, 2022
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 The Classical Station. 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 at auction. This amount is what you can claim on your itemized tax return. Thank you for your support!
On September 16 we observe the birthday of Hildegard von Bingen, OSB. This 12th-century genius was a Benedictine abbess. She was also a prolific writer and composer whose music we play from time to time on Great Sacred Music and Peaceful Reflections. Dr. von Bingen was a polymath or someone who is well-versed in a variety of subjects, a renaissance woman if you will.
Photo: Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, September 15, 2022
This evening the Thursday Night Opera House features an archival broadcast hosted by the late Al Ruocchio, longtime host of Opera House. Al will introduce Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera Samson et Dalila. The opera is based on the biblical story of Sampson and Delilah. It is widely considered to be Camille Saint-Saëns’ crowning achievement.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” at 7 p.m. Eastern.
On September 15 we observe the birthdays of American composer Horatio Parker (1863-1919), German conductor Bruno Walter (1876-1962), Spanish conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1933-2014), and American soprano Jessye Norman (1945-2019).
Dr. Parker established the music curriculum at Harvard University and was a director of the New England Conservatory of Music. Herr Walter was one of the great conductors of the 20th century. He lived in the United States from 1939 until his death. Señor Frühbeck de Burgos was the music director of several orchestras including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Danish National Symphony. GRAMMY-award winning soprano Jessye Norman appeared in most of the world’s great opera houses in the course of her career.
Photo: Ms. Norman by Carole Friedman
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Are you a Sustaining Member of The Classical Station? If you are, thank you! You are enjoying convenient, automatic, ongoing monthly contributions which you can change or stop at any time! Becoming a Sustaining Member is an easy way to increase the power of your support and put more of your dollars into the great classical music you depend on.
As a Sustaining Member, you will:
- Enjoy uninterrupted membership status at The Classical Station.
- Save us money spent on postage, paper, and administrative costs.
- Utilize an eco-friendly payment option which allows us to cut down on renewal mailings.
- Provide The Classical Station with a steady and reliable stream of income which allows us to plan for a sustainable future.
Here’s how a Sustaining Membership works: Your monthly contribution is deducted automatically from the account of your choice on the same day each month until you tell us to stop. You can make changes or cancel your Sustaining Membership at any time.
To Become a Sustaining Member, visit our Donation Page. Or call 800-556-5178 anytime. A member of staff will be happy to take down your information and instructions, as well as answer any questions you may have. Don’t forget to take a Thank You Gift or designate 10% of your Sustaining Membership to the Education Fund if you prefer. Thank you for being a Sustaining Member!
On September 14 we observe the birthdays of Austrian composer Michael Haydn (1737-1806), and Italian composer Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842).
As his older brother Josef had done, Michael Haydn got his musical start as a boy chorister at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. Haydn composed over 360 works in a variety of forms. His sacred choral works were highly regarded. Monsieur Cherubini was born in Italy but spent most of his life in France. With over 35 operas to his credit, he was also an able administrator, having been appointed the director of the Conservatoire in 1822.
Photo: Portrait of Michael Haydn by Franz Xaver Hornöck, c. 1805, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Our Fall Fund Drive begins next month. We have lots of new ways to say Thank You for your Sustaining Membership here at The Classical Station. Check out this fall’s Thank You Gifts!
You can pledge securely here on this website, on our app, or call us any time at 800-556-5178 to speak with a member of staff. Yes, thanks to your support, we actually have a live announcer on duty 24/7. He or she will be happy to speak with you.
Thank you for supporting The Classical Station. We couldn’t do this without you.
On September 13 we observe the birthdays of Italian composer Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) whose birthday is variously thought to be on September 9 and 15 as well as today, German composer Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896), and Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951).
Signor Frescobaldi was a musician at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance. Clara Schumann was the wife of composer Robert Schumann. She was a superb pianist who gave several first performances of the works of her friend Johannes Brahms. Herr Schoenberg developed the 12-tone compositional technique.
Photo: Clara Schumann, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
#theclassicalstation #wcpe #classicalmusic #clarschumann
Monday, September 12, 2022
This evening Monday Night at the Symphony features the Israel Philharmonic, which was founded in 1936 by Bronislaw Huberman. Its inaugural concert on 26th December 1936 was conducted by Arturo Toscanini. On our program is music by Peter Tchaikovsky, Max Bruch, and Ernest Bloch, in performances conducted by Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” at 8 p.m. Eastern.
This evening the September edition of Renaissance Fare will feature music from the Elizabethan period in England. We’ll hear tunes from Anthony Holborne, Thomas Morley, and many others, performed on all your favorite instruments from this period.
Join George Douglas for Renaissance Fare at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Photo: From a drawing in Cassell’s Library of English Literature, Henry Morley, 1883, Fair Use, Public Domain Vectors
On September 12 we observe the birthdays of English composer Eric Thiman (1900-1975), American mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos (1938-1993), and American conductor Jeffrey Kahane (1956-).
Thiman was a prolific composer of church music with over 1,300 published works. Ms. Troyanos began her singing career in The Sound of Music and went on to star on the stages of most of the world’s great opera houses. Maestro Kahane has enjoyed a distinguished career as both conductor and concert pianist.
Photo: Jeffrey Kahane courtesy E.F. Marton Productions