This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, November 20, 2022
This evening on Preview! Klaus Mäkelä conducts the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in a recording of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 in E-Flat released earlier this year on the Decca label. Naomi Lambert speaks with violinist Hilary Hahn about her recording Eclipse which features the concerti of Dvořák and Ginastera.
Preview! brings you the latest releases and arts news every Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
The royal courts and the grand cathedrals of Europe were the source of much of the Renaissance period’s great music. The November edition of Renaissance Fare will highlight music from Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and more.
Get out your tabrets and join host George Douglas at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Photo: From a drawing in Cassell’s Library of English Literature, Henry Morley, 1883, Fair Use, Public Domain Vectors
This morning Great Sacred Music includes music sung by the Vienna Boys Choir, the Binchois Consort, and the Rutgers University Choir. Also on the playlist is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Pierre de la Rue, and Sir Edward Bairstow. The Great Sacred Music page on our website has the lyrics of the anthems scheduled for this morning. Just click on November 20.
Great Sacred Music. Beautiful choral and organ music. Every Sunday morning. 8 a.m. Eastern. Right after Sing For Joy. With Rob Kennedy.
On November 20 we observe the birthdays of Australian composer Margaret Sutherland (1897-1984) and American conductor Kenneth Dewitt Schermerhorn (1929-2005).
Ms. Sutherland studied with Sir Arnold Bax in London. A Schenectady, New York native, Maestro Schermerhorn was the conductor of several orchestras, including the Nashville Symphony for which he served as music director from 1983.
Photo: Kenneth Schermerhorn, Harry Butler, Nashville Symphony
Saturday, November 19, 2022
If you missed our Fall Fund Drive this year, you didn’t miss your chance to contribute or receive a Thank You Gift. At this festive time of the year when family and friends get together, we’d love to welcome you into our family of classical music lovers. Donate securely online or on our app.
On November 19 we observe the birthday of Russian composer Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935).
Besides composing, he taught at the Conservatory in Moscow. One of his students was Reinhold Glière.
Photo: Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Friday, November 18, 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.
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. (Don’t forget to indicate 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 will also receive a one-year subscription to Quarter Notes, our program guide and member magazine.
On November 18 we observe the birthdays of Flemish composer Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (1680-1730), German composer Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch (1736-1800), German composer Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), and Hungarian-born American conductor Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985).
Loeillet spent most of his career as a musician in London where he was known as John Loeillet. Herr Hasch was C.P.E. Bach’s deputy harpsichordist at the court of Frederick the Great of Prussia. He was a brilliant pianist. Carl Maria von Weber also wrote ten operas which influenced many other composers of the genre. In 1936 Eugene Ormandy began his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra as Associate Conductor under Leopold Stokowski. He succeeded Stokowski as Music Director of the orchestra, spending forty years in that role before finally retiring in 1980. ArkivMusic shows three hundred thirty recordings made by Ormandy currently available.
Photo: Eugene Ormandy, Adrian Siegel, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, November 17, 2022
This evening the Thursday Night Opera House features Jules Massenet’s Cherubin. Cherubin is an entertaining comic opera, first performed in 1905 with Mary Garden in the lead (trouser) role. The story takes place where The Marriage of Figaro leaves off!
The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. Eastern.
On November 17 we observe the birthday of Australian conductor Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras (1925-2010).
Sir Charles was actually born in Schenectady, New York to Australian parents. They moved back to Australia when he was very young. Sir Charles conducted most of the world’s major orchestras during his long career. He made many recordings. Indeed, ArkivMusic shows 347 of his recordings are currently available.
Photo: Unknown Author, Alchetron
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
You get to be the Music Director every Friday between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern. All you have to do is submit your request here on our website. If you prefer, call 919-556-0123. You can also submit your request via our app. Click on the menu in the top left corner and then click on Request Programs. Not sure of the piece’s title or composer? Not to worry. Give us as much information as you can and we’ll do our best to find what you want to hear.
All Request Friday is very popular and frequently is oversubscribed. So, submit your request as soon as you can. If we can’t fit in your request on Friday, we will include it in the Saturday Evening Request Program. The Request Program playlists with the first name of the requestors are located under Daily Playlists on our website. Enjoy!
On November 16 we observe the birthday of German-born American composer Paul Hindemith (1895-1963).
Hindemith taught at Yale University where he influenced composers such as Norman Dello Joio and Lukas Foss.
Photo: Unknown Author, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Did you become a Sustaining Member of The Classical Station during our recent Fall Fund Drive? If you did, 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 that 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 November 15 we observe the birthdays of Cuban-born American pianist Jorge Bolet (1914-1990) and Argentine-Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim (1942-).
Jorge Bolet was considered one of the leading exponents of Romantic pianism according to the New York Times. While he is known these days primarily as a conductor, Daniel Barenboim began his career as a virtuoso pianist. Happy 80th birthday, Maestro!
Photo: Jorge Bolet, Lindsay Nelson, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Monday, November 14, 2022
This evening Monday Night at the Symphony features the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1842. On our program is music by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Peter Tchaikovsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven, in performances conducted by current music director Jaap van Zweden, Leonard Bernstein, and Jose Serebrier.
Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station” Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The royal courts and the grand cathedrals of Europe were the source of much of the Renaissance period’s great music. The November edition of Renaissance Fare will highlight music from Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and more.
Get out your tabrets and join host George Douglas at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Photo: From a drawing in Cassell’s Library of English Literature, Henry Morley, 1883, Fair Use, Public Domain Vectors
On November 14 we observe the birthdays of three composers. Born on this day were Austrian composer Leopold Mozart (1719-1787), German composer Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel (1805-1847), and American composer Aaron Copland (1900-1990).
The father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was probably more successful as a teacher than as a composer. Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel wrote over 460 compositions. She received her early musical education from her mother who had been trained by a student of Johann Sebastian Bach. Referred to as “the Dean of American Composers”, Aaron Copland created musical canvasses which seem to many people to capture the essence of what American music is, or should be.
Photo: Fannie Mendelssohn-Hensel, Wilhelm Hensel, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
