This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Klaus Mäkelä and The Oslo Philharmonic open Preview! this evening with their critically-acclaimed performance of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7. Dan McHugh speaks with Suzanne Russo & Stephanie Vial of the NC HIP Festival.
Tell your smart device 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 La Scala Theatre Chorus, Le Concert Spirituel, and the Orlando Consort. Also on the playlist is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Henry Purcell.
Great Sacred Music. Beautiful choral and organ music. Every Sunday morning. 8 a.m. Eastern. Right after Sing For Joy. With Rob Kennedy.
On January 29 we observe the birthdays of English composers Frederick Delius (1862-1934) and Havergal Brian (1876-1972), English pianist Malcolm Binns (1936-), and Taiwan-born American violinist Cho-Liang Lin (1960-).
Young Delius managed his father’s orange groves in Florida before returning to England and ultimately Paris where he spent much of his life. To call Havergal Brian a symphonist is putting it mildly. He wrote thirty-two symphonies. A graduate of London’s Royal College of Music, Malcolm Binns has championed British composers in his recordings and performances. He celebrates his 83rd birthday today. Cho-Liang Lin studied at The Julliard School and made his debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 19.
Photos: Portrait of Frederick Delius by Jelka Rosen, in City of Westminster collection; Photo of Havergal Brian on Havergal Brian Society; Malcolm Binns by Hanya Chlala; Photo of Cho-Liang Lin on Cholianglin.com
Saturday, January 28, 2023
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2022-23 Season of live Saturday matinee radio broadcasts continues with Dialogues des Carmélites – Dialogues of the Carmelites, Francis Poulenc’s powerful drama about a convent of nuns facing martyrdom during the Reign of Terror. The sisterhood is portrayed by an extraordinary cast: Ailyn Pérez sings Blanche, who joins the convent on the eve of the French Revolution; Christine Goerke is Madame Lidoine, the inspiring new Prioress; Alice Coote is the old Prioress, who suffers an agonizing death; Jamie Barton is the dogmatic Mother Marie; and Sabine Devieilhe is the novice, Constance. Maestro Bertrand de Billy conducts the Met orchestra and chorus in Poulenc’s profoundly moving score.
The curtain goes up at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Ailyn Pérez as Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites.” Photo: Marty Sohl /Met Opera
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On January 28 we observe the birthdays of French composer Ferdinand Hérold (1791-1833), German composer Johann Ernst Bach (1722-1777), Polish-born American pianist Arthur Rubenstein (1887-1982), and English composer John Tavener (1944-2013).
Monsieur Hérold was a composer of operas of which Zampa is his best-known work. Herr Bach was a member of the famous North German Bach family. Arthur Rubenstein was widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Sir John Tavener’s fusion of modern compositional techniques and Eastern Christianity made him a unique voice in late 20th-century and early 21st-century music.
Photos: Artur Rubenstein on Discogs.com, Author Unknown; Ferdinand Hérold, Author Unknown in Gallica Digital Library, Public Domain; Johann Ernst Bach, Author Unknown, Public Domain; Sir John Tavener, Clestur, CCA 3.0 on Wikipedia.org; Wikipedia.org
Friday, January 27, 2023
Metropolitan Opera presents
Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites
Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m. Eastern
On January 27 we observe the birthdays of French composer Édouard Lalo (1823-1892), Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), English pianist John Ogdon (1937-1989), and French conductor Jean-Philippe Collard (1948-).
Édouard Lalo is best known to modern audiences for his Symphonie Espagnole. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed for a variety of musical genres and left us remarkable compositions in each category. John Ogdon’s genius was probably the root of his psychological problems. A child prodigy, Monsieur Collard went on to be a highly-regarded interpreter of the music of Faure and Saint-Saens.
Photos: Portrait of W.A. Mozart by Johann Georg Edlinger, Public Domain on Wikipedia.org; Engraving by Richard Paraire of Eduard Lalo, Public Domain, Wikipedia.org; John Ogden on johnogden.org; Jean-Phillippe Collard on www.artsandopinion.com
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Calling all Savoyards! This evening the Thursday Night Opera House presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore & The Gondoliers. It’s a wonderful double bill. You’re in for a fun-filled evening! The lyrical melodies and patter songs of Sullivan paired with the descriptive and humorous lyrics of W.S. Gilbert make for a delightful listening experience.
The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Playlists
What did we play yesterday or the day before? What will we play tomorrow? Next week?
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On January 26 we observe the birthday of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré (1945-1987).
Ms. du Pré was a brilliant cellist who had a career of barely ten years before it was cut short by multiple sclerosis. She was just forty-two years old when she died. The Davydov Stradivarius cello with which she is pictured is now on loan to Yo-Yo Ma.
Photo: Image of cellist Jacqueline du Pré (1945-1987) with husband, Daniel Barenboim and the Davydov Stradivarius violoncello, Unknown author on Wikipedia.org
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
From the boy wonder pianist of Salzburg to the troubled young genius in Vienna, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created an extraordinary amount of music in his 35-year lifespan. The Classical Station celebrates Mozart with his symphonies, piano concertos, chamber music, opera, and sacred music in celebration of the 267th anniversary of his birth.
Photo: Johann Nepomuk della Croce, Public Domain on Wikipedia.org
On January 25 we observe the birthdays of Belgian composer Jan Blockx (1851-1912) and German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886-1954).
A composer of several operas, Jan Blockx was director of the Antwerp Conservatory from 1886-1912. Widely considered one of the great conductors of the 20th century, Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler’s life and career took many twists and turns.
Photos: Wilhelm Furtwängler by Emil Orlik, Public Domain on Wikipedia.org; Jan Blockx, Unknown Author, Arts Center, Brussels, Belgium
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
When you give $200 or more to The Classical Station, you can request a Day Dedication as your Thank You Gift. We will run a short announcement you have written four times on the day you choose. Many listeners have chosen to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and memorials of those special to them. The example on the left gives you an idea of one listener’s Day Dedication message.
Contact our Membership Department at 919-556-5178 for more information about setting up a Day Dedication. Thank you for supporting The Classical Station.
On January 24 we observe the birthdays of Prussian composer and King Frederick the Great (1712-1786), Prussian composer E.T.A. Hoffman (1776-1822), and American composer Norman Dello Joio (1913-2008).
The Spectator has a fascinating article about the life and accomplishments of King Frederick. While Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffman left us several stage and instrumental works, it is as a writer of fantasy and horror that he is remembered today. Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award winner Norman Dello Joio studied with Pietro Yon, who was his godfather and organist of New York’s Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
Photos: Portrait of Frederick the Great by Anton Graff, 1781 Public Domain on Wikipedia.org; Portrait of E.T.A Hoffman, Author Unknown, Public Domain on Wikipedia.org; Photo of Norman Dello Joio by Don Hunstein
Monday, January 23, 2023
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed more than 600 pieces and dozens of eternal masterpieces in only 35 years. Representing his contribution to classical music with only a few of those selections is a daunting task. Our celebration this week will span Mozart’s vast repertoire of concertos, symphonies, chamber works, and piano works. See our Daily Playlist for details.
This evening, Monday Night at the Symphony features the Chicago Symphony Orchestra which was founded in 1891. The program includes music by Sergei Prokofiev, Gioachino Rossini, Josef Haydn, and more, conducted by Fritz Reiner, Claudio Abbado, and current Music Director, Riccardo Muti.
Tell your smart device to “Play The Classical Station” at 8 p.m. Eastern.
On January 23 we observe the birthday of Italian-born English composer Muzio Clementi (1752-1836).
Besides being a composer, Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi was a teacher, publisher, piano maker, and an influence on many composers including John Field, Carl Czerny, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Photo: Thomas Hardy (1757-1804) on Wikipedia.org