This Week At The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra open Preview! this week with a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70. Steven Fox, Director of New York City’s The Clarion Choir talks about his ensemble’s recording of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil.
Preview! brings you the latest releases and local arts news every Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
This morning Great Sacred Music includes music sung by the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, New York City, Gloriae Dei Cantores, and the Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge. Also on the playlist is music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Anton Bruckner, and Franz Schubert.
Great Sacred Music. Beautiful choral and organ music. Every Sunday morning. 8 a.m. Eastern.
On April 30 we observe the birthdays of Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár (1870-1948) and American conductor Robert Shaw (1916-1999).
Herr Lehár wrote over forty operas and operettas. The opera best known to modern ears is The Merry Widow which is mounted with great regularity in opera houses worldwide. Robert Shaw was affectionately known as the Dean of American choral conductors.
Photo: Franz Lehár, Unknown Author (Bain News Service, publisher). Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons; Robert Shaw, Unknown Author, Fair Use, Wikimedia Commons
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Saturday, April 29, 2023
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2022-23 season of Saturday matinee radio broadcasts continues with Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten, a performance from last fall. Tenor Allan Clayton stars in the monumental title role of an outcast in an English fishing village who stands suspected of committing unspeakable wrongs. Soprano Nicole Car is Ellen Orford, the schoolmistress who tries to help him redeem himself. And bass-baritone Adam Plachetka is Captain Balstrode. Maestro Nicholas Carter conducts the Met orchestra and chorus in Britten’s unforgettable score, evoking the hardscrabble life of the village as well as the power and mystery of the sea.
The curtain goes up at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Nicole Car as Ellen Orford and Allan Clayton as Peter Grimes in Britten’s “Peter Grimes.” Photo: Richard Termine / Met Opera
As film music rises in popularity, more and more performers, composers, and ensembles are accepting the legitimacy of film composition as an art form, and are bringing these works—and their audiences—to the concert hall. Our Cinema Classics weekend features a wide range of classical works found in movies and music written specifically for the film.
Photo: Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in Madame Tussauds, photo by Loren Javier.
On April 29 we observe the birthdays of English conductors Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) and Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967), as well as Indian conductor Zubin Mehta (1936-).
Wealthy and witty, Sir Thomas Beecham led a rather extraordinary life, both professionally and personally. A bit of a showman who added the sing-along to the Last Night of the Proms, Sir Malcolm Sargent was Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1957. Considered one of the great conductors of the latter part of the 20th century and early 21st century, Maestro Mehta was Music Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1961-67); Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1978); the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1981-); and Music Director of the New York Philharmonic (1978-91).
Photos: Sir Thomas Beacham, Culver Pictures, New York, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons; Sir Malcolm Sargent, Unknown Author, Fair Use, Wikimedia Commons; Zubin Mehta, Antman Oded, Opera Online
Friday, April 28, 2023
The Metropolitan Opera presents
Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes
Saturday, April 29, 1 p.m. Eastern
Once again you’ve filled this week’s Request Programs with beautiful classical music. So, what about next week? What would you like us to play for you?
We have two Request Programs. All Request Friday and the Saturday Evening Request Program. On All Request Friday we play the music you choose from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Eastern. The Saturday Evening Request Program runs from 6 p.m. until midnight. We have a couple of ways for you to submit your requests. On our website, click Listen then Request Programs, then fill out the short form to let us know what you want us to play. Or click the Request Programs link on our app. Or call 919-556-0123. Short works? Yes. Long works? Yes. Your choice! The programs are usually over-subscribed, so get your request in as soon as you can.
Want to know when your request will be played? Check Request Program Playlists. under the Listen tab here on our website.
On April 28 we observe the birthday of Israeli conductor Yoav Talmi (1943-). Maestro Talmi attended The Juilliard School and has been music director of several orchestras in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Photo: YoavTalmi.com
Thursday, April 27, 2023
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 beautiful music you love on 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 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 at auction. This amount is what you can claim on your itemized tax return. You also will receive a one-year subscription to our quarterly member magazine, Quarter Notes.
Photo: 1974 Ford Pinto, Pat M., Public Domain on Wikipedia.org
On April 27 we observe the birthdays of German composer Friedrich von Flotow (1812-1883) and French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie (1959-).
While Herr von Flotow wrote thirty operas, he is perhaps best known to modern audiences for his opera Martha. Besides appearing in venues worldwide and recording extensively, Monsieur Lortie is the Master in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium.
Photos: Friedrich von Flotow, Unknown Author, Gallica Digital Library, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons; Louis Lortie by Elias Photography
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Our Spring Fund Drive Drive has ended, the pledges are in, and Thank You gifts that haven’t already arrived are being mailed. You have given us the means necessary to keep the great classical music coming to you. Thank you for your generosity.
Remember, you can send a donation to us here on this website, on our app, by mailing a check to The Classical Station, Box 828 Wake Forest NC 27588, or by calling 800-556-5178 anytime.
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
5 Reasons Why You Should Support The Classical Station
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.
We make the music available to you in a variety of formats. On FM radio, online, on your smart devices, 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.
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.
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 people who believe in our mission. You can speak to one today when you call 800-556-5178.
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 have ever visited the station, you know 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. That’s our mission. It’s all that matters.
Call 800-556-5178 anytime to become a Sustaining Member. Or click a gift to us via our secure server. Don’t forget to select a Thank You gift!
Monday, April 24, 2023
This evening, Monday Night at the Symphony features the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1918. The program includes music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Peter Tchaikovsky, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, conducted by James Conlon, David Zinman, and Yannick Nezet-Seguin.
Tell your smart device to “Play The Classical Station” at 8 p.m. Eastern.
On April 24 we observe the birthday of Australian guitarist John Williams (1941-). Winner of a GRAMMY Award with another prominent guitarist, Julian Bream, John Williams is widely considered to be one of the finest guitar players of his generation.
Photo: Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons