This Week at The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, October 1, 2023
This morning Great Sacred Music includes performances by The Morgan State University Choir; The King’s Consort; and La Scala Theatre Chorus. You’ll hear works by Adolphus Hailstork, Gioachino Rossini, Johann Sebastian Bach, and many more.
Great Sacred Music begins at 8 a.m. Eastern Time. Right after Sing for Joy.
On October 1 we observe the birthdays of Italian composer Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682), French composer Paul Dukas (1865-1935), and Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989).
Signor Stradella composed over 300 works in a variety of styles. Unfortunately, his philandering lifestyle led to his untimely demise. Monsieur Dukas is perhaps best known for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. He taught at the Paris Conservatoire and was also a music critic. Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz married conductor Arturo Toscanini’s daughter Wanda. Horowitz is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.
Photo: Paul Dukas, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Saturday, September 30, 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 for more information about setting up a Day Dedication. Thank you for supporting The Classical Station.
On September 30 we observe the birthdays of Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen (1840-1911), Czech conductor Václav Smetáček (1906-1986), Irish composer Sir Charles Stanford (1852-1924), and Soviet violinist David Oistrakh (1908-1974).
Johan Svendsen wrote several symphonies and string quartets. Maestro Smetáček conducted the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Stanford was one of the first professors on the staff of the Royal College of Music. David Oistrakh was one of the 20th century’s foremost violinists.
Photo: Sr Charles Villiers Stanford, Bassano Ltd., Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Friday, September 29, 2023
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The Classical Station’s Education Fund is made possible through the generosity of our members. We are incredibly grateful to our members who allocate 10% of their gifts to support this important cause. Their contributions directly contribute to the success of these grants and the advancement of classical music education in our community. Over the last 14 years, the Education Fund has granted over $138,000 to various organizations and initiatives, providing essential resources to nurture and inspire the next generation of classical musicians.
On September 29 we observe the birthdays of German composers Vincent Lubeck (1654-1740) and Johann Gottlieb Schicht (1753-1823), Czech conductor Vaclav Neumann (1920-1995), and Australian conductor Richard Bonynge (1930-).
Herr Lubeck was one of the foremost organists of his time. Herr Schicht was cantor of the Thomanchor, the same position held by Johann Sebastian Bach a century before. Maestro Neumann was music director of the Czech Philharmonic from 1968-1990. Maestro Bonynge is the widower of Dame Joan Sutherland. He conducted virtually all of his wife’s performances.
Photo: Vincent Lubeck, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, September 28, 2023
The Merry Widow” is not a grand opera but rather a light and entertaining operetta composed by Franz Lehár. It’s a delightful and accessible musical work that blends elements of opera and musical theater. The story revolves around a wealthy widow, Hanna Glawari, who becomes the center of attention in her small European town due to her vast fortune.
As the plot unfolds, various characters attempt to woo Hanna in hopes of securing her wealth for themselves or their country. Amidst these comical and sometimes farcical romantic pursuits, Lehár’s music enchants the audience with catchy melodies and beautiful waltzes. The operetta explores themes of love, money, and social status while providing plenty of humor and romance along the way.
In summary, “The Merry Widow” is a lighthearted and accessible operetta with captivating music and a charming story that anyone, even those unfamiliar with grand opera, can enjoy.
The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. for our performance of Franz Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” on the Thursday Night Opera House.
On September 28 we observe the birthday of Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova (1985-).
Ms. Ibragimova was born in Russia. She has lived in England since her father took a position with the London Symphony Orchestra. She studied at the Royal College of Music. Since then she has appeared with orchestras worldwide.
Photo: Sussie Ahlberg
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
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 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 September 27 we observe the birthdays of American harpsichordist Igor Kipnis (1930-2002), American pianist Misha Dichter (1945-), and Russian conductor Dmitri Sitkovetsky (1954-).
One of the great harpsichordists of the 20th century, Dr. Kipnis gave recitals worldwide. Misha Dichter made his concert debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1968. Dmitri Sitkovetsky is the son of pianist Bella Davidovich. He has conducted most major orchestras at some point in his career, and currently is the Music Director of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.
Photo: Dmitry Sitkovetsky by ohn Walsh
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
For more than 45 years, The Classical Station has depended upon the support of listeners and volunteers to share Great Classical Music with everyone. Classical music is so much more than just music… It’s a community. It’s a unique, vital, and powerful art. And the power of the music is reflected in the power of The Classical Station. This station is also a community, created and sustained by you and your love of this music. But love alone isn’t enough to keep the music playing. We need your love, but we also need your financial support.
Please show your love of music by giving online today at TheClassicalStation.org, on our app, or by calling 800-556-5178 anytime. Thank you! Don’t forget to take a Thank You Gift!
On September 26 we observe the birthdays of Swiss-French pianist Alfred Cortot (1877-1962), French conductor Charles Munch (1891-1968), American composer George Gershwin (1898-1937), and American composer and musicologist William Levi Dawson (1899-1990)..
Monsieur Cortot was considered one of the finest interpreters of the music of Chopin in his time. He made the first electrical recording of Chopin in 1925. Charles Munch was Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1962. Many American composers studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Mlle. Boulanger refused George Gershwin as a student. Shortly thereafter, he wrote Porgy and Bess. One last historical morsel about the great Gershwin: “Gershwin asked to study with Ravel. When Ravel heard how much Gershwin earned, Ravel replied with words to the effect of, ‘You should give me lessons.’” William Levi Dawson was a member of the music faculty at the Tuskegee Institute from 1931-1956. His Negro Folk Symphony (1934) had its world premiere by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.
Photo: Drawing of William L. Dawson by Aaron Douglas, Tuskegee University Archives, Fair Use
Monday, September 25, 2023
Classical music is a tapestry of instruments, of experience, of emotion, of story. Every piece of music you hear on The Classical Station is also part of the larger tapestry of musical history, a history that goes back through centuries of composition and more than a century of recordings. Every day The Classical Station weaves a tapestry drawn from the many thousands of recordings in our vast music library. But today the story is all about you – our listener. So seize the day by showing your support today for The Classical Station. Give online or call us anytime at 800-556-5178.
Thank you for your support!
This evening, Monday Night at the Symphony features The London Symphony Orchestra which was founded in 1904. The program includes music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, John Ireland, Antonin Dvorak, and George Frederick Handel conducted by Richard Hickox, Sir Georg Solti, Istvan Kertesz, and Sir Simon Rattle.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. Tell your smart device to “Play The Classical Station.”
On September 25 we observe the birthdays of French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764), Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), English conductor Sir Colin Davis (1927-2013), and Canadian pianist Glenn Gould (1932-1982).
Rameau composed music of all kinds. His music for harpsichord and his operas are perhaps best known to 21st-century listeners. Shostakovich was a prominent 20th-century composer who wrote, among other things, fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets. Sir Colin Davis made a name for himself at Covent Garden conducting ballets. He was in great demand as an opera conductor as well. Glenn Gould’s 1955 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations was one of the best-selling classical music albums of all time.
Photo: Jean-Philippe Rameau, Joseph Aved, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
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