This Week at The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Canadian pianist Luke Welch opens Preview! with a performance of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Intermezzo. Dr. Robert Parkins, University Organist of Duke University, talks about the 2023-2024 Organ Recital series.
Preview! brings you the latest releases and local arts news every Sunday at 6 p.m.
This morning Great Sacred Music includes performances by Elektra Women’s Choir; Apollo’s Fire; and Susan Moeser. You’ll hear works by Abbie Betinis; Johann Sebastian Bach; Claudio Monteverdi; and many more.
Great Sacred Music. 8 a.m. Right after Sing for Joy.
On November 26 we observe the birthdays of two great American pianists: Earl Wild (1915-2010) and Eugene Istomin (1925-2003).
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Earl Wild was one of the 20th century’s great pianists. Besides being a virtuoso, he transcribed several orchestral works and composed a few of his own, in addition to leaving us dozens of recordings on several labels. A native of New York City, Eugene Istomin was one of the 20th-century great pianists, like Earl Wild. Istomin enjoyed a well-received collaboration as one member of a trio with Leonard Rose and Isaac Stern.
Photo: Earl Wild, Unknown Author, Fair Use
Saturday, November 25, 2023
We’ve been broadcasting Great Classical Music since 1978, thanks to listener support. One of the many ways that you can help The Classical Station to continue playing classical music for years to come is to leave a planned gift in your will or estate.
Leaving a legacy gift to The Classical Station will help ensure that the station has a solid foundation to continue operating for generations to come. Educational Information Corporation is the legal name of The Classical Station. The station is a nonprofit, listener-supported radio station—it relies on your tax-deductible support for its funding.
Please use The Classical Station’s legal name in any bequest or designation.
Educational Information Corporation
P.O. Box 828
Wake Forest, NC 27588
Federal tax identification number: 56-1061859
For any questions regarding planned giving, please contact Heather Greene at (919) 556-5178.
We thank Andrea L. Hinshaw, PLLC, for her help in the creation of this material.
On November 25 we observe the birthdays of Austrian composer Franz Gruber (1787-1863), American composer and critic Virgil Thomson (1896-1989), German pianist Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991), and French conductor Jean-Claude Malgoire (1940-2018).
Herr Gruber wrote the music for Silent Night. Virgil Thomson was one of the 20th-century composers largely responsible for creating what we recognize as the American sound. Aaron Copland was the other. Listen to music critic Anthony Tomassini talking about Virgil Thomson in an interview we recorded in October 2020. Herr Kempff was one of the 20th-century great interpreters of the piano music of Beethoven and Schubert. Monsieur Malgoire is a prominent conductor of Baroque music.
Photo: Portrait of Franz Gruber, Sebastian Stief, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
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Friday, November 24, 2023
If you work for or are retired from a company with a matching gift program, your contribution to WCPE, The Classical Station can make twice the impact on the Great Classical Music you rely on and the programs you love!
Your employer will match your gift dollar for dollar — some companies even double or triple the amount of your gift — at no cost to you. Both Sustaining and single contributions can be matched.
Enter your employer’s name on our Matching Gifts page to see if they match gifts to WCPE FM, an “arts and cultural” organization.
On November 24 we observe the birthday of American composer Scott Joplin (c. 1868–1917).
A native of Arkansas, Joplin is widely considered to be the “King of Ragtime”. His music shot to popularity as a result of it being included in the hit movie The Sting (1973) which featured Joplin’s rag The Entertainer.
Photo: Scott Joplin (c. 1903), Author Unknown, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, November 23
Thanksgiving Day
We hope that you are having an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving holiday. Please remember that our great classical music is as close as your smartphone and tablet. Our app offers a high-quality audio stream that you can play through your smart speakers. You can also listen to some recent Preview! interviews and see what we will be playing on What’s Playing.
You can download our app from your device’s store. Just look for “WCPE The Classical Station.”
On November 23 we observe the birthdays of English composer Thomas Atwood (1765-1838), French composer André Caplet (1878-1925), and Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946).
After studying with Mozart, Thomas Attwood went on to be the Organist of Saint Paul’s Cathedral from 1796-1838. Winner of the Prix de Rome in 1901, Monsieur Caplet was a close friend of Claude Debussy and orchestrated many of his works. Manuel de Falla is best remembered for his compositions The Ritual Fire Dance and The Three-Cornered Hat.
Photo: Manuel de Falla, Unknown Author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Tomorrow The Classical Station celebrates a day of gratitude with a collection of works by American composers. Enjoy time with friends and family as we play works by Aaron Copland, Amy Beach, William Grant Still, and more.
The staff and volunteers of The Classical Station wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
On November 22 we observe the birthdays of German composer Wilhelm Friedmann Bach (1710-1784), Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999), English composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), American composer Gunther Schuller (1925-2015), English pianist Sir Stephen Hough (1961-), and American conductor Kent Nagano (1951-).
The second child and eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach, Wilhelm Friedmann Bach was taught by his father who wrote, among other works, Inventions and Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier for him. While best known for his guitar music, Senor Rodrigo never actually mastered the instrument himself. We know him best for his Concierto de Aranjuez which is a great favorite of The Classical Station’s listeners. Benjamin Britten was a brilliant composer as well as conductor and pianist. He was also the first British musician to be made a life peer. The Britten-Pears Foundation website is a good resource for information about the composer. Gunther Schuller studied at the St. Thomas Choir School in New York and went on to be President of the New England Conservatory. Besides being a brilliant pianist, Sir Stephen Hough is a writer, composer, and polymath. He teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Julliard School. You can listen to a conversation with Sir Stephen on our Conversations page. Maestro Nagano was the Music Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2020 and is also the music director of the Hamburg State Opera.
Photo: Stephen Hough by Andrew Crowley
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Celebrate the special classical music lover in your life with a daily, weekly, or monthly announcement here on The Classical Station. With a Sustaining Membership of $100 per month, you can have a weekly on-air dedication. To find out more about day dedications and patron announcements on The Classical Station or to renew your announcement, contact Tanja Greaves at 919-556-5178.
On November 21 we observe the birthdays of Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), German composer Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933), Australian composer Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003), and American conductor James DePreist (1936-2013).
Karg-Elert is perhaps best known to organists. He wrote over one hundred pieces for organ and harmonium. Tárrega was both a composer and a virtuoso guitarist who laid the foundations for classical guitar performance in the 20th century. Williamson was a Master of the Queen’s Music from 1975-2003. He wrote seven symphonies and a dozen concerti for various instruments. James DePreist was the nephew of the contralto Marian Anderson. Among other appointments, he was Leonard Bernstein’s assistant at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1965-66. DePriest was the music director of the Oregon Symphony from 1980-2003.
Photo: James DePriest by Wendy Leher
Monday, November 20, 2023
This evening, Monday Night at the Symphony features the Nashville Symphony which was founded in 1946. The program includes music by Howard Hanson, Amy Beach, Stephen Paulus, and more, conducted by Kenneth Schermerhorn, Leonard Slatkin, and current Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. Tell your smart speaker to “Play The Classical Station.”
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