I know it’s so early that even the roosters will be brewing their coffee, but if you want to get a taste of the melodic fecundity and lush orchestrations of Erich Wolfgang Korngold as opera composer, you’ll want to tune in to WPRB tomorrow for “Sunday Morning Opera” with Sandy Steiglitz.

Sandy will be celebrating Korngold’s birthday with a complete recording of the composer’s final opera “Die Kathrin.” The piece is gorgeous. It may not be his most profound work for the stage, but it contains one great melody after another. Also, it is the opera closest in style to his film scores. He completed it in 1937, the same year as his work on “The Prince and the Pauper.” By that time, he had already written his Academy Award winning music for “Anthony Adverse.” “Captain Blood” was two years in the past. The opening of the opera (set outside a cinema!) sounds like it could have been written for “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

Technically the show runs from 6 to 10 a.m., with the opera beginning at 7; but because of the length, the main attraction this week will begin at 6:45 EDT. It makes no difference to Sandy; she’s there at 5:30 anyway, cleaning the studio and sharing the music she loves. So tune in early. I don’t know anyone who knows as much about opera, in terms of both repertoire and its recorded history, as Sandy does. It’s worth your while getting to know her show.

Hear “Sunday Morning Opera” tomorrow morning on WPRB 103.3 FM or at wprb.com. Korngold goes great with breakfast. Happy birthday, EWK!

Renée Fleming sings the Letter Song from “Die Kathrin”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcNJRo4K7fs

Korngold plays it (courtesy of Brendan Carroll):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgLXGInLMpc

In case you missed it, here’s an interview I did with Sandy in 2012 for the Trenton Times.

http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2012/08/sunday_morning_opera_host_sand.html

PHOTO: Erich Wolfgang Korngold in 1937