Classic Ross Amico

Category: Daily Dispatch

Bloch’s “America” An Immigrant’s Rhapsody

He came to love and revere his adopted country as only an outsider could.

Just in time for Independence Day, we’ll have music by immigrant-turned-naturalized-American-citizen, Ernest Bloch. Bloch, born in Switzerland, is probably best remembered for his music on Jewish themes, including the rhapsody for cello and orchestra, “Schelomo,” the suite for violin and piano “Baal Shem,” and the humanitarian oratorio, “Sacred Service.”

With a rise in anti-Semitism in Europe, Bloch decided to make the United States his permanent home. His epic rhapsody, “America,” was written, according to the composer, “in love for this country, in reverence to its past, in faith in its future.” He dedicated the work to Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman.

Bloch first conceived the idea for the piece in 1916, as his steamer entered New York Harbor. The conflict of the First World War gave further impetus to the composition of what he envisioned as an American anthem, but it wasn’t until 1925 that the work began to take concrete form.

For modern listeners, it’s possible that this symphony in all but name crosses the line at times into the Realm of Hokey, with its quotations of “Pop Goes the Weasel” and “Yankee Doodle” – it is certainly a time capsule – however, Bloch’s heartfelt conviction and his love for his adopted country remain palpable.

Hear Bloch himself, full of patriotic fervor, introduce this homage to his adopted land. Leopold Stokowski conducts the Symphony of the Air. I hope you’ll join me for “Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

Bloch was also interested in the visual arts, especially photography, and developed a close friendship with Alfred Stieglitz, which you can read about here:

http://ericjohnsonphoto.com/ernest-bloch-and-alfred-stieglitz-a-sunday-morning-conversion/

July 1, 2018
WWFM Classical Radio Fundraiser Ends Tonight

The ball ends at midnight. We don’t want to start out 2018-2019 in a pumpkin!

Thank you to all of you who contributed to WWFM – The Classical Network’s end of the fiscal year fundraiser. Now that the weekend specialty programs have begun, our time to come to you is extremely limited.

We’re still a little short of our goal. If you have not done so, please call now to make your gift at 1-888-232-1212. As the afternoon progresses, a few of us may yet be around to take your calls, but the telephone volunteers will gradually disperse. REMEMBER, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION ONLINE AT WWFM.ORG UNTIL 11:59 TONIGHT and still have it count toward this year’s budget.

Classical radio is as delicate as a glass slipper. We’ve been bringing great music to your community for 35 years, because of engaged listeners just like you. Thank you for everything that you do in order to keep The Classical Network strong. We couldn’t do it without you.

June 30, 2018
WWFM Year-End Donation Deadline Tonight

Last chance to make your contribution to WWFM – The Classical Network and make it count toward the end of our fiscal year. At midnight, everything resets. We don’t want to start out 2018-2019 in the hole! Call now at 1-888-232-1212. You can also make your contribution online, until 11:59 p.m., at wwfm.org. We’ve still got a ways to go, but we can do it with your support. We’ve been broadcasting great music for 35 years, because of engaged listeners just like you. Thank you for being there for The Classical Network!

June 30, 2018
Bernard Herrmann: Greatest Film Composer?

Was Bernard Herrmann the greatest film composer who ever lived? If such a claim could be supported, I’d say it’s quite possibly so. He’s not the first composer I turn to for purely musical enjoyment – I’m more of a Korngold/Rózsa/John Williams kind of guy – but has anyone more consistently found the perfect sound to support an on-screen image?

And Herrmann was never one to go for the low-hanging fruit. Take his score for “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951). Herrmann’s concept of extra-terrestrial music incorporates violin, cello, electric bass, two theremins, two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, two pianos, two harps, three trumpets, three trombones and four tubas. Overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were also employed. Now this guy was a composer!

His music for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Pyscho” (1960) was all strings; the brawny score to the mythological “Jason and the Argonauts” (1963) eschewed them. He could be wry (“The Devil and Daniel Webster”), romantic (“The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”), downbeat (“Taxi Driver”), or any combination of the three (“Citizen Kane”).

Unfortunately, my weekly film music show, “Picture Perfect,” will be preempted today since we still haven’t hit our goal of $70,000 for the end of our fiscal year, which will arrive, whether we like it or not, at midnight the morning of July 1. However, I am scheduled to be on the air earlier in the day today, albeit in the capacity of “wingman,” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. I won’t be the one doing the programming, but you can be sure I will insinuate some Bernard Herrmann into the playlist on his birthday.

JUST IN: I’ll also be around in the 6:00 hour this evening, so you’ll hear a little more Herrmann then.

Please support us. There aren’t very many radio stations on which you’ll hear Bernard Herrmann’s music with regularity. Call now at 1-888-232-1212 or make a contribution online at wwfm.org. I wish I could bring you a full hour of Herrmann, but we need to make this goal! “Picture Perfect” will return next Friday at 6 p.m. In the meantime, thank you for supporting WWFM – The Classical Network.

Herrmann with Orson Welles (left) and Alfred Hitchcock

June 29, 2018
American Music for Independence Day & WWFM Support

Get a jump on Independence Day with The Classical Network, as we rustle up a full playlist of American music to help enliven this fourth day of our end-of-the-fiscal-year membership campaign. We have only until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. to meet our goal of $70,000. So please, step lively and help us achieve our mini-goals and challenges, because we really need to stay on track and raise this money!

For your contribution of $70, we’d be delighted to send you a CD of a recreation of a 1930s-style radio broadcast from the Strings Music Festival of Steamboat Springs, CO. World-class musicians, drawn from some of the country’s great orchestras (including those of Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Atlanta), perform music by George Gershwin (“Rhapsody in Blue”), Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke, and more. Sportscaster Verne Lundquist serves as master of ceremonies. The program is introduced by the speaking voice of Gershwin himself.

The orchestral arrangements are by masters of their art, including Nelson Riddle and Herbert Spencer, who was John Williams’ right-hand man when working on the scores to “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” and so many others, until his death in 1992.

The CD was produced in-house and is available exclusively through The Classical Network.

Help us to preserve an oasis against the homogeneous clangor and insipid prattle of commercial FM radio. We are listener-supported. Our freedom to excel is made possible by YOU. It’s our patriotic duty to keep classical music strong in America! Call now, at 1-888-232-1212, or donate online at wwfm.org. We’ll be earning our stars and stripes – and hopefully Benjamins – until 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network. Thank you for your support!

June 28, 2018

Tag Cloud

RECENT POSTS