You’ve got a second chance to catch my Vaughan Williams celebration, on this, the eve of his birthday anniversary. It includes some rarely-heard piano music, an orchestral potpourri of themes from his opera “The Poisoned Kiss,” and a hilarious performance of “The Wasps Overture” with the composer himself conducting. Enjoy another helping of cake and ice cream on “Sweetness and Light,” this Sunday evening at 9:00 EDT/6:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX Classic Oregon. Stream it, wherever you are, at kwax.com!
Category: Sweetness and Light
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Ralph Vaughan Williams on “Sweetness and Light”
A cup of coffee, an internet radio, and an 8 1/2 x 11” glossy of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Foxy. All set for Saturday morning contentment on “Sweetness and Light.” Tune in at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT – NOW WITH A REPEAT, Sunday evening at 9:00 EDT/6:00 PDT – exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon!
Stream it, wherever you are, at the link: https://kwax.uoregon.edu/ -
Vaughan Williams Birthday Salute on KWAX
I’ve just tied the bow on another lovingly-wrapped gift for one of my favorite composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Vaughan Williams was born on October 12, 1872. I hope you’ll join me for my annual salute, on “Sweetness and Light.”
This year, I’ll be featuring one of his rarely-heard piano works, the Suite in G major, which he later arranged for strings as the “Charterhouse Suite,” some recordings issued on Albion Records – the record label of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society – including an extensive orchestral rhapsody on tunes from the opera “The Poisoned Kiss,” and a delightful acoustical document of the composer himself conducting his overture to “The Wasps.”
I’ll provide the cake, but Vaughan Williams will provide the candles, on “Sweetness and Light.” Remember, the program is now repeated. So you’ll have two chances to enjoy it – this Saturday morning, at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, and Sunday evening, at 9:00 EDT/6:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon.
Stream it, wherever you are, at kwax.com! -
Barley and the Grape on “Sweetness and Light”
Raise your steins and goblets! “Sweetness and Light” can now be heard twice a week! If you miss the Saturday morning broadcast, pop on by on Sunday evening for a recap – or in the case of this week’s program, a nightcap. In this season of the harvest and Oktoberfest, we’ll roll out the barrels for a salute to BARLEY AND THE GRAPE.
When lyrics were added to the best-known polka of Czech composer Jaromir Vejvoda, it also became perhaps the most famous Czech song. Originally conceived as the “Modřanská Polka” – or “Polka of Modřany” – with words it took on a new life as “Škoda lásky” (“Unrequited Love”). It was also a hit in Germany as “Rosamunde.” World-wide popularity ensued, as soldiers adopted it as a drinking song during World War II and introduced it at home as the “Beer Barrel Polka.” We’ll Czech it out around the midpoint of the program.
The hour will also include the “Revelry Overture” by Montague Phillips and Leopold Godowsky’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis on ‘Wine, Women and Song’” after Johann Strauss II. We’ll hoist our kantharoi to celebrate the god of wine and carouse to ballet music from Jules Massenet’s opera “Bacchus” and the “Procession of Bacchus” from Léo Delibes’ ballet “Sylvia.”
We’ll also quaff to drinking songs by Reginald De Koven (“Brown October Ale” from the comic opera “Robin Hood”) and Henry Purcell (himself a casualty of one too many pub-crawls).
We’ve a powerful thirst for BARLEY AND THE GRAPE on “Sweetness and Light.” The taps are open, this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT – NOW WITH A REPEAT, Sunday evening at 9:00 EDT/6:00 PDT – exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon!
Stream it wherever you are at the link:
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/ -
Our Love Is Here to Stay: Celebrating Gershwin on “Sweetness and Light” and “The Lost Chord”
Why, it’s Gershwin’s birthday, by George! We’ll have two chances to celebrate today, on both my Saturday radio shows.
George Gershwin, of course, was one of our most versatile composers. He occupied a unique place in American music, rising from Tin Pan Alley scrapper to Broadway royalty. From there, he conquered the concert hall and even the opera house, with his blend of popular song, jazz, blues, spirituals, and European classical forms.
Like Franz Schubert a hundred years before, Gershwin managed to churn out an astonishing amount of music over a comparatively brief span. His songs, in particular, have been of enduring interest. His gift of lyricism and invention defied early critics as he bestrode the worlds of popular and classical music like an American colossus.
Sadly, at the peak of his success, he died of a brain tumor at the age of 38. But 89 years later, George, we’re still crazy for you.
This morning on “Sweetness and Light,” Gershwin will be one of four composers whose music we’ll enjoy in a salute to classic American musical theater. We’ll hear selections from Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle’s “Shuffle Along” (the 1921 all-Black musical that spawned the breakout hit “I’m Just Wild about Harry”), Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Town” (the ballet music, before it was distilled into the familiar “Three Dance Episodes,” with a 24-year-old Bernstein conducting), Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” (conceived by the composer as an opera, but produced on Broadway several times over the decades before finally being elevated to the pantheon), and Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart’s “On Your Toes” (the climactic “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” sequence).
It’s guaranteed to get your toes tapping, for the most part, but I’ll also include a grand piano fantasy on themes from “Porgy” by Earl Wild. It’s showtime, this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT!
Then later on today, on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll sample Gershwin’s artistry in recordings of his era, including several songs performed by Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, and Ella Logan. (So many excellent ones to choose from!)
We’ll also hear the world premiere recording of “An American in Paris” – performed by the Victor Symphony Orchestra (really members of the Philadelphia Orchestra), with the composer himself on the celesta – and the Concerto in F, performed as part of a Gershwin memorial concert at the Hollywood Bowl, with the composer’s friend, Oscar Levant, as soloist.
Three of these recordings date from 1937, the year of the composer’s death. All are from his era. I hope you’ll join me for “Vintage Gershwin,” this Saturday at 7:00 EDT/4:00 PDT.
It’s nice work if you can get it. Not that you need someone to watch over you, George. Our love is here to stay.
Strike up the band and let ‘em eat cake! Of thee I sing, on “Sweetness and Light” AND “The Lost Chord,” on KWAX Classical Oregon!
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Clip and save the start times for all three of my recorded shows:
PICTURE PERFECT, the movie music show – Friday at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT
SWEETNESS AND LIGHT, the light music program – Saturday at 11:00 AM EDT/8:00 AM PDT
THE LOST CHORD, unusual and neglected rep – Saturday at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT
Stream them, wherever you are, at the link.
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/
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