This week on “Sweetness and Light,” I’ve assembled a playlist of avian music for the month of May.
Yes, yes, I’ve programmed Ottorino Respighi’s “The Birds,” his evergreen suite for small orchestra based on musical bird portraits of the 17th and 18th centuries, and Handel’s Organ Concerto in F major, “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale.”
But I’ve also included a lesser-heard selection by Hubert Parry, from his incidental music for Aristophanes’ “The Birds,” a bridal march revived for the weddings of both Princess Elizabeth (soon to be Elizabeth II) and Prince William; a piece of light music kitsch juxtaposing bird song and chanting monks by Albert Ketèlbey; and a galop by Danish composer Hans Christian Lumbye, the Johann Strauss of the North, celebrating the exotic birds of the Tivoli Volière.
Finally, it’s very much my pleasure to have dusted off some vintage recordings of Elisabeth Schumann (whose hobby it was to engage in bird-whistling) and John McCormack, who will sing works by Carl Zeller and Eric Coates, respectively.
Better start lining the cage with newspaper. It’s “For the Birds” this week on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!
Stream it wherever you are at the link:
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/
Category: Sweetness and Light
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Memorial Day Picnic on “Sweetness and Light”
For many, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, as people take advantage of the three-day weekend, and the hopefully mild weather, to celebrate.
Of course, Memorial Day itself is a rather solemn holiday, as we’re meant to honor the sacrifice of those who laid down their lives in defense of our country.
That said, this morning on “Sweetness and Light,” since there’s little “sweet” or “light” about war, I figured rather we’d take the hour to enjoy a little Memorial Day picnic, if you will.
I hope you’ll join me for an outdoor overture, a barbecue divertimento, a carousel waltz, some gazebo dances, a pickle-and-pepper rag, a teddy bear’s picnic, and, yes, even a musical moment of reflection for the fallen.
The first of the summer’s patriotic holidays is upon us. Wrap yourself in the flag and everything else in bacon, this morning on “Sweetness and Light.” The three-legged races and pie-eating contests commence at 11:00 EDT/8:00 EDT, exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon!
Stream it, wherever you are, at the link:
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/ -
Woodland Walks on “Sweetness and Light”
It’s well into May, the birds are singing, and the trees are vibrant and cheering (at least from where I type, in the Northern Hemisphere). All in all, the conditions are perfect for a musical walk in the woods this morning on “Sweetness and Light.”
We’ll visit the forests of Sherwood and Arden, respectively, courtesy of Frederic Curzon’s “Robin Hood Suite” and William Walton’s music for a 1936 film version of “As You Like It.” In between, we’ll enjoy a trip to the Vienna woods with Johann Strauss II and explore the lush forests of Lithuania with Mikalojus Čiurlionis. We’ll even partake in a woodland revel courtesy of George Melachrino, oh my!
No need to put on a hat or tuck your pants into heavy socks. The ticks and snakes will be most amicable on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 EDT, exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon!
Stream it, wherever you are, at the link:
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/——-
PAINTING: “A Walk in the Forest” (1869) by Ivan Shiskin
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The Mother of All Shows for Mother’s Day on “Sweetness and Light”
Get ready for the mother of all shows this week, on “Sweetness and Light.” It’s music for Mom for Mother’s Day!
Enjoy works on nursery themes by Grace Williams, Charles Williams, and Vaughan Williams (all unrelated). Also, odd man out Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Of course, Mom deserves more, so I’ve also enlisted Yo-Yo Ma (despite his name, not really a mother, though if said properly, guaranteed to get Mom’s attention) and Luciano Pavarotti (accompanied by Henry Mancini, no less).
Start your day with a musical candygram. It’s a suite of sweets for Mom on “Sweetness and Light, this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 EDT, exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon!
Stream it, wherever you are, at the link:
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/ -
Jockeys and Juleps on “Sweetness and Light”
With the Kentucky Derby drawing near, it’s all about horses and horseraces on “Sweetness and Light.”
We’ll hear William Bolcom’s ballet “Seattle Slew;” a concert piece arranged from one of John Williams’ breakout film scores, for Mark Rydell’s “The Reivers,” adapted from William Faulkner’s coming-of-age novel about a boy swept up in automobile theft and illicit horseracing; and of course Stephen Foster’s “Old Kentucky Home.”
In addition, there will be Derby and thoroughbred-related works by Robert Farnon, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, William Schuman, and Leroy Anderson.
Meet me at the starting gate. It will be an hour of jockeys and juleps on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX Classical Oregon!
Stream it, wherever you are, at the link:
https://kwax.uoregon.edu/
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I had this Sports Illustrated in 1977. I wonder if I have it still? I don’t know why, but I was crazy about Seattle Slew. But then, everyone was. The kind of media attention focused on the race back then would be baffling to anyone who grew up in the internet age. I was 10 years old in May 1977. I named my hermit crab Seattle Slew.
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