Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Aaron Copland

Thanksgiving & The Promise of Living

Happy Thanksgiving. We’ve much to be thankful for, including “The Promise of Living.” Thank you, Aaron Copland!

November 24, 2016
Aaron Copland’s Jazz Concerto Birthday

He was America’s foremost composer of “art music.” What he was not was George Gershwin.

Join me this afternoon, as we celebrate the birthday of Aaron Copland with, among other things, his Piano Concerto, composed in 1926. Copland was still feeling his way toward his “populist period” (which began with “El Salón México,” not given its premiere until ten years later), when he wrote this concerto, which spikes 1920s modernism with American jazz.

The composer was the soloist in the work’s first performance, which featured the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky. The critics panned it, but Copland’s mother beamed with pride. The composer wrote, “I was delighted when Ma said it was her proudest moment and that my playing in the Concerto made all those music lessons worthwhile!”

It retained its reputation as a shocker until 1947, when Leonard Bernstein revived it with Leo Smith as the soloist, and it struggles still, even next to Copland’s own Clarinet Concerto. In the meantime, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” (from 1924) has never been out of the repertoire.

Hear this underexposed work today, between 4 and 7:00 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

November 14, 2016
Election Day Music Escape American Composers

It’s Election Day – AT LAST???

In 24 hours, it will all be over, except for the lawsuits, the counter-lawsuits, and the recounts.

Join me in rising above the the anxiety with an afternoon of inspirational music. We’ll begin with a concert featuring PUBLIQuartet, captured live during last season’s Downtown Concert Series in Freehold, NJ. The program will include music by Britten, Debussy, Piazzolla, and Villa-Lobos, alongside works by contemporary American composers, such as Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw.

PUBLIQuartet reinvigorates the classical chamber repertoire with plenty of sass and panache. The ensemble caught the attention of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Colbert invited them to perform an improvised soundtrack to a live stream of the final presidential debate in real time on the show’s Facebook page.

The Downtown Concert Series’ next concert will feature the Mobius Trio, which will appear at historic St. Peter’s Church in Freehold on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Following today’s broadcast of PUBLIQuartet, I hope you’ll stick around for more American music. Aaron Copland will make a statement with his “Statements for Orchestra,” from 1934. Peter Boyer will remind us of the American Dream, with “Ellis Island: The Dream of America,” a work that employs the actual words of immigrants who came to this country in search of a better life. Peter Schickele will stir the musical melting pot with his String Quartet No. 1 “American Dreams,” from 1983, a piece reflective of Appalachian fiddle music, fox trots, waltzes, blues, bop, and even birdsong. And if you don’t like the way the returns are going, you can always contemplate foreign real estate with Michael Torke’s “An American Abroad,” from 2002.

Why worry? It won’t change anything. So why not make us your stress-free zone? Relax, recharge, and rejoice in the American experience, from 12 to 4:00 p.m. EST. It will be the second leg of a marathon of American music, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

November 8, 2016
Autumn Music with Clipper Erickson on WPRB

Autumn is in the air!

Well, maybe not, but it will certainly be ON the air, this morning on WPRB, as we drag Jack Frost kicking and screaming back from his vacation in the Bahamas, with a playlist evocative of changing, falling, and/or decaying leaves. Sure, it’s supposed to hit 75 degrees, but why deprive ourselves of the bittersweet pleasures of crisp apples, November woods, and wild geese?

Clipper Erickson, piano, will swing by the studio around 9:00 to talk about his upcoming concert, which will take place at Salem United Church of Christ in Doylestown, on Sunday at 3 p.m. The program will include Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Clipper, who is on the faculties of Westminster Conservatory of Music and Temple University, is hot off a recital at the Steinway Salon at New York’s Symphony Space. He is always up to something (he’ll be appearing on another concert at 1867 Sanctuary at Ewing in a little over a week), so I’m sure there will be lots to talk about and plenty of music to enjoy.

Bundle up and grab a rake; we disdain all leaf-blowers, from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. We make like a tree and leave, on Classic Ross Amico.

MAKE AMERICA RAKE AGAIN: America’s composer, Aaron Copland, in tune with nature’s rhythms

November 3, 2016
Copland’s Appalachian Spring on The Classical Network

It’s an aseasonal treat this afternoon, as WWFM concludes its binge festival of “What Makes It Great.” Rob Kapilow will deconstruct Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” followed by an uninterrupted performance of the piece, which was recorded in April at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.

“What Makes It Great” concludes its binge run today, beginning at 12:00 EDT. Enjoy the upcoming season as a member of The Classical Network. For a donation of $75, we will send you the “What Makes It Great” mug. On one side is the name of the show, “What Makes It Great,” and on the reverse is the answer, “You!” In fact, we’d be happy to send you the mug for your commitment to become a sustaining member of The Classical Network in the amount of $5 a month – that’s a savings of $15! Put it toward the beverage of your choice.

Of course, what you’re really paying for is all the great music that comes your way each and every day on The Classical Network, including that heard on “Picture Perfect,” “The Lost Chord,” and my recently instated afternoon live air shifts. Be sure to mention how much you enjoy these in the comments section when you make your donation at wwfm.org. Your commitment now could shorten our live membership campaign, which will begin on the morrow. The sooner we reach our goal, the sooner we’ll get back to presenting uninterrupted music.

Stick around: following Rob’s informative analysis of “Appalachian Spring,” and its exemplary performance, we’ll enjoy a late romantic symphony by Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshynsky. I’ll be with you until 4:00, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

October 25, 2016

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