“And now, — instead of mounting barbed steeds,
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,—
He capers nimbly in a lady’s chamber
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.”
Oh Richard, Duke of Gloucester, enough with the wordplay already. You’re too clever by half. Maybe the rest of us just want to enjoy the music AS music.
On today’s Noontime Concert on The Classical Network, we’ll hear a program of “Lute Songs from the Elizabethan Golden Age.” Soprano Abigail Chapman and lutenist Matthew Weinman will present music by Thomas Campion, Robert Jones, Thomas Morley, and Anonymous.
It’s another Midtown Concert offered by Gotham Early Music Scene (GEMS). The program was recorded on June 15 at St. Bartholomew’s Church, 50th Street and Park Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan.
The next Midtown Concert, “Treasure Laden,” will take place there this Thursday at 1:15 p.m. At the invitation of the New York Philharmonic, and in connection with its “New World Initiative” – which invites different interpretations of Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony – the Alba Consort will weave iconic themes from the symphony with early Sephardic, Iberian, French, Italian, Cypriot, Armenian, and North African music, to bridge the ancient and “brave New World.” You’ll find a complete schedule of free lunchtime performances at midtownconcerts.org.
Gotham Early Music Scene is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes artists and organizations in New York City devoted to early music – music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical periods. For more information and GEMS’ events calendar, look online at gemsny.org.
Later, we’ll remember Philadelphia-born Anshel Brusilow. For seven years, Brusilow was concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy. He was also founder of the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia and music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. His memoir, “Don’t Shoot the Conductor: Too Close to Monteux, Szell, and Ormandy,” describes his tempestuous career with humor and pathos. Brusilow died yesterday at the age of 89.
Join me today for the lute, Brusilow, and more, from 12 to 4 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.