Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Arcady Dubensky

Poe’s Dark Verse in Haunting Halloween Music

With Halloween only days away, it’s time to get the frock coat out of moth balls. This week on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll celebrate Edgar Allan Poe, with an hour of music inspired by his mad and melancholy verse.

We’ll hear a “melo-declamation” for narrator and orchestra on “The Raven” by Arcady Dubensky (1890-1966), a violinist in the New York Philharmonic. The piece was given its world premiere at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in 1932, captured in an experimental recording by RCA Victor, on 35mm optical film. It was issued on a special 78 rpm, 2-record set, with the poem, together with monochrome engravings of Stokowski and Poe etched into the shellac. Benjamin de Loache is the speaker.

Then we’ll have a symphonic poem inspired by Poe’s “Ulalume” by English composer Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958). Holbrooke evidently adored Poe, as he wrote a number of pieces inspired by his writings, including “The Raven,” “The Bells” (which predated the work by Rachmaninoff), and “The Masque of the Red Death.” “Ulalume” was first performed in 1905. The composer thought it one of his finest pieces. Again, the source poem is a gloomy meditation on the loss of a loved one.

Then, from the Princeton-based Affetto label, we’ll hear selections from a song cycle, “Lenoriana,” by Benjamin C.S. Boyle (b. 1979). Boyle was on the faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, as were the performers, baritone Elem Eley and pianist J.J. Penna. Of the seven songs, we’ll sample Boyle’s settings of “Annabel Lee,” “The Conqueror Worm,” and “To Helen.”

Finally, we’ll have an orchestral etude on “The Haunted Palace,” which Poe incorporated into his story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The French composer Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) knew the work from a translation by Stéphane Mallarmé. It tells of a king of olden times full of presentiments of impending doom to his palace and himself. The house and the royal family are destroyed, and remnants of the court may still be glimpsed as phantoms flickering in the windows and doors.

“The Haunted Palace” may be the first piece of music by a French composer to be inspired by Poe. It was completed in 1904, and first performed the following year.

Prepare to brood over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore. That’s “Edgar Allan Poems,” on “The Lost Chord,” now in syndication on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!

Remember, KWAX is on the West Coast, so there’s a three-hour difference for the Trenton-Princeton area. Here are the respective air-times of my recorded shows (with East Coast conversions in parentheses):

PICTURE PERFECT, the movie music show – Friday on KWAX at 5:00 PACIFIC TIME (8:00 PM EDT)

THE LOST CHORD, unusual and neglected rep – Saturday on KWAX at 4:00 PACIFIC TIME (7:00 PM EDT)

Stream them here!

https://kwax.uoregon.edu/

October 28, 2023
Edgar Allan Poe Music Special This Sunday

High time to get the frock coat out of moth balls. This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll celebrate Edgar Allan Poe, with an hour of music inspired by his mad and melancholy verse

We’ll hear a “melo-declamation” for narrator and orchestra on “The Raven” by Arcady Dubensky (1890-1966), a violinist in the New York Philharmonic. The piece was given its world premiere at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in 1932, captured in an experimental recording by RCA Victor, on 35mm optical film. It was issued on a special 78 rpm, 2-record set, with the poem, together with monochrome engravings of Stokowski and Poe etched into the shellac. Benjamin de Loache is the speaker.

Then we’ll have a symphonic poem inspired by Poe’s “Ulalume” by English composer Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958). Holbrooke evidently adored Poe, as he wrote a number of pieces inspired by his writings, including “The Raven,” “The Bells” (which predated the work by Rachmaninoff), and “The Masque of the Red Death.” “Ulalume” was first performed in 1905. The composer thought it one of his finest pieces. Again, the source poem is a gloomy meditation on the loss of a loved one.

Then, from the Princeton-based Affetto label, we’ll hear selections from a song cycle, “Lenoriana,” by Benjamin C.S. Boyle (b. 1979). Boyle is on the faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, as are the performers, baritone Elem Eley and pianist J.J. Penna. Of the seven songs, we’ll sample Boyle’s settings of “Annabel Lee,” “The Conqueror Worm,” and “To Helen.”

Finally, we’ll have an orchestral etude on “The Haunted Palace,” which Poe incorporated into his story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The French composer Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) knew the work from a translation by Stéphane Mallarmé. It tells of a king of olden times full of presentiments of impending doom to his palace and himself. The house and the royal family are destroyed, and remnants of the court may still be glimpsed as phantoms flickering in the windows and doors.

“The Haunted Palace” may be the first piece of music by a French composer to be inspired by Poe. It was completed in 1904, and first performed the following year.

Get ready to brood over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore. That’s “Edgar Allan Poems,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

October 18, 2020
Eerie Poe Music on the Classical Network

October 15 – beware the Ides of October!

With Hallowe’en fast descending on raven wings, what better time to don your black frock coat and brood over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore? I’ll conclude my shift early this evening on The Classical Network (the 6:00 hour) with music inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.

For the birthday of Arcady Dubensky (1890-1966), we’ll hear “The Raven,” a “melo-declamation” for narrator and orchestra. The work was given its premiere by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski at the Academy of Music in 1932. The performance was preserved on an experimental recording made by RCA Victor, on 35mm optical film, and issued as a special 78 rpm 2-record set. Included was the original poem, and monochrome engravings of Stokowski and Poe were etched into the shellac. The speaker will be Benjamin de Loache.

The fact that I will be in an hour earlier than usual enhances the atmosphere of eerie premonition. It should give us plenty of time also to observe the birthdays of composers Dag Wiren and Jaan Rääts, clarinetist and composer Bernhard Crusell, philosopher and composer Friedrich Nietzsche, and conductor Karl Richter.

Again, the Poe-inflected works will be heard in the final hour. Nothing assuages guilt and madness like laudanum and Edgar Allan Poe music. Join me one hour earlier today, from 3 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

October 15, 2018
Eerie Edgar Allan Poe Music for Hallowe’en

We’re bearing down on Hallowe’en, the perfect time to get out your black frock coat and brood over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore. This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll have music inspired by the verse of Edgar Allan Poe.

We’ll hear a “melo-declamation,” for narrator and orchestra, on “The Raven” by Arcady Dubensky (1890-1966), a violinist in the New York Philharmonic. The piece was given its world premiere at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in 1932, captured in an experimental recording by RCA Victor, on 35mm optical film, and issued on a special 78 rpm 2-record set, with the poem, together with monochrome engravings of Stokowski and Poe, etched into the shellac. Benjamin de Loache is the speaker.

Then we’ll have a symphonic poem inspired by Poe’s “Ulalume” by English composer Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958). Holbrooke evidently adored Poe, as he wrote a number of pieces inspired by his writings, including “The Raven,” “The Bells” (which predated the work by Rachmaninoff), and “The Masque of the Red Death.” “Ulalume” was first performed in 1905. The composer thought it one of his finest pieces. Again, the source poem is a gloomy meditation on the loss of a loved one.

From a brand new compact disc, one of the inaugural recordings on the Affetto label, we’ll hear selections from the song cycle “Lenoriana” (which gives the album its name) by Benjamin C.S. Boyle (b. 1979). Boyle is on the faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, as are the performers, baritone Elem Eley and pianist J.J. Penna. Of the seven songs, we’ll hear Boyle’s settings of “Annabel Lee,” “The Conqueror Worm,” and “To Helen.”

Finally, we’ll have an orchestral etude on “The Haunted Palace,” which Poe incorporated into his story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The French composer Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) knew the work from the translation by Stéphane Mallarmé. It tells of a king of olden times full of presentiments of impending doom to his palace and himself. The house and the royal family are destroyed, and remnants of the court may still be glimpsed as phantoms flickering in the windows and doors.

“The Haunted Palace” may be the first piece of music by a French composer to be inspired by Poe. It was completed in 1904, and first performed the following year.

I hope you’ll join me for “Edgar Allan Poems,” tonight at 10 ET, with a repeat Wednesday evening at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.

October 25, 2015

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