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Tag: Bach

Bach’s St. John Passion: Princeton & Solebury

When placed alongside the “St. Matthew Passion,” Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St. John Passion” is especially striking in its immediacy. The work is smaller in scale, yet more extravagant, less contemplative, and perhaps even a little rawer. It’s also much less frequently performed. Though Bach never composed an opera, this is about as close as he would ever get.

The Dryden Ensemble will offer three opportunities to hear it live: this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., at All Saints’ Church in Princeton, and this Sunday at 3 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church in Solebury, PA.

The “St. John Passion” was first performed on Good Friday, 1724, shortly after Bach’s 39th birthday. Dryden will present the work using the same forces Bach himself employed: a choir of eight superb singers and a small orchestra of period instruments. Tenor Jason McStoots will sing the part of the Evangelist, and baritone William Sharp will portray Jesus. Scott Metcalfe will conduct. For tickets and information, look online at http://www.drydensemble.org.

Then join me this afternoon on The Classical Network, as I’ll be hosting Dryden’s artistic director Jane McKinley, Metcalfe, and McStoots. They’ll drop by at 5:00 to tell us more about this run of performances and to talk about the significance of the “St. John Passion.”

Following our conversation, which will include musical excerpts, I’ll also have a recording of Bach sonatas played by violinist Lara St. John.

As a counterbalance to this all-Bach hour, I’ll be celebrating the birthdays today of American composer Samuel Barber and conductor Thomas Schippers. We’ll also take in the otherworldly Theremin Concerto by Finnish composer Kalevi Aho. Here are a few comments by the soloist, Carolina Eyck, for whom the work was written:

As we chat about Bach this afternoon and enjoy his music, remember, we are currently in the midst of our Bach 500 campaign. In celebration of the anniversary of Bach’s birth (on March 21st, 1685), we are asking for 500 listeners to step up and make a donation to The Classical Network IN ANY AMOUNT. You set the level.

When we reach 500 donations, we’ll tally in the funds from our Bach Pot – contributions solicited in advance from some especially ardent supporters – and, best of all, we’ll be able to cancel fundraising on Bach’s birthday and enjoy just his music.

You can do your part to help make that happen by calling us during business hours at 1-888-232-1212, or by donating anytime online at wwfm.org.

Once we raise the money, we’re Bach to the music!

Thank you for your support. It’s because of the generosity of listeners just like you that we have been able to share the world’s great music since 1982. Make your donation, then join me today for Bach, Barber, and uncanny Aho, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

The Kalevi Aho Society

March 9, 2020
Vivaldi Bach & More Classical Music Today

It’s Antonio Vivaldi’s birthday! I hope you’ll join me today in celebrating “The Red Priest,” alongside Bernard Haitink, Carlos Surinach, and Alexander Goedicke.

We’ll also enjoy chamber music by Felix Mendelssohn and Leoš Janáček, on this week’s “Music from Marlboro” tonight at 6.

Of course, we’re celebrating Bach all month long. Tune in this afternoon to hear Bach’s reimagining of a Vivaldi concerto, and some of his own music transcribed most ingeniously by Johannes Brahms.

Have you become one of the Bach 500 yet? Call us now, and help us cancel fundraising on March 21st, Bach’s birthday. The number is 1-888-232-1212. Or join us online at wwfm.org. 500 donations in any amount will result in our being able to listen to just Bach’s music on his birthday.

Do it now! Then enjoy the programming you’ve made possible, from 4 to 7 p.m. EST. Thank you for your support of WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

March 4, 2020
Graupner, Bach, and a Baroque Birthday!

A show of hands! How many of you are familiar with the name Christoph Graupner?

I thought so.

Join me today on The Classical Network, on Graupner’s birthday, as I share music by this neglected master. Despite the fact that Graupner is now little more than a footnote in music history, he was highly regarded in his day. In fact, he was offered the cantorate in Leipzig (where he had studied with Johann Kuhnau).

Finances were particularly rocky in Graupner’s Darmstadt. The opera house was closed, court musicians were not being paid. Musical opportunities were withering. Even so, Graupner’s patron insisted he be held to his contract.

In the end, things worked out for the best. Graupner’s back salary was paid in full, and he was given a substantial raise into the bargain. As for the cantorate? It went to Johann Sebastian Bach.

Of course, the first choice for the position had been George Philipp Telemann. But Telemann also decided to remain where he was – in his case Hamburg – after he too was promised more money.

Graupner graciously wrote Bach a glowing recommendation. Like so many forgotten figures of the Baroque, his recognition once again received a substantial boost with the rise of the authenticity movement, and a nice cross-section of his own music is now available in recordings.

It’s also the birthday of Graupner contemporary Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel. Again, you may not know the name, but if you’re a Bach fan, there’s a good chance you know at least some of his music. He is the composer of “Bist du bei mir,” long attributed to Bach because of its inclusion in one of Anna Magdalena Bach’s notebooks

Like Bach, Stölzel wrote a ton of church music, including a crushing number of cantatas. Unlike Bach, he also wrote operas – 18 of them. In fact, “Bist du bei mir” was originally written for the opera “Diomedes.” Now we hear it at weddings.

Don’t forget, Monday on The Classical Network also means “Bach at One.” As stated right in the title of the program, that will come your way at 1 p.m. EST.

I’ll be along at 4. If Baroque is not really your thing, I’ll also have music by Vasily Kalinnikov, a too short-lived Russian Romantic composer, and Richard Addinsell – he of “Warsaw Concerto” fame.

It’s nice to be known for something. Don’t forget to join me in remembering, from 4 to 7 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

Catch the Baroque wave (in both wig and music): clockwise from left, Bach, Graupner and Stölzel

January 13, 2020
Bach $1750 Finale Fundraiser Today

Johann Sebastian Bach died in 1750. By coincidence, we have exactly $1750 left in challenge money.

I hope you’ll join us this morning on The Classical Network for a special Bach finale to our “Gathering of Gratitude” fundraiser. That will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST, and then we will be THROUGH with this autumn campaign! Your dollars will be doubled up to the amount of $1750, and then we are DONE. I hope you will support us TODAY at 1-888-232-1212 or by donating online at wwfm.org. Then stick around and enjoy our weekly broadcast of “Bach at 1.”

Today is also your LAST CHANCE to get in on our celebratory “Gratitude Gala,” which we are all very much looking forward to. The gala will take place at the Mercer County Community College Conference Center, on MCCC’s West Windsor campus, this Friday (Saint Cecilia’s Day), from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be food, there will be drink, there will be conversation with our hosts and celebrity guests, and there will be music, courtesy of Manhattan Chamber Players.

A contribution in the amount of $200 will generate a golden ticket for you and a guest to attend. But we need to hear from you TODAY, in order to get an accurate headcount, so that we’ll be able to pick up enough booze! Again, that number is 1-888-232-1212, or join us online at wwfm.org, and click on donate.

Once we’ve taken care of business, we can put our financial concerns to bed, and I’ll be on at 4:00 with a late afternoon/early evening of music made possible by YOU – including warm acknowledgements of the birthdays today of Johann Friedrich Fasch, Carl Maria von Weber, Ignaz Paderewski and Eugene Ormandy. Of course, there’s plenty more where that came from.

Bach may have died in 1750, but his music is alive and kicking, thanks to the generous support of our listener-members. Thanks so much for 37 years of WWFM – The Classical Network!

November 18, 2019
Ryland Angel Bach on The Classical Network

On today’s Noontime Concert on The Classical Network, it’s the Second Coming of Ryland Angel.

You may recall, violent thunderstorms swept through the region on a Monday night two weeks ago, leaving many of us without power. While the station was able to continue to broadcast, thanks to a back-up generator, certain aspects of our daily operations, which we all generally take for granted – such niceties as light, air conditioning, phones, and internet – were out.

Unfortunately, this meant that relevant sound files were temporarily inaccessible, so the Tuesday concert had to be postponed. But we’ll give it another shot today. Of course, there are more storms in the forecast, but at this point they don’t appear to be all that threatening. Famous last words?

As for content, just to refresh your memory:

Countertenor Ryland Angel will be joined by organist Richard Erickson in works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen, and Johann Rudolf Ahle, collected in the “Schemellis Gesangbuch.” Georg Christian Schemelli published his songbook in Leipzig in 1736. His son, Christian Friedrich, had been a student at the Thomasschule from 1733 to 1735 and later continued his studies at Leipzig University. Bach, of course, served as Thomaskantor from 1723 until his death in 1750.

The concert was recorded in October at the chapel of Saint Bartholomew’s Church, 325 Park Avenue, in New York City. Free Midtown Concerts are held at St. Bart’s every Thursday at 1:15 p.m. during the regular season, brought to you in part to Gotham Early Music Scene, or GEMS. GEMS is a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports artists in New York City devoted to Early Music. You can learn more about Gotham Early Music Scene at gemsny.org.

Following today’s concert broadcast, stick around for one of Anton Bruckner’s spiritually-infused symphonies, with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Bruckner pioneer Carl Schuricht.

Hopefully I am not again tempting Fate by appropriating this image of Blake’s “Angel of the Revelation.” Ryland Angel was born on Saint Cecilia’s Day, so here’s hoping the patron saint of music is in our corner.

The music will be heavenly, the performances revelatory, between 12 and 4 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

August 6, 2019

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