Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Bryn Terfel

St David’s Day Welsh Harp Music on WWFM

St. David’s Day (March 1st) has been a national day of celebration in Wales since the Middle Ages. This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll honor the country’s patron saint, with an hour of Welsh music – interestingly, all of it in some way connected to the harp.

Structurally, Grace Williams’ “Penillion” (1955) draws on the ancient Welsh practice of improvising vocal counterpoint to a traditional melody played on the harp. However, in this instance, the role of the harp is assigned to the trumpet, so as not to be swallowed up by the rest of the orchestra.

We’ll also hear a set of variations on “Megan’s Daughter,” by the 19th century harpist John Thomas. In 1861, Thomas was given the bardic title, “Chief Musician of Wales.” In 1872, he became official harpist to Queen Victoria.

Then bass-baritone Bryn Terfel will be heard, in his first ever commercial recording, in a Welsh song employing a text by Caradog Pritchard, extolling the virtues of the Ogwen River. “The River’s Song” is sung to the accompaniment of a harp, in this setting by Elsbeth M. Jones. Terfel will be joined by his former school mate, the tenor John Eifion.

We’ll conclude with a personal favorite, the Harp Concerto (1970) by William Mathias. According to the composer, the first movement is connected with the land and seascapes of South West Wales, where the music was composed. The slow movement is a landscape of the mind, reflective of the great elegies of early Welsh poetry. The third movement is a spritely jig, which brings the piece to a rhythmic and joyful conclusion.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

There’s a giant leek in the fridge. Yes, you heard correctly, and no, it’s not broken.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating St. David’s Day. That’s “And God Created Great Wales,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

March 1, 2020
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Lost Chord

Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) achieved much in his comparatively short life, attracting the attention and advocacy of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir Edward Elgar, and Sir Malcolm Sargent.

His cantata “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” became a cultural phenomenon between the wars. Sargent led performances of the piece annually, from 1928 to 1939, in a costumed, semi-ballet version, featuring close to a thousand performers. Unfortunately, this was among the works the composer had sold outright, his heirs thereby missing out on the royalties. By the time of Sargent’s advocacy, the short-lived Coleridge-Taylor had already been dead for 16 years.

This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll hear selections from a complete recording of “Scenes from ‘The Song of Hiawatha,’” one of the earliest to feature rising star Bryn Terfel, released on the Argo label back in 1991. We’ll also hear Sargent’s 1932 recording of Coleridge-Taylor’s “Othello Suite.” The hour will conclude with one of the composer’s musical explorations of his African heritage, the “Symphonic Variations on an African Air,” in a performance conducted by Grant Llewellyn, released on Argo in 1993.

That’s “Taylor-Made” – music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – this Sunday night at 10:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

February 18, 2018
Bass-Baritone Birthday Bash on WWFM

It’s all about the bass!

Join me this afternoon as we celebrate the birthdays of dueling bass-baritones Thomas Quasthoff (who will sing Schubert) and Bryn Terfel (who will sing Gerald Finzi). We’ll also hear Finzi’s elegy for orchestra, “The Fall of the Leaf.”

In addition, we’ll remember American composer Burrill Phillips, a product of the Eastman School, who later taught there. Can music of his teacher, Howard Hanson, be far behind?

Plenty of solace and beauty to be found today, from 4 to 7:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

November 9, 2016
St. David’s Day: Welsh Music & the Harp

St. David, the Patron Saint of Wales.

March 1st, St. David’s Day, a national day of celebration in Wales since the Middle Ages.

This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we honor St. David with an hour of Welsh music – interestingly, all of it in some way connected to the harp.

The structure of Grace Williams’ “Penillion” (1955) draws on the ancient Welsh practice of improvising vocal counterpoint to a traditional melody played on the harp. However, in this instance, so as not to be swallowed up by the rest of the orchestra, the role of the harp is assigned to the trumpet.

Then we’ll hear a set of variations on a traditional Welsh melody, “Megan’s Daughter,” by the 19th century harpist John Thomas. In 1861, Thomas was given the bardic name, “Chief Musician of Wales.” In 1872, he became harpist to Queen Victoria.

Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel will be heard in his first ever commercial recording, of a Welsh song on text by Caradog Pritchard, extolling the virtues of the Ogwen River. “The River’s Song” is sung to the accompaniment of the harp, as set by Elsbeth M. Jones. Terfel is joined by his former school chum, the tenor John Eifion.

Finally, we’ll have a Harp Concerto (1970), written by William Mathias. According to the composer, the first movement is connected with the land and seascapes of South West Wales, where the music was composed; while the slow movement is a landscape of the mind, reflective of the great elegies of early Welsh poetry. The last movement, a spritely jig, brings the piece to a joyful and rhythmic conclusion.

I hope you’ll join me in the wearing of the leek for St. David’s Day – “And God Created Great Wales” – tonight at 10 ET, with a repeat Wednesday evening at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at http://www.wwfm.org.

More about the Welsh custom of accessorizing with leeks here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4805288/Wearing-leeks-on-St-Davids-Day.html

BONUS: Welshness in Shakespeare:

http://asc-blogs.com/2014/02/27/st-davids-day-and-welshness-in-shakespeare/

March 1, 2015

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