Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Leo Sowerby

  • Canticle to St. Francis

    Canticle to St. Francis

    As an animal lover, I’ve always had a soft spot for St. Francis of Assisi. (Also, I was fortunate enough to visit his hometown before the devastating earthquakes of 1997.)

    Today is Saint Francis’ feast day. This is a saint who was never too busy to chat with the birds or to befriend a wolf. He introduced the crèche to Christmas, complete with livestock. He even lobbied for a special law so that people would provide for the birds and the beasts. How could you not love this guy?

    Regardless of one’s creed, no one, I should think, would take umbrage at the idea of love and respect for the natural world. Take a moment today to be kind to the animals. Hug your pet. Water the birds. Let a cricket out of the house. Bless all animals! Then enjoy some of the music below, only a fraction of the music inspired by St. Francis.

    ———-

    Franz Liszt’s “Saint Francis of Assisi Preaching to the Birds” (piano)


    Liszt’s “Saint Francis of Assisi Preaching to the Birds” (orchestra)


    Francis Poulenc’s “Quatre petites prières de saint François d’Assise”


    Paul Hindemith’s “Nobilissima Visione” (suite, conducted by the composer)


    Hindemith’s “Nobilissima Visione” (rarely-heard complete version)


    Leo Sowerby’s “Canticle of the Sun” (1946 Pulitzer Prize winner)


    Kenneth Fuchs’ “Canticle to the Sun” for French horn and orchestra


    More about the 1997 quake that damaged Assisi’s St. Francis Basilica

    https://www.italyonthisday.com/2017/09/st-francis-basilica-struck-by-earthquake.html


  • Sweetness and Light Autumn Music Brunch KWAX

    Sweetness and Light Autumn Music Brunch KWAX

    This week on “Sweetness and Light,” with a nip in the air and color in the trees, it’s a light music autumn!

    Pick out a cozy sweater and join me for a fortifying brunch of hot cider and molasses cookies, as we listen to a fall sampler of works by Leo Sowerby, Cécile Chaminade, Archibald Joyce, Billy Mayerl, Virgil Thomson, Vernon Duke, Scott Joplin, Gheorghe Zamfir, and Alexander Glazunov.

    It’s the perfect preamble to your epic leaf-fight. The apples are tart, but the music is sweet, on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!

    Stream it wherever you are at the link:

    https://kwax.uoregon.edu/

  • Sweetness and Light Autumn Music Mix on KWAX

    This week on “Sweetness and Light,” with a nip in the air and color in the trees, it’s a light music autumn!

    Pick out a cozy sweater and join me for a fortifying brunch of hot cider and molasses cookies, as we listen to a fall sampler of works by Leo Sowerby, Cécile Chaminade, Archibald Joyce, Billy Mayerl, Virgil Thomson, Vernon Duke, Scott Joplin, Gheorghe Zamfir, and Alexander Glazunov.

    It’s the perfect preamble to your epic leaf-fight. The apples are tart, but the music is sweet, on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!

    Stream it wherever you are at the link:

    https://kwax.uoregon.edu/

  • Autumn Equinox Rediscovering American Composers

    Autumn Equinox Rediscovering American Composers

    This week on “The Lost Chord,” in anticipation of tomorrow’s Autumn Equinox, lend a little color to your weekend with seasonal evocations by two American composers.

    Henry Hadley (1871-1937) studied at home with George Whitefield Chadwick and in Vienna with Eusebius Mandyczewski. In Europe, he befriended Richard Strauss and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in his own Symphony No. 3. He was assistant conductor at the Mainz Opera, later music director of the Seattle Symphony, and became the first conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. One of his operas, “Cleopatra’s Night,” was performed at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. He served a stint as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, he founded the National Association of Composers and Conductors, and he was instrumental in establishing the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood. He guest conducted orchestras from Buenos Aires to Tokyo. Why then do so few remember him?

    We’ll dig deep into the leaf pile of music history to revive Hadley’s Symphony No. 2, from 1901, subtitled “The Four Seasons.” The work begins with an evocation of a turbulent winter storm, followed by “Spring,” then “Summer.” The symphony concludes with a melancholy portrait of autumn, enlivened by the appearance of some rollicking hunting horns.

    Toward the end of the hour, we’ll have just enough time for music by Leo Sowerby (1895-1968), sometimes called “the Dean of American Church Music.” Sowerby was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1946 for his cantata “Canticle to the Sun.” As antidote to the reflective nature of Hadley’s “Autumn,” we’ll conclude with the exuberant “Comes Autumn Time,” an uplifting work for solo organ.

    I hope you’ll join me for “Well-Seasoned” – American composers of experience celebrate autumn – on “The Lost Chord,” now in syndication on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!

    Clip and save the start times for all three of my recorded shows:

    PICTURE PERFECT, the movie music show – Friday at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

    SWEETNESS AND LIGHT, the light music program – ALL NEW! – Saturday at 11:00 AM EDT/8:00 AM PDT

    THE LOST CHORD, unusual and neglected rep – Saturday at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT

    Stream them, wherever you are, at the link!

    https://kwax.uoregon.edu/

  • Rediscovering American Composers Hadley & Sowerby

    Rediscovering American Composers Hadley & Sowerby

    This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” lend a little color to your weekend, with seasonal evocations by two American composers.

    Henry Hadley (1871-1937) studied at home with George Whitefield Chadwick and in Vienna with Eusebius Mandyczewski. In Europe, he befriended Richard Strauss and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic in his own Symphony No. 3. He was assistant conductor at the Mainz Opera, later music director of the Seattle Symphony, and became the first conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. One of his operas, “Cleopatra’s Night,” was performed at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. He served a stint as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, he founded the National Association of Composers and Conductors, and he was instrumental in establishing the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood. He guest conducted orchestras from Buenos Aires to Tokyo. Why then do so few remember him?

    We’ll dig deep into the leaf pile of music history to revive Hadley’s Symphony No. 2, from 1901, subtitled “The Four Seasons.” The work begins with an evocation of a turbulent winter storm, followed by “Spring,” then “Summer.” The symphony concludes with a melancholy portrait of autumn, enlivened by the appearance of some rollicking hunting horns.

    Toward the end of the hour, we’ll have just enough time for music by Leo Sowerby (1895-1968), sometimes called “the Dean of American Church Music.” Sowerby was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1946 for his cantata “Canticle to the Sun.” As antidote to the reflective nature of Hadley’s “Autumn,” we’ll conclude with the exuberant “Comes Autumn Time,” an uplifting work for solo organ.

    I hope you’ll join me for “Well-Seasoned” – American composers of experience celebrate autumn – this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

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