Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Lukas Foss

Early Music Month: American Renaissance Sounds

This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we continue our celebration of Early Music Month with three works by contemporary American composers who look back to the Renaissance.

William Kraft (b. 1923), long associated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, composed “Vintage Renaissance” for the Boston Pops. The work incorporates two 15th century melodies: “Danza,” by Francesco de la Torre, and an anonymous “bransle.”

George Frederick McKay (1899-1970), the so-called “Dean of Northwest Composers,” founded the composition department at the University of Washington, where he taught for over 40 years. His “Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn Tunes” is based on works by Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510-1559), compiler of Calvinist hymn tunes and composer of the Protestant doxology known as the “Old 100th.”

Lukas Foss (1922-2009), the German-born musical prodigy who settled in the United States in 1937, composed his “Renaissance Concerto” in 1986. The work, for flute and orchestra, falls into four movements: “Intrada;” “Baroque Interlude” (on a theme of Rameau); “Recitative” (after Monteverdi); and “Jouissance” (after a 1612 madrigal by a composer of the name David Melville).

I hope you’ll join me, as American composers cast an affectionate look back, on “It’s Never Too Late to Be Early,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network.

Early Music America

March 18, 2018
Song of Songs Solomon’s Love in Music

The Song of Songs. Attributed to King Solomon, this Biblical book contains some of the most ardent poetry ever written. Whether it represents the communion of man and woman, or, as some would have it, something of a more allegorical nature – telling of the relationship, depending upon one’s system of belief, between God and Israel, between God and the Church, or between Christ and the human soul – over the centuries it has inspired some meltingly lovely music.

Since it is customary to read from the Song of Songs as part of the observance of Passover, we’ll devote “The Lost Chord” this week, on the eve of Pesach, to two settings: one by Sir Granville Bantock – selections from his massive, 2 ½ hour oratorio – and one by Lukas Foss – a more intimate song cycle, in which divine and romantic love unite in understated metaphor.

What if I told you your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate? If you fall for that, there’s plenty more where that came from, on “King Solomon’s Lines,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

April 9, 2017
Early Music Month: Renaissance Sounds on The Lost Chord

This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we continue our celebration of Early Music Month with three works by contemporary American composers who look back to the Renaissance.

William Kraft (b, 1923), long associated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, composed “Vintage Renaissance” for the Boston Pops. The work incorporates two 15th century melodies: “Danza,” by Francesco de la Torre, and an anonymous “bransle.”

George Frederick McKay (1899-1970), the so-called “Dean of Northwest Composers,” founded the composition department at the University of Washington, where he taught for over 40 years. His “Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn Tunes” is based on works by Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510-1559), compiler of Calvinist hymn tunes and composer of the Protestant doxology known as the “Old 100th.”

Lukas Foss (1922-2009), the German-born musical prodigy who settled in the United States in 1937, composed his “Renaissance Concerto” in 1986. The work, for flute and orchestra, falls into four movements: “Intrada;” “Baroque Interlude” (on a theme of Rameau); “Recitative” (after Monteverdi); and “Jouissance” (after a 1612 madrigal by a composer of the name David Melville).

I hope you’ll join me for “It’s Never Too Late to Be Early,” this Sunday night at 10 ET, with a repeat Wednesday evening at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.

#EarlyMusicMonth

Early Music America

March 6, 2016
Early Morning New Music on WPRB

This will hurt me more than it does you! Or so I thought, when I set the alarm for 4:00 this morning.

Everything is brand spanking new, straight out of the shrinkwrap, as we listen to new releases until 11 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.

Yet to come: guitarist Nadav Lev plays music by young Israeli composers, JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra perform Sibelius, the Danish Piano Trio plays Romantic music from Denmark, cellist Louise Dubin presents music by Chopin’s friend and associate Auguste Franchomme, the Boston Modern Orchestra (BMOP) performs Lukas Foss, and more.

November 19, 2015
Labor Day Classical Music Showcase

Sure, we’re looking ahead to Labor Day this morning, but not all of the music will be “labor intensive.” I hope you’ll join me for music by a bunch of neglected dead white guys from the Greatest Generation of American Composers, and maybe a few women (also dead, alas). In addition, we’ll have contributions from those still toiling, composers like Paul Lansky and John Corigliano.

Poor David Diamond got short shrift on the 100th anniversary of his birth, since everyone else seemingly played everything in advance of his July 9 birthday. Enough time has passed that I can now in some small way make amends. We’ll have his best known piece, the early “Rounds for String Orchestra,” and one of his later works, the adagio from the Symphony No. 11 – the only part of the symphony so far to be recorded.

Certainly a highlight will be one of the symphonies of Lukas Foss, drawn from a new recording of the complete set of four, performed by Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP).

Labor-oriented pieces will include “John Henry” by Aaron Copland, “Skyscrapers” by John Alden Carpenter, and “Flivver Ten Million” – about automobile manufacturing – by Frederick Shepherd Converse. In addition, Princeton’s own Paul Robeson will sing the labor anthem “Joe Hill.”

Pull up a girder and get out your Stanley thermos. I’ll be doing the heavy-lifting on Class Ross Amico, today from 6 to 11 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM or at wprb.com.

September 3, 2015

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