Steve Reich is 86 today. Celebrate with “Tehillim” (1982), his vibrant setting of four Hebrew psalms.
Not your thing? How about his Pulitzer Prize winning “Double Sextet” (2007-08)?
Post-Minimalism that yields maximum rewards. Happy birthday Steve Reich!
Sadly, the past week has left us short of two fine musicians.
Pianist Hamish Milne died on Wednesday at the age of 80, and conductor and pianist Reinbert de Leeuw died on Valentine’s Day at 81.
This afternoon on The Classical Network, we’ll celebrate both artists with selections from their recorded legacies.
Milne will be represented by one of his many performances of Nikolai Medtner – a friend and contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninoff – whose music was something of a specialty. We’ll also hear Milne as soloist in a Romantic piano concerto, to be announced.
De Leeuw will conduct Steve Reich’s “Tehillim,” vibrant settings of Hebrew Psalms. He’ll also sit down at the keyboard for a highly individual performance of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédies.”
First, on today’s Noontime Concert, Piffaro, The Renaissance Band will present a program titled “Burgundian Beginnings & Beyond,” a Franco-Flemish feast of instrumental works by Guillaume Dufay, Robert Morton, Antoine Busnois, Josquin des Prez, Pierre de la Rue, and Nicholas Gombert. Directors Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken will join host David Osenberg for this Early Music concert at 12 p.m.
I’ll be along around 1:40. Settle in for a heymish afternoon with Hamish Milne and “Tehillim,” from 2 to 4 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
Conductor and pianist Reinbert de Leeuw has died. Leeuw was a staunch champion of contemporary music and an absorbing interpreter of the works of Erik Satie. For Nonesuch records, he recorded music by Louis Andriessen and Steve Reich.
He was also a longtime friend, mentor, and collaborator of Barbara Hannigan. Together, they gave some riveting recitals.
Leeuw died on Valentine’s Day. He was 81 years-old.
Steve Reich, “Tehillim”
Louis Andriessen, “De Staat”
Leeuw plays Satie:
With Hannigan, in recital – with performances like these, who needs the translations?
A statement issued by Nonesuch Records:
https://www.nonesuch.com/journal/conductor-reinbert-de-leeuw-dies-81-2020-02-14
Last minute programming decision!
In honor of Steve Reich’s 80th birthday (which fell on Monday), and to tie in with our observance of the Jewish High Holy Days, I’ve decided to play “Tehillim,” the composer’s setting of four Hebrew psalms, in the 10:00 hour (EDT). You can hear it this morning on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.
This afternoon, we’ll remember Sir Neville Marriner, who died yesterday, peacefully, in his sleep, at the age of 92. Impressively, Marriner conducted his final concert in Padua on Thursday. Tomorrow, he was scheduled to begin a tour of Austria, Germany and Belgium with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the orchestra he founded in 1958. We’ll honor this indefatigable musician with a number of his cherished recordings, as well as one or two which are perhaps not so well known.
We’ll also look to American composer Steve Reich, who is 80 years-old today. We’ll hear his Pulitzer Prize winning “Double Sextet,” performed by Eighth Blackbird. If you’re a Steve Reich fan, you’ll want to join David Osenberg for another “Celebrating Our Musical Community,” tonight at 8:00 EDT. He’ll introduce a concert of Reich’s works presented by gifted students and artists-in-residence at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, including members of Eighth Blackbird and Nexus Percussion.
Finally, we’ll include some music in observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, including a work for string quartet by Darius Milhaud, based on tunes from High Holy Days liturgies indigenous to the composer’s native Provence.
That’s a lot to cover in only three hours. We’ll do our best to make the New Year sweet, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.
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