Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Thomas Quasthoff

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
Schubert Birthday Orchestrated Lieder

Today is the birthday of Franz Schubert (1797-1828), one of the greatest of all art song composers. Thomas Quasthoff and Anne Sofie von Otter recorded a fascinating album for the Deutsche Grammophon label a number of years back, with Claudio Abbado conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in orchestrations of Schubert lieder by other notable composers, including Brahms, Britten, Liszt, Offenbach, Reger and Webern.

Here is Quasthoff performing two of Schubert’s most famous songs, “Erlkönig” (“The Erl-King”), as orchestrated by Reger, and “Ständchen” (“Serenade”), as orchestrated by Offenbach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwfWtlrFkDU

And Otter performing “Der Vollmond auf Bergeshöh’n” (“The Full Moon Shines on the Mountain Height”) from “Rosamunde,” in Schubert’s own orchestration, and “Die Forelle” (“The Trout”), as orchestrated by Britten.

Nothing can match the originals, of course, but I, for one, feel fortunate to be able to enjoy these fascinating arrangements.

Happy birthday, Franz Schubert!

January 31, 2016

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