This is making the rounds on the Twitters, but I thought I’d also share it here. Coming up at 4:30 EDT on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org, we celebrate the birthday of Latvian composer Janis Ivanovs with his Symphony No. 20 — heard on glorious vinyl!
Tag: Vinyl
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MLK Day Vinyl Spin on WWFM Classical Network
Spinning a neglected contemporary classic from vinyl on WWFM – The Classical Network for Martin Luther King Day. Just to avoid any confusion over ownership, I snagged this from the WWFM library probably close to 20 years ago, back when the station was liquidating its LPs. I think Bill Zagorski must have gotten the rest…
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Opera on Vinyl Korngold and Wolf-Ferrari
Tomorrow morning I will have the honor of keeping the chair warm for Sandy Steiglitz, who will be taking the week off from her long-running show, “Sunday Morning Opera,” at WPRB. That’s a large bill to fill, so I’ll be bringing along not one, but two operas.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold wrote “Violanta” at the age of 17. Already his second opera, composed in 1914, the work demonstrates the composer’s early mastery of large orchestral forces, rich, heroic vocal writing, and compelling stagecraft. It’s small wonder that 20 years later Korngold would revolutionize the Hollywood film score. He would be recognized for his efforts with two Academy Awards, for his work on “Anthony Adverse” (1936) and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938). A good choice, then, for Academy Awards Sunday!
The story of “Violanta,” set in 15th century Venice against the backdrop of Carnival, involves seduction, suicide, thirst for revenge, dawning compassion, and sacrifice. The music is intoxicating, and the recording, led by Marek Janowski – with Eva Marton in the title role, Siegfried Jerusalem as a sympathetic lothario, and Walter Berry as an insecure husband – is fabulous. Bruno Walter conducted the world premiere in Munich, so the choice of the Munich Radio Orchestra is an idiomatic one.
We’ll follow up the opulent tragedy of “Violanta” with Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s fun and frothy comedy of marital misunderstanding, “Il segreto di Susanna” (“Susanna’s Secret”), composed in 1909. A man suspects his wife is having an affair when he smells cigarette smoke on her clothes. He attempts to get to the bottom of her “secret,” with amusing results. Renato Scotto is Susanna, Renata Bruson her husand, Count Gil, and John Pritchard conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra.
In the process, we’ll inadvertently be observing the birthdays of Scotto (Feb. 24), Pritchard (Feb. 5) and Janowski (Feb. 18), along with those of Leontyne Price (Feb. 10), and Lotte Lehmann (Feb. 27).
My choices are somewhat limited due to the requirements of WPRB’s All Vinyl Week. Still, I think I’ve managed to come up with some good material. I hope you’ll join me as I kick back with some caffeine and some good music, on “Sunday Morning Opera,” tomorrow from 7 to 10 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.
PHOTO: Massive spoiler alert!
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WPRB’s All-Vinyl Week: Rare Grooves & Local Music
Vinyl, vinyl everywhere!
Music by contemporary composers released on the CRI label. Lesser known works, recorded by major artists on major labels, which have never been reissued. A long out-of-print DG recording of music by a Canadian master. The late Louis Lane conducting American music. Works by Philadelphia composers Paul Nordoff and Richard Yardumian. A cult classic featuring the songs of humpback whales.
These are some of the curiosities that I’ll be sharing with you this morning, as I comb the WPRB record library (leavened with a few choice albums from my own collection). It’s part of WPRB’s All-Vinyl Week. That’s right, WPRB is playing nothing but good old-fashioned vinyl through Sunday.
Ruth Ochs, music director of the Westminster Community Orchestra, will drop by around 9:00 to talk a little bit about the upcoming Westminster Conservatory of Music showcase concert, which will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium. The program will include performances by community ensembles, students and conservatory competition winners. Ochs is also conductor of the Princeton University Sinfonia.
Other than that, it all comes off the turntables this morning, from 6 to 11 ET on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. We put the style in “stylus,” on Classic Ross Amico.
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