Classic Ross Amico

Tag: WPRB

Lloyd & Vaughan Williams Symphonies on WPRB

Right now on WPRB, we’re listening to the Symphony No. 4 by the underrated English composer George Lloyd, a work which grew out his experiences serving in the Royal Marines during WWII.

Lloyd’s vessel was struck by a torpedo while he was manning the transmitting station deep within the ship’s hold. He nearly drowned, as many of his shipmates and close comrades actually did, in fuel oil. Though he survived the ordeal, he suffered from shell shock and could not speak for nearly a year.

As he recovered, he began to compose again, hoping to exorcise his demons. The result was his Symphony No. 4, subtitled the “Arctic,” a surprisingly optimistic work, considering its genesis. But, as the composer points out, he also experienced much beauty during his service in the North Sea, including a memorable trip up the Norwegian coast.

Of the infectious marches that characterize the work’s final movement, the composer remarked wryly, “… perhaps I was trying to end the symphony by reaffirming the old convention that when the funeral is over the band plays quick, cheerful tunes to go home.”

Coming up in the 9:00 hour, we’ll have another English symphony, suggestive of the opposite pole, the Symphony No. 7 by Ralph Vaughan Williams, subtitled “Sinfonia Antarctica.” Vaughan Williams’ opus grew out of his film score for the Ealing Studios adventure “Scott of the Antarctic,” which starred John Mills as doomed explorer Robert Falcon Scott.

Vaughan Williams’ symphony captures a sense of foreboding in the face of punishing elements and the desolation of the Antarctic landscape. Along the way, he evokes chill winds, crashing ice slides, and the play of penguins and whales.

Sir Adrian Boult recorded the work twice. The earlier recording featured spoken prefaces by Sir John Gielgud, who reads from English poets and Scott’s diary. The performance itself is quite good, though expectedly not as vivid as the later, stereo remake. So as to share the best of both worlds this morning, I will interpolate the Gielgud readings into the stereo performance.

Stick around, and you’ll also get to hear music inspired by the aurora borealis, by Uuno Klami and Geirr Tveitt. We’ll go to any lengths to keep cool, until 11 EDT on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.

August 18, 2016
Escape the Heat Arctic & Antarctic Music

It’s been quite a week, weather-wise, so we’re not about to leave anything to chance. Tomorrow morning on WPRB, we’ll be conjuring plenty of cool thoughts with musical journeys to the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

We’ll hear Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Sinfonia Antarctica,” of course, his Symphony No. 7, which grew out of his film score for “Scott of the Antarctic.” I will be interpolating readings from Scott’s journals by Sir John Gielgud, from another recording.

We’ll also hear Nigel Westlake’s “Antarctica Suite,” written for guitarist John Williams. Then we’ll travel north to experience the struggle through darkness to light in George Lloyd’s “Arctic Symphony,” his Symphony No. 4.

We’ll set foot in Lapland with “The White Reindeer” by Einar Englund. In addition, we’ll hear musical (and aseasonal) evocations of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, by Uuno Klami, Geirr Tveitt and Paul Moravec.

Get ready to travel north and south, anywhere to beat the heat, tomorrow morning from 6 to 11 EDT on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. I’ll be handing out the Eskimo pies, on Classic Ross Amico.

August 17, 2016
Meeting Rautavaara A Musical Memory

I had the rare opportunity to actually meet Einojuhani Rautavaara once, back in the year 2000. He was in Philadelphia for the first performance of his Symphony No. 8, “The Journey.” By purest chance, I had struck up a friendship with Anssi Blomstedt, a documentary filmmaker then living in Philadelphia, who is the youngest grandchild of Jean Sibelius. He had simply wandered into my bookstore one day, as I was playing a CD of Robert Kajanus conducting his grandfather’s Symphony No. 3. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…

Anyway, I got Anssi into a rehearsal of Simon Rattle conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5. The ebullient Rattle was overjoyed to meet him. The encounter happened to coincide with an interview Rattle was doing backstage with somebody from Vanity Fair, I think, and somewhere there is a photograph of the future Sir Simon planting a kiss on Anssi’s forehead.

One good turn deserves another, and when Rautavaara came to town, Anssi took me backstage at the Academy of Music to introduce me to him. The venerable composer was friendly and obviously amenable to a photograph. He also was kind enough to sign my Naxos CD of his Symphony No. 3, Piano Concerto No. 1, and Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, “Cantus Arcticus.” I wonder what he thought of this peculiar, 33 year-old “fan.”

Rautavaara died on July 27 at the age of 87. Join me this morning as we celebrate the late Finnish master with FIVE HOURS of his music, from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. One needs plenty of time in order even to say “Einojuhani Rautavaara.” Mostly we’ll let the music do the talking, on Classic Ross Amico.

August 11, 2016
Remembering Rautavaara’s Symphony No. 8 on WPRB

Right now on WPRB, we’re listening to the final symphony of the great Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara – the Symphony No. 8, subtitled “The Journey” – commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was given its first performance at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, under the direction of Wolfgang Sawallisch, in the year 2000.

Though Rautavaara would live another 16 years, he would compose no more symphonies. He suffered an aortic dissection in 2004, which put him in intensive care for half a year. He spent most of his final decade in frail health, though he continued to compose prolifically.

We are honoring Rautavaara, who died on July 27 at the age of 87, with FIVE HOURS of his music. Coming up in the 9:00 hour, we’ll hear his large-scale liturgical work, “Vigilia,” a mystical creation that grew out of childhood memories of a visit to an island monastery. Tune in if only to catch that basso-profondo!

It’s all Rautavaara until 11:00 EDT on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.

August 11, 2016
Rautavaara Challenge 5 Hours of Finnish Music

Get ready for the Rautavaara Challenge!

The great Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara died on July 27 at the age of 87. It’s been a hectic couple of weeks, but tomorrow morning on WPRB, I’ll finally give the master his due, with FIVE BLESSED HOURS devoted to his music.

Rautavaara, widely regarded as one of the world’s great composers, the grand old man of Finnish music, and the spiritual heir of Jean Sibelius, composed eight symphonies, nine operas, 14 concertos, and dozens of other orchestral and vocal compositions.

How much Rautavaara is too much Rautavaara? We’re soon to find out. Scoff at the excessive heat warning with five hours of music from Finland (including Rautavaara’s “Cantus Arcticus”), tomorrow morning from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. We’re cool to the Finnish, on Classic Ross Amico.

August 10, 2016

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