Classic Ross Amico

Tag: WPRB

Presidential Music Lincoln Washington & More

I was thinking of ol’ Abe Lincoln, who was known to walk 20 miles through all weather to borrow and return books, as I trudged from the parking lot this morning with temperatures in the mid-teens. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the layout of the Princeton University campus, the parking lot is not close. But Abe would have done it, uphill through a raging snow storm, in order to enrich your day with music about the presidents.

Today is Lincoln’s birthday (born 1809). We’ll honor our 16th president, with Lincoln-inspired music by George Frederick McKay, David Diamond, Robert Russell Bennett, Roy Harris and John Williams, among others. Since Monday is a federal holiday established to honor the birth of George Washington (in 1732), we’ll have works inspired by him, as well, composed by Virgil Thomson, Seymour Bernstein and John Lampkin, again among others.

In addition, we’ll have music written for or inspired by some of our other presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Chester A. Arthur. As time allows, we may also hear some 19th century campaign songs.

It will be like hurling silver dollar after silver dollar across the Potomac this morning, from 6 to 11 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. I cannot tell a lie, on Classic Ross Amico.

#AbrahamLincoln

February 12, 2016
Lincoln & Washington: Presidential Music on WPRB

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

Taking to heart the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, I’ll attempt to break with tradition by actually planning in advance my radio show for tomorrow on WPRB.

February 12 is Lincoln’s birthday. We will honor our 16th president and look ahead to the three-day weekend with music inspired by Lincoln and also George Washington (whose birthday is February 22), for whom, after all, the holiday, known in the colloquial as Presidents Day, was coined.

A conflict arises in that while combing my collection I’ve also come across a number of interesting pieces written for other presidents, such as JFK, Nixon, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Chester A. Arthur. Do I include them, or do I follow a strict Lincoln-Washington regimen? Decisions, decisions. A house divided against itself cannot plan!

If it comes down to an Iowa-style coin toss, one thing is certain: you can still count on plenty of presidential music, with works like George Antheil’s “McKonkey’s Ferry (Washington in Trenton),” Roy Harris’ Symphony No. 6 “Gettysburg,” Virgil Thomson’s “Parson Weems and the Cherry Tree,” John Lampkin’s “George Washington Slept Here,” Paul Turok’s “Lincoln and Liberty,” and selections from John Williams’ score for the Steven Spielberg film, “Lincoln.”

We’ll be doing our best to get you in the mood for the white sales, tomorrow morning from 6 to 11 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time, on Classic Ross Amico.

To tide you over, here are a couple of links to extremely rare symphonies inspired by Lincoln, neither of which, to my knowledge, has ever received a commercial recording:

Daniel Gregory Mason’ Symphony No. 3 “Lincoln” (1936)

Jaromir Weinberger’s “Lincoln Symphony” (1941)

Yes, that’s the same Weinberger who composed “Schwanda the Bagpiper!”

#AbrahamLincoln

February 11, 2016
Classic Ross Amico Moves to WPRB Radio

It’s only fitting, I think, that on Moving Day that I’d have stayed up half the night. So be good friends, won’t you, piece out my imperfections with your thoughts, and do be careful with my stuff.

This morning, Classic Ross Amico moves to its new time slot on WPRB. It may be a difference of only 24 hours, but I’m never one to do anything by half-measures. We’ll employ so many modes of transportation as to make Phileas Fogg’s head spin – automobile, ship, airplane, train, bicycle, skates, sleigh, and even sun chariot – all represented in works by 20th and 21st century composers. Come to think of it, a time machine would have come in handy. Leave it to me to invoke the wrong Verne novel.

We settle into our new digs this morning, from 6 to 11 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. Get ready to cover a lot of ground, on Classic Ross Amico.

February 5, 2016
Ross Amico Moving Day Playlist on WPRB

On second thought, don’t just watch – give me a hand with some of these boxes! Today is Moving Day for Classic Ross Amico. I hope you’ll join me at my new time, Friday morning from 6 to 11. That’s me wandering around the rest stop, buckling under the stress and exertion, gibbering like an idiot.

Lots of great music, though! Right now, we’re listening to baritone John Shirley-Quirk, singing “Songs of Travel” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Yet to come: Robert Moran’s “Points of Departure,” Paul Lansky’s “Travel Diary,” and Marc Blitzstein’s “Airborne Symphony,” among others.

It’s all music about the experience of moving and different modes of transportation until 11:00 ET, here on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. I’ll be keeping you in beer and pizza, on Classic Ross Amico.

PLEASE NOTE: “Classical with Kevin,” which formerly aired from 8:30 to 11, has moved to Monday!

February 5, 2016
Classic Ross Amico Moves to Fridays on WPRB

Tomorrow morning on WPRB, Classic Ross Amico will move to a new time slot: Friday from 6 to 11 ET. You’d think the difference of 24 hours wouldn’t be a big deal, but in order to reach my destination, I will travel by car, train, plane, bicycle, and even sun chariot.

I hope you’ll join me as we enjoy musical evocations of all these modes of transportation, while moving to my new home on Friday mornings, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. Put on your old clothes. We’ll be living out of boxes and ordering pizza for dinner, on Classic Ross Amico.

February 4, 2016

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