A lovely autumn afternoon in the Trenton-Princeton area. In fact, a tempting day to wander off into the woods to die in the arms of an alluring nymph. That’s the subject of Vitězslav Novák’s tone poem, “Toman and the Wood Nymph.” Enjoy it this afternoon, as we celebrate the anniversary of the composer’s birth, along with that of Francesco Geminiani, the 70th birthday of José Carreras, and the 60th birthday of Krystian Zimerman, between 4 and 7 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.
Tag: WWFM
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Britten’s Carols Analyzed with Kapilow & Choir
What makes it great? Benjamin Britten, The American Boychoir, and Rob Kapilow musician. All three will join for a one-of-a kind event this Monday evening at 7 p.m. at Nassau Presbyterian Church, as performers and presenter parse out Britten’s beloved “A Ceremony of Carols,” followed by a complete performance of the work directed by Fernando Malvar-Luiz.
What Kapilow, host of the long-running program “What Makes It Great?,” does can hardly be described as lecturing.
“It’s an unusual kind of evening designed to get people to hear music in a different way, to get them involved in music in a different way,” he says. “The whole idea of ‘What Makes It Great?’ is to invite people into an evening designed to really get them inside a piece of music, from the composer’s point-of-view, to see what makes it tick. There’s an hour of discussions and demonstrations with the choir, with the audience singing as well, you know, so that when they do hear the complete performance after intermission, they’ll hear it with new ears. That’s really the goal. And then, of course, they get to ask anyone a question – me, the conductor, the choir, the kids, whatever they want.”
“What Makes It Great?” has undergone a gradual evolution over the past two decades, from its beginnings as a brief segment on NPR’s “Performance Today” to its current format of a two-hour commentary-with-concert event. Monday’s appearance is sponsored by WWFM – The Classical Network, the current producer of the radio broadcasts. WWFM can be heard locally at 89.1 FM and globally at wwfm.org.
“A Ceremony of Carols” will be heard in a somewhat different guise on The American Boychoir’s popular “Home for the Holidays” concert. That program will be present at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium on Dec. 18 at 4 p.m.
Find out what distinguishes the two in my article in today’s Trenton Times:
http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2016/11/classical_music_rob_kapilow_am.html
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WWFM Salutes Barbirolli Kajanus & Chung
It was Ralph Vaughan Williams who dubbed Sir John Barbirolli “Glorious John.” This afternoon on WWFM, we’ll enjoy some of his glorious recordings.
In fact, it’s a great day for conductors. We’ll also salute Robert Kajanus, a colleague of Jean Sibelius, who did much to promote the music of his friend, including making the first recordings of the Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 5.
In addition, it’s the birthday of South Korean conductor Myung-Whun Chung, a pupil of Messiaen, who demonstrates a certain flair for the music of Danish composer Carl Nielsen.
We’ll enjoy examples of their artistry and more, between 4 and 6 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.
Then stayed tuned to hear music written for film adaptations of girls’ literary classics on “Picture Perfect” at 7:00. More on that to come!
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Alkan Eccentric Genius Rediscovered
Charles-Valentin Alkan was a pianist of transcendent technique, a forward-looking composer, and the most eccentric recluse in Paris.
Acclaimed in all circles as one of the finest keyboard artists of his day, he secluded himself in his home for years at a time. He shared the apartment with his illegitimate son, two apes and 100 cockatoos.
He was also known to exhibit obsessive tendencies. His “12 Etudes in All the Minor Keys” contains among its movements a full concerto and a symphony for solo piano. He translated the entire Bible (with Apocrypha) from its original languages, and he talked of setting the entire thing to music.
At the time of his death, his library contained 75 volumes in Hebrew or related to Judaism. He’s said to have been killed by a fallen bookcase after reaching for a volume of the Talmud, which was situated on a high shelf.
Alkan himself was top-shelf material. Admired by Chopin and Liszt, his refusal to travel, or even to leave his home, contributed to his general obscurity, though he continued to issue new, exciting scores to great acclaim. He was studied by Debussy, Ravel, Busoni and Rachmaninoff, but really it fell to pianists of our own time to rediscover Alkan’s genius.
Alkan (1813-1888) will be among our featured subjects this afternoon, as we celebrate his birthday anniversary. We’ll also hear from Swedish composer Ture Rangström (1884-1947); lied master Carl Loewe (1796-1869); lifelong friend of Richard Strauss, Ludwig Thuille (1861-1907); and late disciple of Mily Balakirev, Sergei Lyapunov (1859-1924). Finally, Romanian pianist Radu Lupu (b. 1945), another recluse, will perform music by Franz Schubert.
I myself will emerge from seclusion, from 4 to 7 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.
IMAGES: Alkan (left), in one of only two photos of him known to exist, and friend
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Giving Tuesday on The Classical Network
Some souvenirs of Giving Tuesday at WWFM – The Classical Network.
Holding programs with Mimi Stillman, left, artistic director of the Dolce Suono Ensemble, my in-studio guest for today’s noontime concert.
Then, top to bottom, with Jamie Parker, programs director of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, at 12 noon; Leslie Potter, development director of D&R Greenway Land Trust, at 2 p.m.; and Patricia Hart, executive director of Womanspace, Inc., at 3 p.m.
That’s a new personal record in terms of consecutive interviews. Yes, I gave until it hurts, but all my guests are lovely people, and they are all champions of worthwhile causes.
Other groups represented on The Classical Network today include HomeFront, SAVE, A Friend to Homeless Animals, Breast Cancer Resource Center, Mercer Street Friends, Trenton Community Music School, and Centurion Ministries. All are non-profit organizations that have done much for the communities in which we broadcast. I hope you will consider supporting them.
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