tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61306318529402246602012-02-01T07:00:07.696-05:00WTJU Classical CommentsNews and views from the classical music announcers at WTJU, 91.1 FM, Charlottesville, VirginiaWTJU Classical Dept.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00582395998958161861noreply@blogger.comBlogger1671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-37494340710874884952012-02-01T07:00:00.001-05:002012-02-01T07:00:07.723-05:00Johannes Eccard: Sacred and Secular Works
Johannes Eccard: Sacred & Secular Works
Opella Musica
Ensemble NOEMA
Gregor Meyer, director
CPO
Although not a household name, Johannes Eccard can hardly be called an obscure composer. Active during the latter half of the 16th century, Eccard's vocal music was held in high regard by other composers --
especially German composers, from Johann Sebastian Bach through Brahms.
In his own Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-5297526342848242062012-01-24T15:52:00.002-05:002012-01-25T06:32:41.712-05:00Nelson Freire Plays Liszt
Liszt: Harmonies du Soir
Nelson Freire, piano
Decca
Occasionally a CD comes along that is so extraordinary that I must applaud it publicly. The Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire, born in 1944, has had a distinguished performing career, but his is a name known primarily to connoisseurs as one of the great pianists of his generation.
His recordings of Chopin and Beethoven are particularly fine. WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-83200703023720172502012-01-18T06:51:00.000-05:002012-01-18T06:53:13.993-05:00"French Impressions" Impresses
French Impressions
Josha Bell, violin; Jeremy Denk, piano
Sony Classics
Good chamber music is a conversation – and French Impressions is just
that. A conversation between two old friends enjoying themselves. It’s
no accident that both violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk get
equal billing. In the three works presented both artists contribute
equally to the performance.
The albumRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-70150972243900222212012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:002012-01-11T07:00:01.608-05:00Michael Torke's Tahiti: No Trouble Here
Michael Torke: Tahiti
10/10 Ensemble of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Clark Rundell, conductor
Ecstatic Records
This release pairs two Michael Torke
works inspired by the South Seas – “Tahiti” and “Fiji.” Besides the
geographical connection, it’s a logical program choice. Both works were
written for a small chamber orchestra, and both have a similar feel.
“Fiji” is a 17-minute Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-10236699581405493502012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:002012-01-04T07:00:17.329-05:00Vivaldi: Return of Angels
Vivaldi: Return of the Angels
Ensemble Caprice
Matthias Maute, conductor
Analekta
“The Return of Angels” is billed as a collection of Vivaldi’s
sacred music arranged in an attractive program. The Ensemble Caprice
under Matthias Maute perform these works with a lightness and
transparency that make for an enjoyable listening experience.
The
disc starts with Juditha triumphans, one of Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-3889996009257036052011-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-28T07:00:00.348-05:00Janacek: Piano Works - from master to pupil
Janacek: Piano Works
Rudolph Firkusny, piano
Newton Classics
Who better to present a recital of a composer’s music than an artist who studied with him? Rudolf Firkusny
began his musical career under the tutalage of Leos Janacek, which
gives his intepretation of Janacek’s solo piano works special
significance.
All of Janacek’s major works for the instrument are present: Piano Soanta 1.XRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-34507053505911154932011-12-22T06:50:00.000-05:002011-12-22T06:50:00.760-05:00Jurowski proves Honegger more than a one-hit wonder
Honegger: Symphony No. 4, Pastorale d’Ete, Une Cantate de Noel
London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir
New London Children’s Choir
Vladimir Jurowski, conductor
Christopher Maltman, baritone
Swiss composer Arthur Honegger is basically known for two things: being a member of “Les Six,” and writing Pacific 2-3-1.
This release goes a long way towards changing that shallow impression
for theRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-17317296272691838772011-12-21T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-21T07:00:13.276-05:00Review: Magnificent music by Philippe Rogier
Philippe Rogier: Music from the Missae Sex
Magnificat; Philip Cave, director
His Majexty's Sagbutts and Cornetts
Linn SACD
This outstanding recording by Magnificat features a set of masses by Philippe Rogier. Missa Inclita stirps Jesse is a parody mass, one of the higher expressions of a composer’s skill back in the 1500’s.
The idea was to take an opening polyphonic theme from another Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-23302603268628875182011-12-14T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-14T07:26:46.563-05:00Paavo Jarvi at home with Baltic Portraits
Baltic Portraits
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Paavo Jarvi,, conductor
CSO Media
Paavo
Jarvi has always been a champion of Eastern European music. In “Baltic
Portraits” Jarvi uses that experience to present works of five composers
from the region with hearfelt and committed performances.
Erkki-Sven Tuur’s occasional piece Fireflower
starts off the program. This exotic-sounding work Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-18001908841579054972011-11-30T06:49:00.001-05:002011-11-30T07:21:43.930-05:00A Community of Listeners and a Call to Action
Become a phone volunteer and you'll see just how true this cartoon is! (from Barnacle Press)
This coming Monday we begin the 2011 Classical Music Marathon. For a full week, we'll be playing nothing but classical music 24/7. We'll be having a lot of fun, celebrating classical music in all its diversity (and giving our announcers an opportunity to play things they normally wouldn't get a chance WTJU Classical Dept.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00582395998958161861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-933134864315162752011-11-23T07:00:00.000-05:002011-11-23T07:00:01.817-05:00Calling all listeners (to take the call)
The WTJU Classical Music Fund-Raising Marathon is almost upon us, and we need your help. In order for our announcers to really do their best on the air, we need one or more volunteers to staff our phone banks and take those pledges.
It's actually a pretty simple process. Most of the entry-taking is done for you on the computer. If your reading this blog post, you probably have all the WTJU Classical Dept.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00582395998958161861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-80830940474914948422011-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:002011-11-16T07:00:03.892-05:00Riisager Symphonic Music: An Unsung Composer Gets a Hearing
Knudage Riisager
The Symphonic Edition, Vol. 1
Aarhus Symphony Orchestra
Bo Holten, conductor
Dacapo
I have to admit I had never heard of Knudage Riisager before I received this CD (let alone any of his music). But after listening to this outstanding recording, I want to hear more.
Riisager is now recognized as one of Denmark’s greatest composers, although during his lifetime his music Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-76608532420752915942011-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:002011-11-09T07:00:03.788-05:00Stephen Mackey: Lonely Motel worth checking into
Stephen Mackey: Lonely Motel: Music from Slide
eighth blackbird
Rinde Eckert, vocalist
Cedille Records
If you're a fan of eighth blackbird, you wont' be disappointed with this new release. If you're not familiar with this outstanding contemporary music ensemble, Lonely Motel can serve as a good introduction to the group
Stephen Mackey based his work on a
series of slides used for Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-24759193379600028802011-11-02T04:42:00.006-04:002011-11-02T06:48:57.836-04:00Saariaho: D'Om le Vrai Sens - Sensuous music for serious listeners
Kaija Saariaho: D’Om le Vrai Sens
Kari Kriiku, clarinet
Anu Komsi, soprano
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo, conductor
Ondine
This is an album of challenging music. But if you’re up to that challenge, you’ll find your listening experience deeply rewarding. Kaija Saariaho is concerned with the nature of sound, and the major work on this release, her clarinet concerto, shows it.
Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-51626821305250717242011-10-20T12:17:00.000-04:002011-10-21T14:18:14.990-04:00Tristan Perich 1-Bit Symphony -- more than 2-bit musicVisual artist and composer Tristan Perich has combined two separate musical concepts: the original performance, and the physical recording. When one purchases a CD (remember those?), it's a copy of a performance recorded weeks, months, often years before.
Not so with Perich's latest release. His 1-Bit Symphony comes in a standard CD case. But inside are some very simple electronics that perform Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-73941996722726626942011-10-12T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-17T10:35:49.430-04:00Original and rare recordings of Kurt Weill, 1928-1944
Kurt Weill
Die Dreigroschenoper
Historic Original Recordings 1928-1944
Capriccio
The first disc of this 2-CD collection is mostly music from the Threepenny Opera,
including the original cast (1928-31) and select foreign song
recordings from 1930-31. While this music by Kurt Weill and Berthold
Brecht has received many performances, there has been a subtle shift in
interpretation overRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-84527084366585644372011-10-05T07:16:00.000-04:002011-10-05T07:16:00.294-04:00Schnittke String Quartets: Modern Classics
Alfred Schnittke
String Quartets 104
Quatuor Molinari
Atma Classics
This two-CD set presents all four of Alferd Schnittke’s string
quartets. The first was composed in 1966, and the remaining three over a
relatively brief span in the 1980’s.
The first quartet
is very tonal and contrapuntal. There’s a lyricism I find very
appealing in the music, perhaps even a neo-romantic undercurrent.
ItRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-56865688110541208442011-10-04T13:22:00.006-04:002011-10-04T15:58:50.158-04:00Listen.Listen.ListenShuffle.Play.Listen Christopher O'Riley, piano ; Matt Haimovitz, celloOxingale OX2019 This is an album of arrangements and transcriptions. I know that might sound sort of "dirty" to some in the classical music world, but consider that even the "purest" and most un-tampered-with works on this album, the Pohádka (Fairy Tale) by Czech composer Leoš Janáček and the Suite italienne by Igor StravinskyThom Peasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17252175491329232519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-72481958175931270192011-09-29T18:26:00.010-04:002011-10-04T17:23:06.416-04:002011 Charlottesville Chamber Music FestivalI was quite excited to be able to attend 3 out of the 6 concerts for the 2011 Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival. The first two of those were at UVA's Old Cabell Hall, and the last at The Paramount Theater.
There was much pleasure to be had with the first group of performers, which included Matthew Hunt and Alasdair Beatson. The piece by Peteris Vasks, Episodi e Canto perpetuo was quitePaula O'Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141815477520222192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-70550980872194030412011-09-27T15:27:00.000-04:002011-09-28T12:14:16.617-04:00Letter From SalzburgThe 2011 Salzburg Festival, July 27-Aug. 30, was the usual combination of outstanding musical performances and high society. This writer attended performances from Aug. 20-28. The project to reroof the Felsenreitschule has been concluded, and the hall is an acoustic and visual wonder. Few performance halls in the world have such an impressive entrance area. Verdi's Macbeth was the featured event WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-42828906540584825502011-09-21T07:15:00.003-04:002011-09-21T07:15:29.875-04:00Contemporary classics from Cincinnati
American Portraits
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Paavo Jarvi, conductor
CSO Media
The Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra used to be one of the crown jewels of the Telarc label --
back in the day. Now they join an increasing number of orchestras who
are self-releasing their material. And like their former label mates the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, they're starting off with a strong releaseRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-81899598925488173042011-09-12T05:16:00.000-04:002011-09-12T17:17:08.694-04:00Review: Cello concertos that show what might have been
Martinu, Hindemith, Honegger
Cello Concertos
Johannes Moser, cello
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie
Christoph Poppen, conductor
Hanssler Classic, 93.276
What if classical music had taken a different turn in the mid-Twentieth century. Cellist Johannes Moser gives us a hint with his latest release of concertos. He presents three works by composers who all wrote in a somewhat tonal style.
Paul Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-16233392513295734662011-09-08T08:50:00.004-04:002011-09-12T17:28:38.950-04:00Robert Moran's Trinity Requiem for 9/11
Trinity Requiem:
The Choral Music of Robert Moran
Trinity Youth Chorus; The Esoterics;
Musica Sacra
Innova 224
To mark the tenth anniversary of 11 September 2001, the Trinity Church Wall Street (Ground Zero) commissioned Philadelphia-based composer Robert Moran to compose a requiem for the Trinity youth choir. The Trinity Requiem is a marvelous and moving work; the piece is scored for Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-76012237090306634352011-08-31T10:34:00.003-04:002011-09-07T07:14:59.193-04:00Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525 - 1594)
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina -- quite a mouthful. Actually, the composer was born in the town of Palestrina (not far from Rome); hence, "da" or from Palestrina. In his home town, he would have been known as Giovanni Pierluigi, but to the rest of the world, he was simply Palestrina.
He was arguably the most outstanding composer of his time and the leading musician of the Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-31470454303966234842011-08-31T08:21:00.000-04:002011-08-31T08:22:34.731-04:00Contemporary Classical - worth contemplatingAnne Midgette wrote an excellent article recently in the Washington Post providing an introduction to new music for the novice. Contemporary Classical: A Primer explores some of the major trends, such as minimalism, neo-traditional, and alt-classical. As she explains:
If you’re a longtime orchestra subscriber, you may be passionate about
Brahms but leery of the unfamiliar names and sounds thatRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-45072243926730208422011-08-24T08:19:00.001-04:002011-08-24T08:19:53.690-04:00Gaga about the FugueA new video based on a very old tradition has been making the rounds. Italian composer Giovanni Dettori has composed a fugue based on a motif found in Lady Gaga's song, "Bad Romance." Composers have been using popular music for contrapuntal fodder for centuries -- sometimes to the disapproval of their audiences (or patrons).
The French folk song "L'Homme Armé" was extremely popular in the 1400'sRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-75889914500844394532011-08-21T10:06:00.004-04:002011-08-21T11:58:32.195-04:00Review: River of Light: American Short Works for Violin and PianoRiver of Light: American Short Works for Violin and Piano
Tim Fain, violin;
Pei Yao Wang, piano
Naxos American Classics 8.559662
Usually a recital disc of short violin compositions, known as “miniatures,” will include works by 19th and early 20th century composer-performers such as Fritz Kreisler, Niccolò Paganini, Pablo de Sarasate, and Henryk Wieniawski. With this album, violinist Tim FainThom Peasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17252175491329232519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-15528543895457836182011-08-17T06:45:00.004-04:002011-08-24T07:01:45.628-04:00Review: Farinelli the composer
Farinelli: The Composer
Jorg Washchinski, male soprano
Salburger Hofmusik; Wolfgang Brunner, conductor
New Classical Adventure
“Farinelli the composer” is a fascinating release. Carlo Broschi (AKA Farinelli) was – by all accounts – the greatest castrato opera singer of his
day, and perhaps of all time. But because Farinelli conquered the stage 200 hears before sound recording technology,
Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-38252399533206622842011-08-12T13:23:00.000-04:002011-08-12T13:23:07.966-04:00Ah, Bach!
Why do our volunteers give up their time to present programs of carefully-selected music for you? Well, here's a partial answer.
Rob Nowicki was hosting "The Early Music Show" on August 8, 2011, and aired a particularly strong lineup of music from Telemann, Graun, Purcell.... and Bach.
Ah, Bach!
Rob aired Bach's Cantata # 169 “Gott soll allein mein Herze haben” BWV
169, from a WTJU Classical Dept.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00582395998958161861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-13508079774438509032011-08-10T07:30:00.004-04:002011-08-24T07:02:03.930-04:00Review: Comfort music from Franco Ferrara
Franco Ferrara
Fantasia tragica
Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma; Francesco La Vecchia, conductor
Naxos
Franco Ferrara was many things: a brilliant pianist and violinist, a teacher, a conductor -- and a composer. Ill health forced him to give up public performance at age 47, so the bulk of his reputation these days rests on those who studied conducting with him, such as Roberto Abbado, Andrew DavisRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-92102617103389337342011-08-03T07:25:00.000-04:002011-08-03T07:25:55.747-04:00WTJU Needs You!Have you ever listening to a program on WTJU, like "Gamut" for example, and thought to yourself I could do better than that guy.
Well, you're probably right. And, if you live within a reasonable commuting distance, you have a chance to prove it. WTJU is looking for new volunteers for our classical department.
Every announcer you here on WTJU is a volunteer. We're all different ages, and come Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-64778371321618369192011-07-27T08:11:00.002-04:002011-07-27T08:12:28.566-04:00Review: Joseph Schwantner, Chaser of LightJoseph Schwantner
Chasing Light; Morning's Embrace; Percussion Concerto
Christopher Lamb, percussion
Nashville Symphony; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Naxos
Two of these things belong together (but the third one's fine, too). That's a capsule summary of my reaction to this new recording of Joseph Schwanter's music from Naxos, "Chasing Light." This Pulitzer Prize-winning composer has been Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-56794988594121034002011-07-23T17:58:00.002-04:002011-07-25T11:41:57.750-04:002011 "Proms" on WTJUThe BBC “Proms,” the well-beloved and preeminent British summer musical festival, started the 2011 season on 15 July and will run through 10 September. This season features 85 concerts, covering a wide variety of works, from the longest symphony ever written (Havergal Brian’s Gothic Symphony) to masterpieces of Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria.
The Proms, more formally known as the Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-54030872825685439942011-07-20T06:49:00.000-04:002011-08-24T06:25:50.993-04:00Review: Hummel at the Opera - Piano Arrangements by a Classical Master
Hummel At the Opera
Madoka Inui, piano
Naxos
Like many virtuoso composer/performers of the day, Johann Nepomuk Hummel wrote arrangements and variations on popular melodies. And in that day (the early 1800’s), the best-known melodies were to be found in operas.
This collection features a number of Hummel’s operatic arrangements for solo piano. All show a wealth of musical imagination. Some of Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-89173792948220020572011-07-13T07:10:00.001-04:002011-08-24T06:26:15.330-04:00Review: ASO Moves from Strength to Strength
Theofanidis: Symphony No. 1 and Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Robert Spano, conductor
Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano
If they continue on the trend established by their first two releases, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's ASO Media label may become one of my favorite labels. For their second release, the orchestra pairs two compositions by a rising and an established Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-61915961306579236142011-07-08T13:19:00.000-04:002011-08-24T06:26:35.317-04:00Review: Piazzolla - Tangos for Violin, Brass and Percussion - Steely Passion
Piazzolla: Tangos for Violin, Brass & PercussionQuintetto di Ottoni e Percussion Della Toscana
Andrea Tacchi, violin
Naxos
Astor Piazzolla was an amazingly prolific composer who technically only wrote one type of music – the tango. I say technically, because this student of Ginastera and Nadia Boulanger took the form farther than anyone else before or since, developing it into a pliable frame Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-1699656080570194182011-07-07T07:46:00.001-04:002011-07-07T07:46:00.316-04:00Review: Remembering JFK - Two Views of HistoryRemembering JFK - 50th Anniversary Concert
National Symphony Orchestra; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Ondine
This new release from Ondine is actually two historical musical documents in one. The first CD is a recording of the 50th Anniversary Concert held at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra lead by Christoph Eschenbach. This January, 2011 event took place 50 years Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-58057086327831324192011-07-06T07:49:00.002-04:002011-09-20T12:01:13.113-04:00The Naming Game, Part 3 - Tilted Titles
"Wachut Auf" by Bach. At least
that's what we call it.
The nomenclature of classical music is seen by some as a barrier to entry into the field. Some believe (both inside and out of the field) that if you're not quite sure what "Concerto for flatiron in H-flat, Op. 999a" means, then, perhaps you're not smart enough to listen to it.
Well, yes you are. In parts one and two I explained the Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-61537743636060052902011-06-29T08:30:00.002-04:002011-08-12T13:47:33.837-04:00The Naming Game, Part 2 - Cataloging Chaos
A keyboard sonata by Dominico Scarlatti.
But which one?
Classical music nomenclature can be a major obstacle for newcomers to the genre. In Part 1 of this series, I tried to demystify things a little by explaining why and how numbers were used. But what about all those letters? In some cases, they're referring to some type of catalog system, which is what this post is about.
A little Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-46905641550406245332011-06-22T08:34:00.002-04:002011-08-12T13:50:07.510-04:00The Naming Game - Part 1, Opus 1!One of the biggest barriers to enjoying classical music I think, is the names of pieces. For people just getting started with classical music the nomenclature can seem intimidating, arcane, and perhaps even arbitrary. And, unfortunately, there's a certain (small) segment of the classical audience that, like a grammarian, loves to correct any slight error or omission in a work's title.
Why not Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-70960276158161671902011-06-15T08:35:00.000-04:002011-06-15T08:35:19.467-04:00Review: "Hilos" Presents a Tapestry of Gabriela Frank's Music
Gabriela Lena Frank is an up-and-coming composer who's really made a name for herself in the realm of chamber music. The latest collection of her work features four recent chamber compositions with a common theme. All, in some fashion, draw inspiration from Latin and South American music traditions.
It's an impressive recording. The CD starts with the title track, "Hilos" (Threads), a 2010 Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-64684028497183071802011-06-09T07:43:00.002-04:002011-06-09T07:49:13.101-04:00Off the Deep End? Depends.Yesterday, while I was hosting "Gamut" I received a call from an unhappy listener who sternly told me that I had finally gone off the deep end, and he wanted his comment on record. OK, here it is.
So what prompted his comment? I think I know. When he called, I had aired the following works (in this order)
Charles Wuorinen:
Second Piano Quintet
Johann Sebastian Bach:
Cantata No. 4, Christ Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-7478018197637917792011-06-08T07:23:00.001-04:002011-06-08T07:26:06.374-04:00Review: Glazunov Complete Concerti -- Completely EnjoyableJose Serbrier's taken some time off from his recording cycle of the Glazunov symphonies to do this two-disc set of the Russian composer's concerti. Being well-familiar with Glazunov's works, he leads the Russian National Orchestra (who have an affinity for music by their native sons) in a series of well-defined, sympathetic performances of these works.
Glazunov composed concerti for a Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-40064608250872659432011-06-01T12:48:00.000-04:002011-06-02T13:05:55.984-04:00Understanding MinimalismIt's difficult to talk about music. As a friend of mine once remarked, "you're trying to put into words something that couldn't be expressed with words in the first place."
There are two videos, though, that may help folks understand one of the important underlying concepts of minimalism. When music is stripped down to its basics, what provides the conflict, the forward motion that we're used toRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-73156206430868844332011-05-25T07:59:00.001-04:002011-05-25T07:59:23.887-04:00Rapturous Classical MusicThe big news this past weekend was the prediction that the Rapture would take place on Saturday, at 6:00pm local time. For those not fully up on Christian theology, the Rapture is when God gathers the elect up from earth to spare them the tribulations that are to come. For some, this is the sign that the Apocalypse is about to start.
One of the more interesting threads on Twitter bore the Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-39411935867638704722011-05-18T07:19:00.001-04:002011-05-18T07:31:33.675-04:00Review: Dussek Piano Concertos - undiscovered gemsJan Ladislav Dussek as a brilliant pianist, and an accomplished composer. Like is contemporaries Mozart and Haydn, he strove for a clean structure in his music, even as his piano technique became more complex and expressive.
This re-release from Capriccio features two of Dussek's piano concerti, plus an additional oddity for piano and narrator (!). Pianist Andreas Staier is backed by the Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-48746775601941769762011-05-18T06:57:00.001-04:002011-05-18T07:40:49.570-04:00Review: Julia Lezhneva - a fresh, new voiceIt is always a pleasure to hear a new and exciting voice. Julia Lezhneva, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's 21 year-old protégé, has made her debut recital recording for the French label Naïve. The Sinfonia Varsovia is conducted by Marc Minkowski in six arias by Rossini. Lezhneva had been professionally performing since the age of 16 and won the Elena Obraztsova International Competition for young singers inWTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-44126478624368641862011-05-04T08:49:00.000-04:002011-05-04T08:49:11.172-04:00The Classical Top 40 -- Set in stone, or sand?Over the years I've talked to a lot of folks about classical music, and it seems like there's an unspoken rule that both the casual and hardcore listener share. There's an assumption that there's a single list of Great Music that has stood the test of time and that all pieces must be measured against (and usually found wanting).
I usually hear about this list when I air something a little too Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-14416130861452380312011-04-27T07:21:00.000-04:002011-04-27T07:21:54.462-04:00#OperaPlot 2011 -- The DenouementThe #OperaPlot contest is over for this year, and as always, competition was stiff. As you may recall, the idea was to give -- in a humorous fashion -- the plot of an opera using only the 140-character limit allowed on Twitter (actually, the count was less because each entry had to include the hashtag #operaplot).
Since a few of the winning tweets are NSFW, I'll just point to the complete list Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-34924765688070854292011-04-20T07:00:00.001-04:002011-08-24T06:11:10.140-04:00Review: Wuorinen Chamber Music: New works from an established master
This new release from Naxos presents an interesting picture of Charles Wuorinen’s chamber music output. It starts with his first string quartet from 1971, which serves as a point of reference. The rest of the disc features works written within the past few years, simultaneously showing just how much Wuorinen’s style has matured, while his musical language remained fairly consistent.
Wuorinen’sRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-3206142712530606512011-04-16T07:50:00.004-04:002011-04-18T10:38:35.313-04:00Review: This Fairy Tale has a happy ending (and beginnng and middle)This new release features three orchestral works by Czech composer Josef Suk, son-in-law to Antonin Dvorak. JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra turn in solid performances of these works, and produce a disc that rewards repeated listening.
Suk’s Fantasy in G minor for violin and orchestra, Op. 24 starts the program. Michael Ludwig shines as the soloist, bringing just a hint of Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-46257602478443167842011-04-13T18:37:00.000-04:002011-04-13T18:37:06.386-04:00#Operaplot 2011 -- The plots thickenLast week I posted info about the #OperaPlot competition on Twitter. Basically, the idea is to recount in a humorous fashion, the plot of any opera in 140 characters or less. And there are extra points for making a pop culture reference.
There are some pretty serious prizes at stake in this international competition, including two tickets to a performance at the Metropolitan Opera, as well as (aRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-33294019728078227212011-04-06T07:42:00.001-04:002011-04-06T07:42:00.634-04:00#Operaplot 2011 -- the contest begins!If you're an opera lover -- and have a Twitter account -- you can do something constructive with your time and enter the #Operaplot contest. If you're an opera lover, and don't have a Twitter account, then you open a Twitter account (it's free) and then enter the #Operaplot contest.
What is it?
#Operaplot is a yearly contest where the challenge is to sum up the plot of an opera in 140 charactersRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-50152193669019770792011-03-30T12:33:00.000-04:002011-03-30T14:03:16.637-04:00Review Engaging music from Jennifer Higdon and Michael GandolfiMore and more I'm convinced that the people who don't like contemporary classical music are those that haven't heard it. Atonality and serialism are often cited as the reason for their rejection of current classical fare, but those objections are about a half-century out of date. Contemporary -- and especially younger contemporary -- composers use the musical language of today to create works Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-43033739696110234152011-03-23T07:46:00.000-04:002011-03-23T07:46:57.822-04:00What Makes a Good Opera?What makes a good opera? Most of my non-classical friends would dispute that there's any such thing, but we'll let that pass.
The question arose yesterday when I revisited a work I hadn't listened to in a while: Franz Joseph Haydn's opera Il Mondo della Luna. Most people don't think of Haydn as an opera composer, but he wrote thirteen of them -- most for private performance at the Esterhazy Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-47817563982543296622011-03-14T17:08:00.000-04:002011-03-14T17:08:17.057-04:00Whose PI? Another classical copyright issueMy post this time was going to be about Michael John Blake. He recently posted a video on YouTube entitled "The Sound of Pi." In it he took the first 32 numbers of Pi, and using C for 1, D for 2, etc. created a melody using just the white keys of the piano. He then decided on a tempo (also based on Pi), and recorded the melody on piano. Then did it three more times with three different keyboard Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-12056985518560795582011-03-09T07:16:00.000-05:002011-03-09T07:16:45.673-05:00Review: Gavin Bryars refines his style with Piano ConcertoI've always liked Gavin Bryars' music, although I admit I was always more familiar with his earlier works, such as "Jesus' Blood Ain't Failed Me Yet," and "The Sinking of the Titanic." The latter was almost a study in sound landscapes and non-tonal sonorities, crafted to deliver a visceral emotional wallop. Bryars has continued growing as a composer, delving even further into the nature of sound,Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-40445326797273322022011-03-02T08:02:00.000-05:002011-03-02T08:02:35.725-05:00Good news/bad news -- free classical downloads!Brompton's Auction House caused quite a stir in the classical community. This firm specializes in historic musical instruments, and they provide an extensive amount of information on their website to help buyers learn more about -- and understand the value of -- the instruments that come up for auction.
Recently, Brompton's introduced a line of historic recordings that visitors could download Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-32153992995672425942011-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:002011-02-23T08:00:38.706-05:00Tortured genius or trite generalization?Out in Santa Monica, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is hosing a series of musical performances with comments by three neuroscientists who study how music affects the mind.
In the upcoming concert on March 3, 2011, the orchestral will present an all-Schumann program. Dr. Peter Whybrow, director of the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour at UCLA and author of Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-8906389658338872432011-02-09T07:58:00.000-05:002011-02-09T07:58:29.646-05:00Review: The Ames Piano Quartet Aims to PleaseDorian was always one of my favorite independent classical music labels. And while I was sorry to see them close up shop, I was glad that Sono Luminus bought the assets and revived the label. Dorian was always about not just top-notch performances. They were also concerned about the quality of the recorded sound.
Happy to say, Sono Luminus has been continuing both traditions. The Ames Piano Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-72655602650099254502011-02-02T12:58:00.001-05:002011-02-02T17:46:39.771-05:00Help Write a Symphony, Part 2 - #twittercomposition continues!I've posted before about British composer Sam Watts and his cooperative composition project. Basically, he's looking for 420 different people (who use Twitter) to send in one note for his crowd-sourced composition.
It's been a while since he's posted an update, but as of February 1, 2011, he's received 219 notes. The rules for contributing are pretty straight-forward. As Watts explains in his Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-20308349339613055592011-01-26T07:42:00.000-05:002011-01-26T07:42:01.980-05:00Repertoire analysis -- how the sausage gets made (or conducted, rather)One of the great things about the Internet, in my opinion, is that it's very easy to publish online -- especially in blogs. Take this one, for instance. There's no money in our budget for a hard copy newsletter, but online? It's free to us (and to you) and we can embed videos!
Kenneth Woods is a conductor and cellist who has recently completed an interesting self-study of the works he's Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-53422812943681066502011-01-19T07:13:00.000-05:002011-01-19T07:13:55.896-05:00Indie classical - sonic spiceA very interesting article appeared in Capital New York. Entitled Indie classical goes uptown: Judd Greenstein on new music, it presents some concepts about contemporary classical music that I (in my own modest way) am trying to accomplish with "Gamut."
Judd Greenstein is a young composer who's equally comfortable in the classical and pop music worlds, and one of many new talents looking for Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-1263404179301430982011-01-13T12:54:00.002-05:002011-01-13T14:26:37.807-05:00Trafficking in sound: Stephen Montague's Horn Concerto for Klaxon Horn and 20 AutomobilesWhat's the definition of noise? For me, noise is unorganized sound. Which makes music organized sound. If you can't hear the organization, you might think it's noise. But it's not.
I thought about that again while listening and viewing the following work. Stephen Montague is an American composer active in Europe. I first ran across him on an album by rhe Relache Ensemble, where they performed Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-90611398018775131642011-01-07T14:35:00.003-05:002011-01-13T11:15:18.212-05:00How We Program the Sunday Opera MatineeLongtime listeners to WTJU's Sunday Opera Matinee ask us, "How do you decide what to program?" Our signature is programming unfamiliar works, sometimes by unfamiliar composers. We tend to limit the number of works from the standard repertoire because opera lovers can see those works on stage, either live or via broadcast, fairly frequently. The world's major opera companies tend to program works WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-30804632288073417252011-01-05T07:54:00.000-05:002011-01-05T07:54:55.198-05:00Classical music: are you a beta tester, or beta blocker?Alan Kozin forwards an interesting concept in a recent New York Times piece. It examines the tug-of-war between the needs of composers and performers to present new works, and the audiences' desire to remain with the tried-and-true.
Most of the complaints I get during my show, "Gamut," have to do with "modern" works. Why can't I play more beautiful music I'm asked. Well, I put that word modern Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-23723920472681380232010-12-29T07:21:00.001-05:002010-12-29T07:25:12.884-05:00Career-spanning chamber musicDaren Hagen
Complete Piano Trios
Finisterra Trio
Naxos
The four piano trios on this release come from two distinct phases of Daron Hagen’s career. The first two, written in 1984 and 1986 respectively, are works by a young composer just finding his way. The first trio, the “Trio Concertante” was written while Hagen was studying with David Diamond, and reflects the older composer’s style (atRalph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-34193528107575795912010-12-22T07:33:00.000-05:002010-12-22T07:33:55.419-05:00A kinder, gentler BeethovenFerdinand Ries: Piano Concertos, Volume 4
Christopher Hinterhuber, piano
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; Uwe Grodd, conductor
Naxos 8.572088
Ferdinand Ries is best remembered today (if at all) as Beethoven's personal assistant. Although he served that role well - securing performances, publication deals and more - that wasn't originally why their paths crossed. Ries came to Beethoven in Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-68362941571283675952010-12-15T07:30:00.000-05:002010-12-15T07:30:01.942-05:00Furtwangler's 2nd Symphony gets sympathetic treatmentFurtwangler: Symphony No. 2
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Euguen Jochum, conductor
BR-Klassic, 2010 (mono recording)
Some music is so durably constructed that it can withstand the poorest performance. If a badly-lead ensemble provided your first exposure to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, I think you’d still be able to determine that the failings were with the musicians and not the score.
But Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-23701051628776549002010-12-01T15:33:00.003-05:002010-12-01T15:35:11.196-05:00Gisela! in DresdenGisela!: The Strange and Memorable Ways of Happiness, a musical theater piece by Hans Werner Henze, Christian Lehnert, and Michael Kerstan, was given its premiere on November 20, 2010, at the Semperoper in Dresden. The work was commissioned by the Ruhrtriennale and the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden. It is a peculiar work. The central character Gisela meets her true love Gennaro in Naples and is WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-70134478282389178752010-12-01T08:01:00.000-05:002010-12-01T08:01:35.236-05:00An Aural Holiday TraditionIt's that time of year again, when many people break out the Advent calendars and count down the days until Christmas (we won't say whether it's with anticipation or dread). One of my favorite versions is the musical Advent calendar posted on the Omniscient Mussel's website.
"Miss Mussel" is free-lance classical music writer Marcia Adair, and each day during advent she picks a different Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-31995693649401184162010-11-16T11:59:00.001-05:002010-11-16T12:00:45.328-05:00Return of the Radio StarTomorrow morning, I will be back on the air as the host of "Gamut," and I promise a very special show.
So where have I been? Well, health issues forced me to give up the program back in August, and I was not able to return until this week. Things are much better now, and so I'm back (I know some people will want more information, but the folks that need to know the details of my condition Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-87413961984956312562010-11-08T21:57:00.000-05:002010-11-08T21:57:41.820-05:00A random act of cultureWhat if you were shopping in a crowded Macy's and the person next to you suddenly started singing Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus? Right. I'd begin shuffling away as quickly as possible. But what if it wasn't just one shopper, but 630? And what if they were accompanied by one of the most famous organs in the world?
Now that's a different situation.
The Knight Foundation has been funding a series Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-22604664617924593982010-11-03T11:45:00.002-04:002010-11-05T10:03:26.750-04:00A Celebration of Schmaltz (with a little Schumann too)If you're a fan of live organ music, here's a chance to hear a real pro. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents a program entitled “A Celebration of Schmaltz (with a little Schumann too)” at 7:30pm on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church, 500 Park Street, Charlottesville, VA. The event, part of the Chapter’s 35th anniversary celebrationMichael G Latskohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14710104854119688540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-60821462064716810982010-10-29T11:20:00.003-04:002010-10-30T09:53:47.339-04:00The King of Instruments presents Scary Music for HalloweenTune in Halloween Evening, Sunday 31 October from 6 to 7 pm, for the Annual Scary Music Organ Show which will include Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 565, among other SCARY musical offerings.
This music is the perfect accompaniment to your Halloween...billowing from your haunted house to greet your trick or treaters! So tune in and turn up the volume LOUD!
Morbidly interesting (?) Michael G Latskohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14710104854119688540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-76940935092433901712010-10-27T12:17:00.003-04:002010-10-27T12:17:00.257-04:00Beethoven: The Darth Vader VariationsRichard Grayson is a talented pianist and composer who's just burst onto the Internet. The video below has been making the rounds through the classical stations in the public radio system.
As a composer and performer, Grayson's equally at home with high and low culture, and has developed a fairly unique talent -- in his concerts and recitals, he often improvising ina classical style, Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-18705853870326113882010-10-04T10:49:00.004-04:002010-10-19T23:34:13.093-04:00Brendel In RetirementThe Gramophone Awards ceremony took place October 1, 2010, in London. Recipient of a richly deserved lifetime achievement award was the great pianist Alfred Brendel, an Austrian born January 5, 1931, in the former Czechoslovakia, who has lived for many years in London. Recently retired in 2008, Brendel explored the great Austro-German piano repertoire to the delight of audiences around the world WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-91769027496971991832010-09-17T09:55:00.003-04:002010-10-19T23:33:28.807-04:00Happy Birthday Arvo Part!Arvo Part turned 75 on 11 September 2010, and the music world received the gift of the release of Mr. Part’s Symphony No. 4 (“Los Angeles”), composed in 2008. The symphony was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, and premiered at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. on 9 January 2009. Since then, it has been performed in New York and, most recently, at Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-21065346630716355012010-08-09T22:38:00.000-04:002010-08-09T22:38:59.638-04:00What's My (Melodic) Line?Think of any game show currently on the air. Now picture the host and contestants for that show. Now picture the arrival of a prominent American composer -- say, John Adams -- onto the program. What do you think the reaction would be? Would the host even recognize Adams, much less have anything intelligent to say to him? What about the other contestants? How would they react?
It all sounds very Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-77694329337647639942010-07-14T07:01:00.000-04:002010-07-14T07:01:46.080-04:00Thank youThank you to everyone who came out to the WTJU Town Hall meeting this past Monday. I was afraid that we would have an empty room with 20 people scattered about, but instead approximately 250 volunteers and listeners crammed the hall and flowed out into the lobby. Such a public show of support impressed the decision makers, I think. And at the very least it made me feel very grateful and humble.
Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-49146616488830710402010-07-05T15:18:00.001-04:002010-07-07T06:39:43.991-04:00The Mystique of the "Faux" Opera SingerEvery generation seems to produce singers, who although not opera singers, are nonetheless compared to opera singers. Opera fans often hear the comment, "Oh, you like opera. You must like Bocelli."
Andrea Bocelli, possessor of slender technique and a vapid, lyric tenor voice, could hardly hold his own on the operatic stage. Yet he has an appealing personality and a bright, even brittle voice WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-6657471448266302762010-06-30T07:23:00.000-04:002010-06-30T07:23:00.330-04:00WTJU's Changing --Big changes are coming to WTJU, and they'll be here in August.
We are at a juncture in the life of 53-year-old WTJU where change is needed in order to build listenership, student involvement and revenue. This is your invitation to help shape the station.
Our current schedule is being revised, and the future of classical music at the station -- and how it fits into this plan -- is up for WTJU Classical Dept.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00582395998958161861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-28025201554380669022010-06-23T07:30:00.000-04:002010-06-23T07:30:00.746-04:00Help Write a Symphony - #twittercompositionBritish composer Sam Watts is writing a symphony -- with a lot of help. A savvy user of social media, he's asked people to contribute to the new work by sending in a note through Twitter. As he explains in his blog A Composer's Campfire,
It’s madness, I know, but I’m asking as many Twitter users as possible to tweet me with a musical note (A-G, naturals, sharps and flats) and these notes will, Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-38945651411529977372010-06-21T09:23:00.004-04:002010-06-22T13:59:21.591-04:00Kings of the High CsToday an operatic tenor who does not have a ringing, full voiced “top” is likely to find his career limited to minor roles in lesser opera houses. The high C sung full voiced from the chest is a phenomenon that dates only from the first third of the 19th Century. Until the time of Donizetti and Bellini, a light, agile voice, was the ideal for tenors. Today, we would call that kind of singer a WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-25073500814487410622010-06-16T07:44:00.000-04:002010-06-16T07:44:58.997-04:00Sipes and the Artful FugueErica Ann Sipes is a talented pianist and cellist living and working in Blacksburg, Virginia. Her blog always provides interesting insights on music performance. Her recent post, "Fugues, Glorious Fugues" manages -- in a few short paragraphs -- to present impressions of this form from the inside as a performer, and on the outside as a casual listener.
Sipes also includes this wonderful video Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-6639106030896390052010-06-16T07:14:00.000-04:002010-06-16T07:14:00.191-04:00How to Listen to Classical Music -- w/o baggageBenjamin F. Carlson continues his excellent series of posts about appreciating classical music. Written in a no-nonsense manner, Carlson's goal is to introduce his fellow twentysomethings to the genre, in part by stripping away all of the perceptions about classical music that just get in the way.
How to Listen to Classical Music, and Enjoy It makes a number of good points, but there's one that Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-2929524153996356252010-06-09T07:40:00.000-04:002010-06-09T07:40:25.104-04:00What does it take to enjoy classical music? Just ears.It's funny how consistent the comments are when folks discover I host a classical music program on WTJU. "Wow, you must be smart to listen to classical music." "I guess you have to know a lot about classical music to appreciate it." "I don't have a degree in music, so I just listen to [insert any other musical genre here]."
Well, none of that needs to be true. I've always said you just have to Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-27848178858078182272010-06-04T13:41:00.003-04:002010-06-07T13:02:06.614-04:00War and Peace 4 June 2010Today marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the evacuation of the Allied Forces from Dunkirk in World War II, after the Allies were defeated by Germany. Winston Churchill called the evacuation operation the "miracle of deliverance."
And Sunday, the 6th June, is the 66th anniversary of D-Day, the return and landing four years later of some 160,000 Allied troops in Normandy to liberate Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-58417832955362139792010-06-02T08:46:00.000-04:002010-06-02T08:46:02.245-04:00Schumann BicentennialJune 8 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann, one of the more colorful (and perhaps tortured) of the major composers. It's an excellent opportunity to reexamine his music, and perhaps rediscover some of it as well.
Schumann's life was not easy. Although something of a piano virtuoso, he ruined his concert career early on by trying to stretch his hands with a mechanical Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-75316963248863259192010-05-26T07:30:00.000-04:002010-05-26T07:30:01.127-04:00A Living Composer A DayI promise to blog about other subject than Twitter, but a recent thread has some relevance with what we're trying to do here at WTJU.
A group of classically-minded Twitters started a thematic listening group, with the theme changing monthly. The idea is to listen to at least one work that follows the theme each day of the month (or at least, the weekdays). In May, this ever-growing group of Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-3520087972907406752010-05-19T07:09:00.000-04:002010-05-19T07:09:22.070-04:00Engaging Fanfares from TorontoNew media, new rules of engagement -- or rather, new opportunities for engagement. The Toronto Luminato Festival of the Arts did just that recently when they invited the world to help shape their event.
The Luminato Festival turns the streets of Toronto into a massive celebration of the arts in all its diversity -- music, film, drama, dance, art, literature, design and more. As their website Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-22819845779111287052010-05-12T07:40:00.001-04:002010-05-12T07:41:22.461-04:00#Operaplot 2010: The DenouementWhen I blogged about the #Operaplot Twitter competition last week, I promised an update with a list of winners and how my entry fared. Music critic Marcia Adair hosts a yearly competition on Twitter, where the challange is to sum up an opera in 140 characters or less.
As always, many people responded with clever and creative entries. Five winners were chosen,and from that one -- Sam Neuman -- Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-48456553117018017902010-05-07T14:08:00.002-04:002010-05-10T15:17:33.983-04:00In Memoriam: Giulietta SimionatoThe great Italian mezzo-soprano Giulietta Simionato died May 5 in Rome, just a week short of attaining the age of 100. She had a long and distinguished career singing more than 50 roles in the great opera houses of the world. She sang the great Verdi mezzo roles, but she was most comfortable perhaps in the bel canto operas of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti.She was a diminutive woman, but she wasWTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-2754112153957942422010-05-05T08:09:00.003-04:002010-05-07T09:14:29.717-04:00The #Operaplot Thickens...Are you part of the population who Twitters? According to statistics, you're probably not.* If you enjoy classical music, that's too bad, because there's a lot of musicians, composers, critics, professors, recording engineers, and enthusiasts who carry on a lively conversation about all aspects of classical music 140 characters at a time.
One of the things you missed was the #Operaplot contest. Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-20368060473827773842010-04-28T07:21:00.000-04:002010-04-28T07:21:58.340-04:00Charting a new course away from the chartsThere's a big controversy brewing in the UK. BBC Radio 3, which is their classical music channel, will start a weekly Top 20 countdown of the country's top-selling classical releases. The charts will be compiled using both CD sales and downloads, so it will accurately reflect buying trends, but that's not the controversy. The larger question is simply whether or not there's any point to having Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-18354235479607374352010-04-23T15:18:00.003-04:002010-04-26T17:37:40.953-04:00Organ Concert Old Cabell Hall Thursday 29 April 2010Have you ever heard the pipe organ in Old Cabell Hall on the grounds of the University?
Are you one of the many fans of organ music who can’t get enough of Widor’s famous Toccata?
Here’s your chance to accomplish both feats in one sitting.
On Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 8pm, the McIntire Department of Music will present organist alumna Ginny Chilton and soprano faculty member Lily Hsieh in Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-86918358444768851322010-04-23T11:09:00.000-04:002010-04-23T11:10:07.348-04:00Back to Bach CantatasNow that the spring rock and folk marathon has concluded, I'll be back this Sunday, 25 April, at 6 am on Classical Sunrise to bring you two Bach sacred cantatas. We'll be hearing cantatas for the Third Sunday after Easter (Jubilate)(25 April) and for the Fourth Sunday after Easter (Cantate)(2 May). I've chosen BWV 103 for the Third Sunday, Ihr werdet weinen und heulen (You shall weep and lament .Deborah Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13509393296252288207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-33596955955352228472010-04-21T08:04:00.001-04:002010-04-21T08:04:00.885-04:00Alt-Classical AstonThe interface between popular and classical music always holds the promise of innovation -- a promise not often realized. Brahms wrote waltzes, the popular dance form of the day. Leroy Anderson created short orchestral bonbons that spoke the vernacular of tin pan alley. Gershwin easily moved between the opera house and Broadway, and so on.
A group of music students in Australia bring their Ralph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622226399243075353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-57363256737928915632010-04-13T13:26:00.000-04:002010-04-13T13:26:00.083-04:00Where's the classical? Well, where's the pledge?"Where's the classical music?" That's the question that listeners often ask WTJU announcers (and perhaps each other) this time of year. It's gone -- but only temporarily. WTJU features four genres of music in its weekly line-up: classical, jazz, rock, and folk/world music.
Being a community radio station, we're expected to raise the funds to cover approximately half our operating budget from ourWTJU Classical Dept.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00582395998958161861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130631852940224660.post-61561443917211923432010-04-09T11:43:00.002-04:002010-04-13T12:38:11.112-04:00More on EncoresRalph's comments about encores raise interesting questions. At one time they were almost mandatory, but today half the audience is on the way out the door when an encore is about to be played. In a recent Berlin concert, the Vienna Philharmonic under Loren Maazel after an ecstatically received performance of music by Beethoven, Debussy, and Ravel played as an encore Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #5,WTJU Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261913139434799901noreply@blogger.com0