The Berlin Wall falls - and a celebration of Dame Joan too!

This Friday, Vivace begins with a delightful piano quartet by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and a symphony by Antonio Rosetti. 

At 7:30 am, we'll do our part to mark the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which occurs next Sunday, including an excerpt from a rare recording of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich playing at the Berlin Wall as it was being hacked down.  (Incidentally, do join my colleague, John Delehanty who will also mark the occasion on Sunday morning 6-9 am)

Just after 8 am, we have another treat for you: a special feature on the great opera singer, Dame Joan Sutherland on the 88th anniversary of her birth. 

Of course, we'll hear Dame Joan singing for us, and my colleague, Tim Snider, host of the Sunday Opera Matinee, will also offer some insights into her magic. 

As ever, I hope you'll join me for an extra-special edition of Vivace, this Friday, 6-9 am, here on WTJU-Charlottesville.

This week's Vivace: Melody and Enchantment

One of the least-known 19th Century British composers must be Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen (right), who was born Hyman Cohen in Kingston, Jamaica.  We'll hear a symphony by him during the first hour of Vivace this Friday.

At 7 am, we have a delightful trio for guitar by Francois de Fossa, whose music was heard recently on Melodiya.  At 7:30, we have a Violin Sonata by Franz Xaver Mozart and then some tranquil music to keep you calm in a busy morning.

After 8 am, we have a harp sonata by Rosetti and then we head over to France.

We will have a birthday celebration for Cecile Chaminade and then we stay in France for music of François-Adrien Boieldieu. 

Cécile Chaminade and François-Adrien Boieldieu

We'll end by heading south to Spain for a delightful work by Joaquín Rodrigo, the 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez. 

The focus is on melody and enchantment this week on Vivace.  As ever, I hope you'll join me, 6-9 am, here on WTJU-Charlottesville.

Vivace: Where unknowns mingle with megastars!

On this week's Vivace, we have the normal abnormalities.

At 7 am, we'll have a half-hour of musical megastars: a marvelous Mozart sonata for violin and piano performed by the great Isaac Stern and Yefim Bronfman, followed by a Beethoven work with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Itzhak Perlman and Lynn Harrell.

Just before 8 am, we'll celebrate the 155th birthday of this good lady, Mildred Hill, a Victorian-era spinster who was a Sunday-school teacher, church organist and pianist.  She didn't have a dazzling career, and she didn't write anything particularly noteworthy or memorable ... except for one short song.

At 8 o'clock, we have a dazzlingly unique version of a well-known favorite, cooked up by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet,

... and we'll round out the show with a Hoffmeister Clarinet Quartet and a sonata by Mendelssohn.

A cheerful start to your Friday is guaranteed, so, as ever, I hope you'll join me for Vivace, this Friday, 6-9 am, right here on WTJU-Charlottesville.  I look forward to the pleasure of your company.

A gentle end to May

This week's Vivace begins with one of the real classics, the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor by Chopin, composed in 1830 and first performed in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist, during one of his "farewell" concerts before leaving Poland.

At 7 am, we'll enjoy one of those fine oboe concertos of Antonio Rosetti, after which we have an all-star quartet for a Mozart Quartet for flute and strings. 

At 8 o'clock, we'll have an enjoyable, dramatic work by French baroque composer, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and to conclude the program, a very rarely heard piano work by the Russian conductor, Evgeny Svetlanov.

As ever, I hope you'll join me Friday morning, 6-9 am, for Vivace, here on WTJU-Charlottesville.

A joyful, tuneful way to start your Friday

This week's Vivace begins with another in our occasional series of rarely-heard symphonies by Sir Hubert Parry: the Symphony No. 3 in C-Major, "The English" symphony. 

After 7 o'clock, we'll hear one of those fine flute concertos by Antonio Rosetti, and a Mozart horn concerto - some delightfully tuneful melodies. 

In the 8 o'clock hour, we have a rarely-heard Trumpet and Oboe Concerto by Johann Hertel, as well as music by Salieri and Sarasate, and an unusual arrangement of a well-loved favorite by Johann Sebastian Bach. 

As ever, I look forward to the pleasure of your company on Vivace, 6-9 am, right here on WTJU-Charlottesville.

You can also replay the program anytime from the WTJU archives. This program will be available for replay through 4/11/14.