This Week at The Classical Station
by Rob Kennedy
Sunday, November 5, 2023
The Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin opens Preview! this evening with a performance of Johann Strauss’ Blood Waltz. Sara Maria Blanton talks about the work of the Raleigh Music Collective.
Preview! brings you the latest releases and local arts news every Sunday at 6 p.m.
This morning Great Sacred Music includes performances by the Amadeus Choir, Bach Collegium Japan, and the Vocal Ensemble of Lausanne. You’ll hear works by Sir Edward Bairstow, Johann Sebastian Bach, Camille Saint-Saëns, and many more.
Great Sacred Music. 8 a.m. Right after Sing for Joy. With Mick Anderson.
On November 5 we observe the birthday of Hungarian-born French pianist and composer György Cziffra (1921-1994).
Cziffra was noted for his transcriptions of orchestral works such as The Flight of the Bumblebee.
Photo: Unknown Author, Fair Use, Wikimedia Common
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Did you become a Sustaining Member of The Classical Station during our recent Fall Membership Drive? If you did, thank you! You are enjoying convenient, automatic, ongoing monthly contributions which you can change or stop at any time! Becoming a Sustaining Member is an easy way to increase the power of your support and put more of your dollars into the great classical music you depend on.
As a Sustaining Member, you will:
- Enjoy uninterrupted membership status at The Classical Station.
- Save us money spent on postage, paper, and administrative costs.
- Utilize an eco-friendly payment option that allows us to cut down on renewal mailings.
- Provide The Classical Station with a steady and reliable stream of income which allows us to plan for a sustainable future.
Here’s how a Sustaining Membership works: Your monthly contribution is deducted automatically from the account of your choice on the same day each month until you tell us to stop. You can make changes or cancel your Sustaining Membership at any time.
To become a Sustaining Member, visit our Donation Page. Or call 800-556-5178 anytime. A member of staff will be happy to take down your information and instructions, as well as answer any questions you may have. Don’t forget to take a Thank You Gift or designate 10% of your Sustaining Membership to the Education Fund if you prefer. Thank you for being a Sustaining Member!
Friday, November 3, 2023
When you give $200 or more to The Classical Station, you can request a Day Dedication as your Thank You Gift. We will run a short announcement you have written four times on the day you choose. Many listeners have chosen to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and memorials of those special to them. The example on the left gives you an idea of one listener’s Day Dedication message.
Contact our Membership Department for more information about setting up a Day Dedication. Thank you for supporting The Classical Station.
On November 3 we observe the birthdays of German composer Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654) and Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835).
Early baroque composer Scheidt studied in Amsterdam with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was a composer of operas whose ability to write beautiful melodies was admired by Liszt, Verdi, Chopin, and Wagner.
Photo: Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Tivoli, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, November 2, 2023
“Julio Cesare,” also known as “Giulio Cesare in Egitto,” is an opera seria composed by Handel in 1724. Set in ancient Egypt, the opera revolves around the historical figure of Julius Caesar and his encounters with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. The story delves into political intrigue, love, and betrayal.
The plot centers on Caesar’s visit to Egypt, where he becomes entangled in the power struggles between Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy. Cleopatra, seeking Caesar’s support, uses her charm to win him over. The opera explores their passionate love affair and Cleopatra’s transformation from a cunning manipulator to a genuine lover.
You can hear this opera this evening on the Thursday Evening Opera House at 7 p.m.
On November 2 we observe the birthdays of Austrian composer Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799) and Italian conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli (1946-2001).
Herr von Dittersdorf was an important composer of the classical era. He wrote over 120 symphonies. Signor Sinopoli died of a heart attack at age 54 while conducting an opera. Besides being a conductor and composer, Sinopoli had degrees in medicine and archaeology.
Photo: Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, Heinrich Eduard Winter, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
More than 40% of our online listeners use their smart speakers to stream our great classical music. Are you cooking? Folding laundry? Your smart speaker can bring The Classical Station to you using simple voice commands. Just tell your smart device: “Alexa, play The Classical Station.”
Our talented former Data Services staffer, Stu Pattison, wrote the code for the skill that makes Alexa obey your command. You will have to enable the skill on the Skills and Games page on the Alexa app on your smartphone. Search for “The Classical Station.” Then, Alexa will bring you our great classical music. Anytime. 24/7.
Photo by Gregory Varum, CC Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International, Wikimedia Commons
On November 1 we observe the birthdays of German conductor Eugen Jochum (1902-1987), Spanish soprano Victoria de los Ángeles (1923-2005), and Welsh composer William Mathias (1934-1992).
One of the great conductors of the 20th century, Herr Jochum made his first recording in 1932. Señora de los Angeles sang the role of Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust in her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1951. She made over 80 recordings. William Mathias composed the anthem Let all the people praise thee, o God for the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in July 1981.
Photo: Eugen Jochum, Jac. de Nijs/Anefo, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
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Tuesday, October 31, 2023
If your vehicle – automobile, truck, boat, motorcycle, RV, or aircraft – is no longer of use to you, it can still go a long way as a donation in support of the beautiful music you love on from The Classical Station. Here’s how it works: Center for Car Donations (CFCD), manages the donations on our behalf. Call them toll-free at 1-877-927-3872 for more information and to begin the car donation process. Don’t forget to mention that The Classical Station is the recipient of your donation.
A CFCD representative will schedule a pickup that’s convenient for you, and provide you with confirmation of your donation. We will mail you a confirmation that states how much your vehicle sold for at auction. This amount is what you can claim on your itemized tax return. You also will receive a one-year subscription to Quarter Notes.
Photo: 1970 Chevelle, ZoeMacarthy Archives, Fair Use
Monday, October 30, 2023
This evening, Monday Night at the Symphony features the Orchestra of the 18th Century which was founded in 1981. The program includes music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Luigi Boccherini, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and more, conducted by Frans Bruggen, Marc Destrube, and Kenneth Montgomery.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. Tell your speaker to “Play The Classical Station.”
On October 30 we observe the birthdays of English composer Philip Heseltine (1894-1930), Dutch conductor Frans Brüggen (1934-2014), and Israeli violinist Shlomo Mintz (1957-).
We know Philip Heseltine by his pseudonym, Peter Warlock. While he wrote over 150 compositions, Warlock’s Capriol Suite is his most familiar work to 21st-century listeners. Besides being an authority on 18th-century music, Frans Brüggen was a virtuoso recorder and baroque flute player. Shlomo Mintz gives recitals and appears with orchestras and chamber groups worldwide.
Photo: Philip Heseltine, Unknown Author, Fair Use, Wikimedia Commons
