Tag Archives: classical

MasterClassics: The Story of Edwin Grasse

This story cowritten by Tobias of MasterClassics (Tuesdays, from 6AM to 8AM) and Byrd

Edwin Grasse: A Story I Knew, About A Person I’d Never Heard Of:

Article about Edwin Grasse in the Baltimore Sun, 24 April 1922, accessed through ProQuest Historical Newspapers

“Ever heard of Edwin Grasse?” Bob asked one Tuesday when he entered the WPRB studio at the end of my show.

“No,” I replied. I didn’t think I had.

“He’s a good composer,” Bob said, “And a pianist. And an organist. But he was blind from birth.”

I was suddenly alert.

“When was he born?” I asked.

“Late nineteenth century.”

“Did he live in New York?”

“Yes.”

“I think I know a story about him!”

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Wednesday 1/23 at 8:30 AM: Derek Bermel on Classical Discoveries

Canzonas
Listen to Classical Discoveries with Marvin Rosen this Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m to hear him talk with American composer and clarinetist Derek Bermel.

Derek Bermel is currently the Artist-in-Residence at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ and Creative Advisor to the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

He worked with composers like William Albright, Louis Andriessen, William Bolcom, Henri Dutilleux, André Hajdu and Michael Tenzer, and studied clarinet under Ben Armato and Keith Wilson. He also travelled to Jerusalem to learn ethnomusicology and orchestration from André Hajdu, then Thracian folk music in Bulgaria with Nikola Illiev, caxixi in Brazil under Julio Góes, and Lobi xylophone in Ghana from Ngmen Baaru.

During the show, you will have the opportunity to win a free copy of his new Cantaloupe Records album, Canzonas Americanas, featuring “Alarm will Sound.” Be sure to listen to the whole interview and for the cues to phone in to receive your copy.

Full program details and more information about Derek Bermel can be found at the Classical Discoveries website.

LISTEN: Teri Noel Towe’s Thanksgiving Day Philadelphia Orchestra special

For a limited time, we’re offering a streaming archive of Teri Noel Towe’s 12-hour Philadelphia Orchestra special. This program originally aired on Thanksgiving Day of 2012. Use the player below to stream the program, which is divided into two segments. Click through for a complete playlist and Teri’s notes for the program.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/3311801" params="color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true" width=" 100%" height="200" iframe="true" /]

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Get To Know WPRB's DJs: Marvin Rosen

Every week this summer, WPRB will highlight one its DJs in “Get To Know WPRB’s DJS.”

Name: Marvin Rosen

Show: “Classical Discoveries” (Wednesdays from 5:00AM to 11:00AM), “Classical Discoveries Goes Avant-Garde” (Wednesdays from 11:00AM to 1:PM).

Links: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Classical-Discoveries/132814286796248

Type of Music Played On Show: CD repertoires rarely heard–from all periods, with an emphasis on old and new songs from all over the world. For Avant-Garde it is more experimental, more progressive, more electronica music, music inspired by pop music sometimes.

Reason for Becoming a DJ: “There is a tremendous amount of repertoire omitted by other stations. WPRB allowed me to play out passions, I can focus on music from all around the world from South Africa to the Middle East. I also have the opportunity to give support to younger composers.”

Day Job: Full time faculty member at Westminster Conservatory. I teach piano, music history for the “Young Artists” program, and musical styles for the “Pedagogy Certification Program.”

Home town: Born in Englewood, New Jersey, now lives in Princeton!

Music You Can’t Stop Listening to Now: “Two Cellos” [played by Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser]– a CD of two cellists playing Rock music (will be played on next week’s show), everything from Coldplay to Michael Jackson to Guns N’ Roses.

Favorite Summer Food: ”Salsa and Chips, the hotter the better!”

Currently Reading: Couldn’t do the shows without the internet, always reading about new composers!

Favorite City Visited: In and around Warsaw, Poland.

Anything Else?: “When I get involved I have a big excitement and passion for what I do, I am thankful that a station like WPRB exists.”

Brahms German Requiem:

On my next program (Tuesday, 6:00 a.m.) I plan to play Brahms’ German Requiem, Opus 45. The common wisdom regarding large compositions, on a serious radio station, is that one plays the piece through in its entirety. But I plan to do what I often do for song sequences, or even Mahler’s das Lied von der Erde: play one section at a a time, preceded by reciting the text in translation.

Most songs can be listened to as abstract music. But much is added when the meaning is understood, and the composer’s intentions are more minutely taken into account. It is generally hard to understand singers’ words, even when knows the language.

Brahms re-purposed the Requiem, selecting German texts (from the Lutheran translation) to replace traditional requiem texts. He reworked the piece after its first performances. The piece proved controversial because of Brahms’ style, because of its name – German Requiem – because of its texts, because of the way it was initially performed, because of its degree of religiousness, and because of the way critics attacked it. Perhaps all the controversy worked for Brahms. The piece remained popular and got many performances.

Once, two friends were discussing Brahms. Friend One said, “Brahms wasn’t particularly religious. It’s not fair that he should have composed the best piece of religious music ever.” Friend Two replied, “Why shouldn’t God be able to choose whatever person he desired to compose such music?”

- Tobias

ETHEL releases Oshtali

Hey there WPRB listeners!

WPRB is happy to announce that it will soon be airing (date TBA) an exclusive interview with Ralph Farris, the violist of the string quartet ETHEL about their new record Oshtali. Formed in 1998, the string quartet ETHEL dedicates itself to the performance of contemporary and new music. For the past five years, they have been in residence at the Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project, a part of the Grand Canyon Music Festival. Recently, they have worked with the Chickasaw Nation collaborating with young composers from the ages of 13 to 21. The final product of this collaboration has resulted in the fantastic new recording entitled Oshtali in which ETHEL performs many pieces by these young composers. Keep an eye out for the broadcast date of our interview!

Back By Popular Demand: Classical Discoveries Goes Avant-Garde!

Photo: Princeton Packet/ Centraljersey.com

Back by popular demand “Classical Discoveries goes Avant-Garde” returns to our Fall 2009 schedule! “Classical Discoveries Goes Avant-Garde” will air Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. ET beginning Wednesday, 9/30.

Devoted listeners of the program were unhappy when it didn’t return in our Fall lineup. You called, emailed, tweeted, and blogged – and we listened! Classical Director Tiffany Lu remarks:

“Please thank your listeners for me and for the whole of WPRB management, for letting us know what they think and for showing support for the programming they love. It’s well-deserved!”

Where else but on a station as unique as WPRB can the listeners make a difference? Please remember that if you like WPRB, we are currently conducting a Listener Survey — share your comments! It’s only when we hear from you that we know how we’re doing!

9/8 at 7PM: "Viva 21st Century" marathon returns for an all-American edition!

Photo: Princeton Packet/ Centraljersey.com

Join Marvin Rosen, host of “Classical Discoveries” and “Classical Discoveries Goes Avant-Garde” for a 24-hour marathon totally devoted to music from the 21st century! “VIVA 21ST CENTURY: AMERICAN EDITION” begins Tuesday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET and concludes on Wednesday September 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The “Viva 21st Century” marathon devotes itself to music by American composers of all styles and genres. Approximately 100 American composers will be featured. Sounds like a lot but this marathon will
barely scratch the surface in illustrating the talent of our living American composers.

”I’ve already started pulling music from my collection and I’m thinking, ‘Oh no, I’m going to have to cut some stuff out,” Mr. Rosen says. “I’m so looking forward to making listeners aware of the amazing American music of the 21st century. There’s really a lot out there.” You can read more about Marvin’s marathon in the Princeton Packet this week!

We hope you can tune in during this awesome marathon! RSVP on Facebook to let us know you’re tuning in and stay up to date with the latest information!

Wed 5/13, 11AM: Halim El-Dabh on "Classical Discoveries Goes Avant Garde"

Join Marvin Rosen and Classical Discoveries Goes Avant Garde welcome Egyptian-born American composer Halim El-Dabh this Wednesday 5/13 at 11 AM ET.

Halim El-Dabh is University Professor Emeritus of African Ethnomusicology at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. He continues to teach African Cultural Expressions. He has conducted ethnomusicological research in the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Zaire. Within the African Diaspora, his research includes Brazil, Jamaica, and the United States.

Born in Cairo, Egypt on March 4, 1921, El-Dabh came to the United States in 1950, acquiring U.S. citizenship in 1961. After studies of Native American music in the American Southwest, he began studies with Aaron Copland and Irving Fine at the Berkshire Music Center in Massachusetts. Later, in New York’s vibrant musical scene, he developed close associations with such composers as Otto Luening, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Henry Cowell, John Cage, Alan Hovhaness, and Leonard Bernstein.

Among his compositions are eleven operas, four symphonies, numerous ballets and orchestral pieces, chamber and electronic works, and works for various combinations of African, Asian, and Western instruments. His ethnomusicological researches, conducted on several continents, have led to unique creative syntheses in his works, which, while utilizing contemporary compositional techniques and new systems of notation, are frequently imbued with Near Eastern, African, or even Ancient Egyptian aesthetics.

Wed 4/1: World Broadcast Premiere of Phillip Glass' "The Juniper Tree"

Join Marvin Rosen and Classical Discoveries for the the world premiere broadcast of the opera “The Juniper Tree” by Philip Glass and Robert Moran, this Wednesday 4/1 at 11 AM ET.

“The Juniper Tree” is an opera in two acts for chamber orchestra, small chorus and soloists. It was commissioned the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, MA) and debuted in 1985.

» RSVP for this program on Facebook!

Glass and fellow composer Robert Moran collaborated in virtually equal measure on the composition of The Juniper Tree. A Glass scene is followed by a Moran scene, with transitions composed by each. The result is a fascinating hybrid, each composer holding on to his own identity while melding with the other.

The famous Grimm fairy tale tells of a Wicked Stepmother who murders her stepson and serves him up in a stew to his unsuspecting father. The boy’s sister buries her brother’s bones under a Juniper Tree, and the child’s spirit returns as a singing bird who wreaks vengeance on the evil Stepmother before being restored to life in the bosom of his family. One of the most tuneful operas in the Glass repertory.

Marvin Rosen is the host of WPRB’s “Classical Discoveries” series. Marvin’s outstanding contributions won him an ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award in 2005. Marvin’s unique contributions to the broadcasting landscape have been written about by the San Francisco Classical Voice and Charleston City Paper recently.

For more information about this special program, please visit www.classicaldiscoveries.org.