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91.3FM
 


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WWUH 91.3 FM
Program Guide
January/February, 2016
In This Issue
The Battles Zone
Celtic Airs Update
Amazing Legacy
20 Years Ago
Basketball on UH-FM
Roth Memorial Station
How To Listen
WWUH Archive Now Online
Program Idea?
Classical Music on WWUH
Composer Birthdays
Sunday Afternoon at the Opera
WWUH Hoodie
Join Our List
 

FALL FUND DRIVE
A SUCCESS!

Over 800 listeners helped make our Fall Drive a wonderful success.  Our goal was $45,000 but we received over $50,000 in pledges!  Thanks to everyone who pledged!  

If you asked for one of our premiums it will be sent within 2-3 weeks of receipt of payment.

If you missed the fund drive and still want to make a donation, or if you want to make an additional end of year contribution, you can do so on line at wwuhpledge.org


 The Battles Zone on WWUH
WWUH All Night Show (3a -6a): Brian Battles, who is familiar to many radio listeners over his long broadcasting career at stations throughout New England and New York including WHUS, WINY, WXLS, WCCC, WAQY, WBAB, WMEX and more, is now back on the air in Connecticut.  Brian is host of The Battles Zone from 3 AM to 6 AM on Monday mornings, playing everything in the general realm of rock music, from the greatest popular and obscure classic album tracks back in the 1960s and '70s, through the latest releases, and everything in between. Think of it as a freeform early '70s album rock station, time warped into the present day! Keep in touch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrianBattlesZone/ 
Sunday Gothic Blimp Works
Boomer's Paradise
 
Sunday Night Gothic Blimpworks will continue to explore the surf genre, (Rhino) Nuggets series of garage/psychedelic rock and Billboard Top 40 One-Hit Wonders in January 2016.
 
C
Celtic Airs Update

    
          After a hiatus of over five months, the Celtic Airs Concert Series swings back into action with a February 27, 2016 concert by Daimh (pronounced "dive") at 7:30 PM in the University of Hartford's Wilde Auditorium
 
          Daimh has been characterized as a "Gaelic Supergroup"and hailed as champions of "straight-in-the-eye"Highland music. Since the band formed over a decade ago, they have performed in over 20 countries, in cities from Moscow to San Francisco.
 
          The word daimh means "kinship"in Scots Gaelic. The band's four instrumentalists truly exhibit a kinship in their accomplished ensemble playing. Over the years, they have been joined by some of the finest Gaelic singers, and the current vocalist Ellen MacDonald is no exception! Piper Angus MacKenzie and fiddler Gabe McVarish are the lead instrumental forces with rhythmic under pinnings provided by guitarist Ross Martin and Murdo Cameron on mandolin/mandola and accordion.
 
          Angus MacKenzie (highland pipes /border pipes/whistles) is from Mabou, Cape Breton Island on Canada's East coast. However, for the past twenty years he has lived on the Isle of Skye.
 
          Gabe McVarish (fiddle) is from Northern California where his family settled after migrating from Lochaber, through Prince Edward Island, across the vastness of the USA to California. At age seventeen, he returned to his ancestral highlands to study fiddle for a year, then moved on to obtain a degree in Scottish traditional music.
 
          Murdo Cameron (mandolin/mandola/accordion) grew up on Gleneig, one of the wee islets that adjoin the Isle of Skye. He started his musical career as an accordion player and piper. In recent years he has become a busy accompanist on a variety of "stringed things."
 
          Ross Martin (guitar) is from Ariseig and in his teens and early  20's lived the life of a  fisherman. Despite what has become a very busy musical career, he hasn't abandoned the sea and is now an active member of the Scottish Coastguard. He has toured with Karan Casey and is a member of an Irish-Scottish hybrid quartet called Dual.
 
          The latest singer to grace the Daimh line up is Ellen MacDonald who is fast finding a flock of fans among devotees of traditional Scots Gaelic music. She was born and raised in Inverness. Her college years were spent at Scotland's only college dedicated to the Gaelic language, Sabhal Mor Ostag on the Isle of Skye.
 
          Daimh plays authentic Gaelic music with a modern edge and a magnificent range of expression. Let them prove it to you! Make sure to reserve your place in the Wilde Auditorium on Saturday, February 27th at 7:30 PM.
 
          There are some additional concerts planned for 2016 including: The Paul McKenna Band March 11th, Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman on May 21st and Girsa July 27th. These are all proven performers making return trips to our concert series at the request of your fellow concert goers. If you saw them the first time, I know you'll be back and if you missed them  before, don't let that happen again!!
 
          Tickets for the Celtic Airs Concert Series go on sale two months before the performance date and can only be purchased from the University of Hartford box office, open 10-5 Tuesday to Friday . Call 1-800-274-8587 or 860-768-4228. On line purchases  can be made at www.hartford.edu/hartt.
 
          Celtic Airs can be heard every Tuesday 6:00-9:00 AM on WWUH, 91.3 FM or on line at wwuh.org.  Programs are archived for 2 weeks for your listening pleasure.

       Steve Dieterich
       Producer/Host of Celtic Airs
 An Amazing Legacy
 
























Since WWUH first went on the air in 1968 the station has had a commitment to building a comprehensive music library.  Over the years we have accumulated over 130,000 LPs and CDs, making our collection one of the largest radio station collections in the country!  The library is a main attraction on campus tours and is a tool utilized by station programmers that gives them access to well over a million individual musical selections. 

The library allows WWUH to bring you a wide variety of alternative music programming.
  

Twenty Years Ago
In 1996 a significant milestone in WWUH's history was achieved. We increased the height of our antenna on Talcott Mountain by over 250 feet which resulted in a significant increase in our coverage.

WWUH Antenna Being Installed

   
After years of planning, and three postponements due to weather, we were finally able to install the new antenna on Talcott  Mountain on Friday, January 26.  Three tower climbers for Northeast Tower braved single digit temperatures and strong winds and installed the antenna at the 330 foot level on the tower.  

The button was pressed at 7 pm that evening, feeding power to the antenna for the first time!    Our coverage problems in the West Hartford/Hartford area virtually disappeared, and listeners started calling in from all over the state, including the towns of Amston, New Haven, downtown Torrington, Naugatuck, Storrs and New Fairfield as well as from as far north as Northampton, Ma., to say that they are hearing us for the first time!  

Hartford Hawks on WWUH 91.3 FM
 
 
It's that time of year again, Sports Fans!
 
Live coverage of the Hartford Hawks women's basketball games continues in January.

For full listings of the Hawks' upcoming season, check out http://www.hartfordhawks.com/.


GO Hawks!

Photo Credit: Larry Bilanski

 WWUH The Louis K. Roth Station



WWUH was dedicated on November 20, 1968 to the memory of Louis K. Roth whose encouragement and generosity, and that of his family, helped make possible the creation, expansion and continued operation of WWUH.  It was named "The Louis K. Roth Memorial Station" in a ceremony presided over by University Chancellor Woodruff.   The plaque commemorating the dedication hangs outside the WWUH Air Studio in the Grey Center on the UH Campus.  
  
How To Listen To WWUH
Come as You Are... Tune in However Works Best for You
  
In Central CT and Western MA, WWUH can be heard at 91.3 on the FM dial.  Our programs are also carried at various times through out the day on these stations:
WAPJ, 89.9 & 105.1, Torrington, CT
WDJW, 89.7, Somers, CT
WWEB, 89.9, Wallingford, CT 
You can also listen on line using your PC, tablet or smart device.  Our MP3 stream is here.

We also recommend that you download the free app "tunein" 
here to your mobile device.  


  
Hi tech or low tech, near or far, we've got you covered!
Never Miss Your Favorite WWUH Programs Again!
WWUH Round Logo Introducing... the WWUH Archive!

We are very excited to announce
that all WWUH programs are now available on-demand 
using 
the "Program Archive" link 
on our home page,  
 
  This means that if you missed one of your favorite shows, or if you want to listen to parts of it again, you can do so easily using the Archive link.  Programs are available for listening for 
two weeks after their air date.
 
 Enjoy the music, even when you can't listen "live"!
Got An Idea for a Radio Program?
 

 We might have some late night (midnight and 3am) shows opening up this winter. If you have a unique idea for a radio program and/or have an interest in possibly filling in on 91.3 as a late night volunteer email us with a description of the type of show you propose and a playlist of the type of music you might play. Send it to WWUH


If we like your show idea and something opens up we'll let you know. We can provide on-air training so even if you've never done radio before if you are interested/available for some late night volunteer work and have a neat show idea feel free to email us.

 

WWUH Classical Programming - Jan/Feb, 2016

  
    

 
Sunday Afternoon at the Opera
Sundays 1:00 - 4:30 pm
 
Evening Classics
Weekdays 4:00 to 7:00/ 8:00 pm
 
Drake's Village Brass Band
Mondays 7:00-8:00 pm


January
Fri
1
Some firsts for the 1st
Sun
3
Schubert: Winterreise; Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex
Mon
4
The Seasons... Suk: A Winter's Tale; Hadley: Symphony #1, The Four Seasons; Zaimont: Russian Summer, Piano Trio #1; Standford: Symphony #1, The Seasons; Malipiero: Symphony #1 in quattro tempi, come le quattro stagioni
Drake's Village Brass Band... Canadian Brass -Vivaldi/Frackenpohl: The Four Seasons
Tue
5
Special program for the New Year including new acquisitions, new music, and music new to your host.
Wed
6
Host's choice
Thu
7
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto Op. 7 # 8 RV 299; Poulenc: Concerto for Organ, Strings & Timpani in g, Flute Sonata, Trois Mouvements Perp�tuels; Otto: Trumpet Concerto; Enescu: Piano Suite #2 in D, Op. 10; Hurlstone: Characteristic Pieces for Clarinet & Piano; Kay: Fanfares for 4 Trumpets; Abel: Symphony in D Op 7 #3; Rachmaninoff: Symphony in d "Youth"; Grieg: Lyric Suite Op. 54.
Fri
8
Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky
Sun
10
Verdi: Aida
Mon
11
The Past is In the Present...Crumb: American Songbook 6, Voices from the Morning of the Earth; Schwantner: Aftertones of Infinity; Foss: Symphony #4 "Window Into the Past; Garrop: Illumintions for String Quartet; Schuller: The Past is in the Present
Drake's Village Brass Band... More Brass Seasons - Schwantner: Beyond Autumn; McAlister: A Summer Flourish; Reed: Hounds of Spring; Zimmerman: Autumn for Trombone and Band
Tue
12
Bliss:  A Colour Symphony; Schubert: Violin Sonata in A, D. 574; Balakirev: Piano Concerto #2; Beethoven: Mass in C, Op. 86
Wed
13
Gorecki: Symphony No. 3, Op. 36; Hummel: Mass in D Minor; Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 3; Florian Gassmann: Opera Overtures
Thu
14
New Releases. A Sampling of New Acquisitions from the WWUH Library. Works by Bach, Brahms, Beethoven and more.
Fri
15
Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King on his birthday
Sun
17
Beowulf
Mon
18
Pre-empted
Tue
19
Stanford: Cello Concerto in d; Arensky: String Quartet #2 in a, Op.35; Mahler: Symphony #1 in D, "Titan"; Dvoř�k: Moravian Duets, Op. 32, B. 60 & B. 62
Wed
20
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4; Robert Carver: Mass for 6 Voices; Frederick Jacobi: String Quartet No. 3; Benedikt Aufschnaiter: Serenades
Thu
21
Visee: Suite in D; Walmisley: Psalm 19; J.C. Bach: Symphony in g Op. 6 #6; Duparc: Chanson triste, L'invitation au voyage, Extase; Bonis: Piano Trio in B flat Op. 76 "Soir et matin"; Alexander Tcherepnin: Piano Concerto #1 Op. 12; Weber: Symphony #1; Bruce: The Dream of the Other Dreamers.
Fri
22
Ilimaq & Other Percussiveness
Sun
24
Tchaikovsky: Iolanthe
Mon
25
Time Cycle... Alkan: Grand Sonata, The Four Ages, Op. 33; Torke: Miami Grands; Foss: Time Cycle; Schuller: Of Reminiscences and Reflections
Drake's Village Brass Band... London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble - The Four Elements
Tue
26
J. C. Bach: Sinfonia VI for wind sextet; Karl Weigl: Violin Concerto (1928); D. Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas; Irving Fine: Serious Song, a Lament for String Orchestra (1955); Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2; Robert Simpson: String Quartet No. 2; Madeleine Dring: Five Betjeman Songs; Max Reger: Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Johann Sebastian Bach, Op. 81; C.P.E. Bach: Selected keyboard works
Wed
27
Brahms: Symphony No. 1; Imogen Holst: Mass in A Minor; Franz Krommer: String Quartet in E Minor; Gounod: Petite Symphony for Winds
Thu
28
Werner: Musical Instrument Calendar - January, February; Mozart: Divertimento in E Flat K. 289; Tavener: The Lamb; Herold: Piano Concerto #4, Zampa Overture; Rieti: Serenata for Violin and Chamber Orchestra; Lamond: Symphony in A; Elgar: Empire March; Baguer: Symphony #16 in G; Liszt: Ballade #2 in b.
Fri
29
What in the world is the Rhapsody in Rivets?
Sun
31
Pre-empted
February
Mon
1
Music from ECM including P�rt: Tabula Rasa, Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten; Bartok: Piano Concerto #3
Drake's Village Brass Band... Canadian Brass - Perfect Landing
Tue
2
Johann Pezel: "Alphabet Sonatas" 1-4; Gunter Raphael: Violin Concerto (1960); D. Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas; Irving Fine: Diversions for Orchestra (1960); Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1; Robert Simpson: String Quartet No. 3; Max Reger: Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola, Op. 77a; Elisabetta Brusa: Selected works; C.P.E. Bach: Selected keyboard work
Wed
3
Ferdinand Herold: Symphony No. 2; Hovhaness: Simple Mass; Norbert Burgmuller: String Quartet No. 4; Theodore Dubois: Piano Quartet in A Minor
Thu
4
Facco: Violin Concertos Op. 1 #1, 2; Caurroy: Salve Regina; B�rta: Symphony in f; Bernard Rogers: Once Upon a Time; Johann Ludwig Bach: Trauermusik - Dir will ich Dank opfern; Hammerschmidt: Wind Suite in g; Kilpinen: Soitapas; Schubert: Fanatasia in f D. 940; Bach: Partita #3 in E BWV 1006; Sibelius: Symphony #3; Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto #4 in c.
Fri
5
The Year of the Monkey begins on Monday
Sun
7
Rameau: Les Surprises de l'Amour
Mon
8
Britten: Plymouth Town; G. Williams: Ballads for Orchestra; Holst: The Cloud Messenger
Drake's Village Brass Band... Pre-empted
Tue
9
Havergal Brian: Violin Concerto in C; Zemlinsky: Cuarteto de cuerdas #2, Op. 15; Foerster: Symphony #4 in c, Op. 54 "Easter Eve"; Haydn: String Quartet in G, Op. 17, #5, Hob.III:29
Wed
10
Arnold Bax: Symphony No. 3; Milton Babbitt: Philomel; Charles Ives: String Quartet No. 1; Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor; Mozart: Camargo Guarnieri, Piano Concerto No. 4
Thu
11
Chopin: Polonaise in B Flat Op. 71 #2; Buxtehude: Sonata #3 in a BuxWV 254; Beck: Symphony in d Op. 3 #5; Bortniansky: Sinfonia Concertante in B Flat; Bronsart von Schellendorf: Piano Concerto in f sharp Op. 10; Liszt: De Profundis.
Fri
12
Let's celebrate Abe's birthday by doing his Portrait
Sun
14
Pre-empted
Mon
15
Herrmann: Souvenirs de Voyage; Debussy: String Quartet; Conrad Tao: Pictures
Drake's Village Brass Band... Canadian Brass - Takes Flight
Tue
16
Barber: Souvenirs, Op. 28; Shostakovich: Symphony #7 in C, Op. 60 "Leningrad"; Boccherini: String Quintet in c, Op. 31, #4; Mendelssohn: Magnificat in D
Wed
17
Leopold Kozeluch: Symphony in G Minor; Gabriel Faure: Songs; Johann Fasch: Sinfonia in A; George Barati: Chamber Concerto
Thu
18
Vitali: Bergamasca, Ciaccona; Fritz: Sinfonia in F Op. 6 #5; Rinck: Variations on "Christus, der ist mein Leben"; Purcell: The Married Beau Suite; Mathieu: Piano Quintet; Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Symphony in G Op. 11 #1; Gounod: Symphony #2 in E Flat; Nobre: Convergencias; Schumann: Piano Sonata #1 Op. 11; Landowski: Symphony #3.
Fri
19
Presenting "The President's Own", as Monday was President's Day
Sun
21
Pfitzner: Palestrina
Mon
22
Ornstein: Piano Quintet; Zaimont: Pure, Cool (Water) Symphony #4; Glass: Days and Nights in Rocinha
Drake's Village Brass Band... Canadian Brass - Legends
Tue
23
Johann Pezel: "Alphabet Sonatas" 5-8;  Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 2 (1967); D. Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3; Irving Fine: Symphony (1962); Robert Simpson: String Quartet No. 4;
Max Reger: Clarinet Sonata in A-flat major, Op. 49, No. 1;
Elisabetta Brusa: Selected works; C.P.E. Bach: Selected keyboard works
Wed
24
Muzio Clementi: Symphony in D Flat; Pietro Allori: Seven Last Words; Khachaturian: Sonata No. 1; Heinrich von Herzogenberg: String Trio in A; Vincent D'Indy: Symphony No. 3
Thu
25
Armand Louis Couperin: Pi�ces de Clavecin; Ernst Wilhelm Wolf: Symphony in F; Ostrcil: Calvary Variations Op. 24; Melinda Wagner: Wick; Brixi: Sinfonia in c; Schubert: Adagio and Rondo Concertante D. 487; Pergolesi: Violin Concerto in B Flat; Holst: The Lure; Mozart: Piano Concerto #16.
Fri
26
Classical Conversations - A quarterly feature
Sun
28
Pre-empted
Mon
29
Monday Night at the Movies... Silvestri: Back to the Future; Rosenman: Star Trek IV The Voyage Home; R�zsa: Time After Time; Herrmann: Walking Distance; Garcia: The Time Machine
Drake's Village Brass Band... So-Low - Denise Tryon, Music for Low Horn
 

Thursday Evening Classics - 
Thursday Evening Classics


  Library

 Composer Birthdays for January and February, 2016

Thursday Evening Classics: 4pm - 7 pm.
 
Jan 7
1876 William Yeates Hurlstone
1899 Francis Poulenc
1917 Ulysses Simpson Kay
 
Jan 21
1814 Thomas Attwood Walmisley
1848 Henri Duparc
1858 M�lanie Bonis
1891 Nikolay Semyonovich Golovanov
1899 Alexander Tcherepnin
1944 Neely Bruce
 
Jan 28
1693 Gregor Joseph Werner
1791 Louis Ferdinand Joseph Herold
1868 Frederic Archibald Lamond
1898 Vittorio Rieti
1900 Michael Dewar Head
1944 Sir John Tavener
 
Feb 4
1549 (bapt) Eustache du Caurroy
1677 Johann Ludwig Bach
1676 Giacomo Facco
1892 Yrjo Kilpinen
1893 Bernard Rogers
 
Feb 11
1830 Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf
 
Feb 18
1632 Giovanni Battista Vitali
1716 Gaspard Fritz
1770 Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck
1915 Marcel Landowski
1930 Andre Mathieu
1939 Marlos Nobre
 
Feb 25
1727 Armand Louis Couperin
1735 (bapt) Ernst William Wolf
1879 Otakar Ostrcil
1957 Melinda Wagner


 Sunday Afternoon at the Opera

 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA
your "lyric theater" program
with Keith Brown
programming selections for the months of January and February, 2016

 
JANUARY 3rd  
Schubert, Winterreise, Stravinsky, Oedipus Rex Lyric theater programming for 2016 begins with two back-to-back musical tragedies. Franz Schubert's song cycle Winterreise ("Winter Journey,"1827) is the most touching of stories about unrequited love. The story is told through the short lyrical poems of Wilhelm Mueller. The despair of the Winter traveler ultimately drives him to madness. I have broadcast recordings of Winterreise regularly over the years sometime during the Winter season. Many of the great male singers of the twentieth century have recorded the complete song cycle. The greatest lieder singer of the twentieth century, German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012) recorded it several times over his long singing career. Now in the twenty first century German tenor Jonas Kaufmann (b. 1969) has essayed Winterreise. He has already made a name for himself on the operatic stage. Kaufmann has given Winterreise a decidedly non-operatic interpretation. He does not bellow out the lyrics. His approach is vocally subdued, intimate and introspective, as if he wants to convey to the listener what's going on in the Winter traveler's mind in the very moment of thought. In Kaufmann's own words, Winterreise should be"...an emotional experience which purges the soul." Jonas Kaufmann recorded Winterreisein 2013 with pianist Helmut Deutsch accompanying him. A 2014 Sony Classical release on a single silver disc.
    We now go back to one of Western civilization's primal tragedies, the ancient Greek story of murder and incest revolving around the figure of King Oedipus. Igor Stravinsky was drawn to the Oedipus myth as handed down to us by the playwright Sophocles. In composing his opera/oratorio Oedipus Rex (1927) Stravinsky wanted to do it in a "dead" classical tongue- Latin, the language of Seneca, the Roman tragedian who adapted Sophocles' original drama. Stravinsky's severely neoclassical style perfectly suits the Latin libretto that his French contemporary Jean Cocteau prepared for him. Although it lasts a little less than an hour in performance, Oedipus Rex is truly monumental in conception, like a veritable Parthenon built in sound. It is arguably Stravinsky's finest summary theatrical composition, taking in baroque and classical operatic traditions, plus spoken word narration. I've broadcastOedipus Rex twice before in the grim dead of Winter, in January of 1993 and again in January,2006. There's actually a fair number of recordings this work in circulation. The latest one to come into my hands is the one the London Symphony Orchestra made live in concert at their usual venue, the Barbican hall in London, in the Spring of 2013. Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the LSO, the Monteverdi Choir and a cast of British vocal singers. The recording was issued through the orchestra's own LSO Live label in 2014. 
 

JANUARY 10th   
Verdi,Aida  Get ready to hear tenor Jonas Kaufmann's voice again this Sunday, this time in the monumental operatic role of  Radames. Giuseppe Verdi's Aida (1871) has always been so popular because of the grand stage spectacle it presents. Aida is the nineteenth century predecessor of those twentieth century Hollywood movie epic blockbusters like The Ten Commandments. The Sony CD recording I broadcast on Sunday, December 1,1991 originated in  the Met's staged production of this warhorse of the repertoire as recorded at the Manhattan Center in May,1990. The superstar tenor Placido Domingo portrayed Radames opposite AprilleMillo in the title role. In the new studio production for Warner Classics Kaufmann was again paired very favorably with soprano Anja Harteros. His was the first time Kaufmann sang Radames, but Kaufmann and Harteros have sung together in other Verdi operas. All the musical resources to record a landmark Aida for the twenty first century were drawn together in Rome in February of 2015. The singing cast is backed by the Orchestra and Chorus of the AccademiaNazionale di Santa Cecilia , under the direction of Antonio Pappano. The Italian State Police Band augmented the Santa Cecelia orchestra in the opera's supercollosal moments. The four acts of Aida are spread out over three Warner Classics compact discs.
 

JANUARY 17th  
BeowulfIn days of yore, long before the advent of radio or TV, people listened to stories to while the long cold winter nights, gathered there together to warm themselves by the flickering light of the fire. Although lovers of opera singing may not like this Sunday's programming, I want you listeners to have one of the alltime great storytelling experiences, as I present Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon epic poem read in its entirety in an idiomatic modern English translation by Seamus Heaney. He translated the ancient text himself and reads it aloud in a compellingly dramatic yet conversational manner. Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet and literary scholar who won the Nobel Prize in literature for 1995. In 2000 he deliveredBeowulf in BBC broadcast. Those revered storytellers, the bards of old declaimed their epics accompanying themselves on the harp. You could think of their style of delivery as an ancient forerunner of operatic recitative. Seamus Heaney's voice is totally unaccompanied in the aircheck of the radio broadcast that was released on compact disc in the US through the Highbridge Company. To provide some musical relief and suggest recitative, I will intersperse my broadcast of Beowulf with passages of recorded music of the old traditional Celtic harp, both as formal interludes, or in subtle soundbed.
 
 
JANUARY 24th   
Tchaikovsky,Iolanta Today's opera program begins late- after two PM, so as to accommodate broadcast earlier in the afternoon of a University of Hartford women's basketball game. A smaller scale lyric theaterwork is called for- one that will fit into the shorter timeslot. It has been a long. long time since I last broadcast Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's one act opera 
Iolanta (1892). That was on Sunday, May 27, 1984. Iolanta was Tchaikovsky's last such composition. Its Russian language libretto was prepared by the composer's brother Modest after a play by the Danish poet Hendrik Hertz. That play is a sort of fairy tale about a blind princess. It is also something of a parable about insight and a superficial way of looking at life. Back in 1984 I presented Iolanta on Columbia stereo LP's, the recording originally released in the USSR in 1976 through the Soviet state Melodiya record label.  Mark Ermler directed the orchestra and chorus of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. The Bolshoi's singing cast,of course, was made up entirely of native Russian speakers. Starring in the title role was soprano Tamara Sorokina. Today you get to hear Russia's new star soprano of the 21st century, Anna Netrebko, joined by three other Russians in the principal roles. This new recording of Iolanta is, however, German in origin. It was released in 2015 through Deutsche Grammophon, and presents a concert performance of the opera given at the Philharmonie hall in Essen in 2012. The orchestra and chorus were brought in from Slovenia. A French conductor, Emmanuel Villaume directs the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra andSlovenian Chamber Chorus.
 
 
JANUARY 31st
PREEMPTED by broadcast of a University of Hartford women's basketball game.
 

FEBRUARY 7th
Rameau, Les Surprises de l'Amour  I had wanted to present "Love's Surprises" next Sunday the 14th as a Valentine's Day audio treat, but due to preemption on the lovers' holiday I decided to air this French opera-ballet ahead of time today. Les Surprises de l'Amour premiered in 1748 at Versailles to celebrate the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. It seems to have particularly pleased the French king's paramour Madame Pompadour. She saw to it that it was produced for her private theater des Petits Cabinets in the royal palatial complex. Rameau largely reworked the score of the work for public performance at the Paris Opera in 1757, and reworked it further in 1758 for yet another staged revival. It is that final version you will hear as recorded in 2013 for the Spanish classical record label Glossa, and issued that same year in a three-CD package. Sebastien d'Herin leads the period instrument players and choir of Les Nouveaux Characteres. Writing in Fanfare magazine (Mar/Apr, 2014 issue) reviewer Barry Brenesal pronounces the Glossa release "...one of the best recordings  of a Rameau stage work in several years." After listening to Les Surprises de l'Amour I think you'll come to agree with me that Jean Phillippe Rameau (1683-1764) is the greatest composer of the French baroque.
 
 
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14th
PREEMPTED by broadcast of a University of Hartford women's basketball game.
 
FEBRUARY 21st
Pfitzner,Palestrina  Ash Wednesday fell early this year, on February 10th. From that date onward up to Easter Sunday it's the penitential period known as Lent in the traditional Christian calendar. In old Catholic Europe the opera houses closed for the duration. Instead of opera, sacred oratorio was performed without theatrical staging. I often feature oratorios and sacred choral works on the Sundays in Lent.  But why not also program an opera about the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church? The German composer Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949) was an almost exact contemporary of Richard Strauss. Pfitzner is known today for only one opera Palestrina (1917). Although his musical style is more conservative than that of Strauss, Pfitzner'sPalestrina is a most extraordinary composition. No opera calls for so many solo men's voices, especially in the lower register. The story concerns the legend about the famous sixteenth century composer of music for the Roman Catholic Church; how the heavenly power of Palestrina's music succeeded in rising above the political infighting at the Council of Trent. Plainchant and Renaissance polyphony color the score. It all blends well into Pfitzner's general post-Wagnerian style. Many illustrious basses and baritone took part in the 1973 recording of Palestrina for Deutsche Grammophon, with Rafael Kubelik leading the Bavarian Radio Symphony. That old DGG boxed set of LP's is to be found in our WWUH classical music record library. I drew upon it three times for broadcast in 1985, 1994 and 2013. Our station has recently acquired a 2015 CD reissue through the Dutch label Brilliant Classics of a recording of Palestrina originally released through the German Edel record com-pany in 1990. Edel offered a 1986 concert production of the opera undertaken at the Schauspielhaus in Berlin. OthmarSuitner directed the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra and the Chorus of the Deutsche Staatsoper of Berlin. Starring as the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is the distinguished German tenor Peter Schreier.
 
FEBRUARY 28th
PREEMPTED by broadcast of a University of Hartford women's basketball game.

Preemption or no preemption, this is the concluding point in my opera notes where I give credit where credit is due. I duly report that most of the featured recordings in this two-month period of programming come from our station's ever-growing library of classical music on disc, the two exceptions being Beowulf and Rameau's Les Surprises de l'Amour, both of which are in my own CD collection. Thanks as always to Kevin O'Toole, operations director here at WWUH, for mentoring me in the preparation of these notes for cyber-publication.  

 Still Available
WWUH Hoodie

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West Hartford Symphony Orchestra


In Collaboration with the WWUH Classical Programming we are pleased to partner with the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra to present their announcements and schedule to enhance our commitment to being part of the Greater Hartford CommunityWest Hartford Symphony Orchestra
whso.org
(860) 521-4362

For tickets and information, 860-521-4362 or http://whso.org/.

The Musical Club of Hartford
 
  
The Musical Club of Hartford is a non-profit organization founded over a hundred years ago, in 1891. Membership is open to performers or to those who simply enjoy classical music, providing a network for musicians from the Greater Hartford area.
 
Concerts
New England Jazz Ensemble presents the premiere of a jazz interpretation of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf at Conard High School.
Pianist Mariangelo Vacatello and her organist husband Adriano Falcioni will give a joint concert at St. John's Church featuring a collaboration on Stravinsky's Firebird.
 
Musical Exploration
Musical Club history will be on the program, including a film from the 1980's with interviews of and performances by of some past and present members. In another program we will also examine some promising dynamic teaching methods for music students of the future.
 
Member Programs featuring autographed programs from the past
Throughout the year, Musical Club member performances will welcome some famous visitors of the past, as seen through the programs they presented. Among them: Mme Schumann-Heink, Pablo Casals, Marian Anderson, Francis Poulenc ... and others.
 
For further information:


 The Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra
The Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit Community Orchestra. They present four concerts each season in the Greater Hartford area, performing works from all periods in a wide range of musical styles. The members of Hartford's only community orchestra are serious amateurs who come from a broad spectrum of occupations.
 
The Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra 2015-2016 Concert Season
 
All concerts are at 3:00 PM at Trinity Episcopal Church, 120 Sigourney Street, Hartford
 
February 14, 2016:   A la France
Debussy:  Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun
Mozart:  Symphony No. 31 ("Paris")
Saint-Saens:  Symphony No. 3 ("Organ") (Bert Landman, organ)
 
April 10, 2016:  Schubert's Unfinished
Suppe:  Overture to "The Beautiful Galathea"
Higdon:  Blue Cathredal
David:  Concertino No. 4 (Matthew Russo, trombone)
Schubert:  Symphony No. 8 ("Unfinished")
 
June 12, 2016:  Pops: An Afternoon at the Movies
Selected Film Music
 
For further information: http://ctvalleysymphonyorch.com/


 The Hartford Chorale
  
 
The Hartford Chorale is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit organization, and serves as the primary symphonic chorus for the greater Hartford community. The Chorale provides experienced, talented singers with the opportunity to study and perform at a professional level of musicianship. Through its concerts and collaborations with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and other organizations, the Chorale seeks to reach and inspire the widest possible audience with exceptional performances of a broad range of choral literature, including renowned choral masterpieces.
 
The Hartford Chorale 2016 season
 
Mendelssohn's Elijah
Richard Coffey, conductor
Thursday, April 14, 2016
 
For further information: Hartford Chorale 860-547-1982 or www.hartfordchorale.org.