by Daniel Hathaway
IN THIS EDITION:
. Charnofsky unveils more obscure works
. The Guardian continues its coverage of The Piano
. Listen to a live 1965 broadcast of Szell & The Cleveland Orchestra from Kviv
. Brief nods to Caruso, Borodin, Lehmann & Cliburn in today’s Almanac
HAPPENING TODAY:
Eric Charnofsky hosts two hours’ worth of not-so- often-heard repertoire today beginning at 2pm from the studios of WRUW radio. Today’s installment of Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music, features Sergey Taneyev’s Symphony No. 3 in d, Francisco Tarrega’s Carnival of Venice (guitar), Paul Lansky’s Pieces of Advice (horn and piano) & Aaron Jay Kernis’s Still Movement with Hymn (piano quartet). Click here to listen to the internet feed: or tune in to 91.1 FM in the greater Cleveland area.
See our Concert Listings for details.
INTERESTING READ:
The Guardian follows up its earlier story about the British reality show, The Piano, “the perfect showcase for the instrument’s versatility. So far, the show has been to railway stations in London and Leeds, treating crowds of commuters to everything from Debussy to Darude – with London playing host to virtuosos as young as 11 and as old as 92.” Click here to read “Tinkling the ivories and tugging the heart strings: is The Piano the most uplifting TV talent show ever?”
INTERESTING LISTEN:
With Ukraine dominating the news cycle, it’s a good time to revisit a radio broadcast of The Cleveland Orchestra’s performance at Kviv’s Palace of Culture on April 25, 1965 during the ensemble’s eleven-week tour of Europe and the Soviet Union (pictured at top]. Click here to listen.
George Szell’s programming was forward-looking: [1:30] William Grant Still: In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy. [11:02] Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E flat, K. 543. [37:15] Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, Sz.116. [1:10:53] Encores: Dvořák: Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 – No. 3 in A-flat, Poco Allegro. [1:16:05] Dvořák: Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 – No. 7 in C, Allegro vivace.
ALMANAC FOR FEBRUARY 27:
Some big names to mention for February 27: Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, born either on the 27th or the 25th in 1873 in Naples, Russian composer Alexander Borodin, who died during a ballroom concert in St. Petersburg in 1887, German soprano Lotte Lehmann, born in Perleberg in 1883, and Texas pianist Van Cliburn, who lost his struggle with bone cancer in Fort Worth in 2013 at the age of 78.
Cliburn helped take the chill off the Cold War in 1958 when he won the inaugural Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow. Cheered by Muscovites and given the first New York ticker tape parade for a classical musician when he returned to the U.S., Cliburn founded his own competition in his hometown of Fort Worth later that year.
Click here to listen to a live recording of his winning performance of Tchikovsky’s First Concerto. And a 58-minute film by Peter Rosen on Medici-TV documents that event for subscribers (watch a free trailer here).
