Week of January 3, 2022 - Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Part I The first of a two-week biography exploring the music and life of a defining voice of the German Romantic Era. In his formative year as a pianist, Brahms befriends Robert and Clara Schumann, and with their support and later with the violinist Joseph Joachim, develops his musical voice. Bill speaks of Brahms’ struggles to publish symphonies on the heels of Beethoven ‑ his two orchestra serenades were played publicly twenty years before his four symphonies. We end this first part of Brahms’ story with the German Requiem.
Week of January 10, 2022 - Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Part II This is the second of two weeks exploring the music and life of the great German master. Brahms’s love of Hungarian Romani music and folksongs allowed him to create music that speaks to our inner souls. Scholars think Brahms threw away more works than he published, so let us treasure the music we have from him.
Week of January 17, 2022 - Bach to Beethoven A century separates Bach’s B Minor Mass and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 – crowning achievements of two very distinct voices. Bill begins the week observing Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Italian Concerto, and Brandenburg Concertos, then connects them to Beethoven by exploring the harmonies, rhythms, orchestration, and musical forms of Italy, France, Germany, and England. Bill reaches the end of the week with the Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and excerpts from Haydn and Mozart that provide context for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
Week of January 24, 2022 Glories of Venice Come explore Venice! The City of Lagoons, Queen of the Adriatic, or La città galleggiante (the floating city). This week Bill explores this magical city that inspired music of the late Renaissance, Baroque, and the beginning of Italian opera. From Claudio Monteverdi and Orlando di Lasso, Bill will include religious and secular music and continues with two major Venetian influences: Adrian Willaert (1490-1562) of Dutch descent and the Roman composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594). Other composers featured in the week are Rossini, Verdi, and Vivaldi.
Week of January 31, 2022 - Pacific Overtures Oo-ee baby - won't ya let me take you on a sea cruise… for a trip around the Pacific Rim! This is a two-week adventure, and we’re starting off in a “Land Down Under.” In Australia we’ll hear Aboriginal music along with pieces from Percy Grainger and Peter Sculthorpe, then Maori music plus Dame Gillian Whitehead and Kiri Te Kanawa in New Zealand, and then we’ll continue sailing west to South America and hear music from Argentina and Chile. It’s a two-part show, so tune in next week to see where else we’re going!
