Program Director John Pitman discusses the second release by the Calidore String Quartet, which contemplates the intersection of music and language. Violinist Estelle Choi, one of the four founding members of Calidore, shares how “the desire to explore the innate human drive for communication,” became the focus of their new recording. Choi describes the inspiration for Three Essays by Caroline Shaw, Robert Schumann’s String Quartet No. 3, and String Quartet No. 9 by Dmitri Shostakovich.
Over the centuries, composers have attempted to capture their natural surroundings in music, from the bucolic imagery of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony to the vast prairies evoked by Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land. Oregon is lucky to boast a fortune of natural grandeur as rich and wide-ranging as this tradition, with splendors from the temperate rainforests of the Coast Range to the barren lava beds of Southern Oregon. In celebration of these beautiful and varied landscapes, All Classical’s Suzanne Nance created a playlist that takes you on a sonic tour through seven of Oregon’s most beloved spots, with musical selections inspired by these incredible places.
Visit the playlist at: Wander with Wonder
This playlist will take you on a whirlwind tour of chamber music by women, with appearances from a few of the brilliant composers who have contributed to the genre. We’ll start with some of the earliest chamber music by women, then travel toward the present day! Along the way, we’ll meet composers from many cultures and diverse heritages, hailing from Italy, Venezuela, France, China, Germany, England, and the United States.
Check out our Spotify playlist to hear these pieces in their entirety.
John interviews composer Osvaldo Golijov about the new album that features the Silkroad Ensemble. Falling Out of Time, which was written for the ensemble by longtime collaborator/composer Osvaldo Golijov, is an 80-minute tone poem based on David Grossman’s novel about parental grief and loss. In John’s interview with the composer, Mr. Golijov likened it to the dark, late works of Goya and Rembrandt. Falling Out of Time includes 13 tracks featuring 13 members of the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble, and is a Silkroad Ensemble commissioned work.
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Clara Schumann was a well-respected pianist and composer, Robert Schumann a composer, pianist, and music critic. Clara’s father, Frederick Wieck, was also a pianist and was in fact Robert’s teacher, but he opposed the match. At the time, the opposition would have been enough to prevent their marriage, but they sued him and were given permission by a judge to marry anyway. In the first year that they were married, Robert wrote over 130 songs with the vast majority being inspired by his wife and his love for her.
Over the course of their marriage, they kept a diary of their life together, both on a personal level and a musical one. Robert had been prevented from becoming a fully realized pianist because of a hand injury, but Clara premiered many of his compositions. Both as individuals and as a couple, they made tremendous contributions to the Romantic era. They had eight children together, and took young artists such as Joseph Joachim and Johannes Brahms under their wing.
Tragically, Robert Schumann struggled with mental illness in a time less than capable of helping him. After a suicide attempt, he was institutionalized, and lived out the rest of his days there. The friendships they had developed with people, including Brahms, gave Clara a support system through the hardship, and she continued to tour and teach piano. After his death, Clara also continued their musical partnership by editing his published works and playing them. When she passed away 40 years later, she was buried beside him.
Photo courtesy of the Stanford Libraries
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) and Peter Pears (1910-1986)
Benjamin Britten was a composer and conductor, best known for his operas pieces, and Peter Pears was a talented tenor. They were partners both romantically and musically, with Britten writing many of his works with Pears’ voice in mind. Pears performed in more than ten of Britten’s operas, and together they made recordings of his work.
Pears had been somewhat hesitant about pursuing his vocal career instead of playing piano, but after meeting Britten in 1937 he was hesitant no longer. It’s said that Britten composed the first of his works inspired by Pears within weeks of their meeting. Their relationship started out as a close, but platonic, friendship until 1939 when they traveled to America together. In 1940, Britten composed his first song cycle for Pears entitled Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo.
In 1947 they founded the Aldeburgh Festival together, and the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in 1972. Their partnership left behind contributions to music both in the form of compositions and in institutions. After Britten’s passing in 1976, Pears remained involved in the school and the festival they had created. Before he died, Britten had been offered a burial at Westminster Abbey but declined. He knew that Pears would not be able to be buried beside him if he accepted and so they were both buried, a decade apart, at Aldeburgh Parish Church.
Photograph courtesy of the Britten-Pears Foundation
Mstislav Rostropovich (1927-2007) and Galina Vishnevskaya (1926-2012)
Mstislav Rostropovich was a cellist, pianist, and conductor, widely considered to be one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. Galina Vishnevskaya was a well respected soprano singer. They performed together, and recorded together, fairly regularly. While they made for an impressive musical duo, they were also aligned in causes regarding human rights.
The couple believed in art without borders and democratic ideals, putting them at odds with their country, the Soviet Union. Many artists faced persecution in Russia during this time, including Dmitri Shostakovish who was a friend of the couple. When Shostakovich was dismissed from his professorships for political reasons, Rostropovich dropped out of the Moscow Conservatory in protest. As a result of this, and other political actions, in the early 70s Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya were severely limited from foreign touring and given little opportunity to perform in Russia. They weathered the political storm together, and eventually moved to the United States in 1974.
While they continued their artistic endeavors in the United States, they also founded the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation in 1991, dedicated to supporting the health of children worldwide. While Vishnevskaya had been married before, her marriage to Rostropovich was her last marriage and the longest. They were married from 1955 until his passing in 2007. They are buried together at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s website
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded All Classical Portland a grant in recognition of the station’s expanded efforts to support and highlight regional artists. We extend deep gratitude to the NEA for investing in this community service. Stay tuned, and read the NEA’s official announcement here.
What will classical music sound like for future audiences? We may not have the answers, but if these composers offer any indication, we are excited to see and hear where the future takes us.
All Classical Portland’s Recording Inclusivity Initiative was recently featured on Current.org, in interview with President & CEO Suzanne Nance. Read the full article, and learn more about Recording Inclusivity Initiative.
“I know that many are committed to diversifying America’s playlists, and we can do it. We don’t have to wait.” – Suzanne Nance, President & CEO, All Classical Portland
All Classical Portland celebrates the music of Black composers and artists year-round, and this month, we invite you to join us as we take a closer look at the contributions that Black composers and musicians have made to classical music. Let’s meet a few of the artists whose music you’ll hear on the air this month, and year round on All Classical Portland.
Listen online or through our mobile app!
As we look forward to this year’s Festival of Carols on All Classical Portland, it’s time to again share the stories of twelve famous carols! Our Program Director, John Pitman, has chosen a lovely selection of twelve carols for us to explore this year, and as All Classical’s Music Researcher, it’s been my mission to track down their origins, following the trails of Renaissance dance tunes, Valencian shepherds, plays by Molière, and sixteenth-century English tailors. Enjoy the journey!
Check out last year’s edition of The Story of Twelve Carols!
Be sure to tune in to our annual Festival of Carols: five full days of carols from December 21 – 25. Listen at 89.9 FM in Portland, or anywhere at allclassical.org!
Check out our Spotify playlist inspired by this list, with a similar lineup of music.
