As I recall, records of his birth were so sketchy he wasn't sure himself which day it was. Somewhat the same with my father, who was born near midnight at home, so they weren't sure which day to call it. I tend to agree re #3. I received an LP of it for Christmas when I was about 14, and wore it out.
Ah, when I got a little plastic record player, I wore a record out too. It was the “Sound of Music”. Ha ha ha
Classical music is usually thought of as old people’s music & most often is music dating from the early 1900’s back to even before the year 1000AD. Yes, yes, there is defined classical music being composed in our present days, & wow…..even music by “non-classical music” composers is being scheduled & heard on Classical King FM. However, announcer’s sometimes speak of the age of composers when in their teens (Bach) & even at ages of single digits (Mozart). Right now, Felix Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s music is playing, which he composed at age 17. Mendelssohn died at age 40, so didn’t have too many years of compositions.
I NEVER knew how to read or compose music, outside of picking up a note or 2 so I could play the Church hymns on my recorder. Single digit & Seventeen years of age composers are a miracle to me. I really hunger & thirst for all the music that never was composed by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, & Schumann because they all died too young, & would have bounced music off each other. Also, because Gershwin died so young, composed music between Gershwin, Copland, & possibly Barber & other American composers, would have been explored & expanded dramatically. Possibly, Prokofiev & Shostakovich would have picked up more from a long-lived Gershwin, altho Stalin would have squashed that musical direction. Man…..Prokofiev moving back to russia was a musical disaster. Wish Shostakovich (& other never developed & heard russian composers) could have left russia, too.
Karen P. Thomas has her Lux Lucis playing on KING-FM right now. Her album is called Music of the Spirit. Very different for choir. She has awards for excellence & also for “adventuresome” contemporary compositions. Has been performed often around the World.
This Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Day has a fair amount of classical music composed by arts-suppressed women & minorities. At 12:31PM PST today is Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins’ Cyclone Galop. At 1:13PM PST is Margaret Hubicki’s “Lonely Mere & Rigaudon” & at 3PM PST is Maria Matilde Alea’s “Fiesta en el Batey”. Tonight at 8:19PM PST is Joseph Schwantner’s “New Morning for the World(Daybreak of Freedom). Next is Alvin Singleton’s “After Fallen Crumbs”, followed by Duke Ellington’s “Three Black Kings” & Nicolas Flagello’s “The Passion of Martin Luther King”.
Hmmm…..Well……How about that! Classical King-FM will play a composition by Lady Gaga tonight, at 11:15PM, PST(1 minute before the start…..supposedly) called Judas Genghis Barbie. There you go. Tune in. Often, Jazz & Fusion composer & musician Keith Jarret is played on Classical King-FM, playing straight-up classical music, even with other famous classical musicians. Other “modern-not dead” mainstream musicians like Pat Benatar are played, too.
At 7PM PST, Saturdays, Classic King-FM has a taped series with individual children playing classical music on their chosen instruments from around the US. Ages are up to 18(?), but I’m not sure I’ve heard any in their single digits. I’ve even heard siblings playing together. The children are interviewed a bit by the hosts, before they play. The rotating hosts sometime accompany them on piano & some of the children have conducted orchestras. I believe some have also played their own compositions. Have a good time, see if you can determine their playing from professional older folks & sometimes their playing is mesmerizing. Also, remember at 9PM PST tonight, Second Inversion, experimental & “modern” classical music. If you’re not a classical buff, this program may be for you…..except it most often will not be music you’ve ever heard before. & at times, you’ll say, “That isn’t even music”. Yes, you’ve got it. It may be best described as “organized sound”……maybe even without the “organized”. Both programs only lasts an hour, so tune in at the beginning. Listen to Classic King-FM on the internet.
From August 14, 2022: King-FM mentioned yesterday, that Bach composed for harpsichord. Piano Constructs (NOT like our wondrous pianos of the modern era) were slowly being developed. Bach heard some of those early pianos & understood that pianos would eventually replace harpsichords. Bach also gave ideas & suggestions that helped piano development.
Hmm……Listening to a symphony by the German-Swedish Joseph Martin Kraus, who did move to Sweden & became a court musician & composer under the king of Sweden. He actually became famous & was known as the Swedish Mozart. The problems were he also died at age 36 & in the same time-frame as Mozart. Listening to his symphony tho, I would not consider it similar to Mozart writing. Yes, he wrote his own music & did not copy Mozart. I’ll listen to more of his music & see if I continue to agree with my assessment.
Right now, Music at the Movies, is having an hour of James Bond music……. Lots of John Barry music, my favorite movie music composer, well known for Out of Africa & Somewhere in Time.
Listening to Black composer of classical music William Grant Still, his Danzas de Panama(Dances of Panama). Kinda OK. His best parts start when the drums start an Intro & the vibrating strings take up the charge……. Now Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 3 is playing. I thought he only had 2 piano concertos. The announcer says this piece is a reconstruction. I have to look it up…….be back. Ha…..it was a reconstruction from libraries in Germany & Russia! At first, it was thought to be an early draft of Piano Concerto # 1…..which parts of the Piano Concerto #3 DOES sound similarly! Wow! It appears this piece of music is very lucky to exist at all! When Liszt died, his housekeeper let students of Liszt carry manuscripts away as mementos. This Third MAY have been composed BEFORE the other more famous two concertos. I’m going to U-Tube & see if I can listen to it again.
Oh……..the announcer for Classical KIng-FM radio, just said that Seattle would get a high of 56degF today. I thought that was really good. For 40 years, I’ve thought that February had some nice mid-winter breaks from generally cold temperatures. & then I thought that sure is a high temperature. So looking at several local weather websites, it appears the predictions are for 53-54degF. So, we’ll see if Classical King-FM is correct or the weather websites. PS…..I just found one website that predicts Seattle will reach 56degF by 3PM PST. Supposed to be some sunshine this afternoon. PS I…..Well……Classical KING-FM’s stated 56degF prediction came true(even more!), with warming sunshine. Some weather websites got a top temperature of 55degF. HOWEVER, 1 website from Boeing Field has a temperature of 57degF. So…..good music on Classical KING-FM. Good temperature predicting from Classical KING-FM!
The weekly program “From the Top” on Classical KING-FM, showcasing young musicians tonight at 7PM, PST, were interviewing 14 year old Sara Flexer after she played the Cello beautifully. It came out that she read 180 books……in one year! Whoa…..hey, I can read a chapter……in a week…..& it has to be a short chapter.
Right now, Classical KING-FM is playing its last Thursday of the Month listener requests, lots of well-known & favored classical music plus some listener requests that AREN’T well-known. Good time to get interested in classical music. The station plays on the internet. So…..listen up! The daily half-hour of Johann Sebastian Bach, “Bach’s Lunch”, is playing. Bach was composing during the time Stradivarius was building his violins. Strands weren’t popular at that time, but they sure are now! One Stradivarius sold for $20 million. Anne-Sophie Mutter is playing Bach’s Violin Concerto in E, BWV 1042, & she has TWO Strads!
Right now, composer Pauline Alpert has her piece “Mindin’ the Baby” playing. She used to keep body & soul together, teaching piano for 50cents an hour ($6.50 per hour in today’s money). Now the Symphony #5 of Sibelius is playing, Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Birmingham Orchestra. Liked when soprano Kathleen Battle & Sir Simon got together. The “Battle-Rattle Sound” was always good.
At 4PM, PST, Classic KING-FM has “Music at the Movies”, which looks like they will highlight women composers about adventure women in movies. Should be excellent! Classic KING-FM is on the internet. /////// PS…..2nd Inversion is having their weekly program of modern “changing” Classical Music. This week is also highlighting women composers. “Modern classical music” women composers often sound as bad as men composers. “Modern classical music” is often, hard to take, as is tonight’s program. Good I did not post earlier.
Tho this thread is about KING-FM classical music station in Seattle, Washington, I note a classical music highlite in Singapore. After a five year absence, Shakespeare in the Park is returning with Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
Oh…..listening to a a lute composition by Vincenzo Galilei, father of scientist, astronomer & painter Galileo Galilei.