Krzysztof Penderecki – My Window To The Avant-Garde

March 29 marks the first anniversary of the death of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki (11/23/1933 – 03/29/2021)

How hearing one incredible work of Penderecki on the radio shaped my musical taste and influenced my private and musical life

To commemorate this, I will be presenting a special three-hour edition of Classical Discoveries on Wednesday, March 31 from 7:00am till 10:00am

I was about 14 years old while sitting at the dining table with my mother and listening to the New York radio Station WNCN, when at around 6:45 in the evening I heard incredible terrifying shrieks and fascinating sounds coming out of the radio speakers. Yes, it was Penderecki’s Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima – my window to the new world of Avant-Garde music.
Shortly thereafter, I purchased the LP on the RCA Victrola label. By looking at the record grooves, I could see that the work opened very loudly. I remember how scared and terrified I was hearing this for the first time. Penderecki’s music absolutely ruptured my 14-year-old brain and marked the beginning of my journey into the world of Avant-Garde music with its many other composers from John Cage to Karlheinz Stockhausen to name a few. I kept though going back though to Penderecki and particularly liked his Capriccio for violin and orchestra, St. Luke Passion, and Dies Irae to name a few.

After many years, I began to look back and started wondering why this music was so special to me. I came up with a very unusual thought. When I was growing up at home, rock music was off limits. I was not allowed to listen to it in the house or anywhere for that matter. My mother actually took pride in telling people it was prohibited in the house. It occurred to me that the music of the post World War 2 Avant-Garde might have been my own personal music of protest since my parents were not interested in that either. It provided me with a safe space where they could not interfere and since I was studying music it was a part of my musical education. And yes, I managed to listen to forbidden music that they did not approve of anyway. Later they could not understand why I was hosting an oldies show on WPRB for two summers after they heard about it from their lawyer.

My journey into Penderecki and other Polish music did not end up only with listening.

Later in my life, I met my dream partner who was looking for music of Alan Hovhaness. She loved Penderecki, Avant-Garde and many different types of music and yes she came from Poland. I think I impressed her with my knowledge of Polish music (including Grażyna Bacewicz) but it was my performance of Chopin that melted her heart and since she is very fussy about Chopin interpretations I was ecstatic to get her approval. One of our dates included a trip to New York where we heard a performance of Penderecki’s “A Polish Requiem”. At this time I knew that she was for me! How many women would go on a date to hear a work like this in New York and be excited about having a picture with the composer? I finally had someone who shared my interests not only in Polish music but also of course the music of Alan Hovhaness and many others.I remember our excitement at the performance of Penderecki’s St. Luke Passion in Philadelphia in April 2002 with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and other concerts featuring Polish music in Philadelphia.

His music along with the music of endless Polish composers has been presented on “Classical Discoveries” since it began in 1997. I have produced thirty specials totally devoted to Polish music, including a 2-hour special for Penderecki’s 80^th birthday and his opera Ubu Rex. Unfortunately, Polish music, with few exceptions like Chopin, Lutoslawski, Szymanowski, Gorecki , Kilar and a few others is not well known here in the USA and I really hope that will change.

Here is a link to the playlists of Polish programs: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/special_playlists_polish_composers.html

Hope you will be able to join me on WPRB, 103.3FM or on line at www.wprb.com.

You can find more information before the broadcast on my website. In addition, the sound files will be available for 2 weeks after the broadcast at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org

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Women Are Coming to Classical Discoveries

Hasht Behesht palace, Isfahan, Persia, from 1669.

Eleven and half months ago, on the brink of the pandemic, I was in middle of a new blog that never materialized. I wanted to present my take on problems facing contemporary music on the radio and concert halls, and the divisiveness in the music business. I hope that one day I will revisit this important subject. Two weeks later, the entire State of New Jersey was on lock down and that included most radio stations. For a while I preferred silence. I could not even force myself to listen to the mostly homogenic sounds of warhorses coming from classical radio speakers.

Thanks to technology and the devoted WPRB management, we were back on the air two months later. I never realized what my program mean to me until the pandemic. Now this was the best Prozac I could have and once I was back on the air everything improved for me. At first, each program was recorded but now each Wednesday I broadcast live from home. I miss the studio but I also enjoy my cozy slippers on my feet as I am announcing music.

In my home studio

Last year for the first time in “In Praise of Women “ series was not completed because of the pandemic interruption.

This year the event is starting one-week earlier.

The 18^th In Praise of Woman will air 7:00-10:00am on 5 consecutive Wednesdays starting on February 24 and will continue on March 3, March 10, March 17, and March 24.

Each program will include between 15 and 20 women composers from all over the world and March 10 will be devoted to American Women Composers.

Each program will be archived for 2 weeks at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_in_praise_of_woman_2021_temporary_file.html

(March 31 was preempt for a special memorial tribute to Krzysztof Penderecki)

I will update this blog with weekly playlist but here is a teaser for this week:

Sonata No. 2 for solo violin by Polish composer, Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Girl Walking by American compposer, Gina Biver (1960- )
Salve Regina by Ukrainian/Estonian composer, Galina Grigorjeva (1962- )
San Rocco by Canadian composer, Melissa Hui (1966- )
Solace by Canadian composer, Jocelyn Morlock (1969- )
Energy by Australian composer, Caroline Szeto (1956- )
Tempus Fugit by South African composer, Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolf (1948- )
Escenas picaras (Sinfonia in tre movimenti) by Serbian composer, Isidora Žebeljan (1967-2020)
plus music by:
Joanne Metcalf, Andrea L. Reinkemeyer, Dilorom Saidaminova, Rosanna Scalfi Marcello and others

Listen to Classical Discoveries on WPRB: 103.3FM Princeton NJ and und the world at: wprb.com

If you are curious about playlists from prior years here is a link:

http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/special_playlists_in_praise_of_woman_0.html

http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/special_playlists_in_praise_of_woman_1.html

I am adding some comments about my program because of a few disturbing incidences that happened during or after airing prior women and black composer specials.

What can you expect if you never listened to Classical Discoveries?  Here are some details about the program:

From 1997, I have presented music that is mostly neglected by other radio stations with the focus on music from 1950 to present with an emphasis on living composers from all over the world regardless of race, gender or nationality. For contrast, lesser-known selections of music written before 1750 are included.
Identity and gender politics have no place on Classical Discoveries and the worst enemy to music, bringing division and hate between musicians. Classical Discoveries is not about political or social issues even though occasionally I do address them. The program is not about women, white, black or Asian composers.
The show is about exciting music that one rarely, if ever, hears on other radio stations!
My main focus is to have a good balanced and exciting program that futures lesser known music from every corner of the world, composers of different genders, race, nationalities, with the main focus on music of our time and living composers.
I reserve the right to have my personal tastes represented while considering music for my programs.
I do not like every composer I hear, and I will not play due to outside pressure.
All recordings used on Classical Discoveries are from my private collection and since I do not have a spending account I cannot buy everything available on the market. It is most important to remember that:
As a white male, I have the right to play as much good music written by women, black and other unrepresented groups as I wish.
If you have a problem with me being supporter of women, black and other nationalities, please tune your radio to any other radio station. Only by all of us supporting each other and working together can we bring change, but for now I fell lonely like Don Quixote of La Mancha.
During these times when music of white dead men is so prevalent on the radio, I do welcome anyone who plays women, black composers and other neglected ethnic groups.

As Annual 18^th “In Praise of Woman” on Classical Discoveries approaching, you can find few details about program going to my 2 older blogs:

https://marvinthecat.wordpress.com/2018/04/06/in-praise-of-women-15-years-on-the-air/ and

https://marvinthecat.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/the-women-are-coming

One positive side of our pandemic is that I have never recently seen so many great virtual concerts of new music. I even contributed to and presented one program myself just in time to celebrate Women History Month. I hope that when concert halls reopen, new music will find a way to concert halls and be much more prominent.

The last 2020 pre-pandemic playlist

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Mp3 will be available for 2 weeks

Alan Hovhaness in June

Alan Hovhaness (March 8, 1911 – June 21, 2000)

Alan Hovhaness in my Princeton, NJ home, June 22, 1980

June has been a very important month for me for many years due to a number of noteworthy events in my life.
Since many of us are reminiscing about the old days during our difficult times, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you my June events, all of which happened during the second half of the month.

All of these focus on my friendship with the great American composer, Alan Hovhaness.

I was actually planning to present a special 6 hour special on Classical Discoveries on WPRB in his memory this month but due to changes in our world, I will do that another time.

It is amazing as to how one inspiring individual can effect one’s life. I will not go into detail about my whole Hovhaness story right now, but would rather just focus on the second half of June.

Seattle, May 1992 in Elliott’s Oyster House

I communicated with Hovhaness for the first time the end of February, 1980 during my years as a student. Yes, I was very young! The composer invited me to discuss his music with him in Seattle which is where he lived. I was excited and beginning to plan a trip.

On June 13, 1980 I received a hand written letter from him telling me that unexpectedly he and his wife had to be in New York. Since he seemed like such a down to earth man, I decided to invite him and his wife and mother- in- law to dinner in our Princeton home. He accepted and our visit was exactly 40 years ago on June 22, 1980!!!! We had a wonderful time.

 

 

Fast forward now to June 17, 1986!!! Beata and I were already dating and met due to our common interest in Hovhaness’s music!  On that date, there was a big concert at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York which was in celebration of Hovhaness’s 75th birthday. Featured was his incredible St. Vartan Symphony!!!

Beata and Hovhaness in New York on June 17, 1986

After the concert Beata and I got on the bus to go home. Since Beata’s birthday is June 18, I thought it would be really cool to propose to her (since I was planning to do that eventually) on the way back from the concert. Bad plan!!! Unfortunately, I could not propose to her at that time since we did not sit together on the crowded bus!!  I did though end up proposing to her on Sunday, June 22 and yes, she accepted!!

To conclude, June has not been all excitement for me regarding Alan Hovhaness. It was 20 years ago, on June 21, 2000 that my musical idol and friend passed away!!! I was crushed.

While being at home the past week, I was thinking about all of the wonderful memories related to Alan Hovhaness and how I met my wife, Beata whom loved our get togethers with the composer. I met Hovhaness numerous times over the years. These led to a few CD’s featuring the composer’s music.
What is amazing is how much one person can have so much effect on another!

When reading my memorial tribute to Hovhaness (see link below) you will clearly understand as to how important he was to me and has been for almost my entire life.

To conclude, I would like to quote Hovhaness as taken from an interview with him for Ararat magazine in 1971. I think you will clearly understand why I chose this quote, given our sad situation today!

“We are in a very dangerous period. We are in danger of destroying ourselves, and I have a great fear about this…The older generation is ruling ruthlessly. I feel that this is a terrible threat to our civilization. It’s the greed of huge companies and huge organizations which control life in a kind of a brutal way…It’s gotten worse and worse, somehow, because physical science has given us more and more terrible deadly weapons, and the human spirit has been destroyed in so many cases, so what’s the use of having the most powerful country in the world if we have killed the soul. It’s of no use. “

Based on our current situation, we should hear Hovhaness’s music of deep spirituality more than ever. It provides hope and beauty, something we all need to survive in our troubled world!!

A link to my memorial tribute to Hovhaness ,written the morning after his death is here: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/alanhovhaness.html.

It is time once again for the New Music Marathon “Viva 21st Century”

2018 Marathon – with composer Robert Moran

It has been already eight years since I wrote the last extensive blog titled Viva 21st Century Music, which explains the beginning of my obsession with this grueling event that lasts between 24-26 hours each year-end. I thought it would be fun to share some marathon numbers.
I must confess that I am a marathon junky and wonder why I devote a large portion of my winter break preparing and presenting this big event. However, when I hear wonderful new work the first thing that comes to my mind is “wow, this would be great for my marathon.” I get a new box and start adding CD’s to the marathon pending file.

Instead of celebrating the holidays I march into the WPRB studio with boxes of CDs, valises of fresh clothing, a container of mixed nuts, a couple gallons of water and green tea. There is a couch in the WPRB studio and I make a point not to look at it for obvious reasons during the event.

I have not kept detailed marathon stats for years before 2018, but here are some figures that were easy to put together.

Now, it is easy to figure out why friends call me MarathonO-Maniac.

I am lucky that WPRB has given me the opportunity for almost 23 years to do radio programming I believe in. Classical Discoveries would not be allowed to exist as it is on any corporate run radio station.

 

Here is a break down of some statistics from last year 2018 marathon,  excluding and including January programs plus complete event participating composers (below)

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More exciting new music is coming up!! ‬Here is the Viva 21^st Century schedule. Hope you can join me this year. A majority of the works on the marathon will include complete and from the last 10 years works.

More exciting new music is coming up!! ‬Here is the Viva 21^st Century schedule:

A majority of the works on the marathon will include complete and from the last 10 years works.

Hope you can join me this year: on 103.3FM Princeton NJ., and around the world @  http://www.wprb.com

 

 

 

 

 

Musical Tidings for the Holiday

Many things have changed since my last blog devoted to the 15th annual series “In Praise of Woman”– one and a half years ago. Since I have a full time job, some private teaching and radio, I do not have much time left for other things.

I would like to bring to your attention a number of special annual holiday programs listed on my website and to the Holiday line-up on Facebook.

Already aired part 1 of the Christmas Trilogy – Christmas Around the World.

 

• This Friday’s special broadcast is titled Christmas in America (6:00-9:00am)
• Next week 2 broadcasts titled “A Medieval, Renaissance & Baroque Christmas” will be presented. (Wednesday, Dec. 18, 5:00-11:00am and Friday, Dec. 20, 5:00-9:00am)
• On Friday, December 27, I will air music of black composers in observance of Kwanzaa
• On Saturday, December 28 at 2:00 pm, the fifteenth 24-hour Marathon & fourteenth titled “Viva 21st Century” will begin. For the second consecutive year, the marathon will be equally divided between men and women composers. (Details are in next blog I am working on, so stay tuned!!!)
• New Year’s Morning, Wednesday, Jan. 01, the 23rd annual program “Shall We Dance” will be presented.

I have also decided that it is time to give my website a facelift and will begin this project shortly after January 1st. I am looking forward to getting involved with this.

For those who are not familiar with my program here are a couple of things you should know:

Classical Discoveries began in May of 1997 on WPRB (a member-supported station with students and community volunteers like myself).

The excitement of preparing weekly programs and playing music rarely presented on the radio, while supporting living composers has kept me on the air for the last 23 years.

I maintain my website, and purchase many recordings with my own funds. The only one time I ask for money is during the station fund drives since WPRB is member supported.

I do not need to prove my commitment to presenting women & living composers and music from countries that rarely get exposure on the airwaves.

I have presented many specials, annual programs, like “In Praise of Woman”, Marathons, including a whole Marathon devoted to women composers in 2008 (long before anyone else devoted large blocks of time to the music of women).

If you check my playlists you will see that my programs are always diversified, and almost always include women composers from around the world, even during the early years of this program when women were largely ignored in general.

I almost never include music from the Romantic and Classical periods (with occasional digressions during special programs) for the simple reason. These two periods are featured regularly on other radio stations. I would rather focus on really neglected music written before 1750, and after 1950.

You can check my two first blogs: Finally, I am here and More about me

Last year brought some positive changes in the focus on works of women composers thanks to the incredible project from The Institute for Composer Diversity,  the brainchild of composer Rob Deemer of Fredonia, State University of New York.

This project started with just a database of women composers from all over the world but became much more – an incredible resource for anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge of women composers and their works. This project also brought attention to the minimal programming of women composers on concert programs and radio broadcasts.

This shamed some orchestras for excluding women to the point that they adjusted their programs.

We are also seeing more women played on some radio stations. Unfortunately, most stations focus more on 19th century and early 20th century music (same like male counterparts). It seems that many are afraid of new music and often treat new music as a token.

I am very happy that in recent times it is much easier to obtain recordings of music by women composers which was much more difficult during my initial years on the air.

In conclusion, I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your many kind words over the years about Classical Discoveries. Your comments keep me going week after week after week.

I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season.

Stay tuned. More new music is coming up!

 

 

 

“In Praise of Women” – 15 Years on the air

Painting from Hasht – Behesht palace, Isfahan, Iran, ca. 1669

 

When I began my Classical Discoveries program almost 21 years ago, I made the commitment to include music by women composers on my programs whenever it was possible.

Other than Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schuman and a few other 20th century composers aired often as a token, or during International Women’s Day on March 8^th you rarely could hear their works on the airwaves. Fortunately, some Internet venues currently offer a better choice.

I will not get now into the subject of missing women composers from the repertoire of orchestras, since a number of very good articles/blogs have tackled this issue.

This year it is good to hear that many organizations are committing to improve this unfair balance, but will they keep their promise after Women’s History Month passes?
Time will tell.

Since many recordings featuring women composers were available on the market in 2004, I decided to devote my entire programming in March to women, in addition to continue including some examples of their works on each program other than those in March.
It is hard to believe that this year I celebrated my 15^th Anniversary of In Praise of Woman on the air and presented a program in 5 parts, totaling 26 hours, which included 127 composers (see the list below).

As always, each special posting included works of women artists whom I would like to take this opportunity to thank for allowing me to use their wonderful images.

It is also hard to believe that this year marked the first time that I was accused of being a sexist. I was harassed every week on the day of each broadcast by one specific Facebook member. I will spare you the other insults directed to me as well as to various women composers and yes, he joined my list of trolls, and obnoxious personalities.

As always, I am exited to be able to present this Classical Discoveries program on WPRB 103.3fm to listeners each week and looking forward to next year.

If you missed broadcast, the MP3 file will be available till 4/18/2018 at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_in_praise_of_woman_2018_temporary_file.html

The list of composers included in 2018 In Praise of Woman

Fire in the Hills by Lesley Mitchell (d. 2017)

Katy Abbott
Raphaella Aleotti **
Beth Anderson
Lera Auerbach
Maya Badian
Sally Beamish
Eve Beglarian
Antonia Bembo **
Lauren Bernofsky
Hildegard von Bingen **
Olga Bochihina
Sylvie Bodorova
Anna Bon **
Alla Borzova
Jennifer Castellano

Daffodills in Vase by Denise Ann Saldutti Egielski

Blanca de Castilla **
Lubica Cekovska
Nicole Chamberlain
Aleksandra Chmielewski
Anna Clyne
Jane Antonia Cornish
Gloria Coates
Claire Cowan
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani **
Zulema De la Cruz
Rachel Currea
Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre **
Elisabetta De’Mirkovich
Camilla de Rossi **
Claire Delbos
Jeanne Demessieux
Emma Lou Diemer

Rest by Polish artist Iwona Altmayer

Johanna Doderer
Suor Leonora d’Este **
Ewa Fabianska-Jelinska
Carlotta Ferrari
Vivian Fine
Tania Gabrielle French
Vivian Fung
Nancy Galbraith
Alice Gomez
Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee
Ida Gotkovsky
Lee Gowoon
Galina Grigorjeva
Juliana Hall

In the Nursery by  Dr. Laurie Sucher-Gaster (1942-2009)

Barbara Harbach
Amanda Harberg
Jennifer Higdon
Leonie Holmes
Gao Hong
Katherine Hoover
Anna Maria Huszcza
Juste Janulyte
Eleni Karaindrou
Anna Ignatowicz
Lydia Kakabadse
Gaby Kapps
Dorothy Lawson
Jane Leslie
Isabella Leonarda **
Zara Levina
Clare Loveday
Ljubica Maric

Waiting by Azerbaijani Artist Sabina Suleymanova at: AZgallery.org

Missy Mazzoli
Sky Macklay
Ann McGinty
Joanne Metcalf
Lisa Miles
Lee Pui Ming
Jocelyn Morlock
Nora Morrow
Jessie Montgomery
Martha Mooke
Beata Moon
Grainne Mulvey
Tamar Muskal
Gabriela Ortiz
Roxanna Panufnik
Victoria Poleva
Florence Price

Holdenhurst Avenue in the Snow by English Artist: Margaret Erber

Shulamit Ran
Santa Ratniece
Gitty Razaz
Mona Lyn Reese
Andrea L. Reinkemeyer
Justina Repeckaite
Belinda Reynolds
Marga Richter
Betty Roe
Elena Ruehr
Diloram Saidaminova
Alex Shapiro
Caroline Shaw
Jeanne E. Shaffer
Marilyn Shrude

With White Gloves On Out of the Dream in Which They Are Still Al by Anne Canfield

Arlene Sierra
Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir
Dina Smorgonsky
Cristina Spinei
Sarah E. Stanton
Barbara Strozzi **
Agnieszka Stulginska
Andrea Tarrodi
Ylva Skog
Christine Southworth
Caroline Szeto
Gevheri Sultan
Yoko Suzuki
Dobrinka Tabakova
Andrea Tarrodi
Anna Thorvaldsdottir

Snowdrops by Afat Akhundzade at: AZgallery.org

Joan Tower
Nancy Van de Vate
Mariliis Valkonen
Anne Vanschothorst
Kate Waring
Kate Whitley
Barbara White
Amy Williams
Shara Worden
Rain Worthington
Sinta Wuller
Susanna K. Wallumrød
Judith Lang Zaimont
Gaziza Zhubanova
Ellen Zwilich
Ming-Hsiu Yen

 

 

Lyn Lyndall – Collage of wild life and domestic animal miniature 4×4 paintings – http://www.lionfirestudio.com/

 

To celebrate Women’s History Month, MP3 files from Nov. 27, 2017 broadcast of Treasures of Early Music – Women Composers Edition were available for listening for limited time. The 5.5 hour long program included 39 works by 28 women composers before 1750.

 

Links to some interesting websites
International Alliance for Women in Music
Hildegard Publishing Company – Founded in 1988 by Sylvia Glickman to promote & preserve the music of women composers of the past and present
The Kapralova Society – Dedicated to promoting women in music
New York Women Composers
DIANA AMBACHE on WOMEN COMPOSERS
Wikipedia List of female composers
WOMEN’S HISTORY & IMPACT ON THE WORLD
The Living Composers Project
American Music Center
Women Composers Database – by Rob Deemer
10 Black Women Composers to Discover – by Jordannah Elizabeth

 

Classical Discoveries – 20 Years On The Air on WPRB

In 1999, 2 years after Classical Discoveries was born I got my own e-mail address on CompuServe.

One of the first listeners contacting me was Linda Holt, which is why I was very excited when she wrote a wonderful post for Philadelphia’s “Broad Street Review”, a bit shorter version of the blog below.

I intended to write this post myself, but considering Linda’s long connection to this program her personal sharing was a great way to commemorate 20 years of Classical Discoveries.

She is the author of The Black Spaniard, a novel about young Beethoven, that she is obsessed with (and yes, the other book is coming soon). She teaches Humanities at Southern New Hampshire University and Thomas Edison State University. Her classical music reviews have appeared in newspapers and online and of course she is one of the long, faithful listeners of Classical Discoveries.

I am adding a few of my comments to this blog since it is focuses on 20 years and many things did happen  during this time.

Marvin Rosen’s Classical Discoveries celebrates

20 years bringing new music to audiences around the world

by Linda Holt

Twenty years ago, Bill Clinton was sworn in to his second term as President, The English Patient won the best picture Oscar, and Scottish scientists cloned Dolly the Sheep.

But the big news for music lovers was the debut on May 29, 1997, of one of the most unique programs in the international radio community: Classical Discoveries, created, produced, and hosted by Marvin Rosen. Broadcast online and on WPRB 103.3 FM (Princeton University’s independent radio station), Classical Discoveries has no match as a source of seldom-heard music, exciting interviews, and playlists designed to wake up brains stuck in a 19^th century groove.

Where else can a listener hear music composed by the daughter of Lucrezia Borgia, a five-hour program dedicated to the art music of Native Americans, the art of Klezmer, music for Kwanzaa, and melodic masterworks from Poland and Estonia? A tune played on an Australian didgeridoo may follow an air composed by King Henry VIII. The program airs each Wednesday from 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with special broadcasts throughout the year. This spring, for example, Marvin’s series, Treasures of Early Music, is broadcast from 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Mondays.

“I still have my first playlist,” admitted Marvin recently, with his unflagging enthusiasm for his favorite subject. “It is handwritten, since we didn’t go online until 2001.” While there were works by Bach, Mozart, and Scarlatti on that program, there were also signs of things to come. Marvin featured works by Glass, Yardumian, and even concluded with Lennon-McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby.”

Two first playlists

Today attracting diverse audiences including young and old listeners, Classical Discoveries found its niche by November of 1997, responding to listeners who were pleasantly startled to hear new music that unexpectedly met every standard for beauty and interest. Marvin even expanded the definition of new music to include unfamiliar or underplayed compositions, such as selections from the earliest years of the Middle Ages, (forgotten contemporaries of famous Western composers), music from countries and ethnic traditions not well known in Western classical circles, and music by women composers. While not taking any political position, the program also has focused thematically on topics of current interest, such as a recent program devoted to musical depictions of water.

“One of the unexplored areas of women’s music is the work composed by nuns over the centuries,” Marvin observed.

A glance of the program’s playlists, appealingly displayed online with easy-to-access links, reveals some of the variety that listeners can find nowhere else. In recent years, these have included Music of Asia, the annual In Praise of Woman series, Tulpe: a Native American Indians Tribute, Sacred Bridges linking spirituality in music across traditions, Return to Estonia, and Water is Life-For Flint.

Editor’s note: Attached to this article are several of Classical Discoveries’ playlists that show the diversity and originality of the program content.

Impact on listeners and composers

In addition to its impact on listeners, Classical Discoveries provides active composers with a forum to play and explain their works.

“What would we composer do without Marvin Rosen and his amazing show?” asks Robert Moran, a Philadelphia-based composer whose work ranging from chamber music to opera is recognized around the globe. “He presents the most varied of radio events, always exciting and always an adventure.” Moran has appeared in person several times on Classical Discoveries.

Composer Andrew Rudin, heralded by one critical journal as “the grand old man of new music,” agrees. “Marvin Rosen has been uniquely important to living composers of the greater Philadelphia area,” he wrote recently, “not only because he plays our music, but he also invites us into his studio as on-air guests. And in addition, he educates us as well, with his extraordinary knowledge and curiosity about music of living composers in even the most obscure corners of our planet, and in the most marginalized communities. His perceptions, taste, and explorations represent a personal passion that greatly enriches our musical community.”

A labor of love

In addition to teaching full-time at Westminster Conservatory in Princeton, Marvin gets up at 3:30 a.m. to host Classical Discoveries, but he is not alone. His wife, Beata Rzeszodko-Rosen, who shares his musical tastes, is by his side at WPRB’s music studios in Bloomberg Hall on the university campus, creating exquisitely detailed and content-rich playlists and other Web resources for everyone from the musically curious to scholars and researchers of early and new music.

“Beata has been with me right from the start,” beamed Marvin in a recent interview. “She is the person behind the scenes making Classical Discoveries possible.”

The couple even met over an incident involving new music. Beata had gone to the Princeton University Store (where Marvin managed the record department) in search of music by Alan Hovhaness. It just so happened that Marvin’s doctoral dissertation from Teachers College, Columbia University, was on the music of Hovhaness. The two enthusiasts bonded over the Armenian-influenced American composer’s intensely melodic compositions and before long they were married and had the opportunity to meet the composer in person before he passed in 2000.

Another major influence on Marvin’s musical life comes from an unexpected corner of the musical world. “If there is one person whose professionalism most influenced me it’s Jim Nettleton,” he said. “Jim was an ‘oldies’ DJ at WFIL in Philadelphia when I was young. He told me that the most important lesson for broadcasters was to remember that in radio, unpredictability means entertainment. That’s advice I’ve taken to heart over the years.”

Going the distance with new music marathons

Classical Discoveries is also the only new and unfamiliar music program with an annual marathon. Instead of running 26 miles as in the athletic prototype, Marvin hosts a non-stop edition of Classical Discoveries at the end of the year, logging 24 to 25 hours of air time, and taking catnaps on the couch on a catch-as-catch-can basis.

The marathon theme is “Viva 21^st century,” with a focus on music composed since 2000. The theme was first explored on the show in 2003, and by 2007 had morphed into the marathon framework. Since then, there have been a dozen marathons, with sub-themes of International Music, American Music, and Music by Women Composers. Two marathons with special themes focused on post-9-11 music and the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Alan Hovhaness.

New music: its time has come

“After World War II, there was a lot of new music that was heavy and difficult for many people to listen to,” Marvin reflected. “Now that has changed. Much of the new music being composed is accessible and can be enjoyed by a wide audience. Think back to the time of Bach and Beethoven: new music is what was being played. The secret is to start out playing some new works that are pleasant for most people to hear, then you can follow up with music that is a little more challenging and build on that.”

Marvin will incorporate elements from the best of Classical Discoveries on his 20^th anniversary program 5:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 29. Expect to hear the Vivaldi sinfonia (original disk used in 1997) that opened the first program in the series, followed by other works played on the first program as well as some of the most favorite compositions of listeners over the years. “And there will be surprises,” added Marvin, who is looking forward to 20 more years of innovative programming. “It wouldn’t be Classical Discoveries without surprises!”

–Linda Holt

Almost 12 years ago, in early October 2005, I found out that Classical Discoveries was the recipient of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award.

Here are a couple of pictures taken at the December ceremony!! It was an exciting time for me and was totally unexpected.

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Here are some photos of guests who visited the WPRB studio during the last 20 years: Maya Beiser, Martha Mooke, Marilyn Bliss and Rain Worthington, Katherine Hoover Jennifer Higdon, Jakub Ciupiński, Halim El-Dabh, Danny Dorff, Andrew Rudin, Alexandra Vrebalov, Alex Shapiro, Vivian Fung,  Sergio Cervetti, Robert Moran, Randall Woolf and Kathleen Supové, Philip Blackburn and DBR,  Paul Mealor,

At the end of last year, I was the host of a performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio as presented by Choral Arts Philadelphia. Here is a small introduction to the event.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Q-ZrKd_mE

 

Here is a list of some other publication honoring 20^th anniversary of Classical Discoveries:

May 05, 2017 – Radio Survivor – HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY TO CLASSICAL DISCOVERIES – by Matthew Lasar

May 10, 2017 –Town Topics of Princeton NJ – 20 YEARS OF CLASSICAL DISCOVERIES WITH MARVIN ROSEN ON WPRB – by Doug Wallack

May 13, 2017 – Broad Street Review – TWO DECADES OF DISCOVERIES – by Linda Holt

You can follow me on:

Facebook, Twitter, in addition you can join the Classical Discoveries Facebook Group

Marvin Rosen

Who is Marga Richter?

I do not remember when I heard the music of Marga Richter for the first time.  It was most likely on an MGM LP from the 1950’s including music by my idol Alan Hovhaness.

per Leonarda

 

Marga Richter

 

Over the years, I have acquired many of her recordings and have presented her music many times on my radio program Classical Discoveries. I also had the opportunity to speak to her a few times over the phone.

It is somewhat sad that a noteworthy, living composer, celebrating her 90th birthday on October 21 is not being included, to my knowledge, on any major orchestral concerts this season.

 

It would be wonderful to hear live performance of “Blackberry Vines and Winter Fruit” or some of her other wonderful works in place of one more popular composition of Brahms, Mozart or Beethoven, etc.

Luckily she is not totally forgotten.

On Wednesday, October 26, 2016, Classical Discoveries, the program devoted to lesser known works and a champion of living composers, will pay tribute to Marga and present the program “Who is Marga Richter,” a spotlight on the composer celebrating her 90TH birthday on WPRB 103.3 FM Princeton NJ, or on the Internet at: http://wprb.com/.

During the course of a 5 ½ hour program that airs from 5:30 till 11:00am EST, you will have opportunity to hear approximately 2.5 hours of Marga’s music and if you miss the broadcast you will have a chance to listen to the archived program at Classical Discoveries website for limited time at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_10_26_2016_temporary_file.html

You should really familiarize yourself with this wonderful composer. Here some interesting links:

http://www.margarichter.com/

http://www.newyorkwomencomposers.org/profiles.php4?zdm_id=RIC01

http://composers21.com/compdocs/richterm.htm

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/45snz6dc9780252037313.html

http://www.kcstudio.com/richter2.html

Marga Richter’s POETIC IMAGES BEYOND POETRY,

Water is Life – For Flint

The top of a water tower at the Flint Water Plant is seen in Flint, Michigan January 13, 2016. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

This Wednesday, February 10, 2016 from 5:30 – 11:00am EST, Classical  Discoveries presents:

Water is Life – For Flint – WPRB Radio Broadcast

As I was flipping through images for a possible Valentine special knowing that most likely everyone will focus on same subject, I stumbled on a picture that caused me to change my focus.

It was a picture of thick, almost brown compressed water coming out of a faucet in Flint MI, forming a thick residue in the shape resembling a heart – yes, in the shape of a heart.

At this point, I knew that my Valentine special would be different and would be about water and how this most important source of our life inspired so many composers.

It will be a radio tribute to the people of Flint and to all others who have had their life destroyed because of fracking, oil and sludge spills and other environmental disasters caused by humans.
Water is of major importance to all living things; in some organisms, up to 90% of their body weight comes from water and up to 60% of the human adult body is made of water.
My heart goes out to the people of Flint and I am outraged that elected officials knowingly deprived a whole town of basic clean water in the name of the almighty dollar and possibly damaging them for life. My heart goes out especially to children whose life may be ruined due to this horrific event. The lack of action to solve this problem by the people that caused this horrific crime is inexcusable and criminal! All involved should be prosecuted!

This is why this week’s Classical Discoveries special is called “Water is Life – For Flint” The show will be totally devoted to works inspired by different forms of water.
I know that this will not help Flint but I just want to remind people that it is very easy to pollute and destroy a life on our planet.

Here is a list of some of the works to be presented this Wednesday:
Become Ocean by American composer John Luther Adams (1953- )
In Hydraulis by Franco-Flemish composer Antoine Busnoys (c.1430-1492)
Les Fleuves engloutis pour orchestre (The Rivers Engulfed, for orchestra) by Franco-Lebanese composer Bechara EL-Khoury (1957- )
Four Pieces About Water (Running Water, Salt Water, Frozen Water, Rain Water) by Canadian composer Emily Doolittle (1972- )
Symphony No. 63 “Loon Lake” by American composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000)
Water Music by American composer Libby Larsen (1950- )
Hafis (Drift Ice) Op. 63 by Icelandic composer Jón Leifs (1899-1968)
Living Waters by American composer Peter Lieuwen (1953- )
Dark Waters by American composery Ingram Marshall (1942-)
I Hear The Water Dreaming by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996)
Future of Water by Australian composer Julian Yu (1957- )
Like Streams in the Desert by American composer Meira Warshauer (1949- )
as well works by composers: Douglas Knehans, Karen Tanaka, Lois V Vierk
and more works inspired by water

You can listen to the program on the radio in NJ, parts of PA, Delaware and NY at: WPRB 103.3FM Princeton NJ, or on the Internet at: http://www.wprb.com/

For Internet listeners link to excellent Time Zone Converter: http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc
If you are on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1556090024704481/

Please check the Classical Discoveries website a few days before the event for more details at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/
After the broadcast MP3 file will be available for limited time at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_02_10_2016_temporary_file.html

Water (chemical formula: H2O) is a transparent fluid which forms the world’s streams, lakes, oceans and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of organisms. Water is a liquid at standard ambient temperature and pressure, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice; and gaseous state, steam (water vapor). It also exists as snow, fog, dew and cloud.Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. It is vital for all known forms of life. Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other life forms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrient (per Wikipedia)

In The Shadow of Mount Ararat

My knowledge of the Armenian Genocide was very limited until I met Alan Hovhaness and his last piano protege, Shoghere Markarian in the early 1980’s.

Mount Ararat

Christmas Eve 1997 with Shoghere

Shoghere and I became close friends until she passed away in 2007. A gifted pianist adored by Hovhaness, she premiered many of his piano works. She was also a teacher, the correspondent for the now defunct weekly, The Armenian Reporter, and a connoisseur of classic literature. Shoghere was obsessed with the Armenian painter Arshile Gorky and his incredible poetic letters to his sister Vartoosh, who like Komitas, (composer that greatly influenced Hovhaness) was scared for his life by the Armenian Genocide.

In the 1990’s she embarked on a mission to present these letters to a wider audience. I received invitations several times from her to perform solo piano works of Alan Hovhaness between her letter readings and to also play music for four hands (also of Hovhaness) with her.  During Shoghere’s readings I also improvised quietly in the background in Hovhaness’s style which was a total joy!  One of most notable performances we did was in 1996 during the Contemporary Armenian Artist Art Exhibition in Boston.

Contemporary Armenian Artist Art Exhibition in Boston

She also introduced me to singing of wonderful soprano Lusine Zakaryan.

I remember when in late 1999, during one of our casual meetings, she give me a CD titled “Oratorio In Memory of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide 1915” by Khachatur Avetisyan. Two weeks later I broadcast the complete work on my weekly program Classical Discoveries with a repeat presentation in 2010.

As a reporter she was present in 2002 at The Armenian National Committee meeting discussing the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and felt that it was important to the world to remember what happened.

The Armenian Reporter May 04, 2002

Of course, my contact with Armenian communities was not limited to Hovhaness and Shoghere. From the time I recorded 2 CD’s of his music, I have performed many recitals organized by Armenian organizations as far as in Chicago.

Armenian music is often featured on Classical Discoveries. I have presented, for example, 2 operas by Armen Tigranian; Anoush and David-Beg, and many compositions by one the great Armenian composers, Avet Terterian, who is sadly little known here in the western hemisphere. To show how times have changed, I remember hearing Terterian’s music for the first time in the afternoon on WNCN, a wonderful commercial station from New York which is now sadly gone.

The strange thing is that I never presented a full program devoted to Armenian music, not counting programs and the special 24 hour Marathon devoted to Hovhaness – the American composer whose love for the music of his father’s homeland earned him a permanent place in the hearts of all Armenians.

As I am preparing my special program I cannot help to think about Shoghere and how happy and very proud of me she would be. I am dedicating this program to her memory and to those who lost their lives during the purge 100 hundred years ago.

Here are some details:

Program will air:

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 from 5:30 through 11:00am
WPRB 103.3FM Princeton NJ, or on the Internet at: http://www.wprb.com/

 April 24, 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, one of the worst in history where about 1.5 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire perished between 1915 and 1923.
In observance of the 100th anniversary of the genocide, I will present a whole program devoted to music by Armenian composers and by composers of Armenian descent titled “In the Shadow of Mount Ararat.”
One of the main features of the program will be the “Oratorio In Memory of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide 1915” by Khachatur Avetisyan

Check Classical Discoveries website a few days before the event for more details at:
http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/

You can join Classical Discoveries Event on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/events/1394051834249938/

You will find playlist after the broadcast at:
http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/playlists_2015_01.html#0422

Listen to archived program till May 10, 2015 at:
http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_music.html#0422