“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

 

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

Return of Marathonmaniac

Final moments at 2014 – Viva 21st Century Marathon. left: composers Daniel Dorff, back: Robert Moran, Susan T. Nelson and Amanda Harberg

I am embarrassed to look at my blog and to see how long it has been since I wrote anything. Some might think that I disappeared which is of course not the case. Here I am!! I am back!!!

Between teaching, administrative duties at my school, and of course radio I really do not have much time left. Once again, I am promising that even if I do not have much time, I will post some pictures or music videos to keep the blog going.

I never will catch-up with all the blogs that I could have written during the last few years. Despite this, I will try to summarize things I still remember in a few sentences.

• I became more active (at least during broadcasts of Classical Discoveries) on Twitter. If you want to follow me you can do so @MarvinRosen. You will find out during my radio broadcasts what music is coming next.
• The Piano Duo “Venti Dita” CD became available on CD Baby in April 2013 and sold pretty well, meaning that we at least recouped most of our expenses.
• Have done a few performances, concerts and some lectures about new music. Have been the subjects of a few newspaper stories.
• In 2013 I received the “Distinguished Musician Alumni Award“ from TCNJ.
• Have finally meet one of my favorite, Slovak composers Vladimir Godár in New York.

Composers: Peter Breiner and Vladimír Godár with Publisher & Editor of Music & Literature Magazine: Taylor Davis-Van Atta – guest on Classical Discoveries

So what did I miss with regard to my radio program?

• I presented many special programs.
• Had two summers of special programming – “Treasures of Early Music” and for part of last summer, a number of avant-garde specials.
• Had interviews with Kaija Saariaho, 2 guests from Poland, Miłosz Bembinow and Dariusz Przybylski, return visits to the studio by Frank J. Oteri and Andrew Rudin, and a number of first timers such as Vivian Fung, Randall Woolf and Kathleen Supové (Woolf and Red Riding Hood), Guy Klucevsek and many others I have not mentioned here.

American composer and accordion virtuoso, Guy Klucevsek

Canadian composer, Vivian Fung

American composer Frank J. Oteri

Composer Randall Woolf and pianist Kathleen Supové (Woolf and Red Riding Hood)

Polish composer, Miłosz Bembinow

Polish composer Dariusz Przybylski

• Students from my class on 21st Century Music (in the winter of 2014 and 2015) presented wonderful on the air interviews with their chosen composers. This class is part of the Honors Music Program at Westminster Conservatory in Princeton, NJ.
• Presented a special 12-hour music marathon celebrating the 30^th Anniversary of New York Women Composers.

• Presented three more annual Viva 21st Century Marathons (two of three were actually 25 hour-long) – I hosted my 10^th new music marathon this past December. *

With 10* to my credit (1 devoted to American composers and one to women), all live and hosted, some of my friends started call me a Marathonmaniac. Yes, I must be crazy to be on the air for 242 hours during 10 sittings. One of those days I will summarize how many new, 21^st century compositions I have presented during all of my New Music Marathons combined.

* Actually 11th -24 hour but was devoted just to the music of Alan Hovhaness on his 100th hundred birthday year

Final moments at 2013 – Viva 21st Century Marathon. back: composers: Susan T. Nelson, Robert Moran and Daniel Dorff

Composer Daniel Dorff – 2014

Final moments at 2014 – Viva 21st Century Marathon. composers Daniel Dorf, Robert Moran, Susan T. Nelson and Amanda Harberg

I must say that being live on the air for 24-25 hours straight and playing that all wonderful music gets me so excited that I do not feel tired until about the 23^rd hour. This is why I love it each year when my annual guests – composer friends like Daniel Dorff and Robert Moran (plus many that I have endless gratitude to but not mentioned here) visit me, especially close to the end and join me on the air talking about their recent, just written works.

Nothing can replace a live, unedited, spontaneous DJ trying to speak, after being on the air for many, many hours. This is one of the special, unique moments of live radio.  Someone told me that I was the first who dared to present a 24 hour live marathon devoted to compositions just written after 2000 when I did this back in 2007 (of course in addition to playing new music on Classical Discoveries each week for almost 18 years)

I am sorry to say this but many people have forgotten this already or have maybe chosen to ignore it, have simply very short memories, or are maybe playing politics. I do not know, but I am OK with this and very happy that there are others doing 24 hour Marathons featuring new music. We need these more often since we already have plenty of new music to present on many marathons.

In 2007 it was much harder to organize 24 hours of good, diverse new music but now it is a totally different story.

Maybe one day I will try to do 30 straight hours. Should I do it? Should I announce a challenge “The Game of XXI-Marathons”? Hmmmm?.

Talking about new music news: Last Wednesday I presented the World Premiere Broadcast of the just premiered (February, 2015) Viper Concerto for Viper electric violin and orchestra by Serbian composer, Ana Milosavljevic composed in 2014!

• Now I am working on my 3 specials:  “Sacred Bridges” (Wednesday, April 1, 5:30-11:00am), “Little Known Treasures of Early Music for Easter” (Sunday, April 5, 10:00am-1:00pm) and “Music for Orthodox Easter” (Sunday, April 12, 1:00-3:00pm).

So get ready. More blogs are coming (I hope)!

Those Magnificent Philadelphians!

You might think that the above title is referring to the famous Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Samuel Barber, or even Vincent Persichetti, but anyone who knows me would know that would not be totally the case. I am not trying to be disrespectful to them of course, but I’d rather focus on what is happening in Philadelphia now. We have many great musicians, composers and artists living and associated with the City of Brotherly Love.

Over the years some of them have visited the WPRB studio including Andrea Clearfield, George Crumb, Daniel Dorff, James Freeman, Jennifer Higdon and of course Alan Harler and Robert Moran, who are returning for a visit together this Wednesday, October 3  from 10:00am till 1:00pm for what promises to be an exciting 3 hours of programming!!  

Robert Moran at WPRB Studio during his 2011 interview

On the venue will be a discussion of the October 21, 2012 world premiere performance of Robert Moran’s Angus Dei and the commissioned, full-chorus version of the ethereal Trinity Requiem, with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, as well as of course other subjects related to music.

 

Alan Harler has been artistic director of the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia from 1988 and is only the 12th person to hold that position since the chorus’s founding in 1874.

He is an exceptional conductor with a global reach and is a strong supporter of new American music. During his tenure with the Mendelssohn Club, he has commissioned 48 new compositions. Yes, a man close to my heart.  I have attended many of their concerts for the last 15 years and was never disappointed. This will be Alan’s second visit to the WPRB studio.

Robert Moran is an American composer of operas and ballets as well as many orchestral, vocal, chamber and dance works.  He has been a “Classical Discoveries” guest several times over the years.

The Trinity Requiem issued on the Innova Label received the world premiere broadcast on Classical Discoveries in August, 2011 with a repeat broadcast during the 24-hour 9/11 Marathon.

This wonderful CD together with Moran’s 3 others issued on the Innova label as well as the Mendelssohn Club CD with music of Higdon, Clearfield and Primosh (also on Innova) will be offered as special premiums only on Wednesday, October 10 between 5:00am and 1:00pm during the special Fund Drive Edition of my program.

In a few days I will post more details about the Fund Drive and will also provide a  link to the list of special premiums offered only during the program.

Classical Discoveries airs each Wednesday on WPRB at 103.3 FM Princeton or on-line at www.wprb.com

If you cannot listen that day you have the option to record program via DAR.fm   (custom link:DAR.fm/classicaldiscoveries(wprb), or listen to the archives for over two weeks after each show at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_music.html

Robert Moran (*1937): Requiem: Chant du Cygne, for 4 Choruses and 4 Chamber Ensembles (1990).

Artistic Director Alan Harler Describes Andrea Clearfield’s World Premiere

The Kitten, Venti Dita and the Music!

It is  hard to imagine that there will be no more occasional sitting in front of the TV or enjoying the sounds of the garden in the evening with Beata and a glass of wine. Yes, I am going back to teaching this Monday.  I am sad about the passing of summer but am also exited about the new school year, especially that this year I will be teaching four classes of my favorite subject – music history. I am also looking forward to my upcoming recital and new CD of piano duos.

I did not do much of what I planned at all. I had no time for blogs, catching up with Facebook friends or extra trips to New York and the Amish County. My summer was devoted though to plenty of piano music and cats, two of my favorite subjects.

The Kitten!

On my last day of school we become  parents to a little, scroungy looking black kitten with white spots, who if would not be found by students in a Princeton University dumpster, would be crushed to death.

Pix day one

Now, after 3 months and dozens of sleepless nights, many broken flowerpots, chewed up hibiscus, 2 planters that became kitty litter boxes and dozens more emergency cleanups, our little kitten Pix, is taller and heavier than our biggest cat, Puszek. He provides us with joy and constant entertainment as well as a means for exercise for our other three other kitties that were sleeping over 20 hours a day.

Venti Dita!

Finally, after working for almost two years together with Jennifer, we came up with the name for our piano duo: Venti Dita. I think that this is a really cool, simple musical name – 20 fingers in Italian.

The biggest achievement and time-consuming activity this summer was the recording of our first duo CD devoted to contemporary music for piano 4 hands, at Purchase College, Purchase, NY.

When my wife commuted to work in Willow Grove in Pa. I always teased her that she picked the very early starting time of 5:30am to get good parking and to avoid traffic on the PA turnpike. The karma caught with me this summer when after my first trip to Purchase, I was almost late to our first recording session, despite the fact I left more than enough time.

Now it was her time for her to get back at me and remind me of the old times. After that first week I would leave home at 5am to pass the George Washington Bridge before it turned into a parking lot. My extra time would spent in a Diner having a hearty breakfast with Jennifer and yes, sipping good tea, especially since we would take only a short break for lunch that Beata packed for us in a small cooler so we would not waste time driving to another diner. Coming back home was also tied up to traffic patterns. Having dinner before leaving Westchester solved this problem and most times I had a smooth trip home.

I feel sorry for drivers that must put up with this kind of aggravation on the road every day. For last 15 years I take a train instead of drive to New York.

I am very lucky to live very close to my school as well as to WPRB, since the traffic around Princeton is not much better, especially now when NJDOT closed a few local roads, creating havoc for local drivers.

We had 3 recording sessions plus 3 sessions with our wonderful engineer, Andy Cardenas.  One recording session was extremely exhausting since we could  not use the air conditioner and the temperature outside soared to  98 degrees.

Yea!!!! We have a gold master and it sounds really great, but we still have many steps to take care before the CD can be released. Hopefully the recording will be out before the end of the year.  Cannot wait!!!

The Music!

Each year I devote much time in the summer to listen to music, but this summer I spent more time at the piano.

Besides hosting my both radio programs at WPRB, and yes, celebrating at the end of May the beginning of my 16^th year on the air, I spent my summer preparing for the recording sessions as well as my upcoming piano recital devoted to contemporary music.

On the radio I presented a few special Early Music Editions, hosted a jazz program with music by classical composers inspired by jazz, and had a few guests such as the young Serbian composer-violinist Ana Milosavljević, Australian composer and conductor Sean O’Boye, Elliott Carter expert Joe Barron, and pianist Rosanne Vita Nahass who recently released a CD featuring the Concord, Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass.  by Charles Ives. Finally, I celebrated John Cage’s 100^th Birthday with an unexpected 6-hour edition of “Classical Discoveries Goes Avant-Garde”.

My piano recital titled “Contemporary Piano Miniatures”, will be Sunday afternoon, September 23 at 3:00pm in Bristol Chapel at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and will include music from many countries. I will be joined in several works by my piano duo partner Jennifer Castellano, and will perform selections included on our upcoming CD.

And yes, this concert is FREE!!!!  So if you are around, please join me and if you are afraid of new music, here is your opportunity to try without risk. Princeton is a charming town in  early autumn.

If you listen to “Classical Discoveries” you will recognize the names of many composers. In addition, you will hear a complete performance of the work by my duo partner Jennifer I use as my opening theme.

I feel very lucky that I am in position as an educator, performer and radio host to expose new and unknown music to many.

Before I conclude, I would just like to remind you all that we must support our living composers today as they were supported by their contemporaries in earlier centuries.

If you want directions or more information please email me at Marvinarosen@gmail.com

If you are on Facebook and attend please sign the guest list at: https://www.facebook.com/events/438945242823380/

Classical Discoveries – First 15 years on the air

When I nervously walked for the first time to the WPRB studio at about fifteen minutes to six on Thursday morning, May 29, 1997 I had no idea that I would be celebrating 15 years on the air.

It was only days after a trip to Poland and finding out that I would be losing my position as Classical CD Buyer at the Princeton University Store. The new management did not see any value in promoting classical music and got better returns in selling t-shirts.

After all, who needed culture in a University town? A few “3 Tenors” CD’s strategically placed between trashy books was enough to make a better profits with the average tourists visiting town. It did not count that my small, eclectic department attracted buyers (attending workshops and University conferences) from all over the world and that these buyers roamed around the store spending money on other stuff.

When I walked into the WPRB studio I did not know that this would be the only good thing keeping me going for the next 2 years.

I am very proud of Princetonians. The news of the closing CD department caused a public outcry that caused the temporary reversal of the initial decision, but I paid dearly for it. I resigned from my position after 2 years, when I could not endure any more harassment (privately and in front of all other management staff) and psychological bullying, something I will never forget. I should have walked out when the original decision was made because after that whatever I would do was insufficient or wrong for management.

This is when in the mist of all things Classical Discoveries, an idea of the advertising guru for Princeton University Store, was born. Since WPRB’s advertising rates were (and still are) the best around and they were looking for summer Classical DJ’s, my position in both places could help. Unfortunately again, management was not interested in promoting CD sales while helping a local station at the same time.

I remember like yesterday my first day when after 15 minutes of training (yes, 15 minutes before WPRB went on the air) by a DJ named Tyler, I had been left on my own and remember that my voice was shaking.  Boy, was I nervous! I even forgot to stop the CD player and announced the next work while the first CD was still playing.

New t-shirt with Classical Discoveries logo

It took several months for my program to become what it is now and you can read about that in one of my first blogs ”More about me”

Like everything in life, I have had good times and bad times, but I will never regret the moment when I realized that during my first trying months on the air, I could make a difference for music and composers that are not household names. Over the years many of them, as well as some listeners have become my friends.

To this day,  planning my radio show is one of the most fun things I do every week, and it is still amazing to think that this all started during one of the most difficult times of my life.  It has never been a chore to get up at 4:00am, or to stay awake for 24 hours during one of my marathons.

During the last 15 years I have had many mishaps and disasters. Some of these were funny and some were embarrassing. These keep live radio exciting since you never know what may happen next. I was turned into an icicle when locked out at 5:15am outside of Bloomberg Hall for 50 minutes with a wind-chill factor of 0 during a Christmas break. I was also locked out,  outside of the studio for 45 minutes during a Fund Drive. Luckily the music kept playing and the phones kept ringing during this time!  I barely made it to the hospital for hernia surgery, being saved by Jon Solomon, after the next DJ following me could not make to the station, with a FCC agent breathing down my neck.

I lived through the station moving from the dungeons of Holder Hall to the new place in Bloomberg Hall in 2004. I was delighted when we moved because I stopped getting parking tickets!  I also lived through the time when we became member supported several years ago.  During my 15 years, there have been at least 12 classical directors and 14 station managers as well as countless numbers of student and community DJ’s, some of whom I remember and some I do not.

At ASCAP Award Ceremony with Paul Moravec and Beata

I remember December 15, 2005, when after 2 hours waiting for my turn, I lost my voice during my acceptance speech at the ASCAP Award ceremony in NY. Imagine, getting a radio award and losing my voice in front of an auditorium full of people. Thinking about this now, really makes me laugh!

In 2001 with help of a friend, I created my website, with the picture of my first piano CD as a logo. The  website and logo went through a face-lift in 2009. In 2007, following the example of the Christmas Marathon Giant Jon Solomon, I presented my 1^st 21st Century Music Marathon.  In the summer of 2008, the new program “Classical Discoveries Goes Avant-Garde” was born (program designed to accommodate works that very often fall between the cracks and are difficult to classify as well as many electronic selections and more avant-garde works ignored by most radio stations).

Thanks to the help of friend and composer, Steve Layton and my wife, you can listen to archived programs for over 2 weeks after their first broadcast just by going to special page on my website, or if you prefer you can record and download the programs through Dar.fm – Digital Recorder.  These new features began just a few months ago.

Some weeks ago, I finally located a box of memorabilia that contained 3 notebooks of old playlists from 1997 till March 2001. I forgot so many things and going through each page brought back many memories.

Classical Discoveries two first playlists

The most important thing is that without a station like WPRB – a station that supports individuality, my program could not exist.  I know, that no classical manager on a regular commercial or NPR station would allow me to program 100% the music of my choice. Thank you WPRB for my last 15 years on the air.

When you read this blog, please remember that thou all DJ’s at WPRB are volunteers, the station needs your support to survive and pay its expenses.

I  would like to thank to all listeners that supported me through all those years. Your phones and letters were and are very important to me.

I cannot end this memory trip without giving a credit to my wonderful wife, Beata. Without her endless support and hours of hard work on my website this program would never be what it is. I also want to thank her for her endless patience with me in learning correct Polish and other Slavic language pronunciation. I am always asked if I speak fluent Polish. No, I don’t speak Polish at all.  The only thing I can say in Polish is not very suitable to write, a sentence I used to say while walking our dog.

Yes, It has been an exciting 15 years and all I can say is that I hope that in 15 years from now I will be celebrating 30 years on the air.

I hope, that you will be able to join me and celebrate my 15th anniversary this Wednesday, May 29 at 5:30am till 1:00pm. The combined Classical Discoveries and the Avant-Garde Edition will include listener requests and many works, which were officially presented as première broadcasts during the last 15 years.

As always, you can find more find more at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org  – home page for the program where new music lives for 15 years and where many discoveries begin.

What is new?

Yes, I am still here!

I just came back from my student piano recitals feeling really proud, but also happy that one more project is behind me.

My crazy April Odyssey continues without leaving much time for blogging, and my next blog will most likely be just before the fifteenth anniversary of my program, which was broadcast for the first time on May 29 1997.

Wow, I cannot believe how fast the time goes. I was thinking about recreating my first show since I finally did find my book of old playlists, but it would make the program too traditional, so maybe I will play only a few selections from my first show. I do not know yet.

So, what is happening on Classical Discoveries and the Avant-Garde Edition?

This Wednesday, May 02, 2012 from 9:00am till 11:00am

American composer, organist and Messaian scholar Frank Ferko, known for his choral music inspired by Hildegard von Bingen will visit WPRB.

also

Next Wednesday, May 09, 2012 from 11:00am till 1:00pm on the Avant-Garde Edition,

American composer and Co-Director of New Amsterdam Records, Sara Kirkland Snider and whose work “Disquiet” will be premiering on May 13, 2012 by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, will be my guest.

As always, you can listen on 103.3 FM or on the Internet at: www.wprb.com

and if you cannot listen those days you can go to archived programs on my website or you can go to one more option: DAR.fm – a Digital Audio Recorder {a custom link: DAR.fm/classicaldiscoveries(wprb)} which has been tested by a number of people, is very convenient and works very well. You can stream the program later on your smart phone, PC or other audio devices.

Laus Trinitati from Frank Ferko’s Hildegard Motets

He Looks Out to Sea from Penelope work composed by Sarah Kirkland Snider

The Women Are Coming

Fifteen years ago, on my first Classical Discoveries program on WPRB, I played a work of the Polish violinist and composer, Grażyna Bacewicz. At this time it was hard to find a CD or LP with women composers and buying over the Internet had just begun.

Miniature painting of female musicians from Hasht-Behesht palace, Isfahan, Iran, from 1669

Before my marriage, I had no idea that March 8 was celebrated all over the world as International Women’s Day. My almost wife informed me that she was accustomed to receive her favorite flowers, freesia on that day.

When my first March came along, together with a Hovhaness birthday tribute, I played the music of a few women composers and my wife got a wonderful bouquet of freesia. Actually, to find freesia was easier than to find recordings of music by women, since this was the time of the Philadelphia Flower Show and the region exploded with flowers.

As my CD collection was growing I was able to eventually devote the entire month of March to woman composers.  This is how the annual series “In Praise Of Woman” was born and you know the rest.

Every March from 2004, in observance of Women’s History Month, Classical Discoveries pays tribute to music by women composers from all over the world and through the centuries. Every regular scheduled program (that includes the Avant-Garde Edition from 2009) is exclusively devoted to their music.

I heard many times the opinion that women are not capable to compose, write and paint, based on amount of work they left through the ages. On my webpage devoted to this program I quoted a few years ago the following:

History was not very kind to women in the past. They were destined to be wives and mothers, were kept away from education and culture by controlling fathers, brothers and husbands. Women were forbidden to write, compose, or paint and the only way for some to escape that path was to join a convent, however these often had many restrictions imposed by male superiors.

The lucky ones born to wealthy or artistic families were allowed to be creative, often only till they got married. Some of them could not escape the sad destiny of having their works claimed by men.  Many women did not sign their works or they used a male name. It has been suggested by many researchers that women are behind many anonymous works.

I think they did pretty well considering all the obstacles they faced and it is time for us men, to admit that we were responsible for those obstacles.

Of course, I did reference to the past, but if you turn on the radio and TV these days you wonder if we are going back in time and if the above comment will apply in the next 10 years. I hope it never comes to that.

Yes, I must admit that it is better for women now. Some have even gotten the recognition they deserve, but that is not enough.

There are not many places where one can learn about woman composers.  You definitely won’t learn much by attending most concerts or by listening to your typical classical radio station where most likely the average listener won’t be able to name 5 women composers.

I teach Music History for the Young Artist program at Westminster Conservatory and always make sure to include women composers in my presentations. I get a lot of pleasure seeing young women’s faces light up with pride on the news that we had women composers in all historical periods. You should have seen my surprise after asking if anyone knew who the first woman was who wrote a sonata and hearing the name Isabella Leonarda coming from the mouth of 16-year-old student. In fact, I wonder how many regular classical music listeners know who she was? Yes, my message is getting through.

Preparing for all of my programs of women composers reminded me about a rather disturbing Facebook incident, where I had been accused (not a long time ago) for patronizing women. Since I was devoting a whole Classical Discoveries program to music written by women I was sending a wrong message to a young impressionable women. (sic)

The whole incident started turn ugly and engaged many listeners and composers in my defense.  I tried not to get to involved with this, but eventually I had no choice but write the following statement to my attacker to stop her from continuing this farce.

I do consider myself as very sensitive guy, careful not to hurt someone feelings. I have never thought that calling a composer – a woman composer might hurt some. The English language does not give us flexibility like other languages to make that distinction. Is it really so bad to be called a woman composer?

I never thought in my life that a young impressionable woman would get the wrong message listening to only women composers on Classical Discoveries. I wonder why so many of them (young women) wrote to me over the years saying that I opened their eyes showing how many great women composers exist, and that they are very proud being women musicians or/and composers.

Someone does not need to patronize me by telling me that I might have good intentions. I do not.  I do the right thing by devoting whole programs to women composers even if one person does not like it.  As the creator of this program I have total artistic freedom how, what and when I present it. In my program, considering the limited time I have, I do the best to present unknown composers and that includes men also.

By the way I asked and never heard from you if it is ok for a woman radio host to devote a whole program to women composers. Guess what? Since you never answered, I am not interested to find this from you anymore. I would like to thank you in advance for bowing out and not continuing this farce. I would especially like to thank as well all of my (sometimes insulted) supporters. …I consider this subject closed, it seems that no one who responded agrees with your opinion, however, I promise you that I will respect any wish from any composer not to be played on my program.

At the end, the attacker claiming to be a musician, bowed out, and this is bizarre – she admitted to not having any idea what my program was about and admitted she never listened to it.

I do not expect any more problems like this and she is no more my Facebook friend. So far I have not received even one letter from a composer requesting that his/her music would not to be played on my program.

Persian Musician of Qajar Dynasty

So here we are on the brink of the 9^th Annual  “In Praise of Woman” –  four weeks of nothing but music by women.

If you have not visited my website, here is the information:

The first two shows of the series will air Wednesday, March 07, 2012 at 5:30am and will be devoted to American Women composers. On March 14, Classical Discoveries will host live, in the WPRB studio, Cuban composer Tania León  and on March 21, English composer Roxanna Panufnik

and all that will happen on WPRB 103.3 FM Princeton NJ, or on the Internet at: http://www.wprb.com/listen.php

To find past playlists of the annual series and other programs devoted to music by women composers go to
In Praise of Woman page.

Please check the weekly posting for highlights and upcoming features at http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org

Also, this year you will be able to listen to archived programs for two weeks at: http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org/index_music

If you are on Facebok please join the Event at : https://www.facebook.com/events/361012613933524/

 

Winter’s Breath

A couple of weeks ago, on a beautiful snowy Sunday morning, I stumbled on a wonderful video posted in Facebook.  The author was  Sean O’Boyle, the Australian composer, living in New York. The soundtrack for the video was his own composition titled “Winter’s Breath”.

I wonder if he was thinking about the music while taking this video or the idea of pairing both came later?

Some of you might remember Sean as a composer of the “Concerto for Didgeridoo and Orchestra”, a work that I have presented several times on my program.

The pictures of those snowy scenes in New York combined with music gave me the idea to do a whole program of works devoted to winter, a season that never really came to us this year on the east coast, at least not yet.

As I am going through piles of CD’s of music depicting musically ice, snow, and the cold, I am imagining wonderful winter scenery and hope that some of you will be able to join and share with me this special voyage to the Winter Wonderland, just days before March and the real spring season begins.

Yes, winter is coming to Classical Discoveries this Wednesday from 5:30am till 1:00pm. Get out your warm gloves, scarfs, boots and get ready to be chilled and frozen on  WPRB 103.3FM or on-line at http://www.wprb.com/listen.php

If you miss the broadcast you will be able to listen on your computer for 2 weeks after the mp3 files are posted on my Classical Discoveries website.

The weather is so different from last year, when I remember driving to WPRB for my 24 Hour Hovhaness Marathon in a blizzard. A two-minute drive turned into a 40-minute struggle. I live close and could have actually walked to the station, but since I needed supplies for 24-hours of survival, I needed to go by car.

My evening’s special guest could not get a taxi for a 2-mile drive from his hotel to the studio.  That is how bad it was. After that, we had snow almost every Monday or Tuesday. I was actually very happy when spring arrived.

This season, after the late October snow we had only a few days of light snow, and can already see spring flowers popping up in my garden. I bet that many people with extreme weather this year would like to exchange places with us here in the Northeast.

March, as always, will be devoted to women composers, so this is my last chance to celebrate winter.  In addition, on Feb.29, to celebrate Alan Hovhaness’s 101st birthday, I will broadcast a live concert of his chamber music taped on January 8, 2012 at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. If you are on Facebook, you can join the Event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/238468462904193/.  I will also present some selections from a just released CD of his choral works as performed by Gloriae Dei Cantores.

Enjoy the last few weeks of winter, or at least listen this Wednesday on WPRB.