January calendar
Classical performances in and around Richmond, with selected events elsewhere in Virginia and the Washington area. Program information, provided by presenters, is updated as details become available....
View ArticleNo radio this week
When I see a weather forecast calling for a “wintry mix,” which I translate as “ice,” I stay off the roads. Too cautious? If you say so. I say, better safe than sliding into a ditch. So, no Letter V...
View Article70 years of music-making on the ‘frontier’
Ashley Mulcahy, writing for Early Music America, chronicles the history of the Boston Camerata, an ensemble formed 70 years ago in a musty museum basement, that went on to explore periods and genres...
View ArticleTrapped in the new
Mark-Anthony Turnage, the British composer whose music many listeners find challenging or off putting, acknowledges that those listeners have a valid point, and feel “trapped” when they encounter it...
View ArticleNew day & time on the radio
For the University of Richmond’s spring semester, Letter V Classical Radio moves to Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon (1900-2100 UTC/GMT) on WDCE, broadcasting at 90.1 FM, streaming at http://wdce.org,...
View ArticleReview: Paley Festival
Alexander Paley & Peiwen Chen, piano 4-handsAlexander Paley, pianoDaisuke Yamamoto, violinNeal Cary, celloJan. 10, St. Luke Lutheran Church Arrangements of orchestral works for piano solo or piano...
View ArticleSchoenberg publishing house lost in LA fire
Belmont Music Publishers, which preserves and promotes the compositions of Arnold Schoenberg, was among many structures destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles. “The entire inventory of...
View ArticleLetter V Classical Radio Jan. 14
Centenary compositions: Music introduced in 1925, by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, William Walton, Jean Sibelius, Leoš Janáček and Igor Stravinsky. 10 a.m.-noon EST1500-1700 UTC/GMTWDCE, University...
View ArticleLetter V Classical Radio Jan. 21
10 a.m.-noon EST1500-1700 UTC/GMTWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Beethoven: “Leonore” Overture No. 1Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich/David Zinman(RCA) Schubert: Quartet in A minor, D. 804...
View ArticleThe ‘ritual’ of vinyl
Writing for the website digitaltrends, John Higgins deconstructs the notion that the analog recording process produces better (“warmer”) sound than digital recording, noting that “apart from perhaps a...
View ArticleLetter V Classical Radio Jan. 28
A midwinter exploration of Scandinavian music, from an 18th-century wedding celebration to a contemporary contemplation on medieval mystical themes. 10 a.m.-noon EST1500-1700 UTC/GMTWDCE, University...
View ArticleKennedy Center chief announces departure
Deborah Rutter, president of Washington’s Kennedy Center since 2014, has announced that she will vacate the post at the end of this year. Rutter, who came to Washington after serving as president of...
View ArticleReviews?
I am again (sigh) undergoing medical treatment that compromises my immune system. This, as we reportedly have hit peak season for the spread of infectious diseases. So, again, I’m advised to avoid...
View ArticleFebruary calendar
Classical performances in and around Richmond, with selected events elsewhere in Virginia and the Washington area. Program information, provided by presenters, is updated as details become available....
View ArticleNew day & time on the radio
For the University of Richmond’s spring semester, Letter V Classical Radio moves to Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon (1500-1700 UTC/GMT) on WDCE, broadcasting at 90.1 FM, streaming at http://wdce.org,...
View ArticleNo radio this week
Snow and/or the dreaded “wintry mix” are forecast for Tuesday in my part of the world. I avoid driving in those conditions, and so will not be presenting the radio show this week. Weather permitting,...
View ArticleTrump & allies take over Kennedy Center
President Donald J. Trump has dismissed the Kennedy Center’s board chairman and trustees not appointed by him, and the newly configured board has fired the center’s president, Deborah Rutter, naming...
View ArticleLetter V Classical Radio Feb. 25
10 a.m.-noon EST1500-1700 UTC/GMTWDCE, University of Richmond90.1 FMhttp://wdce.org Carlos Simon: “Tales – a Folklore Symphony”National Symphony Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda(National Symphony...
View ArticleCoup and consequences
The takeover of the Kennedy Center, Washington’s largest performing-arts venue, by President Trump and his supporters has provoked a predictable outcry from people against whom Trump campaigned. The...
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