Handel's Messiah Bash

Every year in December, Jim Svejda does a Messiah bash, and plays three recordings.


This recording just came out a couple months ago, and aired on the 2nd.

Performance by Lucy Crowe, soprano, Timothy Mead, countertenor, Andrew Staples, tenor, Christopher Purves, bass, Le Concert d'Astree, conducted by Emmanuelle Haim.


This "modern day" orchestration turned 55 this year, aired on the 17th.

Fully equipped with trombones, tubas, percussions, and even a wind machine, music lovers either absolutely adore it, or absolutely loathe it.

Performance by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

And finally, THE authentic recording to date, utilizes a trumpet in D and a harpsichord, and aired yesterday.

Performance by London Sinfonietta Soloists & Chorus, conducted by Sir Colin Davis.

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[Car tune] Clarinet Concerto: 2nd movement

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... we're coming up on a lot of holiday traffic, so we're saving the big guns for today ..."



"Clarinet Concerto: 2nd movement" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performance by Joaquin Valdepenas, basset clarinet, English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jose-Luis Garcia.

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[Car tune] Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... well, folks are trying to get home, start to get ready for whatever the evening is going to bring, and so since we're all there at the exact same time, the traffic sometimes get, what's the word I'm looking for?  Oh, and that's right, I can't say that word on the radio ..."



"Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Claude Debussy
Performance by Janet Ferguson, flute, Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

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[Car tune] Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... the Friday commute, which is always just basically reindeers and elves ..."



"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performance by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

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[Car tune] Nocturne "Reminiscence" Op.Post. in c#

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... after all, they need to get their shopping done before you do ..."



"Nocturne "Reminiscence" Op.Post. in c#" by Frederic Chopin
Performance by Joshua Bell, violin, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, conducted by Michael Stern.

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[Car tune] Fur Elise WoO 59

Rich Capparela's car tune.

On Beethoven's birthday!  :)



"Fur Elise WoO 59" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performance by Leon Fleisher, piano.

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"... and by the way, we're not exactly positive that Beethoven was born on this day because he was baptized tomorrow, but you know, it's close enough for government work ..."

[Car tune] Symphony #3: III. Poco Allegretto Op 90

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... after all, ___ them ..."



"Symphony #3: III. Poco Allegretto Op 90" by Johannes Brahms
Performance by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marek Janowski.

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Beethoven & Rachmaninoff

The Pacific Symphony is having a concert this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (tonight) at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

I am not attending this one, but it will broadcast on KUSC next year, on March 1.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Symphony No. 7 is one of my favorite Beethoven symphonies.

(3, 5, 6, and 9 are my other favorites.  :))

I think I got addicted after I heard it on the Pacific Symphony's Classical Connections concert.

Carl St. Clair went in depth into the piece, explaining how Beethoven brilliantly weaves the ideas into each movement.

[Car tune] Rinaldo: Lascia ch'io pianga

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... heck, folks don't even need major storms to drive badly, do they?"



"Rinaldo: Lascia ch'io pianga" by George Frideric Handel
Performance by Anthony Robson, oboe, Collegium Musicum 90, conducted by Simon Standage.

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[Car tune] Two Sunsets

Rich Capparela's car tune.



"Two Sunsets" by Ludovico Einaudi
Performance by Ludovico Einaudi, piano, Marco Decimo, cello.

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[Car tune] Silent Night

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... after all, even though the break lights are so festive this time of year, it's kind of a drag ..."



"Silent Night" by Franz Gruber
Performance by Joshua Bell, violin, Young People's Chorus of New York City.

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[Car tune] Peer Gynt: Suite #1: Morning Mood

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"...lets say this morning when you were driving in, you started to hear the news about, what looked like, you know, a conflagration in the middle of downtown Los Angeles and we still got the closures and the folks at Caltrans are saying until further notice until they can get this all cleared up.  Yeah, it was one of those kind of mornings, and it may be another one tomorrow, who knows..."

"Peer Gynt: Suite #1: Morning Mood" by Edvard Grieg

Performance by James Galway, flute, Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan

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Rich Capparela

Rich Capparela is the funniest classical radio host I have ever heard.

I first heard him when he was doing the morning show in K-Mozart.

After KMZT converted to country music, I just happened to google him for some reason, and found that he was now on KUSC.

He also does the Pacific Symphony concert broadcasts, Voice of God, and intermission interviews.

I wish KUSC would air it live again, or at least include the intermission in the Sunday broadcasts.

Anyways, one of my favorites is Rich's "classical anti-road rage melody", or "car tune".

Every weekday at around 5 PM PST, he will play a calming piece to reduce the adrenaline level of south Californian drivers.

This is from today, a request from a listener.

"This is the only thing that will make me feel better when I'm stuck in bed sick."

"Thais: Meditation" by Jules Massenet.

Performance by Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by James Levine.

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