Where is Dennis Bartel?

Many may have been wondering about KUSC's Dennis Bartel, like me.  He has sent out a letter to his listeners about his long medical leave due to health issues.  Struggling with Parkinson’s disease, Dennis is spending time with his family.

It was sad this morning to see his face removed from the KUSC playlist.  He was the family guy.  He did many children's shows on the weekends with his four C's.

He introduced me to the "Beethoven's Wig" series, by Richard Perlmutter.

He introduced me to "Juanita the Spanish Lobster", by David Haslam.

He introduced me to "The Three Piggy Opera", by Once Upon an Opera.

Dennis has brought in more children's classical music to my home than anybody else.  And that brings smiles and laughter in the air, wonderful nutrition for our kids' emotions.  :)

I wish him well, but I'm not ruling out the possibility of him getting better, recovering, and holding the mike again!

Mozart & Don Quixote

We went to the Pacific Symphony concert on Saturday.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on July 16, 2017.

Can you find the wind machine?

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Orli Shaham and cellist Timothy Landauer.

Maurice Ravel:  Alborada del gracioso

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Concerto No. 17 in G Major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 453

Richard Strauss:  Don Quixote, TrV 184, Op. 35

Here's the wind machine, right behind the brass!

KUSC's Rich Capparela gave the pre-concert lecture, along with Orli Shaham.

Orli gave her 5 minute passionate walk-through of the Mozart concerto, and Rich gave his 20 minute walk-through of the 45 minute Don Quixote.  The concert experience becomes super-enriched with these pre-concert talks!  :)

You can sample Orli Shaham's piano (and her brother, Gil's violin) on Amazon!  :)

[Car tune] Pavane Op 50

Rich Capparela's car tune, during the 2017 Spring Membership Drive!

"... because Fridays on the freeways, in case you're listening to us online, and are not familiar with the traffic patterns in southern California, Friday afternoons around this time are basically the traffic equivalent of unicorns and rainbows and babies giggling happily ..."

"Pavane Op 50" by Gabriel Faure

Performance by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Buy this piece from ArkivMusic to support KUSC.

You can sample the piece on Amazon.

Organ Recital: Monte Maxwell

We went to an organ recital by organist Monte Maxwell on Sunday.

The concert was projected to a big screen set up on the concert stage.  I did not know they could do that!

Organist Monte Maxwell played, with handbell ringers Mitchell Bell and Timmy Maggs.

Richard Wagner:  Fanfares from Parsifal

Georges Bizet:  Suite from Carmen

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Fantasia (and Fugue) in G Minor, BWV 542

Pietro Yon:  Humoresque "L'organo Primitivo"

Charles-Marie Widor:  Andante Cantabile from Organ Symphony No. 4, Op. 13

John Philip Sousa:  Stars and Stripes Forever

Monte Maxwell:  A Military Salute

Alexander Russell:  The Bells of St. Anne de Beaupré from St. Lawrence Sketches

Carol Williams:  Major Something, Non Fat Latte! Op. 4

Richard Wagner:  To the Evening Star from Tannhäuser

Louis Vierne:  Finale from Symphony No. 6, Op. 59

Here's Monte Maxwell playing the "National March".  :)

Magic of Chopin

We went to the Pacific Symphony's Saturday night concert!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on July 9, 2017.

Guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni conducted with pianist Louis Lortie.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Symphony No. 31 in D Major, K. 297 (300a) (Paris)

Frédéric Chopin:  Concerto No. 2 in F Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 21

Claude Debussy:  Ibéria from Images

Maurice Ravel:  La Valse

This was a French themed concert.  The first half consisted of composers who were not born in France.  And the second half were French composers writing about Spain and Vienna.  :)

Here are some fun facts we heard in the pre-concert interviews with Alan Chapman.

Jean-Marie Zeitouni went to an experimental school in Montreal from second grade, where he did the normal academic curriculum, plus the same amount of musical education.  He went on and got 3 master degrees; percussion, composing, and conducting (because tuition was free)!

Louis Lortie's recording career started after he filled in for a dress rehearsal of a recording (Shostakovich's piano concerto on a two day notice!).  The recording company was Chandos, and Louis got recruited on the spot.  He's been with Chandos ever since!

You can sample Louis Lortie's piano on Amazon!  :)