The Met's Ring Fails to Satisfy

For those who missed this season's Ring cycle at the Metropolitan Opera, take heart. You didn't miss much.

Ralph Graves 5/30/12 Ralph Graves 5/30/12

Joseph Martin Kraus Viola Concertos No Joke

Violist David Carpenter keeps things moving along, which is good. This is music that benefits for a lightness of touch, and the sprightly playing of the Tapiola Sinfonietta hits just the right emotional tone.

Tim Snider 5/24/12 Tim Snider 5/24/12

Airing Britten's War Requiem

To mark this occasion (and the recent death of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau), I will be playing a complete recording of the War Requiem on Classical Sunrise on WTJU Charlottesville, 91.1 FM, or wtju.net, on Sunday 27 May 2012, between 6 and 9 AM EDT.

Ralph Graves 5/23/12 Ralph Graves 5/23/12

Bjarke Mogensen Accordion Concertos - Fresh Sounds

These are fresh, exciting works that succeed in both presenting the accordion in a new way and being an enjoyable listening experience. Whether you’re after fresh sounds, virtuoso performances, or just plain good music-making, this recording fills the bill.

Ralph Graves 5/16/12 Ralph Graves 5/16/12

Robert Fuchs Serenades - Attractive Works by Mahler's Teacher

Brahms liked Fuchs' music very much. I did, too.

WTJU Radio 5/10/12 WTJU Radio 5/10/12

Happy 327th Birthday, Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach’s compositions were all intended for the glory of God. Perhaps nowhere is Bach’s intention more evident than in these three grand-scale pieces.

Ralph Graves 5/9/12 Ralph Graves 5/9/12

Weinberg Symphony 6 - Russian composer given his due

If you aren't familiar with Mieczyslaw Weinberg, this release is a good place to start.

Tim Snider 4/26/12 Tim Snider 4/26/12

The Demise and Resurgence(?) of a Great Orchestra

It remains to be seen if the Philadelphia Orchestra (or any other American orchestra, for that matter) can survive and even thrive as in years past. While radio stations have the benefit of a vast recorded legacy to enrich their programming, the great orchestras must struggle to renew themselves.

Ralph Graves 4/18/12 Ralph Graves 4/18/12

Ethereal Orchestral Works by Kaija Saariaho

As I listened to this compilation, the words I kept jotting down were "mysterious," "atmospheric," and "ethereal." Those terms, I think, apply to the entire collection.

We are grateful for the generosity of the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation and UVA Arts Council, supporting WTJU and CharlottesvilleClassical.org.