Classical Conversations

The pianist Simone Dinnerstein joins us for a conversation about her second album recorded at home during the pandemic: An American Mosaic by Richard Danielpour. A 15-movement cycle of character shorts inspired by the heroes of the pandemic (Doctors and Interns, Teachers and Students, Rabbis and Ministers - to name but a few), An American Mosaic was written for Simone after the composer's own experience as an asthmatic at risk from Covid-19. To help alleviate his anxiety during this time, Danielpour listened to Simone's recording of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, which not only inspired the work as a whole, but also his three Bach transcriptions which also appear on the disc.

A Musical America Artist of the Year, Grammy-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov is known for his intense yet thoughtful performances, especially of the Russian masterworks. In his latest album Silver Age, Trifonov teams up with the Mariinsky Orchestra and conductor Valery Gergiev for piano concertos by Sergei Prokofiev and Alexander Scriabin. The young, dynamic pianist joins us for a conversation about the music on this disc, which also includes fabulous solo piano works by Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky.

Multi Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn joins us to talk about her album Paris – a musical love letter to the city she has been visiting and performing in since her teenage years. Alongside the masterful and vibrant Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1, Hilary plays a sumptuous classic: Ernest Chausson's Poème for violin and orchestra. Also on the album, two gorgeous serenades written for Hilary by Einojuhani Rautavaara – the last pieces the celebrated Finnish composer wrote before his death in 2016. (photo credit: OJ Slaughter/Deutsche Grammophon)

Dr. Alta Dantzler joins us to talk about her creation "The Music Behind the Mural," which brings many of the characters from Paul Geiger's famous mural at the Valentine Theatre to life. One mural character absent from that production is Al Jolsen, known as the “king of blackface," which gives rise to a separate panel discussion on blackface and racism in the arts, entitled "Where's Al?" Joining Alta for a preview of that discussion are fellow panelists, baritone Kenneth Overton and consultant Brad Powell, along with Toledo Opera's Alyssa Greenburg. WGTE's Brad Cresswell hosts. Both "The Music Behind the Mural," and "Where's Al?" are being held (and archived) virtually through Toledo Opera's Facebook and YouTube pages, more information at toledoopera.org. Photo credit: Stephanie Elton/Toledo Opera

In this virtual edition of Live from FM 91, violinist Cheryl Trace (Toledo Symphony) and Paul Monachino (Rosary Cathedral) preview the Toledo Symphony String Quartet's upcoming performance at Rosary Cathedral in Toledo. We hear excerpts from the free concert (Sunday Feb. 7th at 3:00 p.m.) which were recorded earlier in the week for this program.

Pianist Jeni Slotchiver joins Brad Cresswell for an engaging conversation about her new album American Heritage, a survey of piano music "From the Civil War to Civil Rights." With breathtaking arrangements of spirituals, Union army hymns, sea shanties and work songs, American Heritage paints an enlightening picture of the vast African-American musical landscape. American Heritage at the ZOHO Music website: https://www.zohomusic.com/cds/slotchiver_american.html

Soprano Kathryn Lewek and tenor Zach Borichevsky, stars of opera around the world and familiar to Toledo Opera audiences, join Brad Cresswell for a socially-distanced Zoom conversation about their upcoming gala concert for Toledo opera. Entitled Duets and Drinks, the concert features duets and arias from the married couple, followed by a Zoom cocktail party which is a fundraiser for the opera (where Zach promises to share a special recipe for the perfect drink to accompany the evening!). Tickets for the Zoom after-party can be ordered from Toledo Opera at this link: https://itkt.choicecrm.net/ChoiceCRM.NET/templates/TOLO/#/events or by calling 419-255-7464.

Viola da gambist Carolyn Surrick and lutenist Ronn McFarlane talk about their new recording Fermi's Paradox, a project born of the pandemic, when both artists saw their live performances cancelled. This beautifully eclectic album contains new compositions and arrangements for the duo, including the title track – Ronn McFarlane's meditation on the famous question posed by Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi: if the probability of intelligent extraterrestrial life is so high, then where is everybody?

Cello luminary Matt Haimovitz takes us behind the scenes of his new French album, Mon Ami Mon Amour (My Friend My Love). Recorded with pianist Mari Kodama for the Pentatone Oxingale Series, the album features lovely performances of music by Poulenc, Fauré, Debussy, and more – including two rarities by the famed Boulanger sisters, Nadia and Lili.

WGTE's Brad Cresswell speaks with conductor Andrew Crust, newly-appointed Music Director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Currently the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony in Canada and former Assistant Conductor for the Memphis Symphony, Andrew launches his official Lima Symphony tenure with a concert on November 26. The program, called Lyrical Exuberance, features music by Copland and Bartok, plus Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with soloist Awadagin Pratt. The concert will be both broadcast at the Van-Del Drive-In theater in Lima and streamed online. In this conversation, Andrew talks about that upcoming concert, his plans for the future and how the orchestra is adapting under the coronavirus pandemic.