Dorothea Röschmann, soprano
Anne Sophie von Otter, mezzo-soprano
Steve Davislim, tenor
Eric Owens, bass-baritone

The B minor Mass was written over a 35-year period, and never performed as a complete and distinct work during Bach’s lifetime. Bach was a devout Lutheran who spent much of his life composing sacred settings of German liturgy. Why he chose to use Latin for this work is unknown.  The original was preserved by the composer’s son, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, who made some editorial changes and had the work copied. In spite of intense curiosity from the likes of Haydn and Beethoven, among others, this work, now considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of all time, was not heard in its completion until 1859.

New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert said this:

In the end, Wagner sounds like Wagner—if nothing else, he is limited by his own voice; but it is at times a glorious voice, infused with humanity and a most exquisite yearning; it is a voice that continues to ripple across the ages, and shape the way people write music today.

Tune into WFMT all day on Wednesday, May 22nd to hear commentary, and a sampling of the legacy of Richard Wagner.

Read more and see a video discussion of Richard Wagner.

A WFMT favorite “comes home” to perform on Live from WFMT. The Ukrainian-born pianist, Inna Faliks, was brought to the U.S. at the age of 10 by her mother. She was a student of the late Emilio del Rosario, who shepherded many of Chicago’s most gifted piano students; Ms. Faliks later served as assistant to Mr. del Rosario.

Around the studios of WFMT, Ms. Faliks is admired for her warmth and superb musicianship.

See a video of Inna Faliks:

Little “Halie” Jackson was a singer for as long as she could remember, but some folks at church didn’t think so. In fact, they were troubled by the liberties she took with the good old hymns. When her mother died, the care of 5-year-old Halie and her brother, Peter, went to extended family. There were thirteen of them living in a three-room home on Pitt Street in New Orleans. When she was 16, the family decided Chicago was a better place for young Mahalia. At her first Sunday service in Chicago, she sang a solo and was immediately recruited for the Greater Salem Baptist Church Choir. The Johnson Gospel Singers spotted her next; she began touring across the city with them. In 1929, at the age of 18, she began working with “The Father of Black Gospel Music,” Thomas A. Dorsey.

In 1950, Mahalia Jackson became the first gospel singer to perform at Carnegie Hall. Two years later, she sat down with Studs Terkel to reflect on her life. Hear that conversation on The Best of Studs Terkel, Friday at 10:00 PM.

While eating dinner, Maestro Gergiev stopped by our table to say hello. He was so friendly, welcoming, and warm.

Nestled in a neighborhood bounded by Pulaski on the west, Kimball on the east, Devon on the north and Foster on the south, is Northeastern Illinois University.  NEIU is a commuter university; and the students reflect this ethnically diverse area.  Take a walk in the neighborhood and you’ll see devout Orthodox Jews on the way to Shabbat services, women in beautiful Indian dress, Pakistani cab drivers, and college students in jeans and T-shirts.  But perhaps you didn’t know that NEIU is a mecca for the arts.

The University has a first rate visual arts curriculum, with gallery shows by students and visiting artists throughout the year.  The music department is thriving: there are at least two fully staged operas each academic year, which are presented in the Auditorium.  Virtually every week there may be a student or faculty recital in the Recital Hall.  And the monthly Jewel Box series, which WFMT broadcasts with host Carolyn Paulin, brings in nationally and internationally renowned performers; and provides a showcase for the music department’s talented faculty.

We have four concerts; check here for a new concert each week.

Keryn Wouden and Matt Honegger at St. Basil’s Basilica in Moscow.

Security was tight and many of the entrances/exits had been blocked off so the police could manage the flow of people. At first it seemed we might be trapped, but we eventually found our way through the maze and into Red Square.

Coming into the Russia, we had been told about the Eastern Orthodox Easter Festival; what we didn’t know, however, was that May 9 is “Victory Day,” a huge national holiday celebrating the end of World War II. The Square was decorated for the parade earlier that day with large banners covering buildings throughout the square. It was a festive atmosphere with people singing and celebrating on the square. The crowds would ebb and flow as people paused to sing along, and then went on their way.

Tchaikovsky

Eventually we looped around back to the hotel where we were sent directly to the Tchaikovsky Conservatory for the Mariinsky orchestra concert. It was a beautiful concert. The Gavrilin War Letters included a full choir, boys choir, and soloists. Denis Matsuev performed the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with ease, and was convinced to perform an encore before the end of the first half. They ended the concert with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, playing with immense passion and clarity. Matt Honegger put it the best when he said, “It feels unreal to be sitting here in this hall at the conservatory where Tchaikovsky attended, listening to his music and looking up at his portrait on the wall.”

(from left to right) Matt Honeggar, Bridget Rodino, Keryn Wouden, Zack Ellis pre-concert at the Tchaikovsky Concervatory Theater