Archive for September, 2007

Our friend Jon Tolansky recently produced a special documentary about the brilliant soprano Angela Gheorghiu who spoke of, among other topics, the role of Mimi in Puccini‘s “La Boheme.“ So, with the Lyric opening of La Boheme coming up this Monday night, we share with you these words and music of Jon and Angela… Here’s more…

One of producer Jon Tolansky‘s many great talents is his ability to set music in historic and social context. Jon excels in this once again with this sound essay on Verdi‘s “La Traviata,” using music, narrative and Verdi’s own words. Lyric Opera of Chicago opens its 2007-08 season this Friday night with Elizabeth Futral as more…

The Lisagor award-winning production, War Letters is WFMT‘s companion piece to Ken Burns’ much-anticipated “The War.” War Letters airs tonight at 8:00pm on WFMT – “The War” begins this Sunday at 7:00pm on WTTW 11. Here’s a brief excerpt from War Letters: Here’s a brief excerpt of War Letters [Audio clip: view full post to more…

Congratulations to Ann Murray and the Chicago Cultural Center as tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts in Preston Bradley Hall at the Center’s location on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Tomorrow’s concert (which starts slightly earlier than the usual 12:15pm) celebrates the anniversary and features the Vermeer Quartet in their final more…

Yuja Wang is featured on this week’s CSO broadcast, this Sunday at 1:00pm, playing this piece – Prokofiev‘s Piano Concerto #2. [UPDATE: video has been removed from YouTube.com] Catch the whole thing this weekend.

As we remember 9/11, we offer these audio postcards from New York, produced and broadcast on WFMT last year. These audio tours take us to three different New York City locations of faith, healing and music. St. Patrick’s Cathedral [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Central Synagogue [Audio clip: view full post to listen] more…

Here’s the second part of the 1979 interview with WFMT‘s Jim Unrath and Luciano Pavarotti. [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Last Friday we continued our Pavarotti tribute with several Friday Festival specials – The Jon Tolansky documentary, Studs Terkel‘s 1975 program, and a 1979 Profiles program with Pavarotti and Jim Unrath. Here’s the first part of that Profiles interview. [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Check back for part II tomorrow.

We’ll honor the great tenor’s life and work all day today with opera and aria recordings and a special documentary, “Pavarotti/The Legend at 70,” which will air tonight at 8:00pm – repeating tomorrow at 3:00pm. Here’s what Chicago Lyric Opera director Bill Mason remembers of Pavarotti: [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Memories of more…

A great Solti/CSO moment commemorating the 10th anniversary of Sir Georg Solti’s passing: