The NY Times music critic has done a thoughtful and entertaining job with this ongoing series. Looking forward to the continued discussion this project has sparked.NY Times Tommasini top ten

FOR OVER 4 DECADES, NORMAN PELLEGRINI WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF PROGRAMMING ON WFMT. FOR MANY, THIS IS THE HOME OF CLASSICAL MUSIC ON THE RADIO. NORMAN’S VISION AND LEADERSHIP CREATED THE WORLD-FAMOUS “WFMT SOUND” THAT WE STILL HONOR AND DO OUR BEST TO UPHOLD TODAY.

AND NORMAN’S CREATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL SPIRIT INSPIRES US TO
CONTINUALLY TRY NEW THINGS.

HE WAS A GENEROUS ADVISOR AND CONFIDANTE TO ME . I’LL ALWAYS
BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT. AND HE NEVER PUSHED ANY
AGENDA…OTHER THAN EXCELLENCE. ONE THING HE TOLD ME HE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO WAS TO BROADCAST… LIVE… ALL 32 BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS OVER THE 31 DAYS OF BEETHOVEN’S DECEMBER BIRTHMONTH.

SO NORMAN…THIS IS FOR YOU.

THIS MONTH, YOU’LL HEAR ALL THE BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS
BROADCAST LIVE ON WFMT….

Pulling our series together is the producer of Beethoven Piano Sonatas: Live on WFMT, Thomas Zoells, president of the Pianoforte Foundation, Chicago.

Thanks to Thomas and all our pianists. And thanks Norman – for a great idea!

Hope you are enjoying WFMT’s all-day Dvorak birthday celebration. Wouldn’t be complete without this:

Rostropovich plays Dvorak

My favorite time of year – Ravinia, Millenium Park and baseball. As MLB’s midsummer classic approaches, I thought it would fun to have a fan-vote for our own “classical all-stars”. Here’s a comprehensive look at the Facebook voting results and categories, which should be self-explanatory. We’ll feature your choices at each of our nine “positions” Tuesday, July 13.

1 Piano
Today’s Stars: Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim
Vintage Stars: Vladimir Horowitz, Alfred Brendel
Others receiving votes: Dinu Lipatti, Emil Gilels, Pierre Laurant Aimard, Emanuel Ax, Mauricio Pollini, Mitsuko Uchida, Artur Rubinstein

2 Violin
Today’s Stars: Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell/Midori (tie)
Vintage Stars: Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern
Others receiving votes: Hillary Hahn, Midori, Maxim Vengerov, Joseph Szigeti, Michael Rabin, Toscha Seidel, Nathan Milstein, Janine Jansen, David Oistrakh, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Gil Shaham, Pinchas Zukerman

3 Cello
Today’s Stars: Yo Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell
Vintage Stars: Jacqueline DuPre, Mstislav Rostropovich
Others receiving votes: Janos Starker, Truls Mork

4 Wind
Today’s Stars: James Galway, Larry Coombs
Vintage Stars: Ray Still

5 Brass
Today’s Stars: CSO Brass, Canadian Brass
Vintage Stars: Bud Herseth, Dennis Brain

6 Male Vocal
Today’s Stars: Thomas Hampson/Bryn Terfel (tie)
Vintage Stars: Jussi Bjorling/Luciano Pavarotti (tie)
Others: Placido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Fritz Wunderlich, Thomas Quasthoff, Enrico Caruso, Chanticleer

7 Female Vocal
Today’s Stars: Renee Fleming, Cecelia Bartoli
Vintage Stars: Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland
Others: Elly Ameling, Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, Mirelle Freni, Kathleen Battle, Susan Graham, Leontine Price, Natalie Dessay

8 Chamber Group
Today’s Stars: Emerson (in a landslide), Kronos/Juilliard/Vermeer (tie)
Vintage Stars: Beaux Arts Trio, Fine Arts (tie)
Others: 8th Blackbird, CMSLC, BSO Chamber Players, Orpheus

9 Orchestra
Today’s Stars/Vintage Stars: CSO (top vote getter in all categories), Berlin
Others receiving votes: Vienna, NY Phil, BSO, Concertgebouw

June 7 brought a moving celebration of Mahler’s 150th birthday to 98.7 and wfmt.com. Carl opening the day with excerpts from all the big works. Then, beginning at 8am, we played all of the Mahler symphonies, plus Das Lied. Here are a few of the comments from Mahler fans…

Connie in Oakland, CA:
got up at 4 AM today (PDT) to hear your morning show…took a vacation day from work to listen all day. Thank you!

Joseph in Chicago, IL:
It is as though you are giving us a very large rich meal and it is delicious.
The selections are ones that I have not heard and have given me great pleasure and deep personal reflection. We, your dedicated audience thank all of you at WFMT.

Mary Ann in Wilmette, IL
I love the music of Mahler! I have sung a great deal of it, both as a soloist and during my years in the CSO Chorus during the Margaret Hillis era. Today’s Mahler-thon is wonderful. I am reminded of a Peanuts cartoon of years ago: Schroeder sits by his little piano looking dazed; pinwheel eyes, squiggly mouth, hair on end. Lucy explains to Charlie Brown, “He’s been Mahlered!” Thanks for your wonderful programming!

Tune in Tuesday June 13 for our Classical All Star Day!

Two significant Schumann memories. Both come from my teen years when classical music first caught fire in me.

#1 – An old recording of Schumann’s 4th Symphony with Cleveland and Szell. This was a REALLY old disc – something my dad had in his collection – and had a sort of “record of the month” look to it. I don’t know why, but the music and the performance really grabbed me. Sort of an odd choice for a kid just getting into classical music. It just spoke to me. I can play it back in my mind today…hearing every phrase and nuance. I wore that thing out.

#2 – Tanglewood, 1979. I was a violinist in the Young Artist Instrumental Program orchestra. It was the second “good” orchestra I had played in – this was was made up of high school age kids from all over the country. The concertmaster was Frank Almond – now the Milwaukee Symphony concertmaster. Lots of others who went on to major careers. Really good players who didn’t know anything yet about music. One day, in walks in Leonard Bernstein for a reading rehearsal. When I first caught a glimpse of him I was going to faint. It was a total spur of the moment thing for us, but of course, it was Tanglewood…and he was there.  He whipped off his cape and flung it at his assistant, stamped out his cigarette, hopped on the podium and ripped right into Candide Overture.  Trainwreck!  Nobody really knew it, and of course, we murdered it.  I remember thinking of the orchestra “have none of you ever watched Dick Cavett?!? Don’t you even know THIS tune by ear?” Oh well, we were kids.

 Then we read Schumann’s Symphony #1. It’s not a piece in my top 10…or even top 100…maybe not even top 1000. But Bernstein led us through it..telling stories about the composer and his life in music. We rehearsed it…then performed for him…and ourselves. It was a deeply personal and unforgettable ecperience. Again, a bit of an odd choice..but a good introduction to the world of mid-19th century romanticism for kids still in the springtime of life.

 As my friend pianist George LePauw recently pointed out about Schumann, he was flawed, imperfect, but deeply personal and sincere. I suppose that’s why my memories have remained so fresh for decades. Though Schumann doesn’t first come to mind when thinking about favorite composers, few musical memories have stayed with me as long.

Hope you enjoy our ongoing Schumann celebration.

A very strong handling yesterday of West Side Story Overture and Mahler’s 5th by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra at Park Ridge’s Maine East High School. After a performance under their belt and a little more polish, I’m sure the May 16 Orchestra Hall performance will be even better. Plus the group will add Marquez’s Danzon #4…so better still.

Check out what Allen Tinkham and some of Chicago’s best, serious young musicians are accomplishing. You’ll be impressed. I was.

Poland in Mourning (boston.com)

“Clef Notes: Pulitzers for Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto and the musical ‘Next to Normal’” (baltimoresun.com)