Frozen! Mornings this week on Classical 91.5

Looking out the window, I'm filled with delicious anticipation of cozy indoor pursuits.  It's 11 degrees, the trees are frosted, and it helps to embrace what Wallace Stevens called "a mind of winter."  Here we are. Inside. I hope you are keeping warm and well-occupied.  The National Weather Service is warning of the dangers of frost bite.

I'm looking forward to listening to music with you this week. In advance of the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (coming Sunday, January 26th), we’ll sample classical recordings that have won in the past – AND those nominated for 2014 Grammys!

Here's what's coming to mornings on Classical 91.5, streaming at wxxi.org.

Monday, January 6

Wake to a dream of January, Monday morning momentum, and the tale of a goddess skilled in the powers of illusion and the dark arts. On the Writer’s Almanac, we'll discover how a poet born in Lebanon became the third-best-selling poet in history.

Tuesday, January 7

The Sixteen started as an unnamed group of sixteen friends in 1977. Since then, the ensemble has made more than 100 outstanding recordings – and one of them is up for a 2014 Grammy.  We’ll sample it, and hear works by Dvorak, Grieg, and J.S. Bach.  On Writer’s Almanac, Garrison Keillor celebrates the delights of crossword puzzles

Wednesday, January 8

Let's start the day with music that its composer describes as “blue...like the sky, where all possibilities soar.”  We’ll hear from Rochester chamber ensemble Gibbs & Main, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and a highly successful singer who will appear on the PBS drama Downton Abbey.  On the Writer’s Almanac: Elvis, Crazy Horse, and the first State of the Union speech.

Thursday, January 9

We'll greet the day with music for walking, running, and dancing by Respighi, Thomas Morley, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.  Plus, we’ll sample a recording by an Eastman grad whose songs, "Winter Morning Walks," are up for three 2014 Grammy awards!

Friday, January 10

We’ll enjoy music that transports us to the ski slopes, an ancient monastery, and a warm spot where the lemons bloom.  We’ll also hear from a pianist who’s been nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award in the Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category for Duo, her album with cellist Sol Gabetta.