May 2013 programs on Exploring Music

Richard Wagner's 200th birthday is May 22nd.  Let's celebrate!

 

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This month, host Bill McGlaughlin celebrates the 200th birthday of composer Richard Wagner with two week's worth of programs featuring his extensive career.

Week of May 6 - Schubertiade II  Chamber music by one of the foremost composers in this intimate genre, Franz Schubert.

Week of May 13 - Richard Wagner  "The greatest genius that ever lived" proclaimed WH Auden, while Rossini said that Wagner had "beautiful moments but awful quarters of an hour."  Love him or hate him, Wagner is an undeniable force who stretched tonality and orchestration to their utmost limits.  This week (and next) we celebrate Wagner's 200th birthday in grand style with programs filled to the brim with his music.

Week of May 20 - Wagner's Ring Cycle  From leitmotifs to lighter fare, this week's programs are a five-hour exploration of Richard Wagner’s crowning operatic achievement.

Week of May 27 - Music in Time of War  This week’s program will focus on composers' reactions to armed conflict, including the great War Requiem by Benjamin Britten.  We'll also feature music by Beethoven, Haydn and Shostakovich.