What's on WETA Classical This Fall?

With the return of fall, many of our special programs such as Front Row Washington and NSO Showcase are coming back from summer break with exciting new programs to look forward to. The on-going programs that kept you company over the summer such as Opera Matinee and Choral Showcase also boast an impressive lineup this fall. There will be no shortage of great music to share with our listeners, from our daily playlist accompanying you throughout the day, operas, new music, choral greats, and more. Our hosts share a few words about their programs below!

Linda Carducci - Opera Matinee

Opera is an art form with roots in the Renaissance that has stood the test of time, and for good reason: It’s an expressive, dramatic and thrilling setting of story to music. WETA Classical is committed to presenting opera each Saturday afternoon with its Opera Matinee series – live performances from the Metropolitan Opera during its broadcast season and recorded performances from world-class opera stages during the remaining months. The Met’s live season resumes in December but until then, we’ll be treated to some exceptional recorded performances this Fall. Highlights include Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, a perennial favorite that evokes the grace of 18th century Vienna in a poignant reflection on the stages of life. This production from Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris airs September 13. I especially look forward to a unique double bill from the Danish National Symphony Orchestra on September 20: Henry Purcell’s renowned Baroque opera, Dido and Aeneas, which includes the famous “Dido’s Lament” and is based on Virgil’s Latin poem of the Trojan hero Aeneas, and Dido, Queen of Carthage. It’s teamed with Kurt Weill’s inventive 1933 “sung ballet”, Seven Deadly Sins, that chronicles a woman’s seven-year journey through seven American cities to earn funds to build a house. Opera Matinee is each Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Bill Bukowski - Choral Showcase

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Choral Showcase opens the Fall season on September 7 by revisiting “Mozart vs. Salieri” with their respective Requiem masses, each written in the style of the time but for completely different purposes. A presentation of Carmina Burana on September 14 will include a few songs from the original 13^th-century codex that inspired this 20^th-century masterpiece by Carl Orff. A “Celebration of Psalms” on September 21 offers works by Mendelssohn, Zemlinsky, Bernstein and Steve Reich; and from 17^th-century France, or Le Grande Siècle, Requiem masses by Andre Campra and Jean Gilles on September 28. We honor the choral legacy of the late conductor Matthew Best in October with music of Bruckner, Brahms, Britten and Howells on October 5; and on October 26, selected works by Vaughan Williams. On October 12 for Indigenous Peoples Day there’s Frank LaRocca’s Mass of the Americas from the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramírez with the Choral Arts Society of Washington. On October 19, chorus and orchestra music by Giacomo Puccini. “Music of Remembrance” in November as Gianandrea Noseda conducts Verdi’s Requiem on November 2 and Steven Fox directs the Clarion Choir in Alexander Kastalsky’s Memory Eternal on November 9. There are masses by Dvořák and Kodály on November 16, and Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand” on November 23. Holiday music on Choral Showcase begins November 30 with music for Advent, followed by programs in December devoted to the music of Britten, Handel, and the Renaissance. 

John Banther - Front Row Washington

Front Row Washington is back after a summer break with more exciting live-concert recordings! There is a lot to look forward to as well after the opening program featuring cello virtuoso Seth Parker Woods at Dumbarton Concerts. In October, a new to us concert series will be featured, Shriver Hall Concert Series, and includes a star-studded line up of artists like the Takacs Quartet, Imogen Cooper, and Lawrence Brownlee. Free expression through music is a cornerstone of what makes the Washington DC area a culturally vibrant community, join me every Monday evening at 9pm for another recorded performance and expand your musical horizons.  

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Nicole Lacroix - NSO Showcase

I am not going to pretend that this season is business as usual. We are living in interesting times. I believe that now more than ever, the arts need our support. They connect us to a rich tradition, bring us untold joy in the present, and inspire hope for future generations of artists. The National Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 95th year this season, and the 9th with Gianandrea Noseda as music director. WETA Classical’s NSO Showcase will honor this achievement with a special season opening concert program in October. We’ll continue to present memorable NSO performances throughout the year. Here’s to the next 5 years, as the NSO builds up to its 100th anniversary! 

John Banther - Classical Breakdown Podcast

Classical Breakdown, your guide to classical music, is back for another season of exploration. Something new to be on the lookout for throughout season 7 are bonus episodes featuring music related to the previous episode. For example, the week after our first episode celebrating the life and music of Maurice Ravel at 150 (Sep 2), we’ll enjoy a bonus episode featuring a performance of a suite from his ballet Daphnis and Chloe (Sep 9), his longest composition. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or online at ClassicalBreakdown.org.