Death of Robert J. Lurtsema
Puckn
he brought us classical music in the mornings
on WGBH in Boston.. He was dulcet toned, very well
informed, had impeccable taste, and was always
a seeker. Many of us who never met him thought
of him as a friend. He will be greatly missed.
Allan Kohrman
Newton, MA
Don Drewecki
I am deeply saddened by the news of Robert J's death.
During the 1970s and part of the 80s I was not a huge fan of Robert J's,
since I preferred the smarter, breezier announcers on the
then-magnificent WMHT-FM in Schenectady, New York. After WMHT went down
the tubes by dumbing itself down, I began listening to Lurtsema more and
more (his show was carried by WAMC). Soon, I came to appreciate that he
had a unique style of his own -- slower, grander, almost pompous, but
never phony. And his programs always managed to weave a tapestry of
music that left me tuned into the station rather than away from it. In
other words, his style was different from WMHT's, but impressive in its
way, and he often made programs which were _compelling radio_.
I am especially saddened that WAMC's ignorant dictator, Alan Chartock,
decided just three weeks ago to take off Morning pro Musica, citing
Lurtsema's health. Chartock had the incredible bad taste to do this
while Lurtsema was still alive. Well, I will mourn Robert J's passing,
and will tune in on the web to hear what kind of tribute WGBH manages,
even as WAMC gives us still more talk.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
David Irwin
--
David Irwin
I am so sad to hear of Robert J. passing. I haven't heard his programs
since the 1980s, but I value the memories of sitting in my living room
with a cup of coffee and slowly waking up with him. He was reflective,
methodical, intelligent, and engaging. He played a broad range of music,
especially including Baroque pieces which were uniquely suited to the
morning hours. The long intro of bird calls never failed to charm.
His editing of the morning news was always holier-than-thou, but somehow
appropriate.
My favorite memory is of a morning he was broadcasting from the lawn of
the Koussevitzky house in Lenox, overlooking Stockbridge Bowl. After the
NPR news break, the feed returned, and we could only hear a drone which
slowly raised in pitch, accompanied by bird calls and the buzzing of
insects. After what seemed like an eternity, Robert J. calmly observed,
"I think he's in eleventh gear." A truck was making its way up the long
mountain grade, and Robert J. had allowed us to listen to it make the
slow climb without comment.
He was not patronizing. He was not a parody of fast-talking used-car
salesmen. He was not vulgar. He was not abrasive. He was a real person,
with all his idiosyncrasy. I saw him once at a BSO concert and didn't
speak to him. I regret that I didn't tell him how much I enjoyed his
life's work. Now he is gone, and his memory will seldom be honored by
work which is equal to his. A fabric of quality has been discontinued.
Now we should call for birds to sing,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
James Kahn
years in the Boston area (late 1970s-80s). I never fully appreciated him
until I moved away and had to suffer through the shlock that other
"classical" stations provide in the morning. Being not too much of
a morning person myself, I appreciated his slow, calm style and his
taste in music for that hour of the day.
He was not afraid to allow a few seconds of silence at the end of a piece
before coming on and describing it. More than once I can remember turning
on the car radio during one of those silences, and--thinking the volume
must be down--cranking it up, only to get blasted moments later by his
resonant bass voice.
I hope WGBH does not defame his memory by replacing his show with the
standard dumbed-down fare that the rest of us have been plagued with for
years.
>Allan Kohrman
>Newton, MA
--
Jim
New York, NY
(Please remove "nospam." to get my e-mail address)
http://www.panix.com/~kahn
William H. Pittman
>I am especially saddened that WAMC's ignorant dictator, Alan Chartock,
>decided just three weeks ago to take off Morning pro Musica, citing
>Lurtsema's health. Chartock had the incredible bad taste to do this
>while Lurtsema was still alive.
He also was quoted in the Daily (Schenectady) Gazette as having bemoaned
& bewailed Lurtsema's death. Crocodile tears! :-(
William H. Pittman
William H. Pittman
pu...@aol.com (Puckn) wrote:
>Robert J. Lurtsema died today. For 28 years
>he brought us classical music in the mornings
>on WGBH in Boston.. He was dulcet toned, very well
>informed, had impeccable taste, and was always
>a seeker. Many of us who never met him thought
>of him as a friend. He will be greatly missed.
Does anyone know his age, or the cause of death?
William H. Pittman
Bevan Davies
the world, which seemed to touch on the most arcane items, and a recording
he did for the Audubon Society about loons. (Yes, loons, as in birds). In
another thread here some were noting the poor programming on public radio,
but Robert J. sure could give you something to think about. That is going
to be missed, and has been gone for a long time on most public radio
stations.
Bevan Davies
"Puckn" <pu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000613193503...@ng-fc1.aol.com...
> Robert J. Lurtsema died today. For 28 years
> he brought us classical music in the mornings
> on WGBH in Boston.. He was dulcet toned, very well
> informed, had impeccable taste, and was always
> a seeker. Many of us who never met him thought
> of him as a friend. He will be greatly missed.
>
> Allan Kohrman
> Newton, MA
>
James Kahn
>Does anyone know his age, or the cause of death?
According to WCVB-TV's web site (see http://www.wcvb.com/ for the complete
article):
Robert J. Lurtsema, a classical
music show host who became a fixture of the
Boston radio scene over nearly three
decades, has died. He was 68.
Lurtsema, who worked at WGBH-FM for
more than 28 years, was the host of
"Morning pro musica." Family members say
he died of lung disease.
Don Drewecki
Today's Boston Globe has a substantial obituary, and I found it online
at:
www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/166/nation/Robert_J_Lurtsema_region_s_Pro_Mus
ca_host_does_at_68P.shtml
Note: They spelled dies as does.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
Matthew B. Tepper
realized, for once, that Wolfman Jack was not the only kind of deejay
that has ever lived.
Don Drewecki wrote:
>
> Today's Boston Globe has a substantial obituary, and I found it online
> at:
>
> www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/166/nation/Robert_J_Lurtsema_region_s_Pro_Mus
ica_host_does_at_68P.shtml
>
> Note: They spelled dies as does.
> --
> Don Drewecki
> <dre...@rpi.edu>
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
"Compassionate Conservatism?" * "Tight Slacks?" * "Jumbo Shrimp?"
Don Drewecki
The thing is, MBT, Robert J really did hark back to a time (1971) when
FM really was FM, rather than just another radio band. FM had that
cachet of excellence, diversity, high fidelity and just plain guts which
has vanished from the landscape. In the upstate New York region, when
he came on locally, in 1972 or 73, there were only about six or seven FM
stations in this market. Now there are about 20. I can't think of
another nationally-known announcer who reached back _that_ far, and kept
his unique style of presentation and programming going for as long as he
did, and as well. I think WQXR's Bill Watson may have done an even more
compelling job, but by the late 70s he was a non-person, basically.
Remember, also, that RJL did his show _seven days per week_. From the
studios, not from his home via landline. That in itself is remarkable.
And he kept up that pace for years, with very few vacations. Maybe
that's why he died at 68. And by 7 days, I mean, up to 1993, when he
stopped -- or WGBH made him stop, it's hard to know. His passing is a
significant loss for me, because he symbolized everything that classical
radio was and probably never will be again, in America. I wish I could
make it to the funeral service tomorrow night just outside of Boston, to
pay my respects. This is, truly, the end of an era -- cultural and
intellectual. The "access" bastards have won, in terms of youth
and numbers, but not because they occupy higher ground.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
DavBarnert
Years ago, I heard Robert J. Lurtsema sing (in my kitchen) a very
funny song that he had written. It was called "Oh, I Wish That I
Could Sing." Each of several verses started with those words and
went on to demonstrate different aspects of the aspiring singer's
problem. Each verse was sung in a different style (one was a
Willie Nelson imitation, one a Basso Profundo, etc. -- he did them
all expertly).
So does anyone have a clue where I might find the words to this
song? I'd hate to think nobody will ever sing it again!
Thanks.
David Barnert
<davba...@aol.com>
Albany, N.Y.
AV
>
> In article <8i6jj6$1c...@cortez.sss.rpi.edu>, dre...@rpi.edu (Don
> Drewecki) wrote:
>
> >I am especially saddened that WAMC's ignorant dictator, Alan Chartock,
> >decided just three weeks ago to take off Morning pro Musica, citing
> >Lurtsema's health. Chartock had the incredible bad taste to do this
> >while Lurtsema was still alive.
>
Ha! and now he has a recorded announcement on the station for a 2 hour
tribute to "our friend".
Same sort of thing is happening on WVPR. They have a tribute page for
him. But their "respect" to him didn't stop the management to kick him
off their airwaves many years ago. And it was not an isolated event.
Many public radio stations kicked him off their schedule en masse. I
never really understood the politics behind it.
Just what is wrong with intelligent idiosyncracy? It is certainly better
than the idiotic idiosyncracy that we now have with most PR announcers.
I hope he wasn't the last of his kind, but I fear he was.
Someone this morning told me that he holds a fond memory of him. He was
visiting Putney Vermont as part of the Yellow Barn Festival. Seen
sitting in his car with a Budweiser in one hand and a strawberry ice
cream cone in the other. Drinking and eating alternately.
I'll remember when I first came across his program in 1981 or so. I
remember how amazed I was at the dead air! He would be giving a line of
the news, which was part editorial, and he would say a line and then
just pause for a good 15, 20 seconds.
It was a pace that suited this listner. :o)
AV
Don Drewecki
AV:
A beautiful reminiscence! Robert J's funeral is tomorrow, and it will
certainly be in my mind.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
mif
2C92F1.112...@news.global2000.net>, "William H. Pittman"
<willi...@global2000.net> wrote:
>In article <8i6jj6$1c...@cortez.sss.rpi.edu>, dre...@rpi.edu
(Don
>Drewecki) wrote:
>
>>I am especially saddened that WAMC's ignorant dictator, Alan
Chartock,
>>decided just three weeks ago to take off Morning pro Musica,
citing
>>Lurtsema's health. Chartock had the incredible bad taste to
do this
>>while Lurtsema was still alive.
>
bemoaned
>& bewailed Lurtsema's death. Crocodile tears! :-(
>
>William H. Pittman
>
was RJL himself who announced he was taking a medical leave.
WAMC, according to Mr. Chartock, was often asked by listeners to
put on Morning Edition in his time slot and so he has. I was
also a fan, going back 20 years, of RJL. And I don't want to
start some sort of flame war over his treatment. But I don't
think Alan Chartock should be labelled dictatorial, or unfeeling
or ... crying crocodile tears ... over a programming decision
like this. He knew Mr. Lurtsema personally and, for all I know,
is personally saddened by his death.
MIFrost
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
Owen Hartnett
My strongest remembrance of Robert J. was the day after my wedding. I
got married on March 31, and put the clock radio to wake the following
day, as we were taking a honeymoon flight to Europe out of Boston. The
clock radio goes off and here's Robert J saying "It's snowing like hell
in Boston." I open the shade of the hotel room (we were in Newport, RI,
a little over an hour distant by car) and it was sunny and clear with
temperatures in the 50's. It took a while to figure out that it was
April Fools Day, and I never actually caught the joke, but I figure that
it was a variant of "like hell it's snowing in Boston."
He wasn't beyond a prank or two.
-Owen
Don Drewecki
MIFrost:
Morning pro Musica STILL EXISTS. It's on WGBH, and it is now hosted by
Doug Briscoe. Let me repeat: THE SHOW STILL EXISTS. If the show still
exists, why did Chartock take it off of WAMC? The answer: Ratings --
i.e. pledges. Morning pro Musica draws less listeners than Morning
Edition. Simple as that. But don't take my word for it -- check out
WGBH's website, and on Saturday and Sunday morning, click on their
streaming audio site, and listen to the program for yourself. Chartock
used Lurtsema's illness as the excuse to take it off, period, and he had
the obnoxiousness to take it off WHILE LURTSEMA WAS STILL ALIVE. Is
that such a difficult concept for you to understand? Chartock is a
phony, pure and simple.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
Marc Perman
>Same sort of thing is happening on WVPR. They have a tribute page for
>him. But their "respect" to him didn't stop the management to kick him
>off their airwaves many years ago. And it was not an isolated event.
>Many public radio stations kicked him off their schedule en masse. I
>never really understood the politics behind it.
Many baseball fans never forgave the Yankees for firing the cherished
Mel Allen, their long-term broadcaster and, perhaps, along with the
Dodgers' Vin Scully, the voice of baseball.
Marc Perman
David Irwin
--
David, That is a great anecdote. I can see him standing in the kitchen
singing now.
I used to enjoy the unforced way he approached the day. I'm not a
morning person, and I appeciated being able to get my coffee mug and
move to the living room and sit in the morning fog and slowly come to
consciousness without being brayed at by some idiot selling a trip to
Vienna or simply reading off a list of sponsors a mile long before
taking a minute to say the mame of of the staion, the call letters, and
all that crap.
I know, I know, public radio has to do all that in order to survive
these days, post Gingrich and the contract with America, but please
don't tell me that it is necessary to have hyperactive robots as
announcers, and please don't tell me that we must listen to the
Pachelbel Canon and single movements of symphonies because our attention
span isn't long enough to support fund raising and listen at the same
time. We have regressed to a point that is pre-music appreciat
David Irwin
--
Perhaps my favorite Robert J. moments of all: "There really is no news
worth reporting this morning."
D
Josh Klein
> Morning pro Musica STILL EXISTS. It's on WGBH, and it is now hosted by
> Doug Briscoe. Let me repeat: THE SHOW STILL EXISTS. If the show still
> exists, why did Chartock take it off of WAMC? The answer: Ratings --
> i.e. pledges. Morning pro Musica draws less listeners than Morning
> Edition.
I think that Don has already mentioned that there was an alternate
radio source broadcasting Morning Edition in the mornings in that market.
So adding Morning Addition did not add any choices for listeners in that
market -- on the contrary, it removed a choice. (So even if the station
benefitted by gaining a greater market share, the public as a whole
was disadvantaged.)
--
Josh Klein
Amherst College
Don Drewecki
Marc:
Didn't the Yanks also fire Red Barber in 1966 for pointing out that
there were only 600 people at a Yankee game in The Stadium? I think
that Barber had the cameraman pan the empty stands, and that's what
sealed his fate.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
Don Drewecki
Josh:
Actually, there is no alternate source in the Albany area for "Morning
Repetition" -- WAMC was the source. However, they waited until RJL's
program ended at 12 Noon, and then they picked up the satellite feed for
the West Coast. They say a lot of people complained about not having
that program on in the early morning, complete, as it was originally
uplinked. That's probably true, but beside the point, which is, does
WAMC wish to cater to a smaller, classical-loving community on the
weekend morning shift, after catering to the Morning Edition crowd on
weekdays? My answer is, No, it doesn't. Like all ratings-driven
commercial broadcasters, WAMC wishes to maximize its audience all the
time, in order to get maximum contributions. In short, there is no
difference between non-coms like WAMC and commercial stations.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
AV
> Like all ratings-driven
> commercial broadcasters, WAMC wishes to maximize its audience all the
> time, in order to get maximum contributions. In short, there is no
> difference between non-coms like WAMC and commercial stations.
> --
> Don Drewecki
> <dre...@rpi.edu>
Altho' I might agree on your conclusions Don, my take on WAMC is a bit
different. If you want to understand WAMC you have to (try to)
understand Alan Chartok. What is a radio station, that is run as
something of a fiefdom by a poltical science professor, going to sound
like? Lots of news, lots of informational programs, lots of discussion,
lots of parsing, (and lots of Alan Chartok).
As I recall, even after Morning Pro Musica left the weekday spot, they
had a relatively decent morning music program going. Then that was
ditched for 1 hour of BBC news (that follows the 4 hours of Morning
Edition). Then they had an hour for some documentary or other, I forget,
and then an hour of music which was taken up in part by more news,
adlines, and Garrison Keillor's daily thing. Now even all that is gone
with something called the Roundtable, with Alan's sidekick Susan (who
today, after announcing about the greatest 20th century book Ulysses,
and an interview with a lit professor, was embarassed into announcing
she never read it).
They are just not a music station, and save for Morning Pro Musica, I
doubt ever had any real intentions as such. Of course, this is not
necessarily a bad thing. I myself greatly enjoy "Me and Mario" if only
to listen to Mario Cuomo give Alan Chartok his comeuppance.
av
mif
>
>They are just not a music station, and save for Morning Pro
Musica, I
>doubt ever had any real intentions as such. Of course, this is
not
>necessarily a bad thing. I myself greatly enjoy "Me and Mario"
if only
>to listen to Mario Cuomo give Alan Chartok his comeuppance.
>
>av
>
>
I think that is correct. And when they're not having one of their
fund drives I think WMHT is a very good classical station. I also
listen to WBKK, a commercial classical station that seems to
carry some sort of syndicated programming of short popular
pieces. Good for listening in the car. Not every highbrow radio
station seeks to appeal to the type of people who post here. This
is a very "niche" crowd. There aren't enough serious classical
listeners to support several classical stations in a single
market all playing Mahler and Bruckner 24/7. Most markets can't
support even one. So WAMC focuses on the news and information
crowd. So what? Are they bound to serious classical music by some
inviolate charter somewhere? They live on pledges and sponsors.
They give their audience what it wants. I can live with that. :-)
MIFrost
Got questions? Get answers over the phone at Keen.com.
Up to 100 minutes free!
http://www.keen.com
William H. Pittman
<sfrost2...@nycap.rr.com.invalid> wrote:
>I don't
>think Alan Chartock should be labelled dictatorial, or unfeeling
>or ... crying crocodile tears ... over a programming decision
>like this. He knew Mr. Lurtsema personally and, for all I know,
>is personally saddened by his death.
Well, you're entitled to your opinion of the honorable (?) Mr. Chartock.
I find him an insufferable loudmouth. Ever hear him during a fund drive?
Motor-mouth #1! And he uses his ownership of WAMC to justify his
spouting about any & all subjects that interest him, whether or not he
has anything interesting or profound (ha!) to say.
William H. Pittman
mif
Chartock.
>I find him an insufferable loudmouth. Ever hear him during a
fund drive?
>Motor-mouth #1! And he uses his ownership of WAMC to justify
his
>spouting about any & all subjects that interest him, whether or
not he
>has anything interesting or profound (ha!) to say.
>
>William H. Pittman
>
But then, again, I liked Howard Cosell also. So go figure.
Marc Perman
>Marc:
>
>Didn't the Yanks also fire Red Barber in 1966 for pointing out that
>there were only 600 people at a Yankee game in The Stadium? I think
>that Barber had the cameraman pan the empty stands, and that's what
>sealed his fate.
I hadn't heard that story, but it certainly sounds like the Yankees
(who make it possible to love a team but hate its management, somewhat
like being a patriotic American in the 1980s while thinking that our
President at the time was an incompetent).
Marc Perman
Don Drewecki
Howard Cosell was a trained lawyer who practiced before the US Supreme
Court. He also had, in his less clownish moments in the 1970s, the
ability to write clear, simple, concise, powerful commentary on sports.
"Dr" Alan Chartock has not published a serious political science article
in over 20 years. His commentaries reveal nothing concrete about
his political convictions, as he has none -- they display only an
adolescent's ability to call people names or speculate on their motives;
he talks and talks, often without ever having a firm opinion on
anything. He is not nationally syndicated as a commentator, which is
why you hear him on WAMC all the time -- because no other media outlet
is interested, except Albany's Channel 13, which gives him about 75
seconds a night to talk. He is not a champion of free speech. He
supported the Gulf War, and yet evaded the Vietnam draft. He is an
academic zero.
And as I say, he took off Robert J's program while Robert J was still
alive, and before WGBH decides who will take Lurtsema's place. A stab
in the back to all of RJL's fans, and a betrayal of his legacy.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
AV
>
> Howard Cosell was a trained lawyer who practiced before the US Supreme
> Court.
He was???? Wow, talk about a good trivia question!
av
David I.
sense I suppose we are lucky that he was on the air as long as he
was. Most other stations long ago went with the TV mentalit
William H. Pittman
Drewecki) wrote:
>Howard Cosell was a trained lawyer who practiced before the US Supreme
Right on, Don! You & I who live in the Capital District, & occasionally
find ourselves inadvertently listening to Chartock, have some idea of
the drivel he spouts.
William H. Pittman
rne...@my-deja.com
I am coming late to this thread, but felt that perhaps it needed some
balance. I too used to smile with the arrival of RJL's birds each
morning but as the years went by, MPM became more and more about RJL and
less about music. By the time he was taken off the local Amherst, MA
station, he had become insufferable. Then he lost his M-F slot at WGBH
in Boston, but was replaced by the differently insufferable Ron de la
Cheasa (sp), who has never heard a piece of Lite Classical music he
doesn't like and who never avoids an opportunity to tell some dull
personal anecdote to let us know WHOM he knows in the music world. There
are two different things going on here. Amherst and Boston dropped RJL
because he was becoming beside the point and I commended both decisions.
He had become a legend in his own mind. But both Amherst and then
Boston, with the opportunity to Make a Move for Music, succumbed to the
alarming trend to "broaden the base": that is, dumb down the music
programming so more folks will listen..and contribute: the FM version
of the Crossover Problem in the classical music recording industry. In
Boston these days, it's hard to tell the difference between WCRB (which
at least admits it's dumbed down) and WGBH -- at least in the morning.
Richard Kneisley (sp) in the afternoon is all one could ask for...how
long will he last??? Amherst's WFCR is nowhere near as bad as WGBH
because John Mantonari knows more about classical music than De La
Cheasa (sp) will ever know; but the signs are there too. At least
Mantonari cares about new recordings and that some of us out in radio
land just might want to hear 'em. But I can sense that he is under
pressure to avoid the arcane and interesting. I spent a week in L.A.
earlier this spring and heard a classical music station coming out of
USC (!) that runs circles around anything in the Northeast. The
commentary is not profound but they play real music all day (and night)
long. Alas, time to get a cd player for the car: the commute to
Worcester every day's getting pretty dull. Time for the FM version of
Hyperion, BIS, and Opus 111.
Bob Neill
Amherst, MA
Don Drewecki
Bob:
If you feel that strongly, then that's fine. I never felt RJL became too
inflated or self-satisfied, but that is a judgment call. But you
realize that the remedy (Ron della Chiesa) is FAR worse than the disease.
I agree with you also that WGBH's Richard Kneisly is outstanding, and
would make a splendid replacement for RJL.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
AV
>
> I am coming late to this thread, but felt that perhaps it needed some
> balance.
Alas, time to get a cd player for the car: the commute to
> Worcester every day's getting pretty dull. Time for the FM version of
> Hyperion, BIS, and Opus 111.
>
> Bob Neill
> Amherst, MA
>
Bob
I agree with you more or less. Less about Lurtsema (I never really
cared how much of him I heard as I felt I was always in the presence of
someone who cared about the music and could teach me a few things). More
about the rest of what you say. Up here in southern Vermont I used to be
able to pick up WGBH and sufferred through de la Chiasa (however you
spell it) who, with all his love of Leroy Anderson et al, still played
more interesting things than WVPR and NHPR. I agree, Kniesley is
definitely the Lurtsema heir. Too bad he hasn't been franchised like
Lurtsema was.
WFCR has definitely held something of an heroic stance and haven't been
doing too bad a job. Montanari is good, as i Priscilla Drucker. The
announcer I really like is that guy who subs on weekends. I forget his
name, but he is a singer himself and dares to play the most arcane vocal
stuff. He's given me a real ear opening for stuff I never would have
thought I'd care for. Perhaps this all has been due to the economic
support they get from the 5 colleges. (They still do, don't they?) But
it has always been odd to me how they don't tap more into the collegiate
musical talent surrounding them. They could do so much more, with very
little outlay, it seems to me.
The morning announcer on WVPR is just a joke and NHPR is more
interested in training their announcers to announce that you are
listening to NHPR-your-choice-for-NPR-new-and-classical-music than
paying attention to what they are saying and how they are coming across.
They are the epitome of annoyance.
I'm a step ahead of you. I've been investing heavily in my own CD
collection as I've witnessed the decline of these stations.
av
thebarnman
stations, up here in Canada, our venerable CBC had a daily afternoon
classical show on its FM station for years. it's host was Bob Kerr. he
knew his stuff, was pleasantly eccentric and devoted thursdays for a
selection of organ music. he was opinionated, but never ignorant.
i can't say a mean thing about him because he loved the music. there would
be times that he would talk, perhaps for some, a little too much. i laughed
when he responded to the few complaints that came in and asked him to "move
along and stop talking so much". he ended up talking about it for a good 12
minutes. it was too ironic to not laugh.
i would say that his biggest gaff, and i would think it could be nominated
for "classical radio announcer's gaff of the year award" was when he was
sampling some baroque music. it was played played on original instruments.
he came on the air and said, "i would like to hear karajan conduct original
instruments".
i was needless to say, dumfounded. he could've been joking, but you don't
know mr. kerr. i really think he meant that as a statement of what he would
really find genuinely interesting.
can you imagine?
i'm not against karajan (by any means whatsoever) and i'm not against
orignial instruments. i've yet to hear any interpretations outside of
Goebel and Bruggen that are worth buying, but that's because i want to hear
music, not history.
AV
also fondly remember this show, from my time in Detroit where we
> could pick it up on the Windsor station. Mr. Kerr obviously enjoyed
> himself, and it was infectious. I was too young to really judge his
> accuracy or assess his opinions, but as with Robert J.'s show, that
> didn't really matter.
> --
> Jim
> New York, NY
These observations hit the nail on the head (or at least my head). What
makes these guys interesting to listen to is the very fact of their
being themselves, outrageous opinions included. Besides all the
pressures to talk about the underwriters, etc, it seems clear to me that
there are policies coming down to keep opinions, and therefore one's
personality, to oneself, most likely in fear of offending absolutely
anyone with spare change. But in doing this they are throwing out the
baby w/ bath water. They forget the fact that it is unique personality
that makes radio interesting. It's not just the spinning of discs.
av
Raymond Hall
news:8k3jc8$eoe$1...@panix6.panix.com...
> In <6hb95.48451$W35.1...@news20.bellglobal.com> "thebarnman"
<mynewsg...@hotmail.com> writes:
>
> >in the midst of all the complaints you guys have here about classical
> >stations, up here in Canada, our venerable CBC had a daily afternoon
> >classical show on its FM station for years. it's host was Bob Kerr. he
> >knew his stuff, was pleasantly eccentric and devoted thursdays for a
> >selection of organ music. he was opinionated, but never ignorant.
>
> >i can't say a mean thing about him because he loved the music. there
would
> >be times that he would talk, perhaps for some, a little too much. i
laughed
> >when he responded to the few complaints that came in and asked him to
"move
> >along and stop talking so much". he ended up talking about it for a good
12
> >minutes. it was too ironic to not laugh.
>
> could pick it up on the Windsor station. Mr. Kerr obviously enjoyed
> himself, and it was infectious. I was too young to really judge his
> accuracy or assess his opinions, but as with Robert J.'s show, that
> didn't really matter.
>
ABC which I often catch in the car, and although he is sometimes
condescending, elaborates mightily to produce the "correct" pronunciation,
tends to gear his talks for those newer to classical music, it is his
"personality", flawed and yet comforting, that makes his sessions strangely
attractive for me.
He irritates me, especially annoys me with that infernal opening LvB piano
piece he plays, but that is part of his "personality". He is really saying,
"look, I can play the piano!!". But nobody is perfect.
Regards,
# RMCR Contributor's WebSites Compilation
# Favourite Conductors, and Doris Day Page
# Helene Grimaud, wolves and SYDNEY OLYMPIC links
# http://www.users.bigpond.com/hallraylily/index.html
Ray, Sydney
James Kahn
>I know I am going to get condemned here, but we get Karl Haas regularly on
>ABC which I often catch in the car, and although he is sometimes
>condescending, elaborates mightily to produce the "correct" pronunciation,
>tends to gear his talks for those newer to classical music, it is his
>"personality", flawed and yet comforting, that makes his sessions strangely
>attractive for me.
>He irritates me, especially annoys me with that infernal opening LvB piano
>piece he plays, but that is part of his "personality". He is really saying,
>"look, I can play the piano!!". But nobody is perfect.
I was under the impression that the "theme music" was a recording, and
not of Haas but of some well-known pianist. Haas has been skewered
here many times, but I would agree that I'd much rather hear his show
than just about anything that's on "classical" radio during the early
morning and evening hours.
--
Jim
New York, NY
(Please remove "nospam." to get my e-mail address)
http://www.panix.com/~kahn
mif
>
>I was under the impression that the "theme music" was a
recording, and
>not of Haas but of some well-known pianist. Haas has been
skewered
>here many times, but I would agree that I'd much rather hear his
show
>than just about anything that's on "classical" radio during the
early
>morning and evening hours.
>--
>Jim
>New York, NY
I like him also. And I've always assumed "condescension" is a
natural by-product of classical music scholarship. (Don Vroon
must be the smartest CM scholar alive.) Anyway, I also assumed it
was Mr. Haas himself playing that opening theme as it is the
*slowest* version of that sonata I've ever heard.
MIFrost
-----------------------------------------------------------
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Don Drewecki
Two weeks ago, Haas played a recording by:
Knee-gell Kennedy. Yup, that's how he pronounced it.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
mif
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> Two weeks ago, Haas played a recording by:
>
> Knee-gell Kennedy. Yup, that's how he pronounced it.
Maybe that's why Nigel dropped his first name.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
"Compassionate Conservatism?" * "Tight Slacks?" * "Jumbo Shrimp?"
W. J. McCutcheon
mif <sfrost2...@nycap.rr.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:1fe900fc...@usw-ex0104-087.remarq.com...
> dre...@rpi.edu (Don Drewecki) wrote:
> >
> >Two weeks ago, Haas played a recording by:
> >
> >Knee-gell Kennedy. Yup, that's how he pronounced it.
W. J. McCutcheon
mif <sfrost2...@nycap.rr.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:1fe900fc...@usw-ex0104-087.remarq.com...
> dre...@rpi.edu (Don Drewecki) wrote:
> >
> >Two weeks ago, Haas played a recording by:
> >
> >Knee-gell Kennedy. Yup, that's how he pronounced it.
> >--
> >Don Drewecki
> ><dre...@rpi.edu>
> >
> Don't you just love it. That's part of his charm.
>
> MIFrost
>
I think I just accidentally sent a (non-) reply to this ... sorry! I
intended to relate a similar affectation I just heard a couple of days ago
... Erich Kuenzel's first name was pronounced "Erish" by the announcer ...
ugh!
-- Bill McCutcheon
Matthew B. Tepper
Back when KUSC was a bad station run by bad people, they (no surprise)
had a great many bad announcers. One of these was Rebecca Davis, who
constantly referred to Beethoven as "a Moorish composer," but later
amended it reluctantly to "Moorish-German composer." More to the point,
I recall one long afternoon driving out to a client in Irvine when Ms.
Davis played a *single movement* from a Bruckner Symphony (the Adagio of
the 6th, I think), announced the conductor thereof as somebody named
"Riccardo Chay-Lee," and then announced she was going to play something
by Moody Blues. (I have no idea what, because my lightning-quick index
finger punched the button for KKGO and I only had to endure five minutes
of commercials before hearing some real music.)
Rebecca Davis. Let the name of incompetence be enshrined forevermore!