On today's Learning to Listen, you'll meet three of choral-loving Classical MPR staffers as they talk about their choral-music journeys during Voices of Spring, our month-long celebration of choral music on Classical MPR.
On Tuesday, April 22, at 8 p.m., Classical MPR presents a special program featuring the archival recordings by the Dale Warland Singers in a cappella performances of works by Minnesota composers.
"Writing this book was not fun," says Michael Marissen at the end of the introduction to his new book, "Tainted Glory in Handel's 'Messiah'" (Yale University Press). Marissen is referring both to the arduous historical research the volume required and to the fact that being its author puts him in the role of splashing cold water on the world's adoration for one of the most popular musical works of all time: Handel's towering oratorio on the life of Christ.
We should expect musicians to continue combining genres and styles in increasingly inventive and fascinating ways, often blurring the lines between "high" and "low" art. The best examples will be the musicians who understand the musical puzzle pieces they combine to create something clever. Take this song that mixed rap with Gregorian chant, all in the name of selling shoes during the NBA playoffs several years back.
On Friday, April 11, at 8 p.m., Classical MPR aired the live broadcast of Eric Whitacre conducting the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Chorale and soprano Hila Plitmann. Whitacre shares some thoughts about the communal power of a choir and about chord clusters.
