Mother’s Day is Sunday, and WQXR listeners have already eloquently told us about their mothers' musical influence.
Our mothers teach us so much about so many things, directly or indirectly, deliberately or unintentionally.
What did you learn from Mom? Words of wisdom? A recipe? An adage? Sartorial advice? Rules of etiquette? Guidance for life?
David Garland hosts Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons on WQXR. He is the host and producer of Movies On The Radio, Saturdays at 9 pm, a show that explores the art of music for film, from classics to indies to blockbusters. Garland presents early music on WQXR, Sundays, 4 pm.
Comments [5]
My mother's influence on my musical life is incalculable. However, in listening to your "Mother's Day" tribute programming, I am struck by the absence of mothers who spent their lives actually involved with music -- as either composers or performers. Choral Fixation: Randall Thompson, Gesualdo, Tchaikovsky (why that piece today?), Bach, Beethoven. Where are the mothers?? Not even as performers!! As a tribute to mothers and music, why not program an entire day of women performers and composers -- many of whom were also mothers. I'm sure you could have come up with a richly varied and wonderfully performed playlist. So while this is all very sentimental, it has nothing to do with mothers as people, which would have been the greatest tribute.
Moms do it all at all times of the day and night to better their offsprings' options, nurturing them from day one. Not alone in music but in every aspect of life mom is there to coach and support, to give anecdotal advice and to encourage. No friend or spouse will outdo the love we receive from our moms, our most loyal advocate. Bless them all!
Actually, it was myself who brought my mother to her first classical music experience of "Swan Lake: National Ballet of Canada on Mother's Day 1974 at the Met. This resulted in the many more concerts, ballets and the greatness of
Wagner's "Gotterdammerung" at the Met
twice in 1975.
Our mother was proud of her Polish heritage, and while she had a favorite polka -- the Clarinet -- she also reminded us that Chopin was Polish, and she would play his Polonaises on our old phonograph. She also loved Strauss waltzes and specifically requested an album of those when asked what she wanted for a gift-giving event. Mom also enjoyed bursting into song, and Bizet's Carmen was a favorite. As children, we watched Creature Features on Channel 5. Imagine our surprise one Saturday morning when we started watching the 1931 Dracula and realized that Swan Lake was the introductory music!
In addition to teaching us about some classical music, our mom taught us common sense, to be kind to all, and to work hard but have fun.
All of you at WQXR keep my spirit nourished each day from early morning until evening....sometimes throughout the night when I have work that must be done. And you keep my 3 dogs and 1 kitty soothed while I am away. You are treasured....truly. Great thanks.
Best wishes for a blessed Mother's Day....collectively you "mother" many spirits rubbed raw by the oftentimes coarseness of our culture.
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