I love the way radio brings music directly to the listener. Gigantic symphonies can become an intimate experience; a full opera is staged in the imagination of each listener; great performers play for you as you sit comfortably at home or in your car. It's a beautiful way to experience music, but it's not a substitute for attending a live performance. The experience of the living, breathing moment music is made, in the presence of the musicians and other listeners, adds another dimension altogether.
Usually I present music on the radio, but this month I've curated 22 concerts at The Stone, running from December 16 through 29. The Stone is an intimate Lower East Side venue run by composer John Zorn. It's set up for focused listening; no food or drink.
The "Sing Theory" concert series features musicians who subtly, insistingly and creatively expand the potential of song. These are mostly musicians I've encountered through my WNYC radio show Spinning On Air. By investing songs with both heart and brain, and by tapping into the alchemy of the understandable and the mysterious, these daring songwriters prove that the ancient combination of words and music can still yield surprises, open new vistas, and permit and promote profound communication.
The Stone is located at the corner of Avenue C and 2nd Street, Manhattan, New York City. For more information on the series (Dec. 16-29) and performers at The Stone, please click here. Proceeds benefit the performers. I will perform on December 17th and 25th.
On this Sunday's Spinning On Air, I'll feature music by some of the "Sing Theory" participants.
Earlier in the day Sunday, December 13, beginning at 3:00PM on WQXR 105.9, we'll combine the virtues of live performance and radio when I host the live broadcast of Handel’s Messiah from Trinity Church. The Trinity Choir and the Trinity Baroque Orchestra will perform with guest conductor Jane Glover.
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Thanks for your continued interest in WQXR's blogs. We will soon be merging all the blogs into one so you can communicate with all the WQXR hosts. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience.
I notice you don't post new blogs anymore, David. Fed up and/or bored with/by your listeners?
David, do you have a new blog somewhere on the QXR site that's being kept up still? I miss visiting this one and seeing the updates and comments each week. Then again I miss the old Evening Music altogether. But I'm mourning it, slowly.
At least keep Movie Music a'comin'! I hope its disappearance tonight was an anomaly ...
Hi David:
Listening to Orpheus live broadcast. Heard your and Naomi Lewin's enlightening comments about the Stravinsky -- especially that this was your first hearing and that it wasn't perfomed as frequently as some of his other works. Which is true for the concert hall. However, fans of the NY City Ballet may know this music from Jerome Robbins's ballet The Cage which premiered in 1951 and was frequently performed in NYCB's rotating repertory. I have to say the ballet itself is not my favorite -- predatory insect-like women and a hapless male who strays into their domain (think praying mantis). This was the first time I'd heard the music alone, as a concert piece. The ballet associaition definitely affected how I heard the music. But I liked it much better without the ballet!
Note to WQXR: could you make in an interactive comments section or blog spot for live broadcasts. It would be interesting to communicate with other listeners.
Thank you for the wonderful early music program today (Sunday at 4). It was truly inspiring, and we hope you'll feature early music again.
I enjoyed the Johnny Mandel film scores a great deal. They put everyone else in the shade, quite frankly!
Thank you for your music selections this afternoon starting after 4 pm. I have heard music I never heard before, and have had a history lesson.
Again thanks!
Which do you think there are more of: contributors to these blogs or listeners to the new WQXR?
I agree with David Garland. Radio provides a wonderful experience regarding the transmission of music and making it available to the public however you can't beat attending a live performance.
There are so many emotions that can be captured many times spontaneously during a live concert that even in the best of moments can not be captured in the same way over the air.
This is not to take away from radio having been a broadcaster and a life time listener of the medium myself.
what a pleasure, david, to listen to your program on a saturday evening; especially lovely tonight.
i was so afraid when you left wnyc that the new wqxr would not be clear on my radio on the west side. thank you for being there. you are truly one of our city's treasures and a friend to more people than i am sure you realize...maybe you do.
David, I usually don't like and understand "modern" music, tough recently I heard and liked Keith Jarret's "Bridge of Light" (heard on the new QXR), but since you are performing, I will be there on December 25th, just to hear you perform ( I could not make it on the 17th, working late up to 10 PM).
Sounds like a night of ponderous indulgence that will be endured more than enjoyed. I'm sure it will be an instant sellout.
It does at times. But at other times it merely adds labored breathing, histrionic conductors, unnecessary gestures, eyes pingponging between conductor and score and trombone spittle.