The Sound Post » WQXR

Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff

Colin Oettle — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:30:40 +0000

While Rachmaninoff’s legacy lives in the rich, dark melodies he inscribed into a lifetime of compositions, knowledge of his prowess as a performer still remains limited to historical accounts and crackly recordings. Recording technology was just beginning to bud during his career, so the sound quality of even remastered recordings is passable at best. But because there is an inexorable authenticity to his performances, and because these remaining vestiges of his pianism prove that Rachmaninoff’s big hands were contrarily delicate, these recordings remain among my favorites despite their dustiness.

Until recently, the closest modern listeners could come to hearing Rachmaninoff perform was by listening to a recording of a piano roll performance. While Rachmaninoff himself was impressed with the accuracy a piano roll contained in reproducing dynamics, rubato, and other musical elements, he only created 35 in his lifetime. It is reported that upon hearing one for the first time, he exclaimed “Gentlemen — I, Sergei Rachmaninoff, have just heard myself play!”

But with the advent of Zenph Studios’ “re-performance” technology, computer software can analyze old recordings and translate them into “high definition MIDI” data. A computer then interprets the data, and operates the hammers of a specially modified piano to deliver a performance identical to the source recording.

Using this technology, RCA Victor has created a re-recording of Rachmaninoff playing his own works. Selections from the recording are being featured on WQXR, and can be purchased at ArkivMusic.com. Check out the ArkivMusic site for samples, including Rachmaninoff’s transcription of the first movement of Bach’s Partita No. 3 for Solo Violin.

Sting and Trudie Styler Star in Schumann Romance Film

Colin Oettle — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:11:03 +0000

Twin Spirits, a film about the romance between Robert Schumann and his wife-to-be Clara Wieck, will premier tonight, December 3, at an event hosted by WNYC’s The Greene Space, WQXR 105.9, and Music Unites—a New York based music education charity. The event is a benefit for both Music Unites, and the Royal Opera House Education programs.

The film chronicles the romance between Robert and Clara Schumann with an amalgam of narration, music, and acting. While Sting and Trudie Styler read from the letters exchanged between Robert and Clara, musicians will embody the spirit of the composers by performing their music. The film will also be narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi.

Finally, those who are not able to attend the premier can watch the film online starting at 6:30pm today at www.wnyc.org/thegreenespace and www.wqxr.org, followed by an audio stream of Elliot Forrest’s conversation with Sting and Trudie Styler.

For more information, check the event page here.

What Are You Thankful For?

Colin Oettle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:02:14 +0000

As the calendar closes in on the ’09 holiday season, WQXR is asking listeners to share particular works they are thankful for by calling in or emailing the station. New York’s classical station promises to play the selections throughout Thanksgiving weekend, along with some messages and stories sent in by the people who chose them.

If you’d like to hear a favorite or special piece next weekend, head over to the WQXR post with all the details. In the meantime, The Sound Post would like to welcome your stories as well! While we may not have a radio station (yet), TSP would love to know what pieces move you, and why.

WQXR Makes Debut Broadcast on 105.9

Colin Oettle — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:09:59 +0000

Fans who tuned into WQXR at its new address, 105.9, at 8:00pm today were greeted by a message recorded over 70 years ago by WQXR co-founder Elliott M. Sanger. The recording expressed WQXR’s commitment to bring classical music to a widespread audience, and to maintain its listeners’ satisfaction. WQXR and its new parent company, WNYC, wished to reaffirm that mission, and have already made good on their promise by broadcasting the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra live from Carnegie Hall.

To recap briefly: WNYC, a member of National Public Radio, bought the rights to WQXR from the New York Times Company, and has transplanted the station to 105.9FM from 96.3FM. The new ownership brings new programming and a new website. The site (which seems to be down currently) has information about WQXR, as well as access to four different internet radio streams. 93.9 (NPR), their AM classical station, 105.9 (now WQXR), and Q2. Q2 is the new internet-only radio stream that will broadcast music geared toward a more niche oriented listener base. This includes contemporary music, and some chamber and vocal music. Read up on the details on our previous articles. Otherwise click ahead for info about tonight’s performance.

The concert, supported by a campaign spearheaded by Emanuel Ax and supplemented by a $5 million matched donation by the Jerome Green Foundation, featured the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra playing Stravinsky’s Concerto in E-flat Major “Dumbarton Oaks,” Webern’s Fuga (Ricercare) a 6 voci from Bach’s Musical Offering, BWV 1079, the New York premier of Kernis’s Concerto with Echoes, and violinist Henning Kraggerud playing Beethoven’s famous violin concerto.

The concert was hosted by WNYC’s David Garland and WQXRs Midge Woolsey—two voices listeners can expect to hear on WQXR in the future. So remember to change your dials to 105.9 in the NYC area, or point your browser to http://www.wqxr.org, which will hopefully be online very shortly.

The New WQXR: More Music, Less Variety

Colin Oettle — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:26:56 +0000

As WQXR prepares to move from 96.3FM to 105.9FM this Thursday, October 8, at 8:00pm, its new parent company, WNYC, has announced some of the changes that will occur.

One benefit will be a reduction in commercials. The NYT article says “underwriting announcements” will only take up about 4 minutes per hour, compared to almost 12 minutes per hour of commercials currently.

In addition, many of WQXR’s broadcasts will remain. The station will continue to broadcast from the Met, the New York Phil, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The article does not mention the fate of Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin.

Read on for changes to expect.

What will change however, is the list of works deemed radio worthy. The move will include the creation of a new internet radio stream called Q2, which will program new and modern works too edgy for radio listeners. The surprise however, is that works like Beethoven’s late piano sonatas and string quartets will be relegated to Q2, along with Mahler’s entire portfolio.

WQXR will also be cutting large choral works and all religious programming—the latter is banned by National Public Radio.

The station’s white list, which includes Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and Wagner, will serve as a guide for programming. Other composers included are Copland, Janacek, Gershwin, Satie, Sibelius and Vivaldi. While this is certainly not a comprehensive list, absences such as Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff create unsettling uncertainties.

Finally, listeners seeking a familiar voice can expect to hear those of Jeff Spurgeon, Midge Woolsey and Elliott Forrest, who will be rejoining WQXR as hosts. Source: NY Times Arts

WQXR Moves to 105.9 on October 8

Colin Oettle — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 04:41:30 +0000

With Live Broadcast at 8pm

WQXR, New York’s classical station, announced that its move from 96.3FM to 105.9FM will take place on October 8th, 2009 at 8:00PM EST. This frequency transplant comes as part of an FCC-approved three-way deal between New York Times Co., Univision, and WNYC—the nation’s largest public radio station. After 65 years of ownership, NYT Co. sold WQXR’s rights and namesake to WNYC, and the station’s spot at 96.3FM to Univision.

The new WQXR will launch with a live broadcast from Carnegie Hall on October 8th at 8pm. The performance by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra will feature the world premier of Concerto With Echoes by Aaron Jay Kernis, as well as works by Stravinsky, Webern, and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto played by Janine Jansen. The performance will be simulcast on 93.9FM, another station owned by WNYC.

WQXR will remain a 24/7 classical music station, but is to become fully listener-supported. The initial purchase is being supported by The Campaign to Preserve Classical Music Radio in New York City—a $15 million campaign co-chaired by Emanuel Ax. So far, the campaign has raised $7.2 million.

Click for the official WNYC press release.

NY Times Sells WQXR; NY’s Classical Station to Exchange Places with Spanish Radio

Colin Oettle — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:19:07 +0000

The Deal

WQXR 96.3FM, New York’s long standing classical radio station, will be sold by the New York Times Company pending FCC approval. The rights to the WQXR name will be sold to WNYC Public Radio, and its 96.3 spot on the dial, including broadcasting equipment, will go to Univision. Univision plans to transition its Spanish-language programming to 96.3 from 105.9, which in turn is also being purchased by WNYC for use as WQXR’s new frequency. The sale comes during an economic slump that has taken its toll on an already struggling newspaper industry. Check the link for the good and bad news.

The Good News

As part of the deal, WQXR will remain a classical only station, though it will exchange places on the FM band with WCAA 105.9—a large Spanish-language station. Its new owners—WNYC public radio—purchased the 105.9 broadcasting equipment and license, as well as the rights to WQXR’s letters, for a grand total of $11.5 million. WNYC says that it intends to keep a classical program, and will likely ramp-up musical content for the new WQXR while reducing music programming on its regular NPR station. All things considered, it looks like WQXR is simply moving down the block.

The Bad News

But with that move comes a smaller apartment. When Univision bought 96.3′s equipment and license for $33.5 million, they upgraded from WCAA’s current 600 watt broadcasting equipment to WQXR’s 6,000 watt equipment. While the performance difference is not literally tenfold, the move to 105.9 will cause WQXR’s signal to lose approximately 12 miles from its effective broadcasting radius, leaving it with 105.9′s current radius of about 30 miles from the antenna.

And unfortunately, my comic sub-headline is in fact not very comical—all WQXR employees will need to apply for their own jobs—this time under WNYC. However, WNYC has started a campaign to raise $15 million to cover the purchase of WQXR as well as some operating costs. And already $5 million deep thanks to the Jerome L. Greene Foundation, the campaign is well underway.