Classically Speaking

Mark O’Connor is in Wheeling this week. He’s performing his American Seasons with the Wheeling Symphony on Friday (the concert also includes two by Beethoven: the Sixth Symphony “Pastorale” and the Coriolan Overture).

Wheeling Symphony Music Director Maestro André Raphel spoke with me before the season started for a few minutes about looking forward to this concert and the festival: 

On Wednesday, O’Connor and Raphel presented a lecture concert about folk music and nature. Today Mark O’Connor is speaking at several schools in the area. Tonight there will be a lecture called “The Music of Nature: Soundscape Recordings as Art Forms.” Tomorrow, there is the concert, as well as a pre-concert talk and reception. You can find event details on the Wheeling Symphony website.

Related links:

* Mark O’Connor

    * Violin or Fiddle? O’Connor and Cooper Discuss
      * Symphonic Appalachia: Interview with Mark O’Connor

* Wheeling Symphony

    * Wheeling Symphony 2010-11 Season
      * Opening Night in Wheeling

Lucy Mauro and Donald George recently released the first of their two planned albums featuring music of American composer Margaret Ruthven Lang (1867-1972).  The album, on Delos, is called Love is Everywhere: Selected Songs of Margaret Ruthven Lang, Volume 1.

You may have heard about this album on the radio, but I just realized that I hadn’t posted about it here on the blog. Check out the story from the radio that was on WV Morning on Valentine’s Day: “Love is Everywhere in Overlooked Songs”

Lots of interesting anecdotes and reflections on the music couldn’t make it into the radio story, due to time limitations. You can hear them here online in the extended interviews with tenor Donald George and pianist Lucy Mauro:

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Related links/previous posts:

* “Love is Everywhere” in Overlooked Songs
* Donald George Sings Margaret Lang at WVU
* Love and Laughter
* Love is Everywhere: Selected  Songs of Margaret Ruthven Lang, Volume 1
* DuoDrama (Donald George and Lucy Mauro)