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98.7 DZFE has been fostering a joint appreciation of classical music and biblical precepts since 1954.  read more...
 

THE ORATORIO TRIUMVIRATE______________________________

This year, the music world celebrates multiple important anniversaries. The three that stand out are the 250th anniversary of the death of George Frederick Handel, the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn, and the 200th birth anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn.

As it so happens, all three were German-speaking musicians who enjoyed phenomenal success in England — not least through their oratorios.

DZFE’s guest musicologist Russell Brandon will take you through six great oratorios by the Triumvirs: Messiah and Israel in Egypty by Handel, The Creation and The Seasons by Haydn, and Elijah and St. Paul by Mendelssohn.

DZFE features an oratorio a month for the next six months, beginning the series April 16 with Handel’s Messiah. Visit our Special Programs page for a full listing and schedule.

 

HANDEL’S MESSIAH: ALL ABOUT EASTER______________________

We launch our Oratorio series with Handel’s Messiah for two reasons; firstly, it is surely the emperor of all Oratorios. Secondly, it is a fitting way to mark Eastertide — the seven weeks of Easter that begin on Resurrection Sunday (April 12), and culminate with Pentecost Sunday (this year, May 31).

Make no mistake: Messiah is first and foremost, an Eastertide Oratorio.

Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts highlights the Easter heart of this masterpiece. (Article used with permission.)

“Most of us associate the Messiah with Christmas, or perhaps with Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas. But, in truth, Handel did not write the Messiah as a piece of Christmas music. We know this for a couple of reasons. First, if you pay close attention to the words of Messiah in the libretto written by Charles Jennens, you'll discover that only the first part of the composition has to do with the birth of Jesus. The second and third parts focus on His death, resurrection, sending of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the final resurrection of all believers. Second, the first performance of the Messiah occurred, not during Advent or Christmas, but in Eastertide. Handel's masterpiece was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, 19 days after Easter. This is surely no accident.”
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A HAYDN SONATA A DAY… ________________________________

Joseph Haydn’s long and productive career paced and influenced the development of the important Classical forms, among which was the keyboard sonata — in his earliest years shaped by the graceful harpsichord styles of the baroque, and in his latest years, colored by the sonority of the new London Broadwood pianos.

Classical Drive commemorates the most cheerful anniversarian of the bunch. From May 1, listen to Haydn’s 50-plus surviving keyboard sonatas, A Haydn Keyboard Sonata A Day on the morning drive time program (Weekdays, 700-0950).

 

NEW SERIES: BAROQUE HEAT WITH APOLLO’S FIRE______________

Following the conclusion of the series Cleveland Orchestra on radio, DZFE partners with WCLV (Cleveland) to bring you the dazzling early music ensemble Apollo’s Fire.

The group is led by Jeannette Sorrell, harpsichordist and former pupil of Gustav Leonhardt. She expresses the group’s philosophy this way:

Music is a form of communication – a language that resonates with people in an emotional and spiritual way, touching people in a way that words cannot. The baroque performer used every possible means to cast his emotional spell on the audience – rhetoric, gesture, harmony. Apollo’s Fire is a collection of artists who believe passionately that our job is to communicate – to take the listeners with us on an emotional journey.

Apollo’s Fire debuts on March 6, and will air Fridays at 1500. From April 14, the cycle of rebroadcasts will air Tuesdays at 2000.

Visit Music Program pages.

 

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