June - KCME

Volume 2, Issue 6
June, 2013
88.7 KCME/88.1 KMPZ
Classical Matters
Send your questions or comments to Brenda Bratton, Editor, stories@kcme.org
Summer Fun With 88.7 KCME-FM ~
Melissa Anthony, Interim Development Director
Inside this issue:
KCME Summer Events
Composer Birthdays
Classics for Kids
8 8 . 7 K C M E - F M / 8 8 .1 K M P Z - F M
The Revolutionary Composer
And my Favorite Opera is...
Corporate Sponsor Page
Contacts:
Jeanna Wearing
General Manager
genmanager@kcme.org
Keith Kauspedas
Traffic Director
traffic@kcme.org
Sherry Hamill,
Receptionist
receptionist@kcme.org
Melissa Anthony
Interim Development
Director
membership@kcme.org
Brenda Bratton
Editor-in-Chief
Finance/Office Manager
officemanager@kcme.org
KCME’s mission is to foster
the appreciation of great
classical music.
We
achieve this goal by
cultivating knowledge and
enjoyment of the music by
listeners of all ages, by
expanding the reach of our
coverage, by maintaining
state-of-the-art
audio
quality, and by supporting
the arts in our broadcast
area.
We all know summer is upon us when we begin to wake to the
sound of chirping birds outside our opened windows, when we
leave the house without a jacket in the morning, and when the
first thing you do upon sitting down in your car in the
afternoon is roll down the windows to let the built-up heat
escape. These are all signs that it is time to start planting the
garden, mowing the lawn, and making summer plans. Summer
at KCME is no different; we’ve begun making our summer
plans and want to make sure you are aware of all the exciting
summer events where you can see KCME!
KCME Booth at RMPBS Kids Fun Fest
June 8th at Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs from 10 A.M.-2 P.M.
Stop by the KCME Booth at this free community event and play our “roll-up”
keyboard and more!
KCME ‘American Notes and Floats’ Concert at the CS Senior Center
July 2nd at the CS Senior Center from 1:30-3:00 P.M.
The first of two annual free concerts KCME hosts at the CS Senior Center each
year. ‘American Notes and Floats’ will feature members of the CS Youth
Symphony and the CS Chorale with root beer floats for all at intermission! Free
tickets available through the CS Senior Center at 719-387-6000.
KCME Booth at NRO/BMF ‘In Sync’ Concert
July 27th at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge
Each year, the National Repertory Orchestra and the Breckenridge Music
Festival Orchestras join forces to present the ‘In Sync’ Joint Concert. Enjoy a
pre-concert discussion with the two orchestra conductors and don’t forget to
stop by the KCME table and say ‘Hi!’ at this fantastic event of collaboration!
Chaffee County ‘Thank You’ Party
July 28th - Location/Time TBA
This event KCME’s way of saying ‘Thank You’ to our listener/supporters in
Chaffee County. If you fit this category, watch for your invitation with details in
the mail!
KCME Booth at Black Forest Festival
August 17th at the intersection of Black Forest Rd and Shoup Rd in Black Forest
After enjoying the parade on Black Forest Road, stop by the KCME Booth for
goodies, giveaways, and more!
Picnic in the Park with KCME
September 14th at Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs from noon-2:00
P.M.
KCME’s annual end-of-summer concert that utilizes the band shell in Acacia
Park to present local musical groups in an outdoor setting. Pick up lunch to-go
from your favorite downtown Colorado Springs eatery and join us for an
afternoon of live music in the park!
For more information about these exciting summer events stay tuned to KCME
and watch www.KCME.org for details as they become available.
Arkiv Music is the online source for KCME listeners. Click on
the logo to find music heard on KCME and read reviews of
current and older releases. See what is happening in the
world of classical music recording. Most importantly, KCME receives a portion of every
purchase you make from ArkivMusic through KCME’s website.
Classical music artists born in June:
Other fascinating June birthdays
June 1, 1804—Mikhail Glinka
June 1, 1826—Carl Bechstein, German
manufacturer made improvements to piano
June 2, 1857–-Sir Edgar Elgar
June 5, 1815—Lancelot Ware, founded
MENSA
June 8, 1810—Robert Schumann
June 7, 1843—Susan Elizabeth Blow,
inventor of Kindergarten
June 11, 1864—Richard Strauss
June 17, 1870—Have you had your Wheaties
today? Thank George Cormack, inventor of
Wheaties Cereal, who was born on this day.
June 15, 1843—Edvard Grieg
June 17, 1818—Charles Gounod
June 23, 1848—Antoine Joseph Sax, Inventor
of Saxophone, was born on this day in
Belgium.
June 17, 1882—Igor Stravinsky
June 27, 1880—Helen Keller.
June 20, 1819—Jacques Offenbach
June 2013 Interview Calendar
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
2
3
4
5
9
10
11
12
16
17
18
23 / 30
24
25
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
THU
FRI
SAT
7
1/8
13
14
15
19
20
21
22
26
27
28
29
KCME/KMPZ
Classical Matters
Page 2
Waltz through June with KCME
One, two, three…one, two, three…
one, two, three. “The waltz is a
dance in 3/4 time that was popular
in Vienna, Austria in the 19th
century. But the roots of the waltz
go back to the German Dance of
Mozart’s day. After the waltz
became popular on the dance floor,
it moved onto the concert stage,
the ballet stage, and the opera
stage” (www.classicsforkids.com).
During June, KCME’s Classics for
Kids, which airs every Sunday at
5:30 p.m., focuses on composer
Johann Strauss, Jr. You’ll learn
about his life, work, and dance
music, which he was most wellknown for composing. As you
following along with Strauss’ life on
KCME, be sure to download the
accompanying worksheet, which
can be found here (link to http://
www.classicsforkids.com/
activitysheets/May2013.pdf).
In order to enjoy the music of
Strauss that you’ll hear on KCME’s
Classics for Kids in June, you’ll want
to know how to waltz. To learn,
simply gather your family together
in the living room and practice the
steps listed below with a partner:
Basic Waltz Dance Steps
Step 1 : Get into position by facing
your partner. If you are the leader,
place your right hand on your
partner’s waist slightly around the
back and extend your left hand to
your side with your elbow bent and
your palm raised, facing her. With
that hand, grasp your partner’s
right hand in a loose grip, and make
sure your partner has her left hand
~
Melissa Anthony
on your right shoulder, with her
elbow bent. She should mirror your
movements.
Step 2 : On the first beat, step
forward gracefully with your left
foot. Your partner should follow your
lead by doing the opposite of what
you do on each beat – in this case,
stepping back with her right foot.
Step 3 : On the second beat, step
forward and to the right with your
right foot. Trace an upside-down
letter L in the air with your foot as
you do this.
Classics for Kids
is funded in part by:
The George White
Education and
Cultural Trust
and:
Step 4 : Shift your weight to your
right foot. Keep your left foot
stationary.
Step 5 : On the third beat, slide
your left foot over to your right and
stand with your feet together.
Step 6 : On the fourth beat, step
back with your right foot.
Step 7 : On the fifth beat, step back
and to the left with your left foot,
this time tracing a backward L. Shift
your weight to your left foot.
Step 8 : On the final beat, slide your
right foot toward your left until your
feet are together; now you’re ready
to start over with your left foot.
Happy waltzing!
(Dance
steps
from:
http://learnballroomdancing.org/walt
z-dance-steps/)
When she is not hosting an event for
KCME, Melissa Anthony is hard-atwork finding ways to increase KCME’s
membership and getting young
people interested in classical music.
Classics for Kids is looking for sponsors for its
programming and its Road Show.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
KCME/KMPZ
Classical Matters
Page 3
And my favorite Opera is…
May 22nd marked the
200th birthday of one
of opera’s very greatest
composers,
and
I
missed the opportunity
to discuss his work in
these pages last month.
Without
a
doubt,
Richard
Wagner
(1813-1883) remains
to this day the foremost
composer of German opera in
western music. Indeed, he may
have single-handedly changed the
course of music history with his
operatic and harmonic innovations.
Because he also wrote the librettos
(texts) of his huge operas, or Music
Dramas, as he preferred to call
them, his output is small compared
to many opera composers – a mere
ten of his works continue to hold
the stages of the world’s opera
houses. In his earliest operas,
Wagner was following in the
footsteps of German Romantic
composers before him, while adding
his own personal touches, mainly in
the use of leitmotiv and
psychological drama. As an avid
Wagnerian, I do enjoy Der fliegende
Holländer (The Flying Dutchman),
Tannhäuser, and Lohengrin – but it
is Wagner’s late works that I truly
love.
~ Robert Bruce
right conductor and cast can
weave a powerful spell – but
otherwise can seem a bit
turgid. His only comedy, Die
Meistersinger von Nürnberg
(The Mastersingers of
Nuremberg), is a delightfully
light (for Wagner) romp,
with a serious message
about the nature of art – but
for anyone expecting the
fast pace and fizzing music of, say,
Rossini, its five-plus hours can seem
a little extreme.
With its forward-looking harmonies
and intense psychological drama,
Tristan und Isolde probably marks
the very zenith of Wagner’s
achievement, and I do love the
work – but it is a decidedly hard nut
to crack for the uninitiated. The
score can weave an intoxicating
spell on many listeners, but the
drama itself can remain veiled and
unclear. An operatic milestone,
nonetheless.
But it is in his four-opera cycle Der
Ring des Nibelungen that I think
the very best and most readily
approachable of his output can be
found. This huge epic, telling the
tale of a power struggle between
Nordic gods, giants, and troll-like
Nibelungs, and the destiny of the
world and the nature of love among
His very last work, Parsifal, is a long humankind, brings out the greatest
and psychologically cloudy spiritual in Wagner’s theories – his use of
journey that in the hands of the leitmotiv, the richness of the
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
orchestra, and majesty of his
music. And of the four dramas, I
KCME/KMPZ
think it is Die Walküre that ranks
as my favorite of Wagner’s works.
Its story of a doomed love, the
god Wotan’s personal dilemma of
his own making, and the valkyrie
Brünnhilde’s revolt against law in
favor of redeeming love, make it
a deeply satisfying emotional
journey, while the music of
Siegmund and Sieglinde’s love,
Wotan’s passionate farewell to his
favorite daughter, and the always
exciting Ride of the Valkyries,
makes for some of Wagner’s most
effective writing.
Robert Bruce is the KCME-FM announcer for
Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and the KCME
Librarian.
He has a Masters
degree in Library Science and came
to us from New York where he
worked in the library of
a
prestigious performing arts school.
Classical Matters
Page 4
The Revolutionary Who Sent 20th Century Music on Its Way ~
Keith Kauspedas, KCME Traffic Director
Continued from May Classical Matters …
Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck
was a gracious hostess to
Debussy.
She was also the
woman who was the mysterious
benefactor and “beloved friend”
of Tchaikovsky.
She desired
Debussy to stay at her home (in
the Loire district of France and
then later in Russia) to play duets
with her. He was also required to
teach von Meck’s daughters the
piano, a fringe benefit that he
enjoyed immensely. Over time
Debussy fell in love with one of
von Meck’s daughters, Madame
Vasnier, a married women that
was older than he. He became
so obsessed with her that he
haunted the Vasnier household
every day for almost five years.
It was at this time when Debussy
wrote and dedicated to her one
of his most beautiful songs, “Clair
de lune.” Vasnier was flattered
and touched by Debussy’s
adoration of her, but nothing
ever materialized between them.
Debussy returned to his beloved
city of Paris to compose music in
his own way. In the quaint cafes
of Paris Debussy, came into
contact with some of the most
progressive and fantastic artists
ever to have lived. He talked to
and was influenced by
Claude Debussy
The year was 1893 when he wrote
his Quartet in G minor and one
year later his exquisite orchestral
prelude, The Afternoon of a Faun.
Between 1893 and 1899 he
completed the three Nocturnes for
orchestra and as usual, some of his
works failed to get the critics’
approval because of his
nonconformist sound. Meanwhile,
in 1892, he started working on his
most ambitious project of all, an
opera based on Maurice
Maeterlinck’s drama “Pelleas et
Melisande.” It would take Debussy
ten years to write this (his only
finished) opera and upon
completion it would contain the
embodiment of his art. When it
debuted at the Opera Comique on
April 30, 1902 it was greeted with
confusing and conflicting opinions
because of its unconventional style
and mysterious atmosphere.
Debussy wrote the opera as a
series of short scenes that end
without climax. The critics hated
it, but over time it become
extremely popular with the public
and was sold out by its seventh
performance.
Impressionist painters such as
Manet and Renoir, and was also
impressed with discussions he had
with the Symbolist poet Stephane
The next turning point in
Mallarme. It was also at this time
Debussy’s life was when he won
when he embraced the ideas of
the coveted Prix de Rome in 1884
fellow French musician Erik Satie.
on his third attempt. Winning the
prize meant he had to go to Satie was fed up with the
Rome for three years, a city that excessive emotions of the German
he despised. Everything there composers. He wanted to see
upset him, the climate, the food, music turned to a different
the people, and most of all, the direction a trend of simple, refined
restrictions placed upon him by and economical music. Debussy
winning the Prix de Rome. He agreed with Satie, and later said of
would escape his misery by Wagner, “Don’t you see that he
studying the works of Wagner (Wagner) has led music astray into
who he now came to admire. s t e r i l e
and
pernicious
Debussy endured his three-year paths?” (Cross and Ewen, p. 196.)
stay in Paris by composing new The German composer who
musical works, most notably Debussy once revered was now his
being his La Demoiselle elue (The musical enemy.
Debussy was now the most famous
and provocative composer in
France. His works during the next
15 years brought fresh ideas in
musical structure and tonality.
During this period Debussy
composed such works of brilliance
as La Mer (The Sea) (1905) and
Images (1912) for orchestra, two
books of Preludes (1910, 1913) for
piano and several sets of songs,
but the creative genius of Debussy
was starting to fade when he found
out that he had been diagnosed
with cancer.
Debussy’s musical genius was now
Now with the obligations of the at full force and from this time on
Prix de Rome behind him, he began producing masterworks.
The last decade of Debussy’s life
was unpleasant, due to the
numerous painful operations to
Blessed Damozel.)
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
KCME/KMPZ
Classical Matters
Page 5
The Revolutionary Who Sent 20th Century Music on Its Way ~
Keith Kauspedas, KCME Traffic Director
stop the spread of cancer. Times
were hard with the outbreak of
World War I, and to make matters
worse Debussy was also
experiencing financial problems
that often didn’t leave him with
enough money for food or fuel.
During this time he tried to
compose, but finished little of what
he started.
“Debussy didn’t believe in the
establishment, he didn’t believe in
bourgeois convention, and he
didn’t believe in Beethoven or
Wagner - he believed in
Debussy.” (Hurt, spoken.)
He
hated to appear in public and
hated to conduct. He preferred
cats over people, “in fact he was
noted as being catlike and solitary,
as he was artistic and
amorous” (Thompson. p. 3.) and
he always had his study filled with
beautiful flowers.
His musical
mind was always in tune with the
environment. “He could feel faint
vibrations as he heard the
overtones of distant bells.” (Cross
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
and Ewen, p. 197.) Like Bach,
Mozart and Beethoven before
him Debussy set a new
precedent in the sound of music.
He is not only considered the
most important French composer
that has ever lived, but is
considered as the revolutionary
who set 20th century music on its
way. “When Debussy died on
March 25, 1918, in Paris, it was
being bombarded by the
Germans
and
it
was
raining.” (Hurt, spoken.) France
was too deep in the war to
concern itself with anything as
unimportant as Debussy. The
newspapers hardly noticed his
death.
Bibliography:
Cross, M., & Ewen D. (1953) .
Encylopedia of the Great
Composers and Their Music.
New York: Doubleday &
Company.
(2000) . Listen.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s
Slonimsky, N. (1992) . Baker’s
Biographical Dictionary of Musicians.
New York: Macmillan.
Thompson, O. (1965) . Debussy
Man and Artist.
New York: Dover Publications.
Hughes, R., Taylor, D., & Kerr, R.
(1939) . Music Lovers’ Encyclopedia.
New York: Garden City Publishing
Co.
Thompson, O. (1941) . Great
Modern Composers.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Company.
Bloch, J. (1989) . Claude Debussy.
World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 5.
pp. 65-66
Chicago: World Book, Inc.
Hurt, J. (Speaker) . (1999) . The
Seduction of Claude Debussy. The
Art of Noise.
London: ZTT Records LTD. (CD)
Kerman, J., & Tomlinson, G.
KCME/KMPZ
Classical Matters
Page 6
Spotlight on Corporate Sponsors
Classics for Kids
If you would like to explore the
opportunity to become a Corporate
Sponsor and help support the music
you love to hear on KCME, contact
Jeanna Wearing for more
information. Corporate sponsorship
opportunities are available for
special programming as well, like
Classics for Kids, The Score with
Edmund Stone, Concierto, Sunday
Baroque and others.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
KCME/KMPZ
is in need of sponsors to
continue its efforts to
bring classical music into
the classroom. If you
would like to be a Classics
for Kids road show
sponsor, please call
Jeanna Wearing today at
KCME-FM’s business
office. 800-492-5263.
Classical Matters
Page 7
Cheyenne Mountain Public
Broadcast House, Inc.
1921 North Weber Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Phone: 800-492-5263
Fax: 719-578-1033
E-mail: stories@kcme.org
www.kcme.org
KCME-FM began in 1979 as the dream of a small cluster of people who
believed that Southeastern Colorado should have a full-time classical radio
station in the area it was licensed to
Where to listen:
serve.
Charles “Bud” Edmonds,
Colorado Springs/Pueblo/
Willard Smull, and John Bennett
Manitou Springs: 88.7 FM
undertook the laborious task of
applying to the FCC for a permit to Cripple Creek/Victor: 89.5 FM
operate a public, non-profit, Woodland Park: 93.5 FM
educational station from Manitou Salida/Buena Vista: 88.1 & 89.5 FM
Springs, and on Christmas Eve, 1979
Cañon City/Florence/Penrose: 91.1 FM
KCME-FM went on the air for the first
time.
Today, KCME broadcasts Summit County 89.3 FM
classical music 24-hours a day at 88.7 FM and on its translators, with the
majority of its funding derived from the voluntary contributions of
foundations, corporations, and individuals in the community. KCME/KMPZ
wants to meet the expectation of excellence that classical listeners have,
both with regard to quality audio sound and current levels of radio and
broadcasting technology, as well as the presentation of classical music by
on-air announcers that can be compared favorably with any other
professional classical music station in the industry.
KCME is always looking for volunteers.
Please call 800-492-5263 to sign up today!
June Trivia Question: He died in 1791 and is buried in a pauper’s grave in Vienna, Austria.
MayTrivia Answer: About 8% of 88.7 KCME-FM listeners are active participants in the financial
obligations of the station. That mans 3,360 of the 42,000 listeners are members.
The correct answer for June’s trivia question will appear in next month’s
Classical Matters.
Become a Business Member today! Log on to KCME.org and
sign up and write your own description of your business, and
hear your name and city announced on air each week for the
duration of your membership. Six-month and one-year
memberships are available.
ATTENTION WEB LISTENERS! Classical KCME now has a total of 700 streams
available for our worldwide internet audience.
Classical 88.7 KCME is pleased to announce that we now have an additional 500 internet streams available
through IcyShout, a local Colorado Springs service provider, which offers exceptional audio quality. Apple
OS users may listen to our streaming audio by using the Apple iTunes player, if the Apple device has the iTunes
player installed.
For complete information go to kcme.org and click on LISTEN.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
KCME/KMPZ
Classical Matters
Page 8