Begins Wednesday April 8 at 8am and continues through Monday morning, April 13.
This week VPR Classical features sounds of the season: from the fierce
hailstones of the exodus in Handel’s Passover oratorio, "Israel in
Egypt" – to the wonder and mystery of Good Friday expressed in Bach’s
masterpieces, the St. John and St. Matthew Passions. Listen to VPR
Classical this week for the music of springtime.
4/8 – Passover begins (at sundown)
10am-2pm: Midday Classics with Walter Parker – Highlights from
Handel’s powerful Passover oratorio, "Israel in Egypt" – you’ve never
heard hailstones until you’ve heard them in this piece!
4/9 – Maundy Thursday
8-10am: Morning Classics with Cheryl Willoughby – Giovanni Gabrieli’s
motet "Timor et Tremor" ("fear and trembling") alludes to the Biblical
Easter earthquake and anticipates the events of Good Friday.
4/10 – Good Friday
8-10am: Morning Classics with Cheryl Willoughby – Palestrina’s motet
"Crux Fidelis" ("Faithful cross"); Allegri’s ethereal "Miserere";
Wagner’s "Good Friday Spell" from "Parsifal"; and Haydn’s Symphony #49
"La passione" which ends inconclusively, to evoke the mystery and
wonder of Good Friday.
10am-2pm: Midday Classis with Walter Parker – Domenico Scarlatti’s
depiction of Mary at the foot of the cross, "Stabat Mater" ("the
grieving mother"); and Maurice Durufle’s Four motets on Gregorian
Themes.
3-7pm: Afternoon Classics with Joe Goetz – Haydn’s somber Symphony #26
"The Lamentation"; J.S. Bach’s poignant Cantata #4 "Christ lag in
Todesbanden" ("Christ lay in death’s bonds"); and Antonio Lotti’s
quintessential Good Friday motet, "Crucifixus".
8-10pm: "In Concert at 8" presents a new performance of Bach’s St.John
Passion by the Cleveland-based ensemble Apollo’s Fire. The Passion
tells the Easter story in English, with a rich backdrop of music by
Bach.
4/12 – Easter Sunday
7am: Sunday Bach’s 8th anniversary grand finale program includes
highlights for the holiday from Bach’s great Easter masterworks.
4/13 –
8-10am: Morning Classics with Cheryl Willoughby – the solemn mood of
the previous week’s music is broken by Mozart’s "Exultate, Jubilate";
the Celebration Dance from Copland’s ballet "Billy the Kid", Haydn’s
"Alleluia" Symphony #30, and William Billings’ Easter anthem, "The
Lord is Ris’n Indeed".