The Well-Tempered Ear
What do you think of the ‘new’ Wisconsin Public Radio?
15 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
Is The Ear alone — the only listener who is apprehensive and even disapproving about the major changes coming to the “new” Wisconsin Public Radio?
Starting this coming Monday, May 20, WPR is about to be severely reinvented.
That is when there will really be two WPRs — an all-music channel and a separate all-news channel — and when schedules for programs and hosts will change drastically.
And, just as importantly, so will the locations the two new stations on the dial.
For more details about the new station maps and numbers as well as background to the Big Makeover, go to the newly redesigned and improved website and especially this page:
Switching stations several times each day to catch the programs that you like should be about as much fun as resetting your clocks and digital timers for going on and off Daylight Saving and after a power outage.
Only you will be doing it non-stop.
No more one-stop shopping from morning to night.
Might just be enough to make some people tune out.
Or maybe withhold donations, even with what seems an increasing reliance on matching gifts by “generous friends” of WPR.
Of course the promotions and YouTube video from WPR’s recently hired director Sarah Ashworth (below) say the changes will be “exciting” and come after two years of research and analysis. She says the changes will make it easier for listeners around the state to listen to WPR, but they sure sound inconvenient more than user-friendly.
Excuse my doubt.
I like the mix of news and classical music. Always have, alway will.
I like waking up to NPR’s “Morning Edition,” which is my comprehensive morning news briefing. It’s great to listen to while driving to work or resting in bed.
I love the transition to classical music at 9, when I need beauty and am ready to listen to some music. (Below is Stephanie Elkins in the studio where she masterfully hosted the now-defunct “Morning Classics.”)
And after six hours of music, I love hearing “All Things Considered,” one of the few broadcast news programs that take culture seriously in addition to politics, finance and world events. I also love catching Terry Gross’ interviews on “Fresh Air” and financial updates from “Marketplace.”
I have loved the news-music contrast and combination ever since I came to graduate school in Madison and first tuned in to WPR.
The station has always reinforced the astute observations made by the great American poet William Carlos Williams who said: ‘“Beauty” is related not to “loveliness” but to a state in which reality plays a part”’ and “It is difficult/to get the news from poems/though men die miserably every day/for lack/of what is found there.”
Beauty and news belong together — integrated, not segregated. (The all-music channel will still have hourly headlines.)
Hard to tell if the changes will take WPR, now over a century old, to greater success or put it on the path to slow suicide.
Other things might have helped increase listenership .
One that comes to mind is playing less second- and third-rate music that is thoroughly boring and forgettable, and then trying to pass it off as important. More of an emphasis on great music — you know, the kind that first made us all fall in love with classical music — and less of an emphasis on obscure musicology and identity programming might have helped.
Another is implementing faster solutions to mechanical problems — including missing online listings, frequent instances of dead air, and chopping off parts of news and music programs.
Anyway, we need to give the new changes a chance. So Monday I will tune in and see how it goes and hope for the best before passing final judgment. But I am not optimistic.
What do you think of the changes?
What would you like to see WPR do more of or less of?
Please leave a comment, however brief.
The Ear and surely the entire staff at WPR want to hear.
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #WisconsinPublicRadio, #YouTubevideo, All Things Considered, AM-FM, American, analysis, Android, Apple, apprehensive, Arts, Asia, asian, ATC, audience, Bach, Baroque, beauty, Beethoven, Bing, blog, Broadcast, Cello, Chamber music, change, China, Chinese, choral music, Classical music, classicalmusic, classics, composer, Concert, concerto, customer, Daylight Saving, defunct, disapproval, donation, duckduckgo, Early music, easy, Europe, European, Facebook, fear, finance, financial, Foxfire, fresh air, gift, Google, Google Alert, Google Alerts, Google Search, greater, hard, host, identity, improve, improved, inconvenient, integrate, integration, interview, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, journalism, less, link, listener, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, makeover, map, Market Place, Marketplace, mechanical, media, Microsoft, Minnesota Public Radio, money, more, morning, Morning Classics, Morning Edition, Mozart, Music, musicology, National Public Radio, new, New Hampshire Public Radio, news, night, NPR, old, online, opera, optimistic, Orchestra, OS, page, Piano, poem, poet, Poetry, Politics, problem, program, Radio, reality, redesign, reliance, research, Russia, Russian, Safari, Sarah Ashworth, segregate, segregated, segregation, severe, share, slow, solution, Sonata, state, Stephanie Elkins, studio, success, suicide, tag, Terry Gross, The Ear, The Well-Tempered Ear, time, Twitter, United State, United States, University of Wisconsin–Madison, update, US, user-friendly, Vermont Public Radio, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Website, Well-Tempered, Well-tempered Ear, welltempered, William Carlos Williams, Wisconsin, wisconsin public radio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, WordPress, Wordpress.com, world events, WPR, X, you, YouTube
Classical music: The Madison Opera performs Verdi’s popular “La Traviata” this Friday night and Sunday afternoon in Overture Hall
2 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
This weekend, the Madison Opera opens its 59th season with a traditional production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” (The Lost One), one of the most popular operas in history.
According to the website www.operasense.com — specifically at https://www.operasense.com/most-popular-operas/ — it has been the most performed opera in the world, beating out such perennial favorites as Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Puccini’s “La Boheme” and “Madama Butterfly,” and Bizet’s “Carmen.” (Below are photos by Matthew Staver from the production by Opera Colorado in Denver, which features the same sets and costumes that will be used in the production by Madison Opera.)
Performances in Overture Hall are this Friday night, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoon, Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m. The opera will be sung in Italian with projected supertitles in English. The running time, with two intermissions, is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
PRE-OPERA TALKS are on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Studio of the Overture Center. One hour prior to performances, general director Kathryn Smith will give an entertaining and informative talk about “La Traviata.” The talks are free to ticket holders.
POST-OPERA Q&A’s are on Friday and Sunday and will also take place in the Wisconsin Studio of the Overture Center. Audience members can join general director Kathryn Smith immediately after the performance to ask questions about what they have just seen. The sessions are free to ticket holders.
Tickets are $18-$135 with student and group discounts available. For information about tickets, the production and the cast, go to: https://www.madisonopera.org
Set in mid-19th century Paris, “La Traviata” tells of Violetta, a courtesan who tries to follow her heart. But societal pressures force her to leave the man she loves, and an incurable illness takes care of the rest.
Glittering parties contrast with quiet desperation, and ravishing music underscores all-consuming emotions.
“Only a few operas ever achieve a truly beloved status — and “La Traviata” is one of them,” says Kathryn Smith (below, in a photo by James Gill). For being over 150 years old, its story is quite modern: a young woman trying to overcome the limitations that society has placed on her because of her class and gender, searching for happiness yet willing to make sacrifices.
“Plus it is full of very famous music, from the ‘Brindisi’ to ‘Sempre Libera’ and more,” Smith adds. “It’s always a pleasure to have a new generation discover this work, and to share it with opera omnivores who know it well.” (You can hear Renée Fleming sing Violetta’s signature aria “Sempre libera” (Always Free) at the Royal Opera House in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
“La Traviata” is based on the play and novel “La Dame aux Camélias” (The Lady of the Camellias) by Alexandre Dumas the son (below top), which were in turn based on his real-life relationship with the courtesan Marie Duplessis (below bottom), who died in 1847 of consumption.
The play was an instant hit when it premiered in Paris in 1852, and Verdi (below) turned it into an opera the following year.
While the first production of the opera was not a success, due to the poor singing of two cast members and the physical unsuitability of one singer, its second production was acclaimed, and the opera swiftly became one of the most performed operas in the world, a status it has not lost.
Both the opera and the play have inspired countless films, including “Camille” (with Greta Garbo), “Pretty Woman” (with Julia Roberts) and “Moulin Rouge” (with Nicole Kidman).
Madison Opera’s artistic director John DeMain (below, in a photo by Greg Anderson) says: “”La Traviata” has been a part of my artistic life since the very beginning of my career – it’s one of the reasons I so wanted to conduct opera. The heartfelt and tragic story of a love that was cut short by both health and cultural circumstances is still deeply moving today.
“The role of Violetta is a tour-de-force that ranges from high-flying coloratura to dramatic vocalism, with a strongly-etched character. I love this opera so deeply and look forward to conducting it for our audience.”
Returning to Madison Opera as Violetta is Cecilia Violetta Lopez (she played Carmen in Madison), whom The Washington Post reviewer called “as compelling a Violetta as I’ve seen.”
Mackenzie Whitney (below, who appeared in “Florencia en el Amazonas” for the Madison Opera) returns as Alfredo, the young man for whom she sacrifices everything.
Weston Hurt (below) debuts with Madison Opera as Alfredo’s father Germont, whose disapproval of his son’s relationship with Violetta has tragic consequences.
Madison Opera’s Studio Artists are featured: Kirsten Larson as Flora, Emily Secor as Annina, Benjamin Hopkins as Gastone, and Stephen Hobe as the Marquis d’Obigny.
Rounding out the cast are Benjamin Sieverding (Romeo and Juliet) as Dr. Grenvil and Benjamin Major in his Madison Opera debut as Baron Douphol.
Fenton Lamb (below) directs this traditional production in her Madison Opera debut.
Maestro John DeMain conducts the singers, the Madison Opera Chorus and the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
The Madison Opera’s production of “La Traviata” is sponsored by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, Bert and Diane Adams, Carla and Fernando Alvarado, Chun Lin, Patricia and Stephen Lucas, Millie and Marshall Osborn, Kato and David Perlman, the Wallach Family, Helen Wineke, Capitol Lakes, and the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Tags: #19thCentury, #AlexandreDumasfils, #ArtisticDirector, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CapitolLakes, #CapitolLakesRetirementCenter, #CastList, #CeciliaViolettaLopez, #ChoralMusic, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #DenverColorado, #DrinkingSong, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FentonLamb, #FlorenciaenelAmazonas, #Fridaynight, #GeneralDirector, #GeorgesBizet, #GiacomoPuccini, #GiuseppeVerdi, #GretaGardo, #HomeWebsite, #IncurableIllness, #InstantHit, #JohnDeMain, #JuliaRoberts, #KathrynSmith, #KatoPerlman, #LaBoheme, #LaTraviata, #MackenzieWhitney, #MadamaButterfly, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonOperaChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MarieDuplessis, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MoulinRouge, #MusicCritic, #MusicReview, #NicoleKidman, #OperaAria, #OperaColorado, #OperaHouse, #OrchestralMusic, #OvertureCenter, #OvertureHall, #ParisFrance, #PerennialFavorite, #PersonalRelationship, #PleasantT.Rowland, #PopularMusic, #PrettyWoman, #QuietDesperation, #RenéeFleming, #RomeoandJuliet, #RoyalOperaHouse, #RunningTime, #SempreLibera, #Sickness, #SopranoSinger, #StateOfWisconsin, #Sundayafternoon, #TenorSinger, #TheEar, #TheLostOne, #TheMagicFlute, #TheWashingtonPost, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VocalMusic, #WestonHurt, #WisconsinArtsBoard, #WisconsinStudio, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #YoungMan, #YoungWoman, #YouTubevideo, 19th century, acclaimed, afternoon, Alexandre Dumas fils, Alfredo, all-consuming, aria, Artistic director, artististic, artists, Arts, ask, audience, baron, beloved, Bizet, blog, Brindisi, Camille, Capitol, Capitol Lakes, care, career, Carmen, cast, Cecilia Violetta Lopez, character, choral music, chorus, circumstance, circumstances, class, classic, Classical music, classicalmusic, classism, Colorado, coloratura, composer, conduct, conductor, consequences, consume, consuming, consumption, costumes, courtesan, critically acclaimed, cultural, culture, death, debut, Denver, desperation, die, director, disapproval, discount, discover, dramatic, drinking song, Dumas, emotions, English, etched, Facebook, famous, father, favorite, feature, Fenton Lamb, film, first, Florencia en el Amazonas, flute, foundation, France, free, Friday, gender, General director, generation, Georges Bizet, Germont, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, glittering, Greta Garbo, group, happiness, Health, heart, heartfelt, high-flying, History, hit, Home, illness, incurable, information, instant, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, John DeMain, Jula Roberts, Kathryn Smith, Kato Perlman, La bohème, La Traviata, lakes, life, like, limitation, limitations, link, lost, loves, Mackenzie Whitney, Madama Butterfly, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Opera Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Maestro, magic, man, Marie Duplessis, Mead Witter School of Music, modern, Moulin Rouge, movie, moving, Mozart, Music, music critic, music reviewer, Nicole Kidman, night, novel, old, omnivore, open, opera, Opera Colorado, Opera house, Orchestra, orchestral music, overcome, Overture Center, Overture Hall, Paris, parties, party, perennial, performer, personal relationship, photo, physical, play, Pleasant T. Rowland, pleasure, poor, popular, post, posting, premiere, pressure, Pretty Woman, production, projected, Puccini, Q&A, question-and-answer, questions, quiet, ravishing, reader, real, real-life, relationship, Renée Fleming, Retirement, review, role, Romeo and Juliet, royal, Royal Opera House, running, running time, sacrifice, same, Season, Sempre Libera, session, sets, Sexism, sexist, share, sick, signature, singer, Singing, social, societal, society, son, soprano, sponsor, State of Wisconsin, status, story, studio, subscriber, success, Sunday, sung, supertitles, surtitles, tag, talks, tenor, The Ear, The Lost One, The Magic Flute, The Washington Post, ticket, time, today, tour-de-force, traditional, Tragic, translation, tuberculosis, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW-Madison, Verdi, Violetta, vocal music, Website, weekend, well-known, Weston Hurt, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin Studio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, woman, world, year, young, young man, young woman, YouTube
Recent Comments
 | welltemperedear on What do you think of the… |
 | Scott on What do you think of the… |
| welltemperedear on Yunchan Lim’s Chopin etudes ar… |
 | bratschespeilerin on What do you think of the… |
 | MARVIN P WICKENS on Yunchan Lim’s Chopin etudes ar… |
The Well-Tempered Ear 