Compact Discoveries 24: Wagner Without Words
Series: Compact Discoveries
From: Fred Flaxman
Length: 00:58:00
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
This program is aimed particularly at people who enjoy classical music, but who don't care for opera and can't stand, in particular, the long, heavy, highly Germanic operas of Richard Wagner. The overtures, preludes and incidental music to those operas contain many of the best melodies from those works without any of the words. The program will include the "Prélude & Liebestod" fromTristan und Isolde, the "Prélude to Act III" of Lohengrin and some music Wagner wrote that wasn't for any of his operas.
Broadcast History
This program was first distributed nationally by the WFMT Radio Network in 2002. It was first made available via PRX on July 11, 2009.
Transcript
Program 24
"Wagner Without Words"
MUSIC: Wagner: Tannhäuser Overture (excerpt)[London 448 155-2, track 5] under the following:
FLAXMAN: Welcome to Compact Discoveries. I'm your guide, Fred Flaxman. This next hour will be devoted to "Wagner Without Words."
There used to be an advertisement in the New York subways that said "you don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's Jewish rye." Well you don't have to be an opera fan to love Wagner, even though that is what he is most famous for. If you aren't into opera at all, or appreciate Italian and French opera but not the German variety, or are new to classical music and want to know where to start with Wagner, I have one strong recommendation: listen to the magnificent, short, soaring romantic orchestral music he wrote as preludes and overtures for his operas.
MUSIC: fades out
FLAXMAN: I'm going to play for you my very favorite "Wagner Withou...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
see transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| see transcript | see transcript | see transcript. | see transcript | 00:00 |
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