At 9 a.m. tomorrow, WFMT-FM (98.7) will start its 35th birthdaycelebration with a typically offbeat flourish.
The station commissioned eminent American composer Morton Gouldto compose an anniversary fanfare. However, instead of writing awork for blazing brass, Gould's fanfare is for flute. Donald Peck,principal flutist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, recorded thepiece, which will be repeated several times today and tomorrow on thestation.
"Morton Gould is such a great composer," said Norm Pellegrini,WFMT's program director, "and such an amiable guy. He was here lastyear and we decided to ask him if he'd like to do a fanfare for us."
The station has included several birthday events on thisweekend's program schedule. At a time when so many radio stationssound alike, WFMT is reveling in its ability to do more than playrecordings. The birthday concerts will be broadcast live from WFMT'stwo-story, in-house performance studio.
Between 9 and 10 a.m. tomorrow, the Chicago Ensemble, a chambergroup led by Gerald Rizzer, will perform a Beethoven piano trio andJewish songs in honor of Hanukkah. At 10:30 a.m., another group oflocal musicians will play chamber music, including "Scriabiana," asuite from music of Scriabin by CSO bassoonist Willard Elliot. Nineplayers, led by CSO clarinetist John Bruce Yeh, will perform anarrangement for clarinet and strings of Mozart's Piano Trio, K. 496at 12:15 p.m.
From 11:15 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday, "The Midnight Special," thestation's long-running program of "madness and escape," will bealmost entirely live. Folk singers Bonnie Koloc, Corky Siegel,Gamble Rogers and Fred Holstein will appear. Larry Rand, acomposer-songwriter whose credits include a lament about life inSkokie, will introduce the WFMT anniversary song.
The weekend's programming will be punctuated by "Moments in WFMTHistory," brief excerpts from notable WFMT interviews.
WFMT-FM came quietly into existence on Dec. 13, 1951. There wasno raucous change of format, nothing like the playing of "Roll Over,Beethoven" that happened several years ago in Chicago when aclassical station switched to rock 'n' roll. Bernard and Rita Jacobssimply took over WOAK, a small station at the far right end of the FMdial (105.9) that had been playing a mixed programming format. Theyhad been involved with the station previously, left to form their ownclassical station and then returned after that failed, Pellegrinisaid. Pellegrini had worked with Jacobs previously and rejoined himthat first year. That first day, Pellegrini said, WFMT was on theair from 3 to 11 p.m.
Over the years, WFMT became a place to hear the sounds ofChicago, whether the newest young playwright in an interview withStuds Terkel or live broadcasts of the CSO and Lyric Opera. MikeNichols, then a University of Chicago student, became a WFMTannouncer in 1951. A programming mix of talk, records and livebroadcasts was set early on.
Pellegrini especially values WFMT's commitment to livebroadcasting. The in-house performance space at WFMT's new studiosin Three Illinois Center was his pet project, according to stationstaffers.
"I think the live broadcasts are an enormously important elementof what we do," Pellegrini said. "It's very important to theaudience, that extra element of excitement and communication. Liveperformance gives a vitality to the listeners and the station aswell." It also is a way of supporting worthy local performers andartists, he added.
WFMT has become a classical "superstation" since that firstbroadcast day in the Guyon Hotel, at Washington and Pulaski. Itsprogramming is available to cable companies and is now heard in 357U.S. cities. Its schedule includes broadcasts from the majorEuropean music festivals, such as Bayreuth, Salzburg and Aldeburgh.
No comments:
Post a Comment