Music Mix on todays show

Lots of new recital discs and releases, so a music mix will be played on todays show.

10AM- 1PM, WHFR-FM "What's Opera, Doc?" - opera, art song and vocal music in Metro Detroit.

Happy Holidays from opera-gal !!

A longer post will arrive later today - have a wonderful holiday and listen to some music!
***UPDATE***
What's Opera. Doc? was tagged!! Vissid-amore.blogspot.com/ tagged the show, so I will answer!!

Four jobs you've had in your life (not in chronological order):
1. Singer
2. Opera Designer
3. Web Designer
4. Waitress

Four movies you could watch over and over:
1. The Third Man
2. see #1
3. see #2
4. see #3

Four places you've lived:

1. N.Y., N.Y.
2. Chicago, IL
3. Cincinnati, OH
4. Detroit, MI

Four TV shows you love to watch:

1. n/a
2. n/a
3. n/a
4. n/a

I don't watch much TV.

Four places you've been on vacation:
1. Cancun, Mexico
2. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3. Boston, MA
4. Seattle, WA

Four websites you visit daily:

1. Bucky Four Eyes Cotillion - its my daily dose of insanity
2. The World Wide Web Virtual Library
3. Yahoo front page for news, sports and weather at a glance
4. Kirupa.com

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Sushi
2. Lox bagel
3. Thai food - any Thai food
4. Pasta, pasta and more pasta!

Four places you'd rather be:

1. A day spa in Greece
2. In a newer vintage automobile
3. Singing either Octavian (ha!), Nicklausse or Dorabella just once in a production - it could be semi-staged and I would still be happy
4. anywhere but this cultural/artisic hell-hole that is Detroit, MI. But only if I could take all my friends and family with me!!

why do I even come into the station sometimes?

yes I am posting DURING A SHOW. Both CD players are skipping EVERY CD I PUT IN THEM. Todays show has become an unmitigated train wreck - my apologies to everyone who was listening to Puritani.
I will try to rebroadcast the featured opera week - music mix for the rest of the show.

Gotta love live radio!!

I Puritani on todays program

WOD is late to the "Dame Joan Sutherland is brilliant" party. Today we feature her performance as Elvira in Bellini's "I Puritani". It is a joy, and features Pavarotti as Arturo, who takes the high F in this performance.
The vocal ensembles are all extremely well sung.

10 AM - 1PM as usual.WHFR-FM to listen live.

No Show today

My apologies, no show today. Classical 24 sattellite broadcast instead.
~wod~

New music - Hvorostovsky in the radio blog

A year ago, I was prepping my interview with one of the great baritones of our generation - Dmitri Hvorostovsky. He addressed the craft of acting a role almost as much as he did the discussion of singing - a multi-faceted artist.
Please find two selections of his work in the radio blog (finally updated!), more to be added throughout the week.
Some reviewers at the time were dismissive of his Pere Germont - please make your own call on this one. WOD is still trying to find recordings of his turn as the Don, but not the filmic version.
DH also happens to like hockey and has even followed our own Red Wings, since hie countryman Pavel Datsyuk plays for the team. Enjoy.

Programming a show - 101 - Part 1

Anyone reading this blog at 5AM definitely gets an answer to their question... !! A reader/listener asked how programming the show is put together. My show is one of 4 in the United States that programs over 80% opera, art song and vocal music. (if there are more, I would love to know about them).
First, an explanation of the station is in order, which will comprise Part 1 of this entry.
WHFR is a "college alternative" station - its station charter and FCC liscence require that the station ONLY plays music that cannot be heard elsewhere in that market. So the programming is a lot like the weather in Michigan - just wait a few minutes, and it will change.[sic]

Most shows at WHFR are 2 hours - mine is 3 hours long 1 day a week, and as most opera listeners know...that is not enough time to play a complete opera. No one at the station is allowed to have a show over 3 hours - the concept is to provide as many "students" as possible the opportunity to experience radio broadcasting.

I say "students", because some of the hosts are well into their 30's/40's, but there are quite a few who are 19, 20 and still students full-time at the college. To become a host, you are required to take a class in radio technology, which mostly covers FCC rules and how to run the equipment. Then you "graduate" and if your show meets certain guidelines, you get to host a show. There are roughly 40 hosts at the station right now. I am also the Classical Music Director.

Some of this may be tongue-in-cheek, but what it means is roughly every 2 hours, the format changes. Because it part of the station charter, I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS. I have to emphasize this because every week I get complaints when the opera ends and indie rock begins. There is a lot of indie rock, free-form jazz, local blues, video game music, hip-hop/rap,soundtracks, psychobilly, techno and yes...opera/classical.

Please also keep in mind that everyone at this station (with the exceptions of the Station Manager, General Manager, and Operations Manager) is a volunteer. We are our own board ops, we do all the prep work, and as long as we stay within the charter, we have a modicum of freedom with programming...

and so this ends Part 1...

Music Mix on todays show, featuring the Bell Telephone hour with Corelli, Callas, Sills, Moffo

I just realized I have NEVER played any Beverly Sills on the program. Bad, bad opera host that I am. I will rectify that tout suite. Todays program will be a music mix (no featured opera)
As always, 10 am - 1 pm EST or -500 GMT at whfr.fm

Also, a shout-out to WOD's newest linker, Dima from Chicago, she can now be forgiven for liking the Blackhawks. :)

Mozart Madness - taking requests

Good Sunday morning to everyone! To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozarts birth,(Born in Salzburg, Austria on Jan. 27, 1756; full name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Gottlieb Mozart; he was baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.) starting in January 2006, What's Opera, Doc will play all of his operas in the order that they were written.
WOD is taking suggestions for particular performances, so far we have a large number of votes for the Sawallisch Zauberflote, and the Cosi with Schwarzkopf/Ludwig. If anyone knows where to find a recording of La finta semplice, contact us!
Currently, WOD is holding out for the definitive Don Giovanni recording - this is a "desert island" opera for me, so the choice must be carefully considered.

Tuesdays opera is undecided - I may just play a music mix, as there is a lot of new music at the studio, mostly instrumental, but I should have the new Callas re-release, I will re-visit the new Thomas Hapson and Jonathan Lemalu recital discs, and other treats TBA.

PS:Inquiring minds want to know if I will write about the recent opera-l dustup over the Faust recordings from November. (answer: yes, and soon)

Return on Tuesday when I will annouce that days' programming. Enjoy your day of rest.

New Opera Blog

Well, a reuscitated one, in his words. Go to operablog.blogspot.com this gentleman has a wonderful way with words and the resources to attend LIVE opera, which is really, the only way to go. He writes about opera-going wonderfully.

There has been much drama of late with regards to this radio show. Once I wrap my head around it, I will write about what the last weeks have been like.