Now! Marnie the 2017 opera on WHRB-FM Harvard Radio 95.3

[thezak]

Now! Marnie the 2017 opera on WHRB-FM Cambridge Harvard Radio 95.3 MHz https://www.whrb.org/departments/classical/metropolitan-opera-1
whrb.org/departments/classical/metropolitan-opera-1

Marnie is about a young woman who makes a living by embezzling from her employers, moving on, and changing her identity. Also check out Marnie 1964 film by Alfred Hitchcock with Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery and Marnie 1961 novel by Winston Graham.

 

[TheBigA]

When people complain about how dull or boring radio is, my first thought is maybe the complainer hasn't looked beyond a handful of stations. Because WHRB is not dull or boring. And unlike a lot of college stations, this one (like other Ivy League stations) accepts commercials. I somehow had missed that HRB had The Met. I guess WCRB is far too committed to the BSO. I'm not an opera fan, but I love the fact that the students at Harvard make it available to the people of Boston. I also love the fact that at a time when other colleges, such as Brown, are giving up on radio, the students at Harvard haven't.

 

[CTListener]

When people complain about how dull or boring radio is, my first thought is maybe the complainer hasn't looked beyond a handful of stations. Because WHRB is not dull or boring. And unlike a lot of college stations, this one (like other Ivy League stations) accepts commercials. I somehow had missed that HRB had The Met. I guess WCRB is far too committed to the BSO. I'm not an opera fan, but I love the fact that the students at Harvard make it available to the people of Boston. I also love the fact that at a time when other colleges, such as Brown, are giving up on radio, the students at Harvard haven't.

WFCR Amherst carries both the BSO and the Met -- opera on Saturday afternoon, symphony on Sunday afternoon. I wonder why WCRB chose to carry only one of them. (WFCR is funded by five schools in Western Mass. -- UMass, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Amherst, Hampshire -- but is licensed to UMass.)

 

[TheBigA]

I wonder why WCRB chose to carry only one of them.

I seem to recall they did under the previous ownership. Then again, opera can be tough for some to take, especially new opera (as opposed to the classics).

 

[davideduardo]

I seem to recall they did under the previous ownership. Then again, opera can be tough for some to take, especially new opera (as opposed to the classics).

Yes, and Marnie was a particularly hard one to "take" as it was more Mahler than Verdi in style and that is a major obstacle.

But there is more. The Washington Post Classical Music critic said, "“Marnie,” with music by Nico Muhly and a libretto by Nicholas Wright, represents a colossal waste of talent and opportunity."

I heard part of it. I felt no desire to hear more.

 

[joebtsflk1]

Then again, opera can be tough for some to take, especially new opera (as opposed to the classics).

Back to my student days, I recall most of the fulltime staff at classical KSUI Iowa City turned down the monitors when they were running the Met on Saturday afternoons...

 

[CTListener]

Well, now it seems the American Federation of Musicians has silenced the Boston Symphony on radio, at least for a while. I was just listening to WFCR in the car and the local host of the classical block that airs before the BSO announced shortly before 11:30 that the BSO was no longer available to "stations around New England" (including WCRB? how about nationally?) due to a money dispute with the union, and that this week's program would be the last that WFCR will be able to broadcast.

On WFCR, the syndicated "Performance Today -- Weekend" will air instead. What will WCRB be doing? Some similar syndicated grab-bag show or another locally originated two hours? This dispute must also apply to the entire huge archive of BSO concerts, otherwise I'm sure some long-ago performance would be airing.

 

[TheBigA]

Well, now it seems the American Federation of Musicians has silenced the Boston Symphony on radio,

There's this note on the WCRB site:

"Regional broadcasts of Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts will not be available until the negotiations between the American Federation of Musicians and the Employer association have been completed. We apologize for the inconvenience."

FYI unlike recording artists, live musicians get paid for the performances on the radio. They get paid a fee plus a payment to their health insurance and retirement plan.