As a child of Russia in the late 19th century, Sergei Rachmaninov was intimately acquainted with the pealing of bells—their sound accompanied one (in ritual both somber and festive) throughout life, from cradle to grave. Reading Edgar Allan Poe's sonorous poetic celebration of their sound in Russian translation would resonate deeply with him and inspire one of his most thrilling choral works, The Bells.
As Poe's birthday (January 19) falls this year on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and will be shared with music inspired by the civil rights leader, we'll get the Poe party started a little early, Friday afternoon, with a performance of that Rachmaninov vocal masterpiece.
Also, as this week also marked the back-to-back anniversaries of the death and the birth (January 14 and 15, respectively) of the iconic English actor Ernest Thesiger (best known as Doctor Septimus Pretorius, the diabolical mad scientist in The Bride of Frankenstein), we'll also enjoy the suite from Franz Waxman's marvelous score to that cinematic classic...and much more!
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—everyday weekday afternoon from 1 until 4 on Blue Lake Public Radio.
