August 5, 2007

It’s this week in classical music, an update on what’s happening in the classical music world, I’m Randy Kinkel.

World-renowned Flutist and composer Louis Moyse has died.  Moyse was a co-founder of the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, and teacher to some of the top flutists from around the world. He was a prolific writer as well, composing more than 170 works. He died of heart failure early Monday.

Michael Tilson Thomas returned to the Hollywood bowl for the first time in 22 years this past Tuesday.  Stepping onto the stage and asking the audience, “Now where were we?” the conductor went on to lead a critically acclaimed performance of Beethoven’s ninth symphony.  It was a different story last time Thomas was at the bowl.  In 1985 his concert of Mahler’s 8^th symphony was interrupted by a police helicopter seeking a suspect that held up the concert for a half hour and caused the young conductor to break his baton and walk off the stage in frustration.  This one, though, went off without a hitch.

Another city is turning to classical music as a way to chase away the criminal element.  Tacoma, Washington’s Pierce transit company and the Tacoma Police Department are installing speakers at bus stops and transit centers hoping to discourage gang and drug activity and loitering. Psychologist Jaqueline Helfgott from Seattle University says she thinks it’s unlikely that aspiring gang members would want to hang around an outdoor spot that plays “uncool” music.  Other measures include security cameras and extra patrols.  Time will tell if Bach and Beethoven can chase away the bad guys.

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the KBAQ website at KBAQ-dot-org.… be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me at noon every weekday for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries, … I’m Randy Kinkel, for KBAQ’s  “This week in Classical Music”…  on 89-five KBAQ, K-B-A-Q Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University