Welcome to Classical Pacific for Thursday, June 15, 2017 on HPR 2. I’m your host, John Zak.
Today’s broadcast will feature performances of several earlier Prokofiev works, performed by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, featuring Michel Béroff on piano. Kurt Masur conducts. We’ll also hear the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra performing several selections from Iberia by Issac Albéniz. And, we'll hear several selections from "La Boite a Joujou" (The Toy Box) by Claude Debussy, who proves that what happens in the Toy Box doesn't stay in the Toy Box! Ozzie Kotani performs a beautiful medley of two of my favorite pieces by Queen Lili'uokalani: Paoakalani, and Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani.
As I mentioned some time ago, I am still looking for high-quality choral music from across Polynesia, particularly, S?moa and Tonga, and Maori music, as well. If you have access to that music and would be willing to share or to put me in contact with someone who might be able to assist in that regard, please let me know via e mail on this website or feel free to call the station (808) 955-8821 and leave me a message. And while we’re on the subject, what music from the Pacific region would you like to hear? Would you be interested in hearing more World Music? Any artists you especially love? Let me know!
Be sure to visit the Classical Pacific page on HPR’s website to listen to the podcast of my conversation with André Watts and Iggy Jang. If you have keiki in your life, to whom you want to introduce classical music, you will find this conversation especially interesting!
Classical Pacific began in February, 2017, as a result of Hawaii Public Radio’s ongoing commitment to give listeners across Hawaii and around the world more of what they love, on two networks: HPR 1 and HPR 2. Airing five days a week at 3 P.M. Hawaii time, the series features the finest of the world’s classical music, while also shining a spotlight on orchestras, artists, and composers of the Pacific region, including Polynesia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, The U.S., Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. We’ll also add spice with indigenous and World music that is creating new musical languages and collaborations worldwide.
Classical Pacific and all Hawaii Public Radio programs are available online at our website: hawaiipublicradio.org. You can also download the free app for your mobile device and take HPR with you whenever and wherever you travel! Just type H - P - R in the search box of your App. store!
