On Wednesday, into my classical/radio newsfeed fell this notification about Minnesota Classical Radio (MPR)’s playlist for May 23, 2018. Through the day you get the usual stuff: Schubert, Elgar, Vivaldi. Then the 10 PM hour arrives, and . . . KABOING:
Refuge
Baljinder Sekhon
Robert McCormick
McCormick Percussion GroupGumboots
David Bruce
Carducci Quartet
Julian Bliss, clarinetAguas da Amazonia: Amazon River
Philip Glass
Third Coast PercussionNihavent Semai
Sokratis Sinopoulos
Jean-Guihen Queyras, celloElectric Counterpoint: 3rd movement
Steve Reich
Kasia Kadlubowska, percussion
Interestingly, the Federal Communications Commission’s safe harbor hour also begins at 10 pm. That’s when broadcasters can air “indecent” and “profane” material through 6 am. And, apparently, that’s also when Minnesota classical radio lovers can listen to Steven Reich and Philip Glass.
Speaking of the opposite of profanity, yes, I watched and listened to cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason wow the guests at the Royal Wedding with his moving performances of pieces by Fauré, Schubert, and a beautiful work generally attributed to Theresia von Paradis, Sicilienne.
What is it that makes cellos the perfect musical instrument for wedding celebrations? I just asked my wife, Sharon Wood, and she suggested that the lower range mellowness of the cello (as opposed to the violin) sets a nice tone for these events. There’s also an intimate physicality to the cello that other instruments, including the piano, lack.
Believe it or not, there’s a wonderful wedding/cello scene in an otherwise profane movie: The Hangover, Part II.
This performance of a Bach Cello Suite at Stu’s wedding celebration in Thailand really sets up the arc of the film: a protagonist’s desire for a normal life, punctuated by occasional classy moments like this one, followed by the endless cavalcade of chaos that we expect of the Hangover comedy franchise. We seem to be getting that everywhere else these days as well. Good thing that cellos are still around.
