Program Guide May 2026

GM Report

WWUH turns 58 years old this summer (!) and in this issue of the Guide we continue our look back at the amazing history of this station. You'll see below the GM's report from 1973 showing much much station station had grown in it's first 5 years on the air. And in another article we look at the extensive community affairs programming the station aired in 1985.

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John Ramsey

WWUH in 1973

Excerpt from "Insight into WWUH, Semester Report, December, 1973 by Phil Cabot, General Manager:

  "First semester was a period of change at WWUH. First the constitution was changed to correct many discrepancies. Second, three members of the station were elected to the executive committee.

  "One area of great change was Engineering. The engineering department under the guidance of Charles Allen, Chief Engineer, and Stew Yager, Assistant Chief, has been extremely busy this semester. The department has been responsible for the studio renovation which was been started. Along with the aid of Ed Nelson, Professor at Ward, the studio renovation when completed will make WWUH's facilities one of the best college radio facilities around. Although we are still tight for space, we have re-designed the studios for the most optimum use. This includes a combination talk studio and production studio which will be used for producing those much needed educational programs, a completely remodeled FM studio and a news booth. Also the department is still working to move the transmitter to WTIC's facility on Avon Mountain. If approved by the FCC this move will be made this spring and as a result WWUH will be the most powerful educational station in CT.

    "As always our primary concern is that of programming. Roger Stauss, Program Director, is attempting to attain our goal for more educational programming. Once this goal is achieved WWUH will truly become the "Voice of the University of Hartford." Roger is attempting to get more participation on the part of the University community. One example of what has already started are the theater reviews done by John Balmer, Prof. in the Comm and Theater Departments. Mr. Balmer has been reviewing several plays around the area and makes very knowledgeable comments on each. Roger and I both feel that the university community is comprised of so many valuable human resources that the limit to our educational programming is virtually non-existent. WWUH has also been using many educational tape networks including Pacifica, National Public Radio and the BBC.

  "During Marathon last year the Student Association generously donated $2000 for the replacement and enlargement of the record library. Jim Shanahan, music director, has been busy at work ordering records and it is expected that we will have one of the finest record libraries when he is finished.

  One thing that I have been very interested in, for public affairs, is the installation of a line into the state capitol in Hartford. If we are able to install this line we will be able to broadcast different sessions of the legislature which are of particular interest to the Hartford community. This is another example of our continued interest for more public service programming.

  "Have you ever wished you could talk back to your radio? Well soon you will be able to. Roger Stauss and I are planning to conduct a telephone talk show that will enable our listeners to do just that. Listeners will be able to ask questions, suggest ideas, and state opinions regarding WWUH. We need this kind of feedback in order to become a community minded station.

  "The ideas that Roger and his staff have come up with assure me that WWUH will be growing in the direction which will make the university very impressed and excited. Eventually we hope that WWUH will be one of the major public relations outlets of the university.

  "Unfortunately, unlike the rest of the station, we are weak financially. (The audit of our accounts) prepared by Business Manager Michael Ditkoff (shows) we have already been forced to spend a substantial portion of this year's budget. However the excess spending has been forecast due to the many important and expensive projects which had been planned for this year including the renovation and the move.  Although this puts a financial strain on the rest of the station we feel that these projects were very necessary in order to improve and maintain WWUH.

  "A new department which has been formed at WWUH is that of development. Under the guidance of Judy Corcoran, this department is responsible for the continued growth of WWUH. This department is also responsible for the Program Guide, Personnel and Public Relations.

  "Although the Program Guide is still in financially poor shape, we feel this is one of the more important products of WWUH and is worth running at a deficit to maintain. Terry Sobestanovich, Program Guide Editor, is attempting to increase advertising and subscriptions to the Guide.

  "The personnel of WWUH has been substantially increased this year.  We now have more than forty active members and associate members at the station. Judy and I are both very happy with this large turn out and hope the personnel department continues to grow.

  "Judy and her public relations department have been very busy this semester. Not only have we been advertising on twenty three busses throughout the area, our Newington Children's Hospital Drive brought the University and our station very good publicity. WDRC presented a half h our program on this drive along with a five minute presentation on channel 3. Channel 30 and WTIC radio both publicized the event and there were articles in the Hartford Courant and the Times.

  "One of the most exciting departments this year has been the News Department. Under the leadership of Andy Brownstein, News Director, the news department has started on the road to becoming one of the best news departments in the state. One of Andy's primary concerns is to go out and get many actualities throughout CT. This was evident during the recent elections when student reporters were sent to cover the visits of Sen. McGovern, Sargent Shriver, VP Agnew and Senator Kennedy. As one who took part in covering some of these events I feel that not only are these events interesting to cover but also very educational.

  "Andy, who took over the department early in the semester, has also held a seminar in news reporting for his staff with Paul Kuntz, News Director of WTIC as a guest speaker. This is one example how professionals from throughout CT are willing to help train our staff.

  "Andy also realizes the importance of using other news sources besides the UPI and has started using newspapers and experimenting with other news services such as "Earth News."

  "Continuing with our goal for community involvement Andy has started a program of training and using high school students in the Hartford area to do news. Not only does this interest them in our station, but also in the univ. and the field of broadcasting. Programs such as these benefit everyone involved.

  "Another idea that was instituted by the News staff was the formation of a booklet with all faculty of the university listed and their main field of interest. This booklet will enable the department to contact "experts" when news stories need further investigation.   

  "I have been very impressed with what Andy and his department have achieved and look forward to a great news department.

  "One department which has always been of great concern to me has been that of minority affairs. When the Constitution of WWUH was changed earlier this year this department was put onto the Executive Committee. This alone was one of the station's most worthwhile achievements. Anne Harte, who was elected director of this department, hopes to increase minority involvement int he station and to increase minority educational programming. Already this year Dr. Umunna, Professor in the Black Studies Program, has started an African program once per week and has received several letters praising the show. Also, a Jamaican program has been presented once per week. Several tapes from our tape networks have also dealt with minority subjects.

  "Another area of minority affairs I have asked Anne to look into is some kind of exchange program with Weaver High School. Weaver has started a station of their own and perhaps why could use some help with their station. I feel that we Weaver nearby it is very important to start programs such as these.

  "With the aid of Tricia Beatty, Operations Director, I have been attempting to make WWUH a station the university can be proud of. Being owned by the Board of Regents, we realize the importance of university and community involvement in WWUH. Tricia and I are attempting to set up a Connecticut College Broadcasting Association which will enable all member stations to use each others programs. This will allow WWUH to present some of its educational programs elsewhere in the state. Also Clark Smidt, who is now FM Coordinator for WBZ in Boston, has informed us that eventually he would like to use some of our educational programming on WBZ. This would help spread the university's voice throughout New England. Another project I am working on, with Roger Stauss, is a survey of FM broadcasting in CT. This survey will aid in in determining what is needed in the way of programming on FM.

  "WWUH continues to present editorial opinions on controversial subjects, including the elections and the incident at Baton Rouge. As a "public service" media we feel editorial opinions are very important.

  "Dr. Daniel Viamonte, Chairman of the Comm and Theater Dept, has also started a program whereby students taking an introductory communications course are able to receive credit for a lab conducted at our station. We feel this is one more way in which the university can use the facilities of our station.

  "It has been a very busy semester at WWUH and as you can see by this report a very beneficial one. I hope you have found this report to be of interest and look forward to any comments you may have."

From the Station History Document: Year 1985

1985 was a time of high international tension. Some say that the Cold War was never hotter than during 1985 and 1986. In response to the very legitimate concerns of many of Americans that the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union was looming ever closer; WWUH aired a series of “Nuclear Awareness” programs during the summer of '85. These programs were scheduled to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and they helped to educate the public about the extremely emotional and highly technical topic of nuclear war. It is important to note that these programs were aired at a time when the US and the USSR were spending a billion dollars a day on defense, and that the US Secretary of State had recently pronounced that “nuclear war was winnable” and that the US should be prepared to fight a “protracted” nuclear war that could last weeks or months!  

As part of our promotional campaign for the “Nuclear Awareness” series, we received permission from the Union of Atomic Scientists to reprint their famous "Doomsday clock" on the back page of the August issue of the Program Guide, the same guide that included extensive information about our special programming. The ECOM was surprised to discover that this was the first time anyone had asked to reprint the famous clock, first published by the Union in 1947 when the Soviet Union detonated their first nuclear weapon! Not coincidently, the clock’s hands had been moved to just three minutes before midnight in mid-1985, the closest it had ever been, reflecting the heating up of the “cold war” and the real possibility of nuclear conflict between the superpowers!  

The programs covered such topics as the history of the bomb and how it effected the post-WWII relations of the US and the USSR. Several programs explored President Regan’s “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative that would violate the ABM treaty. One particularly powerful program focused on the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Our Nuclear Awareness programming proved to be so popular that we extended the series into October and November with programming on such topics as the “neutron bomb” (a device that killed people but left buildings untouched), the Regan Administration’s new nuclear war fighting “strategies” (and abandonment of the 30 year old doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction), the renunciation by the US of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and the medical consequences of even a “limited” nuclear war. Many of our listeners were shocked to hear Dr. Helen Caldicott, a physician and author of “Missile Envy,” describe how even a minor nuclear exchange would overwhelm the US medical system and that, in her professional opinion as a physician, politicians on both sides who believed that a nuclear war was winnable could be considered both clinically and legally insane using the contemporary definitions of those terms!

A 10-part series called "Black Expressions" was aired Mondays at noon in February and March to commemorate Black history Month. This syndicated show aired in our noontime public affairs time slot, and covered the entire spectrum of black experience, from poetry to music to religion to public discourse. A significant part of the series dealt with the Civil Rights movement and its effect on the country.

National and International issues weren’t the only focus of the station’s programming. 

In November, the station sponsored a forum with all eleven candidates for the Hartford Board of Education. This was the first time the station had taken on an event of this magnitude, and everything worked as planned. The event was held in Lincoln Theater in front of a live audience and the event was taped for broadcast the next evening on WWUH. Joanne Nesti from Channel 30 was the moderator, and George Springer from the National Federation of Teachers gave the opening remarks.

As part of an on-going effort to tie University of Hartford events into our programming and to make the station more visible on campus, we started a new program: "UH Presents". We trained a small staff of volunteers who would attend various university functions and record them. If permission could be obtained for broadcast, the lecture/speech would be edited and aired in the new program. To make sure that the university noticed our presence at the events, we purchased a number of mike "flags" with our call letters on them.

One of the biggest events that was aired on UH Presents in 1985 was a lecture by Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State under the Nixon Administration.

The station worked with the Admissions Office to produce a special program for students attending the open house. The idea was to have the special broadcast welcoming the students to campus while at the same time providing information about the admissions process and about the university. The idea was to make it have enough material of general interest so that there would be some appeal to our regular audience.

The program was produced in-house and aired on the Sunday morning of the open house: The material that the Admission office sent to the prospective students encouraged them to tune in to 91.3 while they are driving to the campus to hear a special program. Reaction from the students and their families at the open house, and later reaction from the UH administration was very favorable.

Community Affairs Director Tom Bradford produced a special program on the Hartford Housing Auction, which aired on WWUH as well as WQTQ at Weaver High School. He also produced a series on Urban Homesteading to air Fridays at noon for four weeks in March.

“Within And Around Your World” was the name of a new local public affairs show introduced in 1985.

Nationally, 1985 was the year an anti-choice group produced a TV anti-abortion program called “The Silent Scream” which was viewed by millions of people when it aired on public television. The program featured supposedly authentic clinical footage of an early-term abortion and showed in a very graphic manner the fetus “reacting” violently to the procedure. Needless to say this program was considered “shocking” by many who viewed it.

There was much speculation within the medical community about whether or not the film had been doctored since most experts agreed that a fetus at that early stage of development simply lacked the neurological development and motor control to understand and react to what was happening. The clamor surrounding the showing of this film resulted in a nationally syndicated radio program entitled “Thinking About the Silent Scream” which was produced by a noted Neurologist. This scientific program relied on the testimony of experts in the field to challenge the accuracy of the film and to expose the trickery used to manipulate the footage. The ECOM auditioned the program and decided to air the program on October 30 after an extensive publicity campaign.  

Prior to the broadcast of “Thinking About the Silent Scream,” a local anti-abortion group contacted the station to request equal time. Since the ECOM believed in equal time, and in fact the Fairness Doctrine required “equal opportunity”, the station provided studio time and an engineer to produce a half hour “response” to the show hosted by several local Catholic Priests. This “rebuttal”, which was mostly a generic condemnation of abortion based on religious principals, aired immediately after the documentary was broadcast. Interestingly, the producer of the original radio documentary had been having trouble getting stations around the country to air the show because of “equal time” concerns, and with the approval of everyone involved, we were able to bundle the two radio shows as a WWUH “UH Presents” Production, with the documentary and the “response” made into a one hour syndicated package that was ultimately aired by stations in thirteen states!

The local Capitol Records representative, Merv Amols, who had been very supportive of the station over the years, approached us in 1985 to air a program on Gamblers Anonymous, of which he was a member. Merv helped produce a program on problem gambling that featured therapists from GA along with a number of former problem gamblers.

The station had always been interested in having a program aimed at young children, and while there were several attempts over the years to produce such a show in-house, the enormous effort required to produce a children’s program hampered progress. The ECOM decided to look for a syndicated program and found a children’s show produced right here in Connecticut, by inmates at a local prison no less! The ECOM carefully reviewed several demo tapes and spoke at length with the Warden. The show, "The Men of the Cabbage Patch" had been being produced for three years by non-violent prisoners at the Sommers Correctional Institute and was being distributed to dozens of pre-schools and elementary schools around the country. It was part of a work program to reward inmates for good behavior. The warden assured us that no inmates convicted of violent crime, or convicted of any crime involving children were allowed to be involved with the program.

The ECOM liked what they heard on the demo tapes, and “The Men Of The Cabbage Patch” debuted on WWUH at 8:30 PM on Saturday, Oct. 5th. The program was aimed at children, ages 3-7 and featured segments of stories, poems and rhymes submitted by children and read by the inmates. The majority of the program was in English, but portions were in the Spanish language. Listener reaction was favorable and overall, the program got an A+ for enthusiasm and about a C for production values, partly due to the lack of production equipment at the prison.

Community Affairs Director Stuart Werner and Development Director Carol Stevens produced a concert to benefit the homeless in Hartford. The Connecticut against Starvation and Hunger (“CASH”) Concert was held on October 20 at Trinity College. The show featured 12 Hours of music. 

In April, we are approached by WHUS at UCONN in Storrs. They requested permission to rebroadcast our Algonquin Radio program aimed at the state’s Native American population. Needless to say, we give them permission and the show was a regular part of WHUS’s weekly program line up for several years.

The station was one of seven stations sponsoring the annual March of Dimes Walk-A-Thon in April. Station volunteers staffed a checkpoint in West Hartford and handed out promotional material along with water and encouragement. 

For Halloween, the station had planned on broadcasting the original Mercury Theater production of HG Well’s War of the Worlds, of which the station had an LP recording. Since the LP didn’t have any copyright notification on it and the disc was close to twenty years old, we assumed that it was cleared for air play. Extensive publicity was generated but we did not air the show! On Halloween day, we received a telegram from the copyright holders of the recording informing us that the right to the broadcast had been sold to ABC Radio for 1985. Apparently, the local ABC affiliate (who didn’t even air the show) blew the whistle on us and forced us to refrain from airing the program!

The poet Nikki Giovanni's campus reading was taped for later broadcast.

The station co-sponsored a concert at the local restaurant 36 Lewis Street with the band The Outlets.

In Central CT and Western MA, WWUH can be heard

at 91.3 on the FM dial. 

Our programs are also carried on:

WDJW, 89.7, Somers, CT



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You can also access on demand any WWUH program which has aired in the last two weeks using our newly improved Program Archive.

WWUH Classical Programming

May 2026

Sunday Afternoon at the Opera… Sundays 1:00 – 4:30 pm

Evening Classics… Weekdays 4:00 to 7:00/ 8:00 pm

Drake’s Village Brass Band… Tuesdays 7:00-8:00 pm

Friday, May 1st

Matt Haimovitz — an interview and his music (rescheduled).

Sunday, May 3rd

Mercadante, Elena da Feltre.

Monday, May 4th

Il vespro Siciliano by G. Verdi; Wellington’s Victory by Ludwig van Beethoven; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta by Béla Bartók; Farewell from Gustav Mahler.

Tuesday, May 5th

Auric: La Pastorale; Lambert: Romeo and Juliet; Pasieczny: Polish Impressions; Hamasyan: Sonata for Percussion.

Drake’s Village Brass Band (7:00–8:00 PM): Cheolwoong Lee, Trombone — Romantic Trombone Concertos.

Wednesday, May 6th

Albert Lortzing: Die beiden Schützen — Overture; Charles Alkan: Concerto da camera No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 10; Albert Grisar: Les porcherons, Act III — Aria: Quoi! Perdue!; Max Bruch: Symphony No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 28; Gioachino Rossini: Guillaume Tell (William Tell), original French version — Overture; Gioachino Rossini: Guillaume Tell, Act IV — Ne m’abandonne pas, espoir de la vengeance / Asile héréditaire / Amis, amis secondez ma vengeance; Théodore Dubois: Méditation; Théodore Dubois: Petits rêves d’enfants, Nos. 1 & 2; Fritz Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani (arr. A. Klein for oboe and piano); Franz Lehár: Peter und Paul reisen ins Schlaraffenland; Richard Wagner / Jacques Fromental Halévy: Le guitarrero — Overture (arr. piano 4 hands); Joachim Raff: Mary Stuart Song Cycle, Op. 172 — No. 10. Vor dem Gang zum Schaffot; Julius Benedict: Rêverie, Op. 39; Gabriel Fauré: Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120; Luigi Mancinelli: 6 Intermezzi sinfonici per la tragedia Cleopatra — No. 1. Ouverture; Sophie Menter: Ungarische Zigeunerweisen (Hungarian Gypsy Melodies) (arr. P. I. Tchaikovsky for piano and orchestra); August Enna: Symphony No. 2 in E Major.

Thursday, May 7th

Graun: Bassoon Concerto in F Major; Linley: Violin Concerto in F; Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98; Brahms: Intermezzo in E-flat Major, Op. 117 No. 1; Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36; Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien, Op. 45; Poot: Symphonic Allegro

.

Friday, May 8th

Down in the Orchestra’s Bass-ment with special guest Tubby the Tuba.

Sunday, May 10th

Schubert, Die Verschworenen; Auber, Le Cheval de Bronze.

Monday, May 11th

Tannhäuser Overture by Richard Wagner; Poem of Ecstasy by Alexander Scriabin; Capriccio No. 24 by Niccolò Paganini.

Tuesday, May 12th

Gary Graffman Plays Gershwin and Rorem; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1; Childs: In the Arms of the Beloved; Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections from 24 Negro Melodies arranged for Violin and Orchestra.

Drake’s Village Brass Band (7:00–8:00 PM): Drake University Wind Symphony — Shared Spaces.

Wednesday, May 13th

Host’s choice.

Thursday, May 14th

Teixeira: Te Deum — Te Gloriosus Apostolorum; Mayer: Faust Overture; String Quartet in G minor, Op. 14; Anderson: Chicken Reel; J. P. E. Hartmann: Valkyrien, Op. 62 — excerpts; Wagner: Die Walküre — Ride of the Valkyries; Stojowski: Romance for Violin & Orchestra, Op. 20; Lourie: Phoenix Park Nocturne; Harrison: Marriage at the Eiffel Tower Suite; Braga-Santos: Alfama Suite.

Friday, May 15th

Carnival of the Endangered Animals.

Sunday, May 17th

Gounod, Roméo et Juliette.

Monday, May 18th

Riccardo e Zoraide Overture by Rossini; Concerto a quattro mani by Giuseppe Torelli; Symphony in D, Allegro con moto, by Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga.

Tuesday, May 19th

Villa-Lobos: String Quartet No. 9; Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 8; Bacewicz: Symphony No. 2.

Drake’s Village Brass Band (7:00–8:00 PM): Carole Dawn Reinhardt, Trumpet — Debut (1973).

Wednesday, May 20th

Host’s choice.

Thursday, May 21st

La Barre: Airs à deux parties; Ciaia: Keyboard Sonata, Op. 4 No. 4; J. Parry: Tydfil Overture; Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111; Reinecke: Flute Concerto in D Major, Op. 283; Mozart: Flute & Harp Concerto in C Major, K. 299.

Friday, May 22nd

Let’s check out some instruments for "National Buy A Musical Instrument Day".

Sunday, May 24th

Floyd, Susannah; Ešenvalds, Mass of the Eternal Flame.

Monday, May 25th

Estancia Suite, Op. 8a, by Alberto Ginastera; Concerto per due corni da caccia by Georg Philipp Telemann; Flute and Oboe Concerto by Antonio Salieri.

Tuesday, May 26th

Ruggles: Men and Mountains; McDonald: Symphony No. 1 "The Santa Fe Trail"; From Childhood Suite for Harp and Orchestra; Foss: The Prairie; Reich: City Life.

Drake’s Village Brass Band (7:00–8:00 PM): West Point Band — Morton Gould Tribute.

Wednesday, May 27th

Host’s choice.

Thursday, May 28th

Sgambati: Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 15; Dyson: Children’s Suite; Khrennikov: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 14; Rameau: Pygmalion — Dances; Ligeti: Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet; Smetana: Má Vlast — From Bohemia’s Woods and Fields; MacDowell: Suite in A minor, Op. 42.

Friday, May 29th

Music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold (at a donor’s request).

Sunday, May 31st

Verdi, Attila.

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA

your "lyric theater" program

with Keith Brown



Programming for May 2026

SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA

your "lyric theater" program

with Keith Brown

programming for the month of May, 2026

Sunday May 3d

 Mercadante, Elena da Feltre In the world of opera there used to be a big gap between where Rossini left off with Guillaume Tell and Verdi's familiar middle period masterworks, the backbone of the international standard repertoire like, say, Rigoletto. Yes, there's the now famous bel canto composers, who had their day- Bellini and Donizetti, inbetween, and their works were being heard again in the bel canto revival of the later twentieth century. Then there's the two pre-Verdian composers who are still in process of rediscovery: Giovanni Pacini (1778-1866) and Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870). Mercadante's lyric tragedy Elena da Feltre (1839) was revived in stage production at the 1997 Wexford Festival in Ireland. Each year this opera festival, founded in 1951, presents three works of rare or unjustly neglected lyric stageworks, usually from the nineteenth century. Mercadante's Elena is a medieval period piece, a tale of amorous intrigue, betrayal and vengeance, set in the Italian town of Feltre circa 1250 AD. In 1998 the Marco Polo record label did the opera world a big favor in making Mercadante's music available for our audition through its release of Elena da Feltre on compact disc.

Sunday May 10th

 Schubert,Die Verschworenen, Auber, Le Cheval de Bronze It's the best kept secret in the history of Western classical music: Franz Schubert wrote opera. A lot of opera, actually. In addition to his song cycles and hundreds of assorted lieder, and the well known incidental music for Rosamunde (1823), he wrote sixteen operatic works in all: nine complete operas, the others in various stages of completion. The last of them was Der Graf von Gleichen, much of it written in 1827, left incomplete at his death in 1828. The reconstructed Der Graf von Gleichen in its world premiere recording for the American Centaur label went over the air on this program on Sunday, December 7, 2025. The domestic comedy Die Verschworenen ("The Conspirators," D. 787) was composed in 1823 and never performed in Schubert's short lifetime. It received a successful concert performance in Frankfurt in 1861 and thereafter scored a series of little successes in both professional and amateur productions, including one in New York City in 1875. As a lyric stagework it's a German language adaptation of the ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes dealing with the war between the sexes. In Schubert's one act version there's a gender-bending trouser role. Die Verschworenen finally got the recording it deserved in 1996, including its intended overture in reconstruction, as derived from an unstaged broadcast production by German Radio Cologne, in co-production with the French record label Opus 111. This is the first true world premiere complete recording of this delightful little melodic gem of an opera presented on one Opus 111 compact disc. It eclipses a previous 1953 Vox LP release in mono sound.

  What follows this short Schubert opera recording will sound like a similar German romantic opera, but is actually a French opera comique in three acts by Daniel Francoise Esprit Auber (1782-1871). Le Cheval de Bronze ("The Bronze Horse," 1835) was one of Auber's most popular lyric stageworks, here sung in German language translation as Das eherne Pferd. It's a French fairy tale opera derived from the tales of The Arabian Nights. The story concerns the lifesize statue of a horse with magic properties. It can transport a rider to fantastical far-off lands. Auber's "Bronze Horse" opera was broadcast from the studios of ORF Austrian Radio Vienna in 1953. Tenor Kurt Equiluz is heard as Yanko, the young Chinese peasant who is the hero of the piece. He gets to ride the magical metallic beast. The Austrian label Orfeo released Le Cheval de Bronze in 2020 in digitally upgraded monaural sound.

Sunday May 17th

 Gounod, Romeo et Juliette This is Charles Gounod's masterwork, coming at the apex of his career, It was an enormously popular success, building upon his eight previous lyric stageworks, of which only two were actual failures. It went through several versions starting with its promising premiere in 1867 at the Parisian Theatre-Lyrique and ultimately worked up into its final form for the Paris Opera as a full-scale grand opera by1888, with five acts, much stage spectacle and an extensive ballet sequence. The French language adaptation of Shakespeare ignores one important point in the original play: the Capulets and Montagues are left hanging without reconciliation after the death of the two lovers. Gounod's Romeo et Juliette was one of the very first operas to receive a complete recording. The first one was made in acoustic monaural sound in1912! This one was made in digital stereo sound in the studios of Bavarian Radio Munich in 1995 with several cuts to Gounod's lengthy score so as to accommodate it onto two generously timed compact discs for release through RCA Victor Red Seal/BMG Classics. The ballet has been completely eliminated. The lead male role was absolutely made for the superstar tenor Placido Domingo. His big stentorian voice as Romeo contrasts dramatically with the smaller, sweet-singing vocality of soprano Ruth Ann Swenson. Leonard Slatkin conducts the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Chorus of Bavarian Radio. I have previously presented recordings of this warhorse of the French operatic repertoire three times before in different versions in 2008, 2010, and 2013.

Sunday May 24th

Floyd, Susannah, Esenwalds, Mass of the Eternal Flame An American opera is certainly appropriate programming for the Sunday before the American holiday we now call Memorial Day, also known in generations past as Decoration Day. The broadcast of an American folk opera certainly supports the traditions of our forebears in both musical art and literature, and their special Day of Remembrance for the Civil War dead. There are several mid-twentieth century candidates for the honorary title of "The Great American Opera" akin to "The Great American Novel." One of these is Carlisle Floyd's Susannah (1955). The inspiration for the composer's own libretto for his folk opera comes from the story of Susanna, the chaste Israelite woman accused of adultery by the elders of her community, as told in the Old Testament Apocrypha. In the composer's rendering of the story Susanna is an honest woman from Tennessee. Aspects of his Susannah reflect upon the McCarthy era witchhunts, as does Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. Carlisle Floyd's Susannah has been performed again and again all over the United States, and in Europe, too. Audiences everywhere seem to love the distinct accents of American folk music that resound in Floyd's score. Susannah was recorded in 1993-94 in two locations in Europe under the composer's supervision, with Kent Nagano conducting the Orchestra of Opera of Lyon. American soprano Cheryl Studer is heard in the title role. I last presented the Virgin Classics CD release of Susannah in connection with that other iconic American holiday, Thanksgiving, on Sunday, November 25,1995. 

   Also in connection with Memorial Day broadcasts, I have often featured requiem music of some kind in memory of the war dead. Benjamin Britten's War Requiem (1960) comes immediately to mind. There are also many recorded settings of the traditional Roman Catholic Requiem Mass for the Dead, with its Latin text. In a more salutatory vein is the Mass of the Eternal Flame (2020) by the Latvian composer Eriks Esenwalds (b. 1977), with input to his score from the late Canadian organist/composer Rachel Laurin. Esenwalds wrote his Mass partly in her memory. What gives this choral music a special American application here is that it was recorded by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Houston and its associated Treble Choir of young female voices, with the instrumental backing of organ, brass ensemble, percussion and harp. A 2024 Acis compact disc release.

Sunday May 31st

 Verdi, Attila First produced in 1846, Attila holds a singular place among the early operas of Giuseppe Verdi. It was one of his most popular works until the familiar operas of his middle period came along: Rigoletto, La Traviata and Il Trovatore. It was also one of the few that made any significant money for the composer in his"galley slave" years. Part of Attila's popularity arose out of Risorgimento patriotism. Italian audiences were inclined to identify the Huns with the Austrians, whose rule in Northern Italy would soon be ended by the general revolutionary revolt of 1848. From about 1852 onwards, however, Attila virtually disappeared from the operatic stage. Fully a century passed before it would be revived. As for recordings of the opera, in 1972 Philips recorded Attila for issue in stereo LP format for the first time. Italian baritone Ruggero Raimondi starred as the barbarian chieftain the Romans referred to as "The Scourge of God." I broadcast the Philips Attila way back on Sunday,March 13,1987. Thereafter, on Sunday, February 28,1995 came the EMI compact disc Attila, with the American basso Samuel Ramey in the title role. The Philips Attila was reissued on CD in 2005. Listen for that Philips recording today. Lamberto Gardelli directs the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Ambrosian Singers choral ensemble, augmented by the voices of the Finchley Children's Music Group.       

keithsbrown1948@gmail.com

Boomer's Paradise

Monday's 1-4 PM with your host, The Turtle Man

Hopefully by now the cold and snow of winter has melted from your memory and to celebrate the return of nice weather (more or less) we have a great month of programming this month on Boomers Paradise.

Kicking things off is another leap back 50 years to hear cuts from albums released in May 1976. You might be surprised at what you hear.

Next up if another edition of two-fers playing two selections from featured artists, smokey torch songs and tasty and ear worm inducing riffs.

We then venture back to the wonderful world of Billboard Top 40 One Hit Wonders and songs that feature colors in the song title.

We end the month with songs with titles featuring number(s) and a dive back into music from the excellent Nuggets: Original Artyfacts series, this time from the British Empire 1964-1969.

All this and a mish mash of tunes from the digital jukebox thrown in.

Enjoyable variety is what you'll find each Monday from 1-4 PM on Boomers Paradise with your host, The Turtle Man on WWUH 91.3 FM/wwuh.org, 1-4PM. See you then.

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Tune in on the radio (91.3 FM) or streaming online at wwuh.org.

Here is our current schedule:

Monday: Noon–1 p.m. Democracy Now

8 p.m.–9 p.m. Radio Ecoshock

Tuesday: Noon–1 p,m, Democracy Now

8 p.m.–9 p.m. Alternative Radio

Wednesday: Noon–1 p,m, Democracy Now

8:00-8:30 p.m. Nutmeg Chatter

8:30-9 p.m. T.U.C. Radio

Thursday: Noon–1 p,m, Democracy Now

7:30-8 p.m. 51 Percent

8:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. This Way Out

8:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Gay Spirit

Friday: Noon–1 p,m, Democracy Now

Friday: 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Counterspin

Sunday: 4:30 p.m.–5 p.m. Amazing Tales About History

Alternative Radio you have an idea for a radio program?

If you have an idea for a radio program and are available to volunteer late at night, please let us know.

We may have some midnight and/or 3am slots available later this year. Email station manager John Ramsey to find out more about this unique and exciting opportunity for the right person.

Qualified candidates will have access to the full WWUH programmer orientation program so no experience is necessary. He/she will also need to attend the monthly WWUH staff meetings (held on Tuesday or Sunday evenings) and do behind the scenes volunteer work from time to time. This is a volunteer position.



After completing this process, we will review the candidate's assets and accomplishments and they will be considered for any open slots in our schedule.

Leaving Your Legacy

Have you ever considered making a planned gift to UHart Radio? Those that do so provide vital support to ensure the future of WWUH while securing benefits for themselves and their loved ones now.

Some of the types of planned giving include:

Bequests - A gift made through your estate, which can provide estate tax and capital gains savings.

Charitable gift annuities - An irrevocable contract where an annual payment is received for life in exchange for a gift to the station. 

Charitable remainder trusts - A gift that allows you to maintain income while providing a tax deduction for the future IRAs or qualified plans. A charitable bequest funded with an IRA or retirement plan can be made with pre-tax dollars. 

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) - A DAF can be used to give now or later, or both, and can include a succession plan for members of your family. 

With a variety of options to choose from, your gift can offer the advantages of an income stream or tax savings. UHart has a team that is here to guide you through your options and can help tailor a plan to your interests and philanthropic goals. You can contact then today at founders@hartford.edu or by calling 860.768.2400.

CT Blues Society

CT Blues Society Update:

The Fall/Winter series of first Sunday CTBS Blues Jams kicked off on Sunday October 5 at The Pine Loft in Berlin CT. The CTBS All-Stars are the house band . Musicians bring your instruments and voices; amps, drums and keyboard are provided. Music starts at 1 PM.

For more information or to join the CTBS, visit the website at ctblues.org

Founded in 1993, the Connecticut Blues Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Blues music in our state. CTBS is an affiliated member of The Blues Foundation, a worldwide network of 185 affiliates with an international membership in 12 countries.

The mission of the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra is to provide opportunities for advanced musicians and emerging professionals to perform a high level of repertoire while engaging and collaborating with diverse communities in mutual growth through the joy

of making music.

Coming Up

Burning Bright

Sunday, June 7, 2024 / 3:00 PM

Congregation Beth Israel

701 Farmington Ave, West Hartford, CT 06119

PAUL MCSHEE, Music Director

GIOVANNI GABRIELI - Sonata Piano e Forte

ARTURO MARQUEZ - Conga del Fuego Nuevo

JOHN WILLIAMS - Selections from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

JEAN SIBELIUS - Karelia Suite

IGOR STRAVINSKY - Suite from The Firebird

connecticutsymphony.org

https://connecticutsymphony.org

Connecticut Lyric Opera

Connecticut Lyric Opera is the state’s leading opera company, performing to thousands in Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, and New London. We have earned the reputation as an innovative company that is renowned for our world-class singers, phenomenal concert-quality orchestra and programming choices that go beyond the well-loved standards of the repertoire to include lesser-performed yet equally compelling works.

https://ctlyricopera.org/

Manchester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale

Tickets can be purchased at the door. For further information, visit the MSOC Web site at www.msoc.org or the Manchester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale Facebook page.

Coming Up



Manchester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale

POPS – Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Bailey Auditorium, Manchester High School

134 Middle Turnpike East, Manchester, CT

J. Strauss: An Artist’s Life Waltz, Op.316

Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2

Aaron Copland: Hoe-Down from Rodeo

Darude: Sandstorm

Jose Antonio Rincon: Bullerengue

Antônio Carlos Jobim: Áquas de Março

Alejandro Vivas: Coro de Romanticos

Diana Saez; Suzzette Ortiz: Canto ‘E Libertad

Huayno Pandillero; Victor Cuentas Ampuero: Cholitas puneñas

Arr. Barbara Harlow: Cielito Lindo

Arr. Manuel Olra I Ferrer: Lorenzo y Catalina

Arr. Roger Emerson: Dancing Queen

Annie Lenox, Dave Stewart: Sweet Dreams (are made for this)

msoc.org

http://www.msoc.org

Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra

Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra is one of Connecticut’s premier community orchestras dedicated to promoting musical excellence. We believe that classical music provides a magical experience that inspires, delights, and brings our community together.

Founded in 1981, the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra performs 6-7 concerts each season with a variety of classical, romantic and popular holiday favorites. The orchestra serves Farmington, Canton, Avon, Simsbury, Burlington, Bloomfield, West Hartford & Hartford, as well as Greater Hartford and the Connecticut River Valley. We are your local, civic orchestra and look forward to seeing you at one of our concerts!

Coming Up



A Memorial Concert honoring Janet Fantozzi

Please join the Farmington Valley Symphony as they honor the life and legacy of Janet Fantozzi (1953-2020), violinist with the FVSO and one of the Farmington district's beloved music educators. We celebrate Ms. Fantozzi's incredible dedication to music and sharing that appreciation with others young and old in Farmington and abroad. Janet Fantozzi is remembered especially by the many students who worked with her at the well-known Farmington Summer Suzuki Academy, which she helped to establish.

The FVSO's concert will be held at Hoffman Auditorium at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Saturday, May 16th, at 3pm.

On the program:

Dvorak's Symphony No. 6

Samuel-Coleridge Taylor's Petite Suite de Concert, Op. 77

orchestral selections from Samuel-Coleridge Taylor's African Suite, Op. 35

Nate Williams' Dawn of Ash (premiere of an FVSO commission)

Visit http://www.fvso.org for ticket information

Further information is available at FVSO.org or by calling 800-975-FVSO.

fvso.org

www.fvso.org

West Hartford Symphony Orchestra



Coming Up

Sunday, May 17, 2026 3:00

Northwest Catholic High School Rice Auditorium

29 Wampanoag Drive

West Hartford, 06117

Pops Concert is Maestro Richard Chiarappa’s grand finale as Music Director of the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra. You can join us in congratulating him on founding our wonderful community musical institution and leading it for more than two decades. Music by Williams, Sousa, Mancini, Lehar, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov.

whso.org or (860) 521-4362

Learn more at WHSO.org

South Windsor Cultural Arts

SWCA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SouthWindsorCulturalArts

https://www.facebook.com/SouthWindsorCulturalArts