First off, I must thank everyone who has contributed to CKCU's annual funding drive, whether through my program or any other, you mean the world to all of us here at CKCU! I like to believe that I have a community of generous, open-minded people who have a profound and abiding love for music who tune in here every Thursday afternoon (or anytime on-demand)! Thank you all!
50 years ago tomorrow, CKCU went on the airwaves as Canada's first campus-based community radio station, and we continue to celebrate our resilience and our independence. So today, I will feature some great music created in 1975. I could have made a show with many tracks, but that wouldn't really be true to my show, much more accurate to feature only 2-3 pieces, in their entirety. Both true to my show, and reflective of the true independence that rarely exists outside of an organization like CKCU.
We will start with Shostakovich's viola sonata. This was his final work, which he wrote in July 1975 for violist Fyodor Druzhinin. Druzhinin received the first copy of the score on August 6th, and Shostakovich died only a few days later on August 9th. Certainly Shostakovich had intimations that this would be his final statement. It is in three movements, and the lengthy, final adagio which concludes the work has many references to his own music, including quotations from all 15 of his symphonies in order, as well as allusions to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata", and most tellingly, it ends with a quote from a very early work of his, his suite for two pianos, which a then 16 year old Shostakovich wrote to the memory of his recently deceased father. It ends in a radiant C major. Fyodor Druzhinin and pianist Mikhail Muntian gave a private premiere of the work on September 26th, what would have been Shostakovich's 69th birthday, and the public premiere on October 1st. We hear these two musicians perform this magical work.
Late Shostakovich is tremendous, mystical, enigmatic music, and we have a rare chance to hear his last symphony, the 15th from 1971 tonight by the NAC Orchestra.
https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/38406
| Viola Sonata Op. 147 Dmitri Shostakovich/Fyodor Druzhinin, Mikhail Muntian - La musique de chambre - Le Chant Du Monde |
| The second piece of miraculous music from 1975 which we will hear is Keith Jarrett's "The Köln Concert". This concert was recorded in January 1975, and released later that year by ECM. This recording went on to be the bestselling piano album, solo jazz album, and ECM album of all time. This concert nearly didn't happen. It was organized by Vera Brandes, who was only 18 years old at the time but an aspiring concert promoter. It was the first ever jazz concert presented at the Köln Opera house, and the only time they gave was at 11:30pm, after an opera performance. Jarrett and ECM founder and producer Manfred Eicher had an exhausting drive up from Zurich, and Jarrett had barely eaten or slept, and was suffering from back problems. To compound the difficulties, the Opera house had a misunderstanding about the piano they were supposed to provide, and the only one available was a Bösendorfer baby grand used for rehearsals which was in poor condition, instead of the 9 foot Bösendorfer Imperial Grand Jarrett was expecting. The very particular Keith Jarrett wanted to cancel the concert promptly, he has nearly walked out of concerts for far less serious transgressions. However, he was finally persuaded to perform by the desperate teenage promoter, and the fact the recording equipment was already set up. The hour long improvisation he performed to a sold out hall was incredible, but largely guided by compensating for the piano's weaknesses. The fact that it became one of the most extraordinary and famous piano recordings in history was a testament to his supreme ability as a pianist (I am reminded of Liszt who famously composed and played a lot of tremendous music on a broken down upright piano when he stayed in Rome during the 1860s-80s). This is a perfect choice to celebrate CKCU's 50th with the ability to produce magic with very limited means. |
| Part I Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert - ECM |
| Part IIa Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert - ECM |
| Part IIb Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert - ECM |
| Part IIc Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert - ECM |
| To end this celebration of 1975, we will hear a great track by Franco. I could easily have done a whole show of just fantastic African music from 1975. This is music to dance the night away. |
| Liberté Franco & le tpok Jazz - Francophonic Vol. 1 - Stern's |
Subscribe to David Dalle
Top of Thursday to you David !
2:04 PM, November 13th, 2025