Classical Notes: July 14, 2008 Archive

RIP Thomas Nee, Co-Founder MN Opera

Posted at 1:48 PM on July 14, 2008 by Gillian Martin (1 Comments)

Thomas Nee may have left the Twin Cities more than 40 years ago, but his legacy continues. He co-founded the Minnesota Opera in 1963, and was an assistant conductor to Antal Dorati back when the Minnesota Orchestra was still the Minneapolis Symphony.

Mr. Nee died last week at age 87. Read more about him here.

Read a brief history of the Minnesota Opera here.

Did you know Thomas Nee? Post your remembrances in the comments section below.

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Interstate Travel Made Easier

Posted at 2:11 PM on July 14, 2008 by Ward Jacobson

Just got back from vacation.....

While I'm no fan of extended drives along most Interstate highways across the U.S., I experienced a most enjoyable one along I-5 from central Oregon into northern California.

It was Independence Day.

Rolling south through the Willamette Valley with the Cascades to my left and the Coastal Range to my right, there was classical music found on the radio! From Copland (Rodeo) and Ives ("America" Variations) to Bernstein (Candide Overture) and Gould (American Salute), the soundtrack for my drive was made-to-order for the day.

Okay, the average price of gas along the way was about $4.75 per gallon, and nothing about that excites me. But hearing that wonderful American music, on that day, in that oh-so-beautiful region of our country made me feel pretty good....and yes, patriotic!

Wish I knew who was responsible on the programming side - to whomever it might have been, thanks!