Classical radio themes

[Paul Penna]

I frequently listened to classical radio from the late 50s through the
80s in the San Franciusco Bay Area - KDFC and KKHI most often, though in
earlier days KPEN and Berekeley's KRE, plus a couple others I can't
remember - and to this day, hearing pieces of music they used to
introduce their various programming blocs never fails to have a time
machine effect on me. For the most part they were catchy segments from
well-known works, but often they used more obscure pieces which, through
repetition, became just as familiar. I've been assembling an iPod
playlist I can access whenever I feel the urge to indulge myself in some
warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings.

I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.

Franck: Violin & Piano Sonata, 4th mvt, used on KKHI for "Echoes
and Encores" weeknights 10PM.

Enesco: Opening measures from Romanian Rhapsody No. 2

Wolf-Ferrari: Intermezzo from The Secret of Suzanne, KKHI's "Lines about
Wines"

Bizet: Galop from Jeux d'enfants

Bizet: 3rd mvt from Symphony in C

Saint-Saens: Beginning section of the 4th mvt. of the 3rd Symphony
(KKHI's weekday 9PM symphony concert). I still expect to hear the
announcer come in after the opening organ and orchestra fanfares
whenever I hear it.

Bizet: L'Arlesienne Prelude

Brahms: 1st Symphony, 4th mvt, 'the "big" theme introduced KABL's
"Symphony Hall"

Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, 3rd mvt, KKHI's late-evening "Music of the
Spheres"

Puccini: La Boheme, an instrumental arrangement of the opening of Act II
for KKHI's "World of Opera"

Grieg: Holberg Suite Prelude

Handel/Beecham: "Love in Bath," the Hunting Dance and Hornpipe as themes
for KKHI's afternoon commute hour bloc.

Bernard Rogers: "Tale of the Darning Needle" from "Five Fairy Tales"
introduced KKHI's hourly news headlines, the little staccato figures
being reminiscent of the sound of a teletype machine.

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, waltz theme in the 2nd mvt.

Boyce: 4th Symphony, 2nd mvt.

[Lookingglass]

Post by Paul Penna
I frequently listened to classical radio from the late 50s through the
80s in the San Franciusco Bay Area - KDFC and KKHI most often, though in
earlier days KPEN and Berekeley's KRE, plus a couple others I can't
remember - and to this day, hearing pieces of music they used to
introduce their various programming blocs never fails to have a time
machine effect on me. For the most part they were catchy segments from
well-known works, but often they used more obscure pieces which, through
repetition, became just as familiar. I've been assembling an iPod
playlist I can access whenever I feel the urge to indulge myself in some
warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings.
I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.
Franck: Violin & Piano Sonata, 4th mvt, used on KKHI for "Echoes
and Encores" weeknights 10PM.
Enesco: Opening measures from Romanian Rhapsody No. 2
Wolf-Ferrari: Intermezzo from The Secret of Suzanne, KKHI's "Lines about
Wines"
Bizet: Galop from Jeux d'enfants
Bizet: 3rd mvt from Symphony in C
Saint-Saens: Beginning section of the 4th mvt. of the 3rd Symphony
(KKHI's weekday 9PM symphony concert). I still expect to hear the
announcer come in after the opening organ and orchestra fanfares
whenever I hear it.
Bizet: L'Arlesienne Prelude
Brahms: 1st Symphony, 4th mvt, 'the "big" theme introduced KABL's
"Symphony Hall"
Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, 3rd mvt, KKHI's late-evening "Music of the
Spheres"
Puccini: La Boheme, an instrumental arrangement of the opening of Act II
for KKHI's "World of Opera"
Grieg: Holberg Suite Prelude
Handel/Beecham: "Love in Bath," the Hunting Dance and Hornpipe as themes
for KKHI's afternoon commute hour bloc.
Bernard Rogers: "Tale of the Darning Needle" from "Five Fairy Tales"
introduced KKHI's hourly news headlines, the little staccato figures
being reminiscent of the sound of a teletype machine.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, waltz theme in the 2nd mvt.
Boyce: 4th Symphony, 2nd mvt.

I probably haven't listened as much as you have...but KKHI was my favorite
Classical in the Bay area...more so than KDFC. But I always remembered
Stravinsky's PASTORAL as the theme music for the (a) late night program. But
I could be mistaken. Now that I think of it, it may have been the sign off
music. Yes, I believe that was it.

www.Shemakhan.com

[Paul Penna]

Post by Lookingglass
I probably haven't listened as much as you have...but KKHI was my favorite
Classical in the Bay area...more so than KDFC. But I always remembered
Stravinsky's PASTORAL as the theme music for the (a) late night program. But
I could be mistaken. Now that I think of it, it may have been the sign off
music. Yes, I believe that was it.

Thanks for the response. I checked out my recording (Stokowski, RPO),
and I'm afraid it didn't ring one of those bells. I guess I never stayed
up that late! Probably "Music of the Spheres" sent me into dreamland.

[D***@aol.com]

Post by Lookingglass
I probably haven't listened as much as you have...but KKHI was my favorite
Classical in the Bay area...more so than KDFC. But I always remembered
Stravinsky's PASTORAL as the theme music for the (a) late night program. But
I could be mistaken. Now that I think of it, it may have been the sign off
music. Yes, I believe that was it.- Hide quoted text -

There wasn't much of that in the Chicago area after the 1950s, but I
remember two here: at WNIB, including when I worked there in the late
'60s, the waltz from Khachaturian's Masquerade for the 5 to 7 PM
"Concert in Miniature" (later renamed "Nibbles" and finally "Zephyr.")
The one I've never forgotten was George Stone's "Promenade Concert" on
WMAQ; he used the Berceuse from Sibelius's Tempest Music
(Stokowski/"his" Symphony Orchestra). But then, I've never forgotten
George himself. A special man.

Nice topic.

Don Tait

[Ponty]

Post by Lookingglass
I probably haven't listened as much as you have...but KKHI was my favorite
Classical in the Bay area...more so than KDFC. But I always remembered
Stravinsky's PASTORAL as the theme music for the (a) late night program. But
I could be mistaken. Now that I think of it, it may have been the sign off
music. Yes, I believe that was it.

Yes, if I remember correctly, this was the signoff for KDFC, which went
off the air at midnight.

Sometime in the 1960s I called the station to find out what it was and
was told it was the Stokowski arrangement, which I could buy at Rooks &
Becords in Palo Alto.

Ponty

[Matthew B. Tepper]

Post by Ponty

Post by Lookingglass
I probably haven't listened as much as you have...but KKHI was my
favorite Classical in the Bay area...more so than KDFC. But I always
remembered Stravinsky's PASTORAL as the theme music for the (a) late
night program. But I could be mistaken. Now that I think of it, it may
have been the sign off music. Yes, I believe that was it.

Yes, if I remember correctly, this was the signoff for KDFC, which went
off the air at midnight.
Sometime in the 1960s I called the station to find out what it was and
was told it was the Stokowski arrangement, which I could buy at Rooks &
Becords in Palo Alto.

Was that related to the Rooks and Becords on Polk Street in San Francisco?

[Ponty]

Post by Matthew B. Tepper
Was that related to the Rooks and Becords on Polk Street in San Francisco?

I was apparently mistaken as to the location. Somehow I remembered Palo
Alto, but a Google search shows only Polk Street.

Ponty

[Matthew B. Tepper]

KKHI, early 1970s: "Telemusiquiz," with an orchestral version (not Richard
Strauss', but a lighter one) of François Couperin's "Le Tic-Toc-Choc."

[Edward A. Cowan]

Back in the 1950's, Austin's KHFI-FM, then a classical station, used
to sign off with Bach's "Sheep may safely graze"... --E.A.C.

Post by Paul Penna
I frequently listened to classical radio from the late 50s through the
80s in the San Franciusco Bay Area - KDFC and KKHI most often, though in
earlier days KPEN and Berekeley's KRE, plus a couple others I can't
remember - and to this day, hearing pieces of music they used to
introduce their various programming blocs never fails to have a time
machine effect on me. For the most part they were catchy segments from
well-known works, but often they used more obscure pieces which, through
repetition, became just as familiar. I've been assembling an iPod
playlist I can access whenever I feel the urge to indulge myself in some
warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings.
I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.
Franck: Violin & Piano Sonata, 4th mvt, used on KKHI for "Echoes
and Encores" weeknights 10PM.
Enesco: Opening measures from Romanian Rhapsody No. 2
Wolf-Ferrari: Intermezzo from The Secret of Suzanne, KKHI's "Lines about
Wines"
Bizet: Galop from Jeux d'enfants
Bizet: 3rd mvt from Symphony in C
Saint-Saens: Beginning section of the 4th mvt. of the 3rd Symphony
(KKHI's weekday 9PM symphony concert). I still expect to hear the
announcer come in after the opening organ and orchestra fanfares
whenever I hear it.
Bizet: L'Arlesienne Prelude
Brahms: 1st Symphony, 4th mvt, 'the "big" theme introduced KABL's
"Symphony Hall"
Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, 3rd mvt, KKHI's late-evening "Music of the
Spheres"
Puccini: La Boheme, an instrumental arrangement of the opening of Act II
for KKHI's "World of Opera"
Grieg: Holberg Suite Prelude
Handel/Beecham: "Love in Bath," the Hunting Dance and Hornpipe as themes
for KKHI's afternoon commute hour bloc.
Bernard Rogers: "Tale of the Darning Needle" from "Five Fairy Tales"
introduced KKHI's hourly news headlines, the little staccato figures
being reminiscent of the sound of a teletype machine.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, waltz theme in the 2nd mvt.
Boyce: 4th Symphony, 2nd mvt.

[Allen]

Post by Edward A. Cowan
Back in the 1950's, Austin's KHFI-FM, then a classical station, used
to sign off with Bach's "Sheep may safely graze"... --E.A.C.

KMFA is still classical (with the exception of a one-hour movie music
program once a week), but they don't sign off any more. They have been
24/7 for a good many years now. And still listener-supported, I might add.

Allen

[Edward A. Cowan]

I salute KMFA for its continued existence, and I further salute
Austin's public for its continued support for an all-classical FM
station. The call-letters for the old KHFI-FM (went on the air on
March 25, 1956), which ceased to be a classical station some time
around 1965, now belong, as I recall, to a television station... --
E.A.C. (born in Austin, but who has not lived there since 1964)

Post by Allen

Post by Edward A. Cowan
Back in the 1950's, Austin's KHFI-FM, then a classical station, used
to sign off with Bach's "Sheep may safely graze"... --E.A.C.

KMFA is still classical (with the exception of a one-hour movie music
program once a week), but they don't sign off any more. They have been
24/7 for a good many years now. And still listener-supported, I might add.
Allen

[Allen]

Post by Edward A. Cowan
I salute KMFA for its continued existence, and I further salute
Austin's public for its continued support for an all-classical FM
station.

For 40 years now.
The call-letters for the old KHFI-FM (went on the air on

Post by Edward A. Cowan
March 25, 1956), which ceased to be a classical station some time
around 1965, now belong, as I recall, to a television station...

No longer--changed to KXAN a long time ago, for some reason or another.
--

Post by Edward A. Cowan
E.A.C. (born in Austin, but who has not lived there since 1964)

You should come down and look around sometime, and see what 43 years can
do to a place--sprawling, traffic problems (though not as bad as
Dallas--yet), multilingual many times over.........etc. Bot lots of music.
Allen

[Daniel ONeill]

Post by Paul Penna
I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.

Back in the 80's, the Madison, Wisconsin classical station (I think it's
WERN) had a mid-day show that used a lengthy extract from Menotti's
"Sebastian" as their opening theme.

I wish I could remember the name of the show's host...

--- d.o.

[O]

Post by Daniel ONeill

Post by Paul Penna
I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.

Back in the 80's, the Madison, Wisconsin classical station (I think it's
WERN) had a mid-day show that used a lengthy extract from Menotti's
"Sebastian" as their opening theme.
I wish I could remember the name of the show's host...

Robert J. Lurtsema of WGBH used to sign off with Mozart's Symphonie
Concertante from a Nonesuch label.

-Owen

[Russ and/or Martha Oppenheim]

A good number of classical references maybe found in the following links to
lists of old-time radio programs.

http://www.old-time.com/themes.html

http://www.classicthemes.com/oldTimeRadioThemes/radioThemeList.html

Russ (not Martha)

[Bruce Thomson]

Post by Paul Penna
I frequently listened to classical radio from the late 50s through the
80s in the San Franciusco Bay Area - KDFC and KKHI most often, though in
earlier days KPEN and Berekeley's KRE, plus a couple others I can't
remember - and to this day, hearing pieces of music they used to
introduce their various programming blocs never fails to have a time
machine effect on me. For the most part they were catchy segments from
well-known works, but often they used more obscure pieces which, through
repetition, became just as familiar. I've been assembling an iPod
playlist I can access whenever I feel the urge to indulge myself in some
warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings.
I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.
Franck: Violin & Piano Sonata, 4th mvt, used on KKHI for "Echoes
and Encores" weeknights 10PM.
Enesco: Opening measures from Romanian Rhapsody No. 2
Wolf-Ferrari: Intermezzo from The Secret of Suzanne, KKHI's "Lines about
Wines"
Bizet: Galop from Jeux d'enfants
Bizet: 3rd mvt from Symphony in C
Saint-Saens: Beginning section of the 4th mvt. of the 3rd Symphony
(KKHI's weekday 9PM symphony concert). I still expect to hear the
announcer come in after the opening organ and orchestra fanfares
whenever I hear it.
Bizet: L'Arlesienne Prelude
Brahms: 1st Symphony, 4th mvt, 'the "big" theme introduced KABL's
"Symphony Hall"
Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, 3rd mvt, KKHI's late-evening "Music of the
Spheres"
Puccini: La Boheme, an instrumental arrangement of the opening of Act II
for KKHI's "World of Opera"
Grieg: Holberg Suite Prelude
Handel/Beecham: "Love in Bath," the Hunting Dance and Hornpipe as themes
for KKHI's afternoon commute hour bloc.
Bernard Rogers: "Tale of the Darning Needle" from "Five Fairy Tales"
introduced KKHI's hourly news headlines, the little staccato figures
being reminiscent of the sound of a teletype machine.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, waltz theme in the 2nd mvt.
Boyce: 4th Symphony, 2nd mvt.

I was an on-air host and music programmer for a classical station - KRPM
98.5 FM San Jose 1968-70.

You may remember some of the theme music from this Bay Area station:

Haydn - Serenade (Afternoon program of the same title)
Britten - Matinees Musicales (late afternoon show of short pops works)
Weber- Euryanthe Overture (Nighttime program of major classical pieces)
Faure - Pavane (Pre-midnight program of relaxed, quiet classics)

KSFR in San Francisco in the early 60's was a classical format with it's
evening Concert using Strauss's "Don Juan" as intro theme.

And when KDFC went 24-hrs. in the 70's, the music for midnight to 6AM
was the third movement of Harold in Italy by Berlioz.

[Rich Litel]

Ingolf Dahl's "Music for Brass Instruments"



Is Lloyd Moss and/or First Hearing still going anywhere?







-Rich-

[Bill Salmi]

Sibelius - Valse Triste for "I Love a Mystery"
--
Saturday Morning Dance Party
from 9 to 11 AM on
WEAK - 106.7 FM
Athens, Ohio

Post by Paul Penna
I frequently listened to classical radio from the late 50s through the
80s in the San Franciusco Bay Area - KDFC and KKHI most often, though in
earlier days KPEN and Berekeley's KRE, plus a couple others I can't
remember - and to this day, hearing pieces of music they used to
introduce their various programming blocs never fails to have a time
machine effect on me. For the most part they were catchy segments from
well-known works, but often they used more obscure pieces which, through
repetition, became just as familiar. I've been assembling an iPod
playlist I can access whenever I feel the urge to indulge myself in some
warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings.
I've lost the association with the station and program name in many
cases, unfourtunately, but I'll list some of the pieces that I remember
and wonder if anybody'd like to pop in with examples from their areas.
Franck: Violin & Piano Sonata, 4th mvt, used on KKHI for "Echoes
and Encores" weeknights 10PM.
Enesco: Opening measures from Romanian Rhapsody No. 2
Wolf-Ferrari: Intermezzo from The Secret of Suzanne, KKHI's "Lines about
Wines"
Bizet: Galop from Jeux d'enfants
Bizet: 3rd mvt from Symphony in C
Saint-Saens: Beginning section of the 4th mvt. of the 3rd Symphony
(KKHI's weekday 9PM symphony concert). I still expect to hear the
announcer come in after the opening organ and orchestra fanfares
whenever I hear it.
Bizet: L'Arlesienne Prelude
Brahms: 1st Symphony, 4th mvt, 'the "big" theme introduced KABL's
"Symphony Hall"
Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, 3rd mvt, KKHI's late-evening "Music of the
Spheres"
Puccini: La Boheme, an instrumental arrangement of the opening of Act II
for KKHI's "World of Opera"
Grieg: Holberg Suite Prelude
Handel/Beecham: "Love in Bath," the Hunting Dance and Hornpipe as themes
for KKHI's afternoon commute hour bloc.
Bernard Rogers: "Tale of the Darning Needle" from "Five Fairy Tales"
introduced KKHI's hourly news headlines, the little staccato figures
being reminiscent of the sound of a teletype machine.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, waltz theme in the 2nd mvt.
Boyce: 4th Symphony, 2nd mvt.

[harpsichordian]

Post by Paul Penna
Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, 3rd mvt, KKHI's late-evening "Music of the
Spheres"

Coincidentally (or maybe not?) our public radio station (WABE,
Atlanta) used the same music for *its* late-night show, "Music in the
Night."

I don't remember the show (except I think it might have been one of
lighter classical fare) but the theme music was the fourth movement of
Dag Wiren's Serenade for Strings. I'm not even sure whether the show
was of local or national origin.

Definitely not of local origin was the show "Music at First Hearing"
which many of you may remember (it may still be going, but we haven't
had it on WABE in 20 years). Imagine my surprise about 10 years ago,
when I first heard Ingolf Dahl's "Music for Brass Instruments" to find
that the second movement was familiar from its use as the theme of
that show!

Best wishes,
Bryan Bishop