A Musical Meander
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Alan Journet has been hosting a two-hour program of classical music on KRCU since February 1981 – before it was public radio; his 25th Anniversaryon the airwaves was celebrated in early 2006. Although the program has passed through several incarnations over the years ("From the Bach and Beyond," "Through Four Dimensions," and "Consort in the Air") the format has remained essentially the same. The musical selections are, with very rare exceptions, derived from the personal library of music that Alan and his wife, Kathy Conway, continue to develop at home.
The program generally follows a very loose format that approximates the following: the basic theme is classical music in the broadest sense, meaning selections in the western tradition dating from the beginning of musical composition. Though not always strictly followed the sequence of music generally follows a chronological progression through those periods represented in this tradition: from the Medieval (before 1450), and Renaissance (1450-1600) periods, then meandering through Baroque (1600-1750), Classical (1750-1820), Romantic (1820-1910) to the Twentieth Century (1910-1945) and Modern (1945-present) eras.
Musical selections are accompanied by a few narrative comments regarding the composer, the work, the performers or the performance. A Musical Meander differs from its ancestors; as the name additionally implies, the program usually contains an interlude at some point during which music with origins other than the Western Classical tradition is played. This meander may take the form of folk or traditional music from anywhere in the world, modern music from around the world, New Age music, or anything else that the host feels would offer a meander of what he thinks constitutes 'good music.'
On occasions, this is a wide meander; in the past it has featured selections from performers such as Pink Floyd, Meatloaf, Ray Charles, and John Denver. It may also, especially around holiday times, feature readings of poetry or short stories. On other occasions the meander may be a long meander, offering a discussion or interview regarding some particular musical issue, involving local or visiting guests. The meander may also provide live music performed in the studio by local or visiting artists.
If you like to relax on Thursday evenings and explore a variety of musical genres, enjoying two hours of the best in music from the western classical tradition, combined with a smattering of something different, we invite you to try what Alan calls his "personal, eclectic, often iconoclastic, but always idiosyncratic selections” on 'A Musical Meander.'
Incorporated into the program is the Musical Meander Teaser where listeners are challenged to answer musical questions based on the selections presented. Answers to the Teaser questions are given towards the end of the program.
To see this week's teasers and solutions, see the play list for this week's show by clicking on the playlist link below.