Do you still listen to the radio?

bump ba-da bum   bum, Bump Ba-Da Bum   Bum, BUMP BA-DA BUM  BUM, BUMP BA-DA BUM!

That never helps anyone get what music your singing, but you should be hearing in your head Ride of the Valkyries, by Ricard Wagner.

I recently stumbled upon a radio program and although it's syndicated (not local) and broadcast on Classical 89 (BYU) I am hooked. Last week on Exploring Music, Bill McGlaughlin featured a five-part review of Ricard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, which is comprised of four operas. You may not know this masterpiece, as I didn't, but you would be familiar with the excerpt from the second operatic installment Die Walkurie (hummed above).

During the program broadcast of the opera summary, audio was played of Anna Russell recounting the plot and some musical themes of all four operas in 20 minutes. She gives a talented, comical report of the progress of the characters as well as imitates their performances, much like Victor Borge. At the end of her performance, she notes that the opera cycle concludes with the burning of Valhalla and the ring returning to the Rhinemaidens and viewers/listeners are left where the production began.The audience, and I, laughed at either the brilliance or waste of the ironic or circuitous composition of Wagner.

My favorite musical piece was from the fourth part. It was the funeral march of the hero, Siegfried. I want that to be played either at my funeral, as would be the custom, or as I ride into battle. But remember, my favorite piece of classical music, along with every other human is Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. We love this solely because it was featured in the world's favorite movie, the remake of Ocean's 11.

Save the Soil.