“Chuck Greenberg is quick to admit he has ‘absolutely no musical talent and a tin ear.’ What better reasons could there be to take a course in classical music?” writes Bob Karlovits in Sunday’s (4/23) TribLive.com (PA). “ ‘I felt a great sense of ignorance about it,’ says the Murrysville resident who has a doctorate in engineering. ‘I ended up gaining an understanding of the history of music and feeling a little more comfortable with it.’ Greenberg accomplished this bit of learning from the four-session Classical Encounters class offered by Morrie Brand, retired executive director of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. The next session of classes will begin May 2 at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Brand, who is currently the director of the symphony’s Academy of Music [educational programs], says the classes … ‘make people less afraid of classical music…. It’s not really a class…. It’s more like a conversation.’ … Listeners move from J.S. Bach and Baroque to the Classical era of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Romantic times of Richard Wagner and the modern days of Aaron Copland. ‘I first called the Contemporary section 20th Century,’ Brand says with a chuckle, ‘but now we are well into the 21st.’ ”
Posted April 25, 2017
