Adventures in Good Music
Encyclopedia
Adventures in Good Music, hosted by Karl Haas
, was radio
's most widely listened-to classical music
program, and aired nationally in the U.S. from 1970 to 2007. Adventures in Good Music was also syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world. The show was awarded the Peabody Award
for excellence in broadcasting in 1962.
German-American musicologist Karl Haas
, whose knowledge of every facet of music was encyclopedic, started Adventures in Good Music in 1959 on radio station WJR in Detroit
, Michigan
. Syndicated broadcasts of the show across the U.S. began in 1970 on WCLV
in Cleveland
, Ohio
, where the production of the program remained for the rest of its duration.
Each daily episode of the show had a different topic, chosen by Haas, and he aired his personal choice of classical music selections relating to the topic, along with his pleasant blend of explanation, analysis, and background. The theme music
for the show was the 2nd movement from Beethoven
's "Pathétique" Sonata
(Sonata No 8 in C minor), performed by Haas himself; and Haas started every show with his trademark greeting "Hello everyone."
Haas retired from broadcasting at the age of 89, and did not produce any new episodes of Adventures in Good Music after 2002. WCLV continued to syndicate recordings of his previous shows until June 2007. That month, WCLV announced "with great regret" that it would broadcast and syndicate its last Adventures in Good Music with Karl Haas program on June 29, 2007. The announcement explained that the number of stations that carried the show had dropped from well over 400 to fewer than 20, which made it unfeasible to continue the program's national distribution.
Although most episodes of Adventures in Good Music are not available publicly because of copyright restrictions, three CDs featuring Haas and his commentary have been issued: The Romantic Piano, The Story of the Bells, and Song and Dance.
In 2002, a new program was developed to replace Adventures in Good Music, expanded and updated for a 21st-century audience. The program, Exploring Music
, debuted in October 2003, and is written and hosted by Bill McGlaughlin
.
Karl Haas
Karl Haas was a German-American classical music radio host, whose distinctively sonorous voice and humanistic approach to making music appreciation contagious made him well-received by many...
, was radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
's most widely listened-to classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
program, and aired nationally in the U.S. from 1970 to 2007. Adventures in Good Music was also syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world. The show was awarded the Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for excellence in broadcasting in 1962.
German-American musicologist Karl Haas
Karl Haas
Karl Haas was a German-American classical music radio host, whose distinctively sonorous voice and humanistic approach to making music appreciation contagious made him well-received by many...
, whose knowledge of every facet of music was encyclopedic, started Adventures in Good Music in 1959 on radio station WJR in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Syndicated broadcasts of the show across the U.S. began in 1970 on WCLV
WCLV
WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States....
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where the production of the program remained for the rest of its duration.
Each daily episode of the show had a different topic, chosen by Haas, and he aired his personal choice of classical music selections relating to the topic, along with his pleasant blend of explanation, analysis, and background. The theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the show was the 2nd movement from Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's "Pathétique" Sonata
Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written in 1798 when the composer was 27 years old, and was published in 1799. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky...
(Sonata No 8 in C minor), performed by Haas himself; and Haas started every show with his trademark greeting "Hello everyone."
Haas retired from broadcasting at the age of 89, and did not produce any new episodes of Adventures in Good Music after 2002. WCLV continued to syndicate recordings of his previous shows until June 2007. That month, WCLV announced "with great regret" that it would broadcast and syndicate its last Adventures in Good Music with Karl Haas program on June 29, 2007. The announcement explained that the number of stations that carried the show had dropped from well over 400 to fewer than 20, which made it unfeasible to continue the program's national distribution.
Although most episodes of Adventures in Good Music are not available publicly because of copyright restrictions, three CDs featuring Haas and his commentary have been issued: The Romantic Piano, The Story of the Bells, and Song and Dance.
In 2002, a new program was developed to replace Adventures in Good Music, expanded and updated for a 21st-century audience. The program, Exploring Music
Exploring Music
Exploring Music is an internationally syndicated radio program featuring classical music, with commentary and analysis by host Bill McGlaughlin. It is a daily, one-hour show with a single in-depth theme each week. The show, which debuted in 2003, is produced by WFMT Radio Network...
, debuted in October 2003, and is written and hosted by Bill McGlaughlin
Bill McGlaughlin
William "Bill" McGlaughlin is an American composer, conductor, music educator, and Peabody Award-winning classical music radio host...
.