Robert J. Lurtsema
Encyclopedia
Robert J. Lurtsema was a public radio broadcaster.
Lurtsema hosted the classical music show Morning pro musica on WGBH
in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1971 until his death from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
. He was known among public radio listeners throughout New England
for his sonorous voice and his phrasing, which frequently included long pauses.
The long pauses, anathema to mainstream radio, were either tolerated or loved by his loyal listeners. "I'm not afraid of dead air," he was quoted as saying. "I don't think there's anything wrong with a quiet spot once in a while. When I pause I'm visualizing my audience, the person I'm speaking to. I always imagine I'm speaking to someone in particular."
Lurtsema also did a great deal of voice-over work, especially for public television documentaries and classical pieces that include narration.
In addition to his work in radio, Lurtsema was also a composer. In 1975, he was awarded a lifetime scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he began to study composition and theory. Among the songs, chamber works, and film scores he wrote are a bassoon quartet that became the theme music for the TV show "Julia Child and Company".
"Robert J.", as he was known, began his program in 1971, deciding to broadcast seven days a week, five hours a day. He had originally been hired for just the weekends, and then the weekday job opened up. Lurtsema felt that the nation was in turmoil and that he could bring some much-needed consistency to people's lives with his calm voice and reassuring presence, not sensationalizing the news. He accepted the weekday job while continuing the weekend job. This schedule lasted for 23 years, after which he was heard only on the weekends.
Lurtsema did many surveys of composers. He might play, for example, all the string quartets of Beethoven or Dvorak in order of composition at the same time each day Monday through Friday. He himself had no exposure to classical music in his childhood, and so knew what it was like to grow up without any knowledge of it. He said that he learned along with his listeners.
Lurstema's signature opening pieces, one for each day of the week, were accompanied by his own recordings of chirping birds. Ottorino Respighi
's Ancient Airs and Dances Suite and one of Giovanni Gabrieli
's triple brass quintets were among his opening themes. The show closed with Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat.
In addition to his calm manner, Lurtsema had a subtle sense of humor. He played the birdsong recording unaccompanied for the first part of his program, before fading in his classical opening piece for the day. On at least one occasion, on April 1, 1982, he celebrated April Fools Day by giving the birds "the morning off" and substituting for them himself. On that morning, waking listeners were greeted by his measured, utterly deadpan voice offering an earnest spoken rendition of birdsong (i.e., "chirp... twitter... chirp... bob-WHITE!... chickadee-dee-dee...") for the length of time that the birds would normally have been heard unaccompanied. In 1992, his April Fools broadcast featured the birds being replaced by howling wolves.
Starting in 1995, Lurtsema and his production team traveled to Seranak at Tanglewood for the BSOs opening weekend of the summer season. Morning Pro Musica was broadcast live from the Serenak grounds for the weekend, featuring interviews and live performances with Seiji Ozawa, Roger Norrington, Boje Shovus, Claudio Abbado, Gil Shaham, Emmanuel Ax, John Williams, Arlo Guthrie, Maurice Abravenal and many others.
Lurtsema's partner, Betsy Northrup, then of Wellesley, Massachusetts, survived him. They had been a couple for ten years. He also left a mother, two sisters, and a brother.
Lurtsema hosted the classical music show Morning pro musica on WGBH
WGBH (FM)
WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of NPR and PRI. The license-holder is the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV....
in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1971 until his death from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive form of lung disease characterized by fibrosis of the supporting framework of the lungs...
. He was known among public radio listeners throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
for his sonorous voice and his phrasing, which frequently included long pauses.
The long pauses, anathema to mainstream radio, were either tolerated or loved by his loyal listeners. "I'm not afraid of dead air," he was quoted as saying. "I don't think there's anything wrong with a quiet spot once in a while. When I pause I'm visualizing my audience, the person I'm speaking to. I always imagine I'm speaking to someone in particular."
Lurtsema also did a great deal of voice-over work, especially for public television documentaries and classical pieces that include narration.
In addition to his work in radio, Lurtsema was also a composer. In 1975, he was awarded a lifetime scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he began to study composition and theory. Among the songs, chamber works, and film scores he wrote are a bassoon quartet that became the theme music for the TV show "Julia Child and Company".
"Robert J.", as he was known, began his program in 1971, deciding to broadcast seven days a week, five hours a day. He had originally been hired for just the weekends, and then the weekday job opened up. Lurtsema felt that the nation was in turmoil and that he could bring some much-needed consistency to people's lives with his calm voice and reassuring presence, not sensationalizing the news. He accepted the weekday job while continuing the weekend job. This schedule lasted for 23 years, after which he was heard only on the weekends.
Lurtsema did many surveys of composers. He might play, for example, all the string quartets of Beethoven or Dvorak in order of composition at the same time each day Monday through Friday. He himself had no exposure to classical music in his childhood, and so knew what it was like to grow up without any knowledge of it. He said that he learned along with his listeners.
Lurstema's signature opening pieces, one for each day of the week, were accompanied by his own recordings of chirping birds. Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
's Ancient Airs and Dances Suite and one of Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.-Biography:Gabrieli was born in Venice...
's triple brass quintets were among his opening themes. The show closed with Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat.
In addition to his calm manner, Lurtsema had a subtle sense of humor. He played the birdsong recording unaccompanied for the first part of his program, before fading in his classical opening piece for the day. On at least one occasion, on April 1, 1982, he celebrated April Fools Day by giving the birds "the morning off" and substituting for them himself. On that morning, waking listeners were greeted by his measured, utterly deadpan voice offering an earnest spoken rendition of birdsong (i.e., "chirp... twitter... chirp... bob-WHITE!... chickadee-dee-dee...") for the length of time that the birds would normally have been heard unaccompanied. In 1992, his April Fools broadcast featured the birds being replaced by howling wolves.
Starting in 1995, Lurtsema and his production team traveled to Seranak at Tanglewood for the BSOs opening weekend of the summer season. Morning Pro Musica was broadcast live from the Serenak grounds for the weekend, featuring interviews and live performances with Seiji Ozawa, Roger Norrington, Boje Shovus, Claudio Abbado, Gil Shaham, Emmanuel Ax, John Williams, Arlo Guthrie, Maurice Abravenal and many others.
Lurtsema's partner, Betsy Northrup, then of Wellesley, Massachusetts, survived him. They had been a couple for ten years. He also left a mother, two sisters, and a brother.