Notes from the Fires: Music We’re Thankful For

John Rabe here. As we near Thanksgiving, this week and next on Notes from the Fires, I’m bringing back a few of the dozens of classical musicians whose stories we’ve been telling since March.

Charlie Bisharat will be spending Thanksgiving with son Remy and daughter Madi.

Courtesy Charlie Bisharat

All of them have said that, in one way or another, music has helped them get through the aftermath of the January fires. In these two episodes, we’ll spend time on the specific compositions and performances they’re thankful for.

At the end of this episode, I’m sharing a piece that I’m thankful for.

Imagine sitting in a concert hall listening to Rachmaninov perform his own compositions. Well, my mother, Ann Rady Rabe, did just that, when she was a child in Detroit, which Rachmaninov visited several times on his many tours across America.

Rabe Family c1972 at Detroit Press Club. Standing: brother Karl Rabe, cousin Jane Mountain, Juanita Mountain, sister Joan Rabe, father WT Rabe; seated: Aunt Jane Mountain, Grandma Clara Rady, mother Ann Rabe. front, brother James Rabe, and John Rabe.

Joe Clark, HBSS

My mom, who died many years ago, was also responsible for my early classical education because when she went grocery shopping, she brought home the classical records they gave you when you spent a certain amount. With six kids to feed, we got the whole set pretty quickly, and I’ve been thankful for that exposure to the world of classical music ever since.

We close out the episode today with a piece my mom heard Rachmaninov play: his Prelude in C Sharp Minor, performed here by Vladimir Ashkenazy.