Words and music were inextricably linked for Ned Rorem (1923-2022). Time magazine called him “the world’s best composer of art songs,” although his musical and literary output extended far beyond that. The prolific Pulitzer and Grammy award winner was Studs Terkel’s guest many times, and tonight we bring you excerpts from two of those programs: the first from 1965, and the second from 1989. The hour concludes with a selection from the 1964 recording, Songs of Ned Rorem. That song is “Requiem”; the tenor is Charles Bressler, and the pianist is Ned Rorem.
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