AIDS - A Salute to the Fallen

Tim Page's tribute to those in music and music business who have fallen due to AIDS. He is joined by Bruce Michael Gelber who writes about classical music for the New York Native. They listen to many artists who have fallen early in their careers due to AIDS.

Archivist note: The digital copy of this broadcast was made from an audio cassette aircheck. At the midpoint Tim is cutoff back-announcing a piece of music and is then followed (jump cut) to a musical segment in progress. The resulting gap is due to the limitations of airchecking a program with one cassette machine in operation.

Peabody Entry:

"AIDS: THE MUSICAL TOLL--A TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN is a special episode of 'New, Old and Unexpected,' a weekly music program written and hosted by former NEW YORK TIMES music critic Tim Page. Saddened by the early death of many of his colleagues from AIDS, Page resolved to devote an entire program to music written or performed by artists who have succumbed to the disease. He also invited NEW YORK NATIVE music critic Bruce Michael Gelber to join him for a frank discussion of the enormous impact the AIDS crisis has had on the arts in general and the music community in particular.

"AIDS: THE MUSICAL TOLL is a commemoration of both the lives and work of significant musical artists rather than a technical or statistical report on the effects of the disease. It is an affecting look at the contribution of such noted musicians as New York Philanthropic pianist Paul Jacobs, singer/actor David Summers, English Consort oboist David Reichenberg, and the New York Gay Men's Chorus, which had lost nine members to AIDS by the time THE MUSICAL TOLL had aired.

"Dealing with the potentially morbid and maudlin subject with great sensitivity, Page and Gilbert consciously sound a note of affirmation and encouragement, acknowledging the unique quality of the lives that had been lost and expressing continued hope for the future. They speak of the need for both awareness and action. Yet AIDS: THE MUSICAL TOLL is neither an expose nor a diatribe but rather a non-sensationalistic exploration of the artistic and human dimensions of a tragedy."--1987 Peabody Awards entry form.

Corporate Producers: WNYC (Radio station: New York, N.Y.)

Persons Appearing: Tim Page | Bruce Michael Gelber

Broadcast Date: 1987-07-02

WNYC archives id: 151893