Merry Christmas!
Every year at this time we honor the memory of the great German-American musicologist, Karl Haas, host of the nationally syndicated radio program, Adventures in Good Music. Airing between 1970 and 2007, it was radio’s most widely listened-to classical music program. Following the show’s theme music, the second movement of Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata, Haas would utter his trademark greeting, “Hello everyone.” One of the most popular episodes, The Story of the Bells, aired every year on Christmas Eve, and documented bell ringing throughout Europe and the Middle East.
The skyline of the Italian city of Florence is dominated by the Gothic Cathedral, begun in 1296. The structure’s most distinctive feature is the massive dome, engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi, and completed in 1436. Soaring to a height of 376 feet, it remains the largest masonry dome ever constructed.
Designed by Giotto and completed in 1359, the 278-foot high Campanile houses seven bells. Contributing to a unique set of warm overtones, the pitches are A, C, D, E, G, A, B. 414 steps lead to the tower’s summit.
This recording documents the sound of bells from various locations across the city: