Sunday, January 28, 2007

Philip Smith (Aug. 13, 2006)

DeKoven woke me up to OTW music via KDNA in St. Louis. The signal reached the forty miles to Principia College where I loved hearing his show. I can still hear his voice and his great style. DeKoven and PDQ Bach double-handedly (quadruple-handedly?) brought life back to the pre-Classical musical era.

Philip Smith

Barry Buehler (July 25, 2006)

I will be forever grateful for D's radio mentoring.

I wish I had some tapes, but somewhere, I do have (somewhere !!) one of his mini-writing postcards. Between DeKoven and Jean Shepherd, New York radio had a tremendous influence on me.

I remember that he had a business relationship with conductor Max Goberman to issue all the Haydn symphonies through a society or record club, the name of which I can't recall. I do remember having a childish thrill one day when I passed
a building (I believe in Westchester, NY off the New England Thruway) with a sign indicating that it was the society headquarters. I enjoyed the few recordings I purchased.

Does anyone recall the name of this organization/record club ?

Barry Buehler

Ruth L. Jackson (June 1, 2006)

If this is still a legitimate email address, let me know. I loved, ABSOLUTELY LOVED, DeKoven, and I have a picture I took of him in Boston which you will love.
I carried his legendary bumper sticker "VIVA VIVALDI" on my car for many years, and supported his program, "DE KOVEN PRESENTS." I even wrote him a poem.
Ruth L. Jackson.

Allen Allison (Apr. 19, 2006)

Hi,

I was pleased to find a page dedicated to Seymour DeKoven (I never knew until now what his first name was!). I have very fond memories of listening to "DeKoven Presents" when I was a kid, from about 1965 to 1973, when I left home for college. I listened on WGH-FM in Hampton Roads, VA. DeKoven helped me to develop and cultivate my musical tastes, which still essentially embrace the "Barococo" period. I can't overemphasize how important DeKoven's "labor of love" was in shaping and influencing my early musicological education! I wrote him several times and (eventually!) received some plain postcards back from him with added personal notes.

I noticed that there's a nice article about DeKoven on the Wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_DeKoven .

I wish that some of his nearly 600 shows could be put on CD and made available to his affectionate and appreciative listeners. DeKoven, you're OTC (literally now, I guess!)!

Thanks,
Allen Allison
Encinitas, CA

Peter hendrickson (Mar. 21, 2006)

Has anyone ever considered putting recordings of dekoven’s radio programs into a form which could be listened to on the web? When I lived in nyc in the early 60’s I loved listening to his show..very informative and lots of good listening…I may have some reel/reel tapes of some of his programs…I am planning to go through my tapes to see what can be salvaged and saved…

Peter hendrickson

John Quigley (Feb. 4, 2006)

As a student at Marlboro College from 1973-77 I so looked
forward to "DeKoven Presents" every Sunday evening which
aired over WFCR in Amherst(?), Ma. I only began my class-
ical music education as an undergraduate in Vermont, and
what an incredibly large role "DKP" played in it. Each Sun-
day evening I hurried up mountain from choral rehearsal in
Brattleboro & parked atop a hill facing south to secure the
best reception possible to listen to, what I thought was, a
spellbinding hour of music.The enthusiasm alone for the subject was infectious. Boy, how I miss those days.

We even corresponded a couple times by postcards.
DeKoven wrote in the tiniest of print in lines & circles in
order to fill every miniscule space on the card...Amazing!
He was NEVER short on words or opinions. I learned so much from him & became a Life Long Fan on Barracoco Music. Thanks to "DKV" & my Choral Teacher & Life Long
Friend, Blanche Moyse (living still in Vt.@ 96 years young)
I have had the best of musical educations.

P.S. Are there any available tapes of the old shows ?!*

*** With Much Thanks, John Quigley, Bucks Co., PA.

David Korkosz (Oct. 5, 2005)

Hello...

I was a long time listener and supporter of Dekoven's radio extravaganza!!

Do you have any idea if either of his albums are available anywhere?

Also, it would be great to find a list of his favorite pieces that he played. He was an outrageous and extraordinary man. I still miss him and the energy and wit that infused his work.

I am at [...withheld...]

Thanks