Podcast #01: JEANNE D'ARC by Walter Braunfels

Is modern classical music “ugly”? Why does contemporary classical music often feel challenging—and is it worth the effort to listen?In this episode, Jens and Joe dive into the world of modern classica...

14 Aug 29min

In this episode, Jens and Joe turn to Bohuslav Martinů, focusing on his six symphonies — works that sound “American” in spirit even though their composer was born in a Czech church tower. Written in t...

8 Aug 29min

You’ve heard of Johann Sebastian, but it’s Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach — the second‑oldest Bach son — who offers some of the richest, most expressive sacred and Passion‑season music of the late 18th cen...

31 Jul 30min

When you hear “Engelbert Humperdinck”, you’ll usually think either of the King of Romance’s hit ballad Release Me (in which case you’ve got the wrong Humperdinck, as far as we are concerned) or of the...

24 Jul 29min

In this episode, Jens & Joe tackle Franz Schreker, the missing link between Schoenberg and Zemlinsky — and a composer of wildly Freudian fairy‑tale operas that were all the rage between the wars. Deem...

17 Jul 29min

If you wanted to dance with somebody in 19th‑century Vienna, Johann Strauss was your best bet for the soundtrack. But he wasn’t alone: a whole galaxy of composers cranked out waltzes, polkas, and oper...

10 Jul 29min

Once upon a time, there was a tiny little man in Vienna who composed the grandest operas. What started out as fairy‑tale works of musical theatre ended, alas, in tragic fashion for Alexander Zemlinsky...

3 Jul 29min

Krzysztof Penderecki: String Quartets, Trio and MoreThe whole stylistic world of Krzysztof Penderecki in just over 70 minutes sounds almost unbelievable — but that’s the total performing time of his w...

26 Jun 25min