William Grant Still Symphony No. 1., "Afro-American"

William Grant Still Symphony No. 1., "Afro-American"

On October 29th, 1931, The Rochester Philharmonic presented the world premiere of a new symphony by the composer William Grant Still. A symphonic premiere is always something to look out for in musical history, but this one had an even greater significance. The premiere of Wiliam Grant Still's First Symphony, subtitled "Afro American," was the first time a symphony written by a Black American composer was performed by a leading orchestra. William Grant Still was a man of many firsts, whether he was the first Black American conductor to conduct a major orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major company, the first Black American to conduct an orchestra in the South of the United States, and much more. Today we're going to focus in on Grant Still's first symphony, a piece that Grant Still had long thought about, conceptualized, and dreamed of. It was also a symphony wrapped up in the roiling currents of Black America at the time, with the Harlem Renaissance in full swing and Alain Locke's tract The New Negro sparking discussion and debate all over the country. It was a symphony that attempted to do something no one had ever done before, that is, to marry together the genre of the Blues with that of symphonic music. At the time of its premiere and afterwards, it was quite a success, and until 1950, it was THE most performed symphony written by an American composer. After 1950, the symphony practically disappeared from concert stages, but due to the explosion of interest in Black American composers of the past and present, this brilliant symphony is making its way back into the repertoire of orchestras all over the world. The way that Grant Still constructed this meeting of two genres of music was ingenious and innovative from start to finish, and so today on the show we'll explore all of the historical context of the symphony, what Grant Still was trying to do with his monumental new endeavor, and of course, all of the music itself. I'm also joined today by the great writer and linguist John McWhorter, who discusses the 4 Paul Laurence Dunbar poems Grant Still added to each movement as epigraphs, as well as their cultural context. Join us!

Avsnitt(272)

A Conversation w/ Mezzo Soprano Sasha Cooke

A Conversation w/ Mezzo Soprano Sasha Cooke

Welcome to the Week of the Voice! Join conductor and host Joshua Weilerstein, back from a brief illness-inspired hiatus(!), as he welcomes in the amazing Mezzo-Soprano Sasha Cooke for a chat about Mahler, about singing opera versus recitals, preparation, text, traveling, contemporary music, and improv comedy! This is the first of TWO interviews this week, so please stay tuned for an interview with the incredible bass-baritone Eric Owens, coming out on Thursday! Thanks for listening!

17 Okt 201747min

How to Change the World w/ Yo-Yo Ma

How to Change the World w/ Yo-Yo Ma

Join conductor and host Joshua Weilerstein as he welcomes the legendary cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma for a full-length interview! In the interview, we discuss what it means to be a musical citizen, how to create change through music, why Yo-Yo went down this path, how he discovered so many different styles of music, and much much more. I really hope you enjoy this interview of such an amazing artist - thanks for listening!

20 Sep 201739min

Emanuel Ax Interview

Emanuel Ax Interview

Join conductor and host Joshua Weilerstein for a conversation with the world-renowned pianist Emanuel Ax! We cover crossword puzzles, growing up in the Soviet Union, moving to Canada, and then to New York, selling baloney sandwiches, his first big break, the value and the drawbacks of competitions, his reputation as the nicest guy in classical music, the evolution of conductors, his timpani debut(!), and a lightning round! I hope you enjoy it!

20 Juni 201755min

Eun Lee, Founder of The Dream Unfinished

Eun Lee, Founder of The Dream Unfinished

Concluding a week-long focus on Composers of Color, join host Joshua Weilerstein as he welcomes Eun Lee, the founder of The Dream Unfinished, an activist orchestra using classical music as a platform to address issues of racial and social justice. We talk about how that works, and how and why the project started. Their concert is this Sunday, June 11th at Cooper Union University, and it's an event you shouldn't miss!

8 Juni 201731min

10 things to change about classical concerts

10 things to change about classical concerts

Join your host, conductor Joshua Weilerstein, as he welcomes Aram Demirjian, the Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony, and Matt Szymanski, the Founder and Music Director of Phoenix, to discuss an article that roiled the classical music scene just a few years ago: Baldur Bronnimann's "10 things to change about classical concerts." The article caused a firestorm of criticism and comment when it was released, and we're here to discuss, mull over, turn inside out, and evaluate each idea, from whether the audience should be allowed to clap between movements, to whether you should be allowed to Tweet during performances. This was a fascinating discussion and I hope you enjoy it! Please consider going to Baldur's site to follow along as we discuss each idea: http://www.baldur.info/blog/10-things-that-we-should-change-in-classical-concerts/

23 Maj 20171h 4min

A Conversation w/ Itzhak Perlman (w/special guest Toby Perlman!)

A Conversation w/ Itzhak Perlman (w/special guest Toby Perlman!)

He needs no introduction - one of the greatest artists of our time, Itzhak Perlman joins Sticky Notes to talk about teaching, playing, conducting, keeping things fresh, vibrato, style, taste, food, childhood, and so much more. Then, at around 42:00, Toby Perlman joins us to talk about the Perlman Music Program, my introduction to the Perlmans, and an incredible place for musicians to learn and feel safe and supported. Thanks again for listening!

9 Maj 201756min

An Interview with Donald Weilerstein and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein

An Interview with Donald Weilerstein and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein

Join conductor Joshua Weilerstein and his parents(!), the esteemed performers and teachers, Donald and Vivian Weilerstein, as they discuss how they met, their first time playing music together, teaching philosophies, parenting philosophies, and much much more!

14 Mars 201740min

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Join conductor Joshua Weilerstein as he takes a deep dive into Shostakovich's monumental 10th symphony. We'll analyze the music, the history behind the music, and much more, all in an easily digestible and accessible way. This podcast is for beginners all the way to experts.

14 Mars 201750min

Populärt inom Nöje

mellan-himmel-och-jord-med-jlc
mardromsgasten
filip-fredrik-svarar
badfluence
fordomspodden
nemo-moter-en-van
dialogiskt
schulman-show
chilla-med-de-vet-du
rss-p3-musikdokumentar
fem-i-topp
hundaren-motgangspodden-av-tomas-andersson-wij
gott-snack-med-fredrik-soderholm
podme-bio-4
hemma-hos-strage
sexet
mannen-utan-spar
rss-rockpodden
skandal
jag-ar-kinky