Berlioz, "Symphonie Fantastique"
Symphonie Fantastique, which was written just 3 years after Beethoven's death, redefined what music could portray. Its color, fire, narrative arc, vulgarity, descriptiveness, and drug-induced hysteria...
21 Jan 202159min
History of Classical Music in 60 Minutes
Welcome to Season 7 of Sticky Notes! I'm often asked: "I want to get into classical music, but where do I start?" Today is my attempt to answer that question! Western Classical Music is an umbrella te...
14 Jan 20211h 3min
Schubert Symphony No. 9, "The Great"
The pianist Andras Schiff on Schubert: "There is a folk song like simplicity in Schubert's Music; his music is never crowded. He does not want to impress you or overwhelm you. He tells you a very simp...
7 Jan 202155min
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring, Part 2
A few years ago, I was at a performance of the Rite of Spring. Sitting behind me were some rather conservative audience members. As one particularly violent section of the piece blasted away, I heard ...
30 Dec 202044min
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
It's possible that the Nutcracker is the most recognizable Western Classical Music in the world, so what could one say about this ubiquitous piece? Well, from the adaptations of the original story, to...
24 Dec 202042min
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring, Part 1
You might be surprised to know that the famous riot at the premiere of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was by no means the only disturbance at a classical concert in history. But it is the most famous. Th...
17 Dec 202045min
Mahler Symphony No. 3, Part 3 (Season 6 Finale)
Welcome to the Season 6 Finale of Sticky Notes! Mahler titled the last movement of his 3rd symphony "What Love Tells Me." This movement is my favorite movement of any Mahler symphony. It is a profound...
10 Dec 202040min
Mahler Symphony No. 3, Part 2
The middle four movements of Mahler's 3rd symphony were central to his mission - that is, to portray the entire world in one symphony. And when I say entire world I really mean it. In these movements,...
3 Dec 202055min
