Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
In one of the most famous reviews in this history of Western Classical Music, Eduard Hanslick torched the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, saying that the violin was "beaten black and blue." This review w...
1 Okt 202048min
Bruckner Symphony No. 4
Bruckner's symphonies are a world unto their own. They are epic works that are also full of a trademark humility that is present in the work of no other composer. Bruckner's 4th Symphony, the "Romanti...
24 Sep 20201h 1min
Stravinsky Pulcinella
In 1919, the impresario Sergei Diaghilev came up with the idea of having Stravinsky write a ballet inspired by 18th century music by composers like Pergolesi. The result, Pulcinella, began a transform...
17 Sep 202045min
The Music of William Grant Still
William Grant Still was a man of firsts. He was the first African American to to conduct a major symphony orchestra in the United States. In 1931, his first symphony became the first complete symphony...
3 Sep 202045min
Mozart Symphony No. 36, "Linz"
In 1783, Mozart wrote a letter to his father. He wrote, in part: "On Tuesday, November 4th, I am doing a concert in the theatre here and, as I have not a single symphony with me, I am writing a new on...
27 Aug 202043min
Caroline Shaw on Composing, Performing, and Letting Go
This week I had the huge honour to speak with the composer, vocalist, violinist, and producer Caroline Shaw about her music and her performing career. Caroline is one of the most exciting composers ar...
20 Aug 202047min
Goldberg Variations Mini-Episode + Announcement
I'm sharing today's mini episode for two reasons - the first is that I wanted to show all of you who are not subscribed on Patreon what I put up there every week. Every Thursday, I do a sort of deep d...
17 Aug 20209min
Bach, The Goldberg Variations
In 1741, Bach published a piece called "Aria with diverse variations." Little did he know that the piece would become one of the most beloved and nearly mythical works in all of Western Classical Musi...
13 Aug 202054min
