Classical Breakdown

I have a special update for you on Florence Price because of the hard work of a particular listener and a previous guest. 

Ravel wrote something so difficult he couldn't even play it, and he even dared to criticize others' performances! Linda Carducci and John Banther dive into a work that challenges the most virtuosic of soloists, its frightening accompanying poetry, and what exactly makes it so difficult. 

Discover contemporary works by living Brazillian composer Clarice Assad that cover chamber music, solo piano, and orchestra. Then Co-Founder Laura Colgate tells us everything we need to know about and how you can benefit from the Boulanger Initiative, which advocates for women and gender-marginalized composers.

Conductor Steven Fox joins John Banther to talk about this Mass that was overlooked after its premiere in 1893. Fox tells us everything we need to know about a mass, what to listen for, and how Ethel Smyth's mass stands apart. We also touch on her life as she was an aggressive suffragette, women's rights advocate, and openly bisexual composer in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

This American composer was a pioneer in electronic music, commissioned works with major orchestras, and did groundbreaking work in musicology connecting music traditions from West Africa to the United States. John Banther and Evan Keely explore 3 of his works and look at his work in musicology that will change how you hear music!

Explore the different emotional aspects of loss, grief, and separation in this orchestral song cycle by Kenedy Center composer-in-residence Carlos Simon. John Banther and Evan Keely explore the text by Rumi, how Simon pairs this directly in the music, and moments to listen for!

Music was used in World War 2 like never before, from propaganda to national pride. John Banther and Evan Keely explore Copland's musical effort to rally a defense for democracy using Abraham Lincoln's timeless words and examine why it was banned from a Presidential inauguration. 

We take a glimpse into the massive world and history of the trumpet! From its use in military battles and physical dangers to beautifully soft moments on the stage, world-renowned trumpeter and teacher Chris Gekker joins John Banther for a wide-ranging discussion on the trumpet, and he plays examples for us too!

WETA resident cello player James Jacobs joins John Banther for a deep dive into the 6 iconic cello suites by JS Bach. With cello in hand, James demonstrates different aspects of the suites and shows us what to listen for, plus we enjoy a full recording performance of one of the suites at the end!

One of the most iconic American composers was at one point even considered by some to be "un-American." John Banther and Evan Keely explore Copland's life, works you probably don't know, what influenced him, how he created an "American" sound, and why he was questioned at length in a senate subcommittee hearing in 1953. 

We get a rare opportunity to look at a country's first symphony, and it wasn't written until 1917! John and Evan explore Pejačević's symphony and show you what to listen for, what sets her symphony apart from others of the time, and how WWI directly affected her and this very work. 

Few composers were an overnight sensation like Gioachino Rossini! We have 3 musical characteristics of his to show you as we explore his life, travels, his love of food, and why he might have quit at the height of his fame at age 37. Plus, stay with us to the end for the Rossini cocktail!