Classical Breakdown

JS Bach was experimental, and that spirit has carried on into the 21st century with composers and pianists like Sam Post and Ralitza Patcheva. While Bach was experimenting with using all 12 major and minor keys at a single keyboard, Sam Post's rhythmic reimagining brings together elements that didn't exist in Bach's time.

The first symphonies came from a place of insecurity, but his 3rd exudes confidence from the first note to the last. John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for in Brahms' orchestration, how he uses compositional tools to create new melodies, sonata form basics, and the rivalry that took place the night of the premiere.

A hallmark of tyranny is its desire to control and stifle creative expression. In this episode, in memory of Lubna Alyaan, John Banther and Evan Keely explore three 20th-century composers, what happened to them, and select works that demand your attention.

Jessie Montgomery and John Banther discuss her popular works, her time writing for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Blacknificent 7 composer group, and her early artistic influences.

Enjoy this performance after listening to the previous episode all about Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens!

One of the most endearing works in music was also hidden for years because the composer worried about his reputation. John Banther and Evan Keely explore the world of animals, how Saint-Saëns brings them to life, and why you have to play bad to sound good!

Different audiences have different tastes, and you can't always serve them the same dish. If Verdi wanted his grand operas to be staged in Paris, he needed to include ballet. In this bonus episode, we'll hear two ballet sections from two different operas, sometimes composed decades later.

This composer wrote operas almost exclusively, and his 19th-century success and popularity are hard to grasp even today. John Banther and Linda Carducci explore his life, his explosive success, the tragedies, and how he provided the sound for Italy's "Risorgimento!"

This concerto is one of the most daunting in the repertoire, and almost every big soloist aims to lay down their interpretation. But what makes this work so difficult? Is it the written music or is it something else? John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for, how Sibelius does things differently, a moment from a masterclass, and what went wrong in the premiere.

Enjoy a rare performance of this cello sonata featuring Grace Mockus, who researched Emilie Mayer's music at the University of Michigan.

She didn't have a typical upbringing like other composers, and forged her own way with private teachers and determination. John Banther and Evan Keely explore the wide range of repertoire she composed, from symphonies to songs, and look at events that changed the trajectory of her life and career.

This, the only orchestral output from Clara Wieck, might be one of the few 19th-century concertos written by a teenager that still occupies the concert stage today, and its popularity is only increasing. Join hosts John Banther and Linda Carducci to explore its youthful origins, characteristics of her writing, the size of her hands, and her big concert premiere.