Season 7 Recommended Summer Listening!
It's time again to look at some recently recorded albums for us to enjoy and grow with this summer. John Banther has 4 albums to recommend, and one of them includes a remarkable composer's story!
Classical Breakdown
John Banther takes classical music fans behind the scenes with interviews, deep dives, and analysis. Episodes released bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Produced by WETA Classical in Washington, D.C.
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Tosca! Puccini's tragic opera on love, lust, and brutality
Why watch a thriller on a Friday night when you can watch the dramatic and compact "blood and guts" opera by Puccini that is... Tosca! John Banther and Linda Carducci give you the historical and cultural context to the plot, show you specific themes hidden throughout, and highlight 4 show-stopping moments.
The Montgomery Variations: A Piece of American History by Margaret Bonds
Music can be just as much of a historical document as letters or legislation, and we see that directly in this episode with music by Bonds written in 1963. John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for, how Bonds adapts a well-known melody, the historical context, and more.
Haydn's Trumpet Concerto: Revolutionary in ways you didn't know!
There is so much more to this humble concerto than you realize, because the context of hearing a trumpet do something unheard of before has been lost. We show you what made this concerto possible, how Haydn was revolutionary, and why each recording is a little bit different.
Leos Janacek: an original composer who found success late
Another listener request! John Banther and Bill Bukowski explore the life of Leos Janacek and look at 2 specific subjects to understand this composer's original sound, speech melodies and modality.
Bonus! John and James discuss Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and gigs
John Banther and James Jacobs discuss Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and performing it at gigs, which for James reaches into the hundreds at weddings! Plus, we enjoy a full performance with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Also Sprach Zarathustra: Where Music and Philosophy Reach New Heights
You know the opening of this work through its countless use in movies, commercials, and even popular music. But do you know the underlying philosophy that inspired Strauss? John Banther and Evan Keely show you how themes transform from beginning to end in an effort to reach the Übermensch!
Bonus! 2 Opera preludes by Richard Wagner
Let's enjoy two iconic Wagner preludes in two larger-than-life recordings featuring the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and conductor Bernard Haitink!
Richard Wagner: The flawed man who changed opera
This composer's life was tumultuous and sometimes straight out of a soap opera. John Banther and Evan Keely explore what led him to opera, his initial success and failures, his bigoted "Judaism in Music" essay, and how his Ring Cycle changed everything.
Bonus! 3 Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tampered Clavier Book 1 by Sam Post
Listen to Ralitza Patcheva and Sam Post in their latest recording, featuring a rhythmic reimaging of JS Bach. If you missed last week's episode, listen afterwards to learn all about this project from beginning to end. Music provided by (c) Acis Productions LLC. All rights reserved