A Thousand Pictures ... of Classical Music

The ‘Pines of Rome’ by Ottorino Respighi is a favourite piece of mine, featuring a huge orchestra building from nothing to one of the most climactic endings in all music! It’s a spectacular celebration of the sound of an orchestra! In this episode I share insights into this piece and I discuss ‘What is music?’ and ‘What led to the invention of the orchestra?’

This episode features the fourth movement from ‘The Pines of Rome’ by the...

‘La Mer’ (French for ‘The Sea’) is one of the most evocative pieces ever composed. The composer Claude Debussy conjures up images and sensations of the sea, creating some of the most beautiful sounds an orchestra can produce. In this episode I share insights into this piece, I continue to explore the question ‘What Is Music?’ and we discover the instruments of the Percussion Section.

This episode features the first movement from ‘L...

‘Symphony no. 10’ by Dmitri Shostakovich has a rawness that strikes straight at the core of the listener. It’s full of intense emotion fuelled by the composer’s experience of living under Stalin’s regime. In this episode I share insights into the piece, introduce the instruments of the brass section, and discuss how emotion is communicated in music.

This episode features the 2nd movement from ‘Symphony no. 10’ by the composer Dmitr...

The ‘Piano Concerto in G’ by Maurice Ravel is so astonishingly beautiful that time can appear to become suspended for a listener. The melody is somehow magical, transporting you to another place. In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss the Woodwind section of the orchestra, and begin to uncover how music works by answering the question ‘What is a Melody?’.

This episode features the 2nd movement from the ‘Piano Co...

‘Symphony no. 7’ by Beethoven is considered to be a masterpiece. And wonderfully, its solemn march was chosen as the music for the climactic scene of ‘The King’s Speech’! It communicates perseverance and determination to overcome adversity. In this episode I share insights into the piece, I continue our journey to uncover how music works by answering the question ‘What Is Harmony?’, and I discuss the instruments of the String secti...

‘Candide Overture’ by Leonard Bernstein is a fantastic piece. Fun for the listener and virtuosic for the orchestra, it bursts with energy and excitement. In this episode I share insights into the piece and I discuss the ‘feel’ of music by exploring the role of the Time Signature. Also I answer the question, ‘What is an Overture?’.

This episode features ‘Candide Overture’ by the composer Leonard Bernstein. I recommend the recording ...

In the ‘Four Sea Interludes’ by Benjamin Britten you’re standing on the cliffs of the English Channel and a storm is raging around you. Waves are crashing, wind is hurtling, and rain is drenching you from all angles! In this episode I share insights into the piece, I answer the question ‘What is rhythm?’, and we continue to explore the different types of pieces played by orchestras.

This episode features ‘Storm’ from the ‘Four Sea ...

The piece ‘Of A Sad Evening’ by the composer Lili Boulanger is harrowing. Its desolate atmosphere conveys the tragedy of its composer’s life: she would die at 24, shortly after composing this piece. For a listener, it’s intense and powerful. In this episode I share insights into the piece, we continue to discover the different types of pieces orchestras play, and I answer the question ‘What is Orchestration?’.

This episode features...

The ‘Cello Concerto’ by Elgar is the most famous piece for solo cello accompanied by an orchestra. The beautiful, rich sound of the cello is captivating. But, we also sense loneliness: the cellist seems to be searching for something. In this episode I share insights into the piece and I answer the questions ‘What is a Concerto?’ and ‘What is Texture?’.

This episode features the first movement from the ‘Cello Concerto’ by the compos...

‘Symphony no. 1’ by Brahms is a piece that’s a favourite amongst musicians, and it may even be the piece I love most. But, composing it was an immense challenge: it took Brahms perhaps twenty years to complete! In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss Symphonies, and I conclude my series of episodes on how music works by taking a look at Form.

This episode features the fourth movement from ‘Symphony no. 1’ by the ...

‘Star Wars’ by John Williams is some of the best music ever written. Even those who’ve never seen the films instantly recognise it. In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss music from film, tv, and video games, and also I explore what it is that makes performances thrilling.

This episode features the ‘Main Title’ from ‘Star Wars, Episode 4, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack’ by the composer John Williams. I recom...

‘Symphony no. 2’ by Gustav Mahler is a piece for an enormous orchestra with a choir, and it features one of the greatest endings in all music. Its sheer scale and intensity is astonishing: this music creates a universe. In this episode I share insights into the piece and I discuss how an orchestra’s conviction can create thrilling performances.

This episode features the fifth movement from ‘Symphony no. 2’ by the composer Gustav Ma...

‘The Rite of Spring’ by Igor Stravinsky is the piece that jolted classical music into the Twentieth Century. It’s a ballet and its central theme is a human sacrifice. There’s bombastic outbursts, pounding rhythms, and a driving intensity. In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss orchestral virtuosity and we discover music from ballet.

This episode features the ‘Sacrificial Dance’ from ‘The Rite of Spring’ composed...

‘The Moldau’ by Bedřich Smetana is a wonderfully picturesque piece describing a journey down one of Europe’s most magnificent rivers. And even better, it’s your imagination that brings this piece to life! In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss Symphonic Poems, and also I describe why a listener must have conviction in their responses to music.

This episode features ‘The Moldau’ by the composer Bedřich Smetana. I...

‘Symphony no. 41’ by Mozart is a display of compositional prowess. Mozart’s playing games in the music: his brilliant musical mind composes in a way that entertains the audience, the musicians, and himself. In this episode I share insights into the piece, we take a close look at the violin, and I discuss the virtuosity of composers.

This episode features the fourth movement from ‘Symphony no. 41 by the composer Mozart. I recommend ...

‘Symphony no. 1’ by Johannes Brahms has one of the most magnificent endings in all music. The piece itself is a journey of conviction, and when you arrive at the finale you hear the composer’s sense of accomplishment. In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss the role of the timpani within an orchestra, and we continue to discover what it is that makes performances thrilling.

This episode features the fourth moveme...

‘Piano Concerto no. 2’ by Sergei Rachmaninoff is a vehicle for virtuosic performance. It requires the pianist to display superhuman levels of physical prowess! In this episode I share insights into the piece, I discuss pianos, and we explore virtuosity in classical music.

This episode features the first movement from ‘Piano Concerto no. 2’ by the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff . I recommend the recording featuring the pianist Leif Ov...