Joanna Lumley & The Maestro

Joanna Lumley & The Maestro

Joanna Lumley and her husband Stephen Barlow invite you into their home for a fascinating, funny journey into their shared love of music. You probably know Joanna Lumley, but you may not be aware that her husband Stephen Barlow is a famed conductor, composer and musician - and the pair of them are passionate about classical music. On this, their new podcast, the pair welcome you into their home for a personal, fascinating and funny journey through a musical world. Joanna is the enthusiastic amateur - asking the questions she’s always wanted to ask - and Stephen is The Maestro, providing the answers. Who was better: Mozart or Beethoven? Why do certain pieces of music make us feel a certain way? What do conductors actually do? They also discuss the great composers and symphonies, and the often-remarkable stories behind them, all delivered in Joanna and Stephen’s unique, engaging and affectionate way. Maybe you think classical music isn’t for you? Or you know a little and want to know more? Or perhaps it's been a lifetime love? Regardless, you definitely need to meet Joanna & The Maestro.

Episodes

June 1, 2023 10 mins
This week our intrepid classical crusaders tackle questions like; if Joanna and Stephen were pieces of music, what would they be? Where should you start when it comes to collecting CDs or vinyl? And is Beethoven's 5th Symphony really the GOAT? Got questions for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com
Mark as Played
We need to talk about musicals. The most popular ones tour up and down the country and play to packed out theatres 8 times a week. No need for state-backing here! So why can’t opera do the same? In this episode, Joanna and Stephen discuss how musicals and opera differ from one another, and how directors push ‘the art of the possible’ to achieve such monumental feats in the world of musical theatre.
Mark as Played
May 25, 2023 11 mins
What happens when it all goes wrong? What’s the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a conductor? Conducting with your flies down? And have Joanna or Stephen ever dozed off during a show? Got questions for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com
Mark as Played
Captain, We Hit A Schoenberg! Did Arnold Schoenberg break Classical music? Widely considered the greatest composer of the 20th century, Schoenburg’s innovations in ‘atonality’ (a term he detested throughout his life) changed the trajectory of music forever. In this episode, Joanna and Stephen explore the ripples of Schoenberg’s (much preferred) ‘emancipated dissonances’, through modern British composers such as Tippet, Turnage, Wei...
Mark as Played
Its question time again! This week Joanna and Stephen discuss your questions on nicknames for operas and where to start with listening to them. Stephen also reveals how one becomes a Maestro…
Mark as Played
In this episode the Maestro turns the tables on Joanna and asks her questions about her life, her career as an actress and how she became a diarist for the Times. Joanna talks about why she wanted to become an actress, how being a model held her back and why she’ll keep wearing make up till the day she dies. We also hear why her favourite ever part was playing Hedda Gabler at the Dundee Repertory Theatre and why Stephen and Joanna ...
Mark as Played
What drove 16th century composer, Carlo Gesualdo, to commit homicide? To baton or not to baton? And how do composers really interpret a score?
Mark as Played
May 9, 2023 32 mins
Have you ever wondered how a conductor deciphers the individual musical parts and melodies from a whole opera score? In this episode, Stephen and Joanna deconstruct Richard Strauss’ monumental opera, Salome - a score which contains the so-called “most sickening chord in all opera”.
Mark as Played
May 4, 2023 10 mins
What did Joanna and Stephen play at their wedding? Why does everyone die in opera? And what the heck does Pythagoras have to do with music?
Mark as Played
May 2, 2023 24 mins
Love them or hate them, everyone has one. In this episode, we’re discussing National Anthems. In Japan they sing of generations reigning eight thousand years. The French sing of slaughtering enemies until their ‘blood should water our fields’ and in New Zealand they celebrate ‘the hairy man who summons the sun and makes it shine’. Joanna and Stephen reveal the stories behind these bombastic pieces of music.
Mark as Played
We’ve turned the tables! Welcome to a mini episode where you get to ask Joanna & The Maestro your absolutely fabulous musical questions.
Mark as Played
Ade Edmondson joins Joanna and Stephen to kick off season two! The actor, comedian and musician discusses his own complicated relationship with classical music, his jack-of-all-trades mentality to learning instruments and why his Dad never approved of Led Zeppelin. We also hear about Ade’s own experience making music and reveal Jennifer Saunders’ top driving anthems.
Mark as Played
April 4, 2023 32 mins
Opera is to ordinary singing what Olympians are to dog walkers. It takes years of dedication, practice and coaching to develop a fully rounded and mature operatic voice. So, how well do you know your mezzo soprano from your contralto? In this episode, Stephen and Joanna shed light into the rarefied world of the opera voice, exploring what it takes to become one of the true ‘greats’.
Mark as Played
Having previously fallen down a wormhole in Part 1, Joanna and Stephen start with Jimi Hendrix’s illustrious Mayfair neighbour, George Friedrich Handel (albeit 200 years apart) exploring the legacy of this German-born genius; they also wonder what happened to Joanna’s little red Ferrari and finally get back to business with Britten and Butterworth.
Mark as Played
March 21, 2023 33 mins
Some extraordinary songs transport us to another time or dimension. This week our classical duo explore compositions which move us to our very core by taking a tour through the evolution of the song itself. Diving into folk melodies, arias, Victorian parlour music and beyond.
Mark as Played
March 14, 2023 34 mins
Why does Opera make some people (maybe you?) run for the hills? In this episode Joanna and Stephen dig down into the big questions… Like, when did Opera become posh? How did it evolve from musical drama? And can it be reduced to 6 emotions: Admiration, Hatred, Love, Desire, Joy, Sadness and Sorrow - according to René Descart?
Mark as Played
Who is the finest singer of all time? And what makes a legendary voice? Is it technique, style, phrasing or simply magic? This week Joanna and Stephen discuss their favourite singers, find out why do we fall in love with certain voices, and (the burning question) what does Joanna think of Stephen’s voice?
Mark as Played
February 28, 2023 35 mins
From 'Jaws' to 'Genevieve', 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Bond', every brilliant movie has to have a great theme tune. But who were the composers who wrote these iconic pieces of music? In this episode, Joanna and Stephen dive into the greatest film scores ever written.
Mark as Played
February 21, 2023 31 mins
The 18th century saw Great Britain referred to as “Das Land ohne Musik” - the land without music by continental Europeans. Quite the damning reviews. But why? And more importantly, is it true? Joanna and Stephen launch into the archives of great British composers like Tallis, Elgar, Byrd, Gibbons and Vaughan Williams in search of our national melodies and some home grown ‘kultur’.
Mark as Played
February 14, 2023 40 mins
In this episode Joanna Lumley and her husband Stephen Barlow tackle a biggie - the Symphony. We’ve probably all heard these types of composition - usually involving full orchestras and four distinct movements - but where did they originate from? Who wrote the best ones? What are the building blocks of a symphony? And what’s harder to conduct, a symphony or an opera?
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

    Crime Junkie

    If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.

    CounterClock

    In order to tell the story of a crime, you have to turn back time. Every season, Investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra digs deep into a mind-bending mystery with the hopes of reigniting interest in a decades old homicide case.

    Morbid

    It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.

    20/20

    Unforgettable true crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high profile stories.

Advertise With Us

For You

    Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

    Connect

    © 2023 iHeartMedia, Inc.