Classical Classroom

Take a tour through music history - from chant to present day - through the lens of the motet. What's a "motet", you ask? Is it real, you ask? We are not entirely sure. Composer Mark Buller, whose music has been performed worldwide, and who has been commissioned by organizations like Houston Grand Opera, will be your tour guide. Get on board the great Classroom coaster. We have cupholders and a great soundsystem. Audio production... Read More

A small step in the evolution of the trumpet. "Ear Trumpet 1". Photo by Eknath Gomphotherium, used with permission. We're back with a new episode! Whooo! How did the trumpet morph from a simple horn that announced kings and queens, in to the sophisticated, nuanced instrument it is today? Monumental Brass Quintet trumpet player, public school music teacher, and inventor of the Buzz Clip brass player training tool, Mark DiClaudio tells how Haydn's Trumpet Concerto... Read More

In this episode, Classical 91.7's Saturday Morning Music host and contra dancer extraordinaire, Amy Bishop takes Dacia on a journey with Smetana, Strauss, and Gershwin to learn about tone poems, invoking a surprising number of mermaids and mimes. Audio production by Todd Hulslander with "insightful" suggestions from Dacia Clay. Music used in this episode includes: Smetana's "The Moldau" from Tchaikovsky/Smetana, Chesky CD65 Richard Strauss' "Death and Transfiguration" from Metamorphosen, Tod Und Verklarung, Deutsche Grammophon 410 892 Gershwin's... Read More

In this episode, conductor Brett Mitchell — Assistant Conductor for the Cleveland Orchestra, man of too many accolades to mention, and former Assistant Conductor of the Houston Symphony — talks about John Williams' use of leitmotif in the score to the original Star Wars movie. Listen, you must. Audio production by Todd "Tatooine" Hulslander, with use of the Force by Dacia Clay. For more about Brett Mitchell: www.brettmitchellconductor.com

Classical 91.7 program director St. John Flynn with Whoopee cushion. Photo by Dacia Clay. Think you know your classical tunes? Play along in this host-humiliating "drop the needle" quiz show! Test your skills while listening to quiz master, Opera Cheat Sheet host, and Classical 91.7 program director St. John Flynn point and laugh at Dacia. Good luck! Send us an email to let us know how you do: dclay@houstonpublicmedia.org. Audio production by Todd "Test Mastah" Hulslander... Read More

The human voice is (very probably, we're pretty darn sure) the first classical music instrument. Grammy-nominated producer, choral and orchestral instructor, and artistic director of Grace Song, Inc., Keith Weber takes us on a journey through the evolution of choral work. He also explains why choir singers are generally in way less peril than opera singers. Audio production for this episode by Todd "Tasty" Hulslander with smart-mouthed comebacks from Dacia Clay. Photo by Amanda Faucett... Read More

August is Arts Appreciation Month! During August, Houston Public Media Arts and Culture is paying tribute to art forms that have inspired other art forms. We thought this Classical Classroom rerun fit with that theme perfectly, hence the rerunning. The remix has been alive as long as the Beastie Boys' "License to Ill". JK! It's been around for as long as music. Learn how composers have been inspired by, paid tribute to, given tips of... Read More

Climb aboard the great Classroom space coaster for a trip to Gustav Holst's The Planets! Composer, MusicLab intern, and self-described professional nerd Joshua Zinn is our captain on this journey through one of classical music's most influential and popular works. Who was Holst? How did he write the music for Star Wars before the movie existed!? How does one actually pronounce "Uranus"? All of these questions and more will be answered! Audio production by Todd... Read More

Producer Todd is "out of town on vacation" this week, so we are bringing this oldie-but-goodie out of the vault. Hope you enjoy it! If you do, check out Classical 91.7's River Oaks Chamber Orchestra broadcasts every Wednesday in August. Go here for more info. In this episode, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra's Artistic Director, founder, and principal oboist, Alecia Lawyer takes Dacia inside the mind of an oboe player. In this strange world, people grow their... Read More

Giuseppe Verdi: composer of Aida, La Traviata, Falstaff, and haver of an adorable Italian accent. But as Eric Skelly - cohost of the Opera Cheat Sheet podcast and Buffy the Vampire Slayer superfan - tells us, Verdi was so much more. He was an innovator who changed opera forever. Learn about how he did this and who he was in this episode! Audio production by Todd "With a T" Hulslander with nervous pacing by Dacia... Read More

It's Classical Classroom's first field trip! We go to the studio of Early Music expert and musician, Matthew Dirst - home to the professor's lovely harpsichord. Matthew transports us to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, when there was a harpsichord in (almost) every home. He also tells us what's going on in Harpsichordia now, and what may be to come. Audio production by Todd "Tickling the Ivories" Hulslander, with backup... Read More

You're at a classical music concert. The music stops and the crowd goes wild! Wait. No. Only YOU are going wild. And everyone is staring at you. You sink down low in your seat and hide... Don't let this happen to you! Listen to this enlightening episode of Classical Classroom with MusicLab intern Zoe Miller to find out when it is and isn't a good idea to clap, and why. Learn about the movements of... Read More

We put on our pith helmets, grab our binoculars, and train our compasses south for this Classical Classroom expedition to Brazil and Argentina. Pianist and educator Tali Morgulis talks about composers Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Prado, and Piazzolla, how the classical music of South America differs from that of Europe, and...the tango! Audio production by Todd "Tango" Hulslander, with nuevo by Dacia Clay. All music used in this episode comes from the CD Archipelago of Light by... Read More

In this special 4th of July edition of Classical Classroom Research Presentations, Dacia ponders why Americans listen to Russian music on their Independence Day. She uncovers the [not really that] secret history of how one man and his love of pyrotechnics made Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture the theme music for America's most patriotic celebration. Written, produced, and otherwise manhandled by Dacia Clay. Music used in this episode includes: - Pyotr Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Boston Pops Orchestra,... Read More

Ravel's Boléro. Next to most of the soundtrack to Koyaanisqatsi, it's possibly the most repetitive piece of music ever written, amiright (respect, Philip Glass)? As it turns out, I am wrong, so wrong. In fact, Boléro is a piece built entirely around change. Howard Pollack, professor at Moores School of Music, author, lecturer, and guest on BBC specials and NPR shows like Morning Edition and Fresh Air, is our tour guide through this amazing piece of music by... Read More