Classical Classroom

Composer Dale Trumbore talks about setting poetry to music, music to poetry, and everything in between.

The Chiara String Quartet talks about Bela Bartok, ethnomusicology, prog rock, and their recent album, Bartok by Heart.

Part 2 of a our 2-part special on the music of the Coen brothers' films with Craig Cohen.

Part 1 of a our 2-part special on the music of the Coen brothers' films with Craig Cohen (no relation!).

We take a crack at understanding this holiday classic with Shelly Power of Houston Ballet Academy and Michael Remson of AFA.

The Emerson String Quartet turned 40 this year. Violinist Eugene Drucker talks about what's changed and what's remained the same in his band.

Jason Vieaux and Julien Labro on the classical guitar, the bandoneon, and the music of Tears for Fears.

Producer Wesley Horner theorizes about what makes Beethoven's 7th tick.

Violinist Jennifer Koh on playing the hard stuff (Tchaikovsky), plus a new show intro!

The Cypress String Quartet do Beethoven in a nutshell, and talk about their breakup.

Learn about not one, but TWO amazing things in this episode: The Houston Youth Symphony, an organization that's been making music an important part of young peoples' lives for 70 years, and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," the symphonic poem written by the French composer Paul Dukas that Walt Disney brought to the masses in the movie Fantasia. Michael Webster, artistic director and conductor of the Houston Youth Symphony, and HYS bassoonist Derek Marcum play examples and take us through the entire magical piece. If you're in Houston, you can catch Michael, Derek, and the rest of the Houston Youth Symphony playing Beethoven's 9th to mark their 70th anniversary on November 13th. Learn more here. Music in this episode: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," by Paul Dukas, performed by the Houston Youth Symphony Clarinet examples by Michael Webster Bassoon examples by Derek Marcum Audio production for this episode by Mark "Guardian of the Mixing Board" DiClaudio and Todd "Groot" Hulslander with witty comebacks by Dacia Clay.

Composer Ned Rorem turned 93 on October 23rd. In honor of Rorem and his amazing career, composer Daron Hagen, Rorem's friend and former student, teaches a crash course in the music and life of Ned Rorem. Hear how his music has evolved over time, and about the life events that have precipitated creative growth and change. The amount of ground-breaking that Rorem has done in his life, both socially and creatively, is frankly more than one podcast can contain. But we give it our best shot anyway. Music in this episode (all by Ned Rorem): “Early in the Morning” “Air Music” “String Symphony” Audio production by Todd "Todd-ry" Hulslander with eyebrow-raising from Dacia Clay and help from Mark DiClaudio. PS, If you enjoyed this episode with Daron Hagen, you can also hear him in an episode of Classical Classroom about Benjamin Britten and his opera Billy Budd!

Waaaay back in episode 102, composer and conductor Victoria Bond taught us about the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency, about whom Bond wrote the opera Mrs. President. On this, the first day of early voting for the U.S.'s 2016 election, Bond is back to teach about what turns out to be a tradition in classical music: music based on true political events. Learn about the pieces throughout history that are... about history, go vote, and then learn about the upcoming performance of Bond's opera. Music in this episode: By Victoria Bond: Mrs. President "Soul of a Nation," from Four Presidents Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh John Adams’ Nixon in China Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem and War Requiem Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima Georges Bizet's Carmen Audio production by Todd "Electoral College" Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and yeas and nays from Dacia Clay. Happy voting everyone!

Producer Todd has been wandering around somewhere in the woods for the past week. We think he's found his way out, but while he readjusts to civilization, please enjoy this episode from the Classical Classroom vault! ...................................................... “You gotta hear this one song. It’ll change your life.” – Pierre Jalbert to me*. Have you ever heard a piece of music that truly moved you? Has a piece of music actually changed the course of your life? Ravel and George Crumb wrote pieces of music that played huge roles in the life of a young Pierre Jalbert. He talks about these two pieces of music, how he encountered them, how they work, and how they are woven into the fabric of his life and work. Audio production in this episode by Todd “Toots” Hulslander with angry Footloose dancing from Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: - Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F major, fourth movement, played by the Emerson String Quartet - George Crumb: Black Angels, “God-music”, played by the Miro Quartet - Pierre Jalbert: -- Visual Abstract, for chamber ensemble: II. Dome of Heaven (from the CD Chamber Music) -- Icefield Sonnets for string quartet *Actually, Pierre didn’t say this to me. But, Natalie Portman says it to Zach Braff in the movie Garden State about a song by the Shins called “New Slang“, which is, actually, a darn good song.

This is serious, people. Classical music has a long and meaningful history in cartoons that is no laughing matter. Just kidding! There is a really long history, but it is hilarious, and so is this episode. Richard Scerbo, Director of the National Orchestral Institute and Festival and founder and artistic director of the DC-based and Grammy-nominated Inscape Chamber Orchestra, takes us on a tour of that history. Find out the practical, social, and financial reasons behind Looney Tunes use of classical music, and how cartoons both poked fun at the music and made it fresh for new audiences. Hear examples of the classical music the cartoons draw from and examples of how the music was rearranged to suit the needs of Porky and Bugs. And, um, that's not all, folks. Music in this episode: - The Bartered Bride (Dance of the Comedians) by Bedrich Smetana - "Zoom and Bored" (Warner Bros. cartoon featuring Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner) - Hungarian Rhapsody No2 by Franz List - "Rhapsody in Rivets" (Warner Bros. cartoon) - "A Corny Concerto" (Warner Bros. cartoon narrated by Elmer Fudd) - The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II - Tales from the Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss II - "Ride of the Valkeries" from Die Walküre by Richard Wagner - "Kill the Wabbit" from What's Opera, Doc? (Warner Bros. cartoon featuring Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny) Audio production by Mark "The Martian" DiClaudio and Todd "Tweety" Hulslander with onomatopoeia by Dacia Clay.