Classical Classroom

In an epic Classical Classroom, tenors Isaiah Bell and Chris Mayell (who, among many other things, co-host the Overthought podcast) walk through the entirety of Benjamin Britten's opera, "Albert Herring". It is an incredible journey, not for the faint of heart, nor for the anti-Canadian. Discussed: townies, queer theory vs. non-queer theory interpretations of the opera, Sid and Nancy (no - not them - the other Sid and Nancy), and Ron Swanson.  Music in this episode (all from Naxos and Decca recordings of 'Albert Herring'): - "Right! We’ll have him!” (Bedford/Barstow) - “Albert the Good!” (Britten/Fisher) - “Sounds like Sid serenading” (Bedford/Barstow) - “Heaven helps those who helps themselves" (Bedford/Barstow) - "In the midst of life is death" (Britten/Fisher) Audio production by Todd "Overtodd" Hulslander with meaningful encouragement from Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Fun fact: "Gilmore Girls" scripts are almost twice as long as other TV shows of comparable length. In this regard, this is the "Gilmore Girls" of "Classical Classroom" episodes. Andy Meyerson and Travis Andrews of the Living Earth Show teach all about electro-acoustic chamber music, sure, but they do a lot more. In addition to talking about the composers and works they commission, and about experimental classical music in general, you are guaranteed to hear boiling water used musically, and at least one verbal treatise on Lars Ulrich of Metallica. Take notes, people. This is pure gold. By the way, the Living Earth Show will be releasing a new album in late October called Dance Music. You'll preview music from that album in this episode. Check them out here: www.tles.bandcamp.com Music in this episode: - "Helpless," from Garage Days Re-Revisited by Metallica. - "Enter Sandman," from Metallica by Metallica. - Performed by the Living Earth Show: -- Family Sing-A-Long and Game Night (composed by Nicole Lizée) -- The Bell, The Ball, The Bow-Tie, & The Boot (composed by Jonathan Pfeffer) -- Tassel (composed by Anna Meredith) Audio production by Todd "Stevie Ray Todd" with keyboards by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Mark Abel's life infuses his music, and music has been his life. He's been a classical musician, a punk rocker, a reporter, and a classical musician and composer again. In this episode, Abel talks about "art song," a very particular kind of classical music where song and poetry intersect. Learn about its history, its composers, and hear some of Abel's own work. Music in this episode: - "Roll Over Beethoven," The Beatles  - "Mr. Tambourine Man," The Byrds  - "A Love Supreme," John Coltrane  - "Marquee Moon," Tom Verlaine/Television  - "Crazy Rhythms," The Feelies  - "La vie anterieure'," Henri Duparc. Gerard Souzay, baritone; Dalton Baldwin, piano. - By Mark Abel:  -- Los Angeles from The Palm Trees are Restless -- Excerpts from Premonition – from The Dark Eyed Chameleon -- La sonnambula – from Terrain of the Heart Audio production by Todd "Hell" Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and abiding by Dacia Clay.

Composer Stephen Lias didn't necessarily mean to become an "adventurer-composer." He was minding his own business as a perfectly normal composer, having his music played by soloists and ensembles, and working as a Professor of Composition at Stephen F. Austin State University. In his free time, he liked to go on adventure trips, backpacking and kayaking. Little did he know that one day soon, his two loves would merge and that he would become Stephen Lias, Adventurer-Composer! His whole life would be changed, and he would become Composer-in-Residence at many of the United States' National Parks.  Find out what that means, and more about Stephen's story in this adventure-filled episode of Classical Classroom! And by the way, did you know that it's the United States National Park Service's 100th birthday? Go hug a National Park today! Music in this episode (all by Stephen Lias): - River Runner Lajitas - Crown of the Continent - Gates of the Arctic (with Boulder Philharmonic) - Range of Light – Vernal Falls Audio production by Todd "Grand Tetodd" Hulslander, with spelunking by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

That’s not a violin – it’s a woodbox! Daniel Bernard Roumain talks about creative appropriation in classical music. The Haitian-American composer’s creative world was cracked open when he realized that everything – including the definition of “violin” – was ripe for reinterpretation. As a kid in garage bands, he took the decidedly uncool violin and made it his own. As a classically trained musician, he brings classical music together with hip hop, rock, bluegrass, and other genres to create his signature sound. We talk about DBR’s creative journey and about how innovators like John Cage have changed classical music by adding an important ingredient to the genre: imagination. Audio production by Todd “T-Dawg” Hulslander with super disco breaking by Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: - Lots of woodbox improvisation by Daniel Bernard Roumain - “Sonata No. 2” from Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano by John Cage, played by Boris Berman - “Sonata for Violin and Turntables, Part 1” from Woodbox Beats & Balladry by Daniel Bernard Roumain

Branford Marsalis. Photo by Palma Kolansky. Courtesy of the artist's website. Our summer music festival series is over, and we are frankly a little sleepy now. So this week, while we nap, we are bringing you some old gold from the vault. It's one of our faves, featuring Branford Marsalis. If you don't love it, too, we will be both shocked and appalled. ------------------------------------- Branford Marsalis' stark 2014 solo album In My Solitude includes jazz... Read More

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California! All good things must come to an end, and...here we are. The final installment of our summer music mini-series features New York Philharmonic concertmaster (who used to be Houston Symphony concertmaster), Frank Huang. He talks about the job of a concertmaster, and about his own story of a life in two cities with two orchestras. Frank also discusses first being a student and then being a teacher and visiting artist at the Music Academy of the West, and he talks about what he's been doing at the MAW festival this summer. At the end of the interview, we kidnap him and bring him back to Houston. It's an action-packed thrill-ride! JK. There's no kidnapping. That's illegal! But we think you'll enjoy the conversation anyway. Music in this episode: - "We're Going to Be Friends," by the White Stripes. From White Blood Cells. - String Sextet in D minor "Souvenir de Florence", Op. 70 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Audio production by Todd "Triple Double" Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and three-wheel motion by Dacia Clay. Copious thanks to the Music Academy of the West for all of their help with this mini-series and for letting us crash their summer music festival, with special thanks to Kate Oberjat (oh-bur-yacht) who has not missed a spot and who’s done an awful lot, and to Emma Levine, Barbara Hirsch and Anthony Paggett. Thanks to Scott Reed, Richie Hawley, Matthew Sinno, Jeremy Denk, Bill Williams, Matthew Aucoin, Cynthia Phelps, Thomas Hampson, and Frank Huang without whom these interviews would have been monologues. Thanks to KCRW in Santa Barbara and to engineer Kathryn Barnes.  May the Force be with you on your way back to school!

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California! Library of Congress "Living Legend" and Grammy Award-winning baritone Thomas Hampson has reached a point in his life and career at which one might use the term "venerable" to describe him. "Wise" is another word that music journalists probably throw down when talking about him. And they would not be wrong. But even Thomas Hampson got his start somewhere. In this interview, he talks about his classical music beginnings at the Music Academy of the West, and about conveying the grand meaning of music as a teacher to young people in master classes there now. Music in this episode (all performed by Thomas Hampson): Three Songs Op. 10: No. 1, Rain Has Fallen by Samuel Barber Sechs Lieder aus "Lotosblatter," Op. 19, 6 Mein Herz ist stumm, mein Herz ist kalt by Richard Strauss Vier Lieder, Op. 27: 3. Heimliche Aufforderung by Richard Strauss. Audio production by Todd "Toddsong" Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and lipsyncing by Dacia Clay. Thanks to the Music Academy of the West for their help with these interviews, especially to Emma Levine and Kate Oberjat, who's quite frankly, done a lot.

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California! Laugh all you want at the viola - Cynthia Phelps, the New York Philharmonic's Principal Viola, ignores the haters. She doesn't even bother to hold up a hand and tell them to talk to it. She just produces beautiful music on the viola and lets it speak for itself. In the fourth installment of our MAW series, learn all about the viola, why people make fun of it, and why they are wrong, so wrong. Phelps introduces us to the instrument's repertoire, and talks about what she's been doing to spread the gospel of the viola at the Music Academy of the West this summer. Music in this episode: - Duo for Violin and Viola in G, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performed by the Grumiaux Trio. Philips. - String Quintet Op. 39 in A minor, Alexander Glazunov. Performed by Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble. Chandos.  - Harold in Italy, Hector Berlioz. New York Philharmonic (Cynthia Phelps, viola), Lorin Maazel conducting. Deutsche Grammophon. - Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Performed by New Zealand Symphony Orchestral, James Judd conducting. Naxos. - Concert Piece for Viola and Piano, George Enescu. Cynthia Phelps, viola; Judith Gordon, piano. Cala Records. Audio production by Todd "Two-Bit" Hulslander with staying gold by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to the Music Academy for their help with this series, and special thanks to Kate Oberjat (oh-bur-yacht) who we appreciate a lot. Thanks also to Cynthia Phelps' manager, Elizabeth Dworkin, and to Pamela Walsh at the New York Philharmonic for their help.

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California! The third installment of our MAW series features composer, conductor, and pianist, Matthew Aucoin. Aucoin is a resident at that Music Academy of the West, and a sort of serial residentialist elsewhere (like the Peabody Essex Museum and soon, the Los Angeles Opera). He talks about what a "residency" is, how it informs a composer's creative process; plus, he gives us a sample of what he's been busy creating while at the Music Academy. Music in this episode: - Selections from Matthew Aucoin's "Second Nature", performed at the Music Academy of the West Audio production by Todd "The Bartered Todd" Hulslander with pirouettes by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to the Music Academy for their help with this series, and special thanks to Kate Oberjat (oh-bur-yacht) without whom this series would simply not.

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California! The second installment of our MAW series features trumpet player, performance coach, and educator, Bill Williams. Williams initially spent his career as principal trumpet for orchestras like San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Barcelona. But when performances began to induce anxieties and other distractions, he started seeking ways to regain focus. As it turns out, Bill wasn't alone: many musicians perform in spite of the fear of doing so. Williams' research led him to meet sport psychologist Dr. Don Greene. Eventually, Williams honed a series of techniques to help improve musicians' focus, and with it, their performance. In this episode, Williams talks all about common mental blocks that come up for classical musicians and how he now spends much of his time helping people overcome them, one psychological bear at a time. Music in this episode:  - “Pipeline” as recorded by the Ventures - Glen Gould: Bach Goldberg Variations - San Francisco Symphony Mahler Symphony No. 5 Audio production by Todd "Triple Lutz" Hulslander with perfect landing by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Many thanks to the Music Academy for their help with this series - especially to Kate Oberjat, whose name rhymes with "clover yacht," and who has helped us an awful lot.

It's time for the second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series! This year, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California. In the first installment of our MAW series, pianist Jeremy Denk talks about teaching the enormousness of Beethoven to young artists, ragging classical music, whether or not classical music today exists outside the bounds of style, and about what makes the Music Academy of the West unique to him. Throughout the MAW Summer Series, we'll also hear from the Academy's president and CEO Scott Reed, faculty clarinet Richie Hawley, and viola fellow Matthew Sinno about the festival experience from their perspectives. It's going to be rad. Music in this episode: - "Pipeline" as recorded by the Ventures - "Pilgrims Chorus," Tannhäuser, Wagner. (from Youtube) From Jeremy Denk’s recital: - Stravinsky, Piano-Rag-Music - Byrd, The Passinge Mesures: the Nynthe Pavian  - From My Ladye Nevells Booke of Virginal Music - Lambert, “Pilgrim’s Chorus” from Tannhäuser (after Wagner) - Bach,English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808, Gigue - Mozart Gigue In G Major, K 574  - Tea For Two by Art Tatum Audio production by Todd "Two-Shirts" Hulslander with overlording by Dacia Clay. Thanks to the Music Academy of the West for their help with this series, especially to Kate Oberjat, the coolest coordinator in the West, for her assistance with basically everything. 

How strange (and awesome) it is to be Jherek Bischoff at all. This composer, arranger, performer, and producer began his musical journey playing prog rock on bass guitar. After spending years of his youth on a boat, which his family sailed around the world playing music with locals as they went, he toured and recorded with indie rock and experimental bands. Then one day, he heard a piece of classical music that changed his life forever. Suddenly, he found himself composing for chamber groups and orchestras, learning a whole new musical and cultural language. Hear all about his journey into classical music, his interview with Terry Gross, and his new album (which was born inside of a cistern), in this episode. Music in this episode from Bischoff's upcoming album Cistern (release: July 15, 2016). For more about his new album, visit www.jherekbischoff.com Audio production by Todd "Tiramisu" Hulslander with doggy paddling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to George Heathco for the MusicWorks theme music. For more about his music: www.soundcloud.com/george-heathco

Video games have come a long way since Pong, and so has their music. The electronic bleeps and blorps of ye olden days have evolved into composed musical scores that have their own fans and are performed by major symphony orchestras nationwide. Final Fantasy, one such game with a musical score that - as illustrated in this episode - draws on the classical music tradition, will soon be performed (again) by the Houston Symphony. Lesley... Read More

When you hear the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, pretty much the last thing that comes to mind is self-doubt (Hello?! The man wrote actual cannons into his music!). But as conductor Mei-Ann Chen explains, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture took him years to write because he was deeply self-critical. And his opinionated mentor, Mily Balakirev, didn't help the situation. Learn all about Tchaikovsky's creative process and about one of the most romantic pieces of music ever written... Read More