Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast
361 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.7K ratingsSticky Notes is a classical music podcast for everyone, whether you are just getting interested in classical music for the first time, or if you've been listening to it and loving it all your life. Interviews with great artists, in depth looks at pieces in the repertoire, and both basic and deep dives into every era of music. Classical music is absolutely for everyone, so let's start listening! Note - Seasons 1-5 will be returning over the next year. They have been taken down in order to be re-recorded in improved sound quality!
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Episodes
Stephen Hough on Practicing Through the Pandemic, Composing, and Classical Music as Entertainment.
June 08, 2020 11:59 - 45 minutes - 62.2 MBFirst, I want to let my listeners know that Thursday will begin a new commitment to exploring the works of minority composers. It's long past time to begin doing that. For today, please enjoy this thoughtful and deeply entertaining conversation with the great pianist, composer, and writer Stephen Hough. Hough is one of the great pianists of our time and is also a deep thinker about classical music of yesterday and today. I had so much fun with this conversation, recorded about three weeks ...
Bartok Violin Duos and Social Duoing
June 04, 2020 08:15 - 56 minutes - 77.1 MBBartok's 44 Violin Duos are a triumph of Bartok's devotion to the folk music of Eastern Europe. 42 of the 44 are based on field recordings Bartok collected in his travels, many of which you will hear today. The social duoing project, where I played all 44 duos with 44 violinists from around the world, was started as a result of the pandemic, but was also made possible by this forced pause in travel and work. Enjoy!
How Musical Revolutions Were Created, Part 2 - w/ Jan Swafford
June 01, 2020 08:50 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBJan Swafford was such a fantastic guest last time that I thought we had to have him back on! During these past two weeks, we discussed how so much of the revolutionary music in the history of classical music was influenced by storytelling, whether it was Monteverdi, Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Debussy, Ives, Stravinsky, or Schoenberg. This week, on Part 2, we discuss the final 4 composers, including one of the most beautiful descriptions of Ives I've ever heard. Don't miss this episode! You ...
Sibelius Symphony No. 7
May 28, 2020 08:19 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBSibelius' 7th Symphony is a piece that is barely a symphony at all, and yet it carries symphonic logic throughout. It's only 20 minutes long, in one movement that never stops evolving, with a form that has sparked many debates, and with an ending that is as shocking as any in the Western Repertoire. Simply put, it is Sibelius at his best, and so today we’ll take apart this incredibly complex piece, talking about its form, its stunning metric modulations, its inspiration, and of course, its a...
How Musical Revolutions Were Created, Part 1 - w/Jan Swafford
May 25, 2020 07:53 - 39 minutes - 54 MBJan Swafford was such a fantastic guest last time that I thought we had to have him back on. This week(and next week), we discussed how so much of the revolutionary music in the history of classical music was influenced by storytelling, whether it was Monteverdi, Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Debussy, Ives, Stravinsky, or Schoenberg. This week, on Part 1, we discuss the first 4 composers on the list, trying to understand the chicken or the egg question of which came first? The story? Or the re...
Respighi, "The Pines of Rome"
May 21, 2020 08:05 - 41 minutes - 57.1 MBRespighi occupies a strange place in musical history. He is almost never considered to be one of the “greats,” though his mastery of orchestral color is never doubted by anyone. Today on this Patreon sponsored episode, we’ll look at his Pines of Rome. We’ll talk about Respighi’s extremely detailed program notes, his Strauss like gifts at portraying real life in his music, and the fact that Respighi, for all his innate conservatism, was actually the first composer to use electronic music in o...
Quarantine, Richter, Kleiber, Dvorak, Zander, Wearing Different Hats, and Schumann w/ Zsolt Bognar
May 18, 2020 08:42 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MBZsolt Bognar is a Renaissance Man. He is a pianist, a writer, a thinker, and the host of Living the Classical Life, an amazing show where Zsolt sits down with some of the leading lights of the classical music world. Today I turned the tables and interviewed him in a wide-ranging conversation that touched on some of our favorite musicians and composers, our experiences wearing many hats in the classical music world, and of course, how we’re dealing with quarantine life. This was a really fun ...
Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 3
May 14, 2020 18:46 - 55 minutes - 76.6 MBAt the end of 1893, Mahler could not find a way to end his 2nd Symphony. But the funeral of Hans Von Bulow, a conductor who Mahler worshipped even though Von Bulow hated Mahler’s music, gave Mahler what he called "the flash that all creative artists wait for." In one of the most sprawling, dramatic, and narratively based movements he would ever write, Mahler embraced a kind of universal humanism that is inspiring to this day. We'll talk about this movement and the radiant Urlicht movement th...
Classical Music During the Pandemic
May 11, 2020 08:29 - 44 minutes - 61 MBToday I was thrilled to have with me Matthew Szymanski of the Phoenix Orchestra and Aram Demirjian of the Knoxville Symphony on the show to talk about what classical music as a whole is going to need to do to respond to the current situation with COVID-19. This is a weedsy conversation that digs into streaming, the future, and the sobering realities of audience-free concerts. If you want to hear 3 musicians grappling in real time with this crisis and how we will come out of it, this is the s...
Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 2
May 07, 2020 08:36 - 36 minutes - 50.8 MBToday we explore the two middle movements of Mahler's 2nd symphony. These movements were meant as intermezzi, and are both memories in their own way. The first is a nostalgic, wistful, and extraordinarily simple(for Mahler) Austrian Landler. The second is a bitterly cynical and ironic retelling of a story from Mahler's favorite collection of folk poetry, Des Knaben Wunderhorn(The Boy's Magic Horn). These are the movements listeners sometimes struggle with the most, so let's uncover their sec...
Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
May 04, 2020 06:44 - 35 minutes - 48.4 MBWe're taking a brief detour from Mahler 2 today to discuss Debussy's legendary Afternoon of a Faun, a piece written in the same year as Mahler's 2nd symphony. It's easy to forget how revolutionary this piece was at the time, but composers from Stravinsky to Schoenberg to Boulez to Messiaen were galvanized by this 10 minute masterpiece which Boulez said "breathed new life into the art of music." This is a piece that changed musical history for good, and today we'll find out exactly why it had...
Mahler Symphony No. 2, Part 1
April 30, 2020 08:52 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MB“What next? What is life and what is death? Will we live on eternally? Is it all an empty dream or do our life and death have a meaning? We must answer this question, if we are to go on living.” These words form the basis of Mahler's epic second symphony. This week, on Part 1, we'll talk about the first movement of the symphony. We'll explore Mahler's multiple programs for the piece, the structure of this huge movement, and of course, the powerful emotions underpinning every single note Mahl...
A Conversation with Jan Swafford, Composer and Author
April 27, 2020 07:17 - 56 minutes - 76.9 MBIf you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall for a slightly nerdy conversation between a conductor and a composer who also happens to be a great writer and thinker about classical music, this week's show is for you! This is a wide-ranging, free-flowing conversation that covers the composition process, understanding Beethoven from a composer's perspective, the intimacy of Brahms, and the wackiness and earnestness of the music of Ives. I hope this hour will be as fun an escape for you as it was ...
Opus 1s: The First Works of Great Composers, Part 2
April 23, 2020 07:33 - 42 minutes - 58 MBEvery great composer has an origin story. Every composer started somewhere. I'm fascinated with a composers first works because they tell us so much about who they are going to become. In some cases, composers were writing masterpieces before they turned 18! And some were late bloomers, giving some hope to the rest of us! Today we look at composers 5-10: Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner, Shostakovich, and in my Patreon exclusive mini-episode, Prokofiev. You'll hear some truly astonishing music ...
What is Historical Performance? w/Augusta McKay Lodge
April 20, 2020 07:05 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MBHave you ever wondered what the real differences are between modern and historical performance? Why do historical performances sound so different from modern ones? This week, we take a deep dive into historical performance with the baroque violinist Augusta McKay Lodge. We talk the differences in the sound worlds between modern and historical performance, and also try to resolve the "Cold War" between modern and historical performers. This was a truly fascinating interview, so I hope you'll ...
Opus 1s: The First Works of Great Composers, Part 1
April 16, 2020 06:38 - 45 minutes - 62.7 MBEvery great composer has an origin story. Every composer started somewhere. I’m fascinated with a composers first works because they tell us so much about who they are going to become. We can see in so many of these works a germ, a seed of an idea that will blossom into masterpieces. In some cases, composers were writing masterpieces before they turned 18. And some were late bloomers, giving some hope to the rest of us! Today we look at composers 1-5: Mozart, Rameau, Haydn, Mendelssohn, and ...
Conductor's Roundtable
April 13, 2020 08:40 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MBThis week I was proud to join the Phoenix Orchestra's livestream at twitch.tv/thephoenixorch for a quarantined conductor's roundtable featuring Matthew Szymanski, Aram Demirjian, and Gemma New. We discussed what it is that conductor's do, the art of rehearsing, batons, the psychology of working with large groups, our craziest stories from doing the job, and much much more. This was such a fun experience and we're going to be doing it again very soon. We hope you enjoy it and will join us for...
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, Part 2
April 09, 2020 07:17 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBBartok did not have an easy life in the US, and he was constantly both homesick and horrorstruck by the news from across the ocean. The final three movements of his Concerto for Orchestra display some of that heartbreak, but also the life-affirming joy that Bartok found in his final creative resurgence. Today we’ll talk about the devastating 3rd movement, the odd fourth movement, a movement that is playful, heartbreaking, and satirical all at once, and finally we’ll explore the ecstatic fina...
Bartok Concerto For Orchestra, Part 1
April 02, 2020 08:05 - 42 minutes - 58.1 MBIn 1944, Bartok, dying of Leukemia and weighing only 87 lbs, was commissioned to write a new orchestral piece. He had not written any music for years, and was barely clinging to life. The commission sparked a creative resurgence for Bartok, resulting in his most beloved piece, the Concerto For Orchestra. This week, on Part 1, we'll talk about the first two movements of the piece, from the alternately brooding and exhilarating first movement, to the second movement, a genuinely funny and char...
Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad"
March 26, 2020 07:39 - 40 minutes - 56.2 MBI've been coming back to this symphony again and again over the past couple of weeks. The story of the composition and Leningrad performance of Shostakovich 7 is one of the most remarkable stories of human perseverance, symbolism, and collective action in history. This is a story I haven't told yet on the show, but it couldn't be more relevant today. It is a story about overcoming tragedy. It is a story about hope. It is a story that I think should inspire all of us as we go through this sit...
The Overtures of Beethoven
March 19, 2020 09:03 - 56 minutes - 77.8 MBNever fear everyone, the podcasts are still coming during this crazy time! This week I'll take you through 7 of Beethoven's greatest overtures, pieces that distill Beethoven's storytelling abilities, compositional mastery, and blazing fire all down into just a few minutes. We'll also get a chance to explore Beethoven's creative process, and the development of the Overture itself. Come check out the Coriolan, Egmont, and Leonore Overtures 1, 2, AND 3 plus the overtures to Fidelio and Promethe...
Schumann Cello Concerto
March 12, 2020 07:13 - 46 minutes - 63.3 MBOn today's Patreon-sponsored episode, we'll explore the enigmatic masterpiece known as the Schumann Cello Concerto. This is a piece that has been relentlessly criticized ever since it was written, and yet it remains a part of every cellist's repertoire all over the world. What accounts for this contradiction? This week we'll attack these criticisms head on, and also marvel at the melodic inspiration and formal innovations that run through this underrated gem from a deeply underrated composer.
Brahms Symphony No. 3
March 05, 2020 09:49 - 1 hour - 83.8 MBBrahms' 3rd symphony is his most underrated symphony. It is a nearly perfect piece that transcends the traditional symphonic narrative over its 40 minute journey. So why doesn't it get performed as often as the other 3 symphonies? This week we dissect the symphonies' origins(hint: it has something to do with Clara Schumann), it's unique cyclical structure, and the motto that runs through the entire work. There are few symphonic hikes more satisfying than Brahms' 3rd symphony, so let's start ...
Ten Pieces You've Never Heard By The Biggest Names In Classical Music (Part 2)
February 20, 2020 06:41 - 41 minutes - 56.5 MB(Part 2 this week is composers 6-10 Dvorak, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninoff) I once was talking with a conductor about Beethoven's 8th symphony. He made a comment that stuck with me ever since: "this symphony is Opus 93, but I always want to know what was Opus 94, and we never hear those pieces." There's a lot of truth in that comment. And so I thought that today would be a good opportunity to explore some hidden gems from 10 of the biggest names in Western Classical Musi...
10 Pieces You Never Heard By The Biggest Names in Classical Music (Part 1)
February 13, 2020 08:48 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MBI once was talking with a conductor about Beethoven's 8th symphony. He made a comment that stuck with me ever since: "this symphony is Opus 93, but I always want to know what was Opus 94, and we never hear those pieces." There's a lot of truth in that comment. And so I thought that today would be a good opportunity to explore some hidden gems from 10 of the biggest names in Western Classical Music. Part 1 this week is composers 1-5 - Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Ravel. Let's g...
How to Be A Film Composer, with Christopher Willis
February 06, 2020 08:01 - 40 minutes - 55.9 MBThis week I was joined by the wonderful composer Christopher Willis for a wide ranging and fascinating conversation. Willis, who wrote the music for The Death Of Stalin, Mickey Mouse Shorts, Veep, and the new movie the Personal History of David Copperfield, divulged many secrets about the film composing world in this fascinating interview. How does music correspond to actions on screen? What is the process of how film music is created? All these questions and more are answered today!
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
January 30, 2020 06:42 - 55 minutes - 76.8 MBRachmaninoff remains extremely popular as a composer. But at the same time, a kind of condescending attitude continues to linger about Rachmaninoff’s music. People say it sounds like movie music, it's too sentimental, etc. etc. In fact, Rachmaninoff’s music is as well put together and as innovative as any composer of his time, just in a different way. And the third piano concerto is no exception. Today we'll debunk the myth of Rachmaninoff the mediocre composer, with one of his most brillian...
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, (Part 2)
January 23, 2020 07:21 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBIt's at the end of the second movement of this symphony that it truly leaves convention, if it was ever there in the first place! Traditionally the 3rd movement of a symphony would either be a slow movement or a fast scherzo, and then the last movement is meant to be a rousing finale sending the audience home thrilled. Tchaikovsky writes a real scherzo, but then follows it with a slow movement of immense tragedy. We'll talk about these innovations, the theories surrounding Tchaikovsky's deat...
Season 6 Premiere: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, Part 1
January 16, 2020 07:35 - 45 minutes - 63 MBA bit of a preamble is necessary here: devotees of the podcast will know that I’ve already done an episode on Tchaikovsky 6. Looking back though, I realized that a short episode was just not nearly enough to go through all of the details behind this controversial and hotly debated piece. So, I decided to open the season with a real 2 part exploration of the work, because it remains such an unusual landmark in the symphonic landscape. This week we take a look at the first two movements of the...
What Does a Conductor Really Do? (Re-Broadcast)
January 09, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MBOne more week until Season 6! For now, let's look back at one more episode. People are often fascinated when I tell them what I do for a living. When it comes down to it, I always seem to get some kind of variation of the same question: "What does a conductor really do?" This week is all about answering this question, from the basic level, to the 30,000 feet level, all the way to the cosmic. Next week will be the debut of Season 6 - thanks for waiting and I can't wait to share it with you!
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker (Re-Broadcast)
December 26, 2019 12:14 - 40 minutes - 54.9 MBWhat is there to say about this ubiquitous holiday classic? Quite a lot, actually! This week's show will delve into the complicated process that brought the ballet to life, the not so successful premiere, and the brilliant and characteristic music that has made it such an enduring classic. This is episode is not meant only for adults, but also for parents to listen to with their children, nieces, and nephews, cousins, etc! Happy Holidays!
How to Understand and Enjoy Atonal Music(Re-Broadcast)
December 20, 2019 18:54 - 54 minutes - 74.7 MBSince its first appearances in the early 1900s, atonal music has been one of the most polarizing topics in the classical music world. Some people believed that atonal music was the only way forward, while some thought that it would ruin music for good. Today, we're going to explore the roots of atonal music and then look at the 12 tone period and the brilliant music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. If you're not a fan of atonal music, give it a chance this week. Let's open our ears and dive ...
Bach Cello Suites (Re-Broadcast)
December 12, 2019 15:47 - 48 minutes - 67.1 MBThe Bach Cello Suites represent the apex of the path of every cellist. On this show, previously aired January 3, 2019, we go through the history of the Suites, including their disappearance, rediscovery, and now ubiquity. We'll then look at one movement from each of the Suites, comparing the wildly different approaches that cellists have taken since the first recordings appeared in 1939. You'll also learn what HIP means in the context of classical music. Thanks for listening!
Schubert Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished" (Season 5 Finale)
December 05, 2019 07:50 - 41 minutes - 57.4 MBThere are many reasons why Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony remains a mystery to this day. Its unfinished form, its unusual way of coming into public consciousness, and probably most importantly, the character of the music itself, which seems to inhabit a different realm altogether. This week, on the Season 5 Finale, we’ll explore the two existing movements of the symphony, and take a look at the attempted completions of the piece. All along, we’ll marvel at Schubert’s lyricism and his endless...
Immigrant Composers from Dvorak to Waxman to Bartok
November 27, 2019 08:05 - 47 minutes - 64.7 MBA couple of weeks ago I promised you a Thanksgiving show on American music. I also realized that this will be my second Thanksgiving NOT living in the US, and it got me thinking about the immigration story of my family. How does this all relate to classical music? Well, there is an extremely significant set of composers who immigrated to the US, and today we're going to spend time exploring their stories, and understanding the music they wrote once they arrived here. I'm really proud of this...
6 More Living Composers You Need to Know About
November 14, 2019 09:53 - 51 minutes - 70.3 MBIt was over 100 episodes ago when I took you through a list of 10 great living composers. We’re going to be doing a similar thing this week, with a brand new, fresh list of 6 great living composers. Once again, I’m following the same rules I did last time - 3 male composers, 3 female composers, and a mix of names you might recognize along with newer names. My hope is that lists like these will help to demystify New Music for the listener, as we jump into these fascinating new worlds of music...
Mozart Piano Concerto in C Minor, K. 491
November 07, 2019 14:31 - 46 minutes - 63.2 MBImagine writing a concerto that prompted Beethoven to remark to a friend: “we’ll never be able to write anything like that." That's what you get with Mozart's C Minor concerto, a piece that could be said without hyperbole to be one of the greatest ever written. This week we'll go through all of the revolutionary touches of this concerto, from its harmonic daring to its formal upheavals. In addition, we'll talk about the stormy emotional character of this music, a side of Mozart that is too o...
Classical Music Changemakers: Garrett McQueen
October 24, 2019 06:43 - 45 minutes - 62.4 MBGarrett McQueen hosts the nationally syndicated radio show Music Through the Night, is a bassoonist, and also hosts his own podcast, called Trilloquy. If you’ve ever wondered how radio playlists are created, this is the episode for you. In this conversation we also discuss Garrett’s tireless advocacy on behalf of diversity in classical music. We also gently debated Garrett’s disdain for Brahms and Gershwin, two of my favorite composers. I hope you find this conversation as fulfilling and tho...
Classical Music Changemakers Week: Aubrey Bergauer + Lorenzo Brewer
October 22, 2019 06:24 - 55 minutes - 76.2 MBThis week, I'm interviewing 3 people who are making real change in the classical music business. Today, I talk with Aubrey Bergauer, the former Executive Director of the California Symphony, and Lorenzo Brewer, the founder of Nkoda, the Spotify of sheet music. We'll talk about the simple yet radical changes Bergauer made during her tenure, and Brewer's belief in the accessibility of sheet music. I think these interviews will appeal to anyone interested in change, the future, and music itself...
West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
October 17, 2019 06:47 - 43 minutes - 59.8 MBThere is perhaps no more iconic musical than West Side Story. The team of Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents, and Robbins collaborated on a show that combined humor and menace and love and violence in a way that revolutionized the stage. The film adaptation of the musical won 11 Academy Awards. But, in my opinion, what drives West Side Story is the scintillating score from Leonard Bernstein. Today we explore the Symphonic Dances, a suite put together for the concert stage. We'll talk shofars, tri...
Stravinsky: The Firebird (Re-broadcast)
October 10, 2019 06:47 - 54 minutes - 99.1 MBDue to family reasons, Sticky Notes is off this week, but don't worry, we'll be back next week! In the meantime, enjoy this look back at Stravinsky's magical Firebird, the piece that rocketed Stravinsky to celebrity and is still a favorite of audiences around the world today. We talk about all of the myths behind the story of the Firebird, including a character I like to call the Russian Voldemort! Plus, Sticky Notes answers your questions! Thanks for listening, and look out for West Side St...
Bach Transformed
October 03, 2019 11:48 - 48 minutes - 65.9 MBThroughout the centuries since Bach's death, composers have grappled with the mastery and the mystery of his music. Many composers have tried their hands at arranging or transcribing Bach's music, so this week we'll discuss works like Brahms' reimagining of the Bach Chaconne, Stokowski's grandiose Toccata and Fugue, Webern's 6 part fugue, and many more. Bach's music calls out to be reworked and reimagined. Learning about these transcriptions helps to deepen our understanding of this superlat...
The Music of Christopher Rouse (1949-2019)
September 26, 2019 06:33 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBThe classical music world was rocked this week by the passing of the American composer Christopher Rouse. Rouse was one of the most powerful voices of our time, writing music that combined visceral energy with deep emotional intensity. Chris was also a friend of mine, and as an homage, I wanted to give you a tour of his music this week. There are very few composers who could write convincing music about topics as diverse as tragedy, violence, spiritual bliss, and Led Zeppelin, and Chris was ...
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Part 2)
September 19, 2019 08:10 - 48 minutes - 66.7 MBIt can be difficult to separate Shostakovich's 5th from his political situation, but focusing only on the politics can lead us to ignore some of the most searingly powerful music of the 20th century in favor focusing only on the extra-musical forces behind the piece. This week, we'll look at the 3rd and 4th movements from a musical point of view, discussing how Shostakovich creates his musical palette. Then, we will discuss the controversy over the ending of the piece. What WAS Shostakovich ...
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Part 1)
September 12, 2019 05:58 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MBShostakovich's 5th symphony has always been indelibly associated with politics and Shostakovich's traumatic experiences with Joseph Stalin. But what about the music itself? This week, we'll look at the first two movements of this symphony, including the massive and innovative first, and the sardonic scherzo. This is a piece that is as interesting musically as it is for the harrowing story of its creation. Shostakovich's music is not only about politics. It is about love, life, and the human ...
Sticky Notes Does Fantasia
August 29, 2019 06:32 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBWe're going to take a look at 7 pieces that represent perfect starting points for those interested in beginning their journey with classical music. If you are a regular listener, don't worry - these 7 pieces are all fascinating and enjoyable to learn about for experienced listeners as well! In addition, 5 out of the 7 pieces have never been discussed on the show. We'll cover music from 6 different countries, 300 years of history, and some of the greatest art that humanity has ever produced.
How to Understand Atonal Music Part 2: The Musical Cold War of the 1950s
August 15, 2019 07:37 - 46 minutes - 64.5 MBThis week we're focusing on the 1950s and the musical cold war between composers of the total serialist school like Boulez, Babbitt, and Carter, and the tonalists like Copland and Bernstein. Caught in the middle of pitched battles over the future were Stravinsky and Messiaen. Every composer had a different way of dealing with the post-war order and of expressing the anger, rage, and nihilism of the art of the time. This is music that has never been popular with audiences, so let's try to dem...
Barber Adagio for Strings
July 25, 2019 12:48 - 35 minutes - 48.6 MBThis week we explore one of the most popular, and most misunderstood, pieces of the 20th century. Barber's Adagio has been called "The Saddest Music Ever Written," and yet sadness was never Barber's intention in writing the piece. It also might surprise you to find out that the Barber Adagio was originally a part of a 3 movement string quartet. We'll talk about all of these contradictions while trying to understand just what makes this piece so moving, powerful, and profound.
How to Understand (and enjoy!) Atonal Music
July 18, 2019 11:15 - 54 minutes - 74.7 MBSince its first appearances in the early 1900s, atonal music has been one of the most polarizing topics in the classical music world. Some people believed that atonal music was the only way forward, while some thought that it would ruin music for good. Today, we're going to explore the roots of atonal music and then look at the 12 tone period and the brilliant music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. If you're not a fan of atonal music, give it a chance this week. Let's open our ears and dive ...
Sticky Notes Mailbag!
June 27, 2019 15:55 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBAt long last, it's the Sticky Notes mailbag! I'm joined by a special guest to answer around 20 questions such as, "What is the best way to learn how to compose?" or "Is there a simple explanation in classical music itself for this love that I feel which makes me miss a beat when I listen to it and that can reduce me to tears?" I'll also be answering questions about conducting, programming, musical theory, and much more. I had such a great time doing this, and I hope you enjoy it!