Home Podcasts The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast

The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast

Kevin Nordstrom 56 episodes Latest May 12, 2024

This classical music podcast explores the history and lives of some of western classical music's most famous composers and musicians. Classical music is filled with very colorful personalities and riddled with drama of all kinds, from political intrigue to failed romances and everything in between. Through the course of the show, we discuss composers and musicians from the distant past all the way to the present, beginning with the greatest, JS Bach.

Episodes

50(b) - Johannes Brahms pt. 15b "Tokens of Friendship" a classical music podcast May 12, 2024 02:40:44 Brahms pt. 15b: we detail the course of the Brahms-Joachim relationship as they return to something like their former friendly relations and see how is other friendships and partnerships evolve, disolve, change and mature as we reach the year 1887.  Works heard in this episode in order (all by Brahms): Tafellied op. 93b Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht op. 96 no. 1 Wir wandelten op. 96 no. 2 Nach
50(a)- Johannes Brahms pt. 15a "Tokens of Friendship" a classical music podcast Aug 12, 2023 02:45:50 Brahms pt. 15a: we return to the life narrative of our great composer, picking up where we left him in the summer of 1879 adding the finishing touches to his D major violin concerto which he had written for and with the advice of his great friend, Joseph Joachim. This was the high point of their friendship and musical partnership; but for how long would the happy feelings last, and if they didn't,
49 - Johannes Brahms pt. 14 "The Violin Concerto" a classical music podcast May 25, 2022 01:40:45 In Brahms pt. 14 our pause in the narrative continues as we study the greatest of all violin concertos, that by Johannes Brahms. We will analyze the relationship between Brahms and the work's first, possibly finest performer Joseph Joachim, putting the concerto in the context of his performing life and in relation to other works in the genre. We conclude with a discussion of cadenza's, but Joachim
48 - Johannes Brahms pt. 13 "The Second Symphony" a classical music podcast Feb 27, 2022 01:17:26 In Brahms pt. 13 we pause the narrative and retrace our steps to spend some more time with the Second Symphony. A brief discussion of the symphony and an analysis of its motives will be presented, including excerpts from it and a complete recording by the Musopen Symphony.  Works heard in this episode in order (all by Brahms): -Symphony no. 2 in D major op. 73 Multiple excerpts recorded by Chang
47 - Johannes Brahms pt. 12 "Why the Light is Given" a classical music podcast Feb 6, 2022 01:50:33 Pt. 12:  It is early November 1876 and Brahms is in the audience as the orchestra at Carlsruhe premieres his first symphony in C minor. The concert goes better than expected and riding high on his success, Brahms performs the symphony many more times elsewhere. Its positive reception gladdened his heart and he quickly produced another symphony to celebrate, then a series of other wonderful works i
46 - Johannes Brahms pt. 11 "A Symphony" a classical music podcast Oct 11, 2021 01:41:56 It is summer 1876. Brahms is vacationing with his friend George Henschel on the Baltic island or Rügen and finishing work on his first symphony in C minor... Works heard in this episode (all by Brahms): Symphony no. 1 in C minor op. 68 Excerpts: performed by Chang Ji, Mrs. the GCP - mvt. 1 mm. 1-2, mm. 41, mm. 42-46 - mvt. 4 mm. 1-3, mm. 12-14 ...by The GCP House Orchestra... - mvt. 4 mm. 30-38,
45 - Johannes Brahms, pt. 10 "From the Soul of the Purest Youth" a classical music podcast Aug 16, 2021 02:59:30 It is December 1871 and Johannes Brahms has finally established permanent residence in the music loving city of Vienna. Still, his thoughts remain in Hamburg for a time as his family slowly start to drift away from him... He himself then drifted for a time, compositionally at least. He would begin his new position as Artistic Director of the Gesellschaft der Musik Freunde in Fall 1872 which made h
44 - "Interview with Alan Walker and Daniel Vnukowski" a classical music podcast Jun 22, 2021 01:09:56 I am pleased to be joined during this episode by Alan Walker, celebrated author of biographies of Franz Liszt, Frederick Chopin and others, and acclaimed concert pianist Daniel Vnukowski. We discuss Liszt, Chopin, and Schumann, taking a look at their lives and music from the perspectives of biographer and performer.  Vnukowski and Dr. Walker present "In the Footsteps of Chopin" on Wednesday June 2
43 - Johannes Brahms pt. 9 "A Lovely Dwelling Place" - Classical Music Podcast Jun 7, 2021 02:37:44 Ep. 43 – It is Good Friday, April 10, 1868 in Bremen and Brahms has just finished giving the premiere of his German Requiem. It is a complete triumph but one not celebrated with wild applause, the work is too grave for that. Instead, attendees of the premiere listened with glad hearts and in reverence, awe really of the work's creator. Thus, Johannes Brahms became an internationally recognized co
42b - Johannes Brahms pt. 8 "The Scent of Lilac" - Classical Music Podcast Mar 22, 2021 02:08:36 Ep 42(b) - It is early 1865. Brahms's mother has just passed away. Filled with emotion he grudgingly moves from winter to spring, entering a long period of deep and private mourning during which he would retreat into himself for a time in order to gather his thoughts and energies, and orient them toward a grand act of artistic creation in which he would immortalize his beloved mother and through w
42a - Johannes Brahms pt. 8 "The Scent of Lilac" - Classical Music Podcast Feb 8, 2021 02:42:52 Ep. 42(a) - It is late November 1862. We find Johannes Brahms in Vienna making a great success of himself for once but reeling from a devastating blow given him by the musical establishment of Hamburg. He will try to pick himself up and carry on with his work, compartmentalizing the tenderness he felt for one place from the bitterness for the other so that he might do so. And then further troubles
41 - Johannes Brahms, pt. 7 "Vignettes and Vienna" - Classical Music Podcast Nov 23, 2020 02:01:52 In Ep. 41 Johannes Brahms continues his toil, conducing the ladies' choir, playing concerts, and composing; working to build a life and career brick by brick with the sweat of his brow and the help of his friends. He hoped for a permanent position in Hamburg that would lead to a settled, traditional life and some financial security. Brahms's efforts were geared toward turning hope into reality, bu

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