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John Banther takes classical music fans behind the scenes with interviews, deep dives, and analysis. Episodes released bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Produced by WETA Classical in Washington, D.C.
Episode | Date |
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The Life and Music of Gioachino Rossini: An overnight success, foodie, and opera sensation
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Nov 12, 2024 |
Beethoven’s iconic Violin Concerto: what to listen for and why it was an initial flop!
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Oct 29, 2024 |
The horn: Everything you need to know from Mozart, Mahler, to the movie screen!
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Oct 15, 2024 |
The lives and music of Silvestre Revueltas and Gabriela Lena Frank
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Oct 01, 2024 |
The Great Unfinished Works
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Sep 17, 2024 |
Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 "Romantic"; a monumental masterpiece!
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Sep 03, 2024 |
Recommended listening; 4 new albums to listen to this summer!
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Jun 25, 2024 |
What is a cello? Star cellist Amit Peled tells all!
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Jun 11, 2024 |
Elgar's Enigma Variations, a portrait of friends, life, and love!
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May 28, 2024 |
Robert Schumann's Carnaval: A solo piano brings a masked ball to life!
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May 14, 2024 |
The Life of Nadia Boulanger: A Lasting Impact from Bernstein to Sesame Street
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Apr 30, 2024 |
Haydn's masterpiece for 4 soloists and orchestra, the Sinfonia Concertante
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Apr 16, 2024 |
The Evolution of the Piano: A Thousand Year Journey!
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Apr 02, 2024 |
Joan Tower's Concerto for Orchestra, an adventure in color, illusion, and rhythm!
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Mar 19, 2024 |
The secret life of a classical recording engineer: Meet WETA's Charles Lawson
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Mar 05, 2024 |
The life and music of Antonin Dvořák; from humble beginnings to stardom!
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Feb 20, 2024 |
6 recommended works by living Black composers!
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Feb 06, 2024 |
Korngold's Violin Concerto, from the Golden Age of Hollywood!
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Jan 23, 2024 |
Episode 100, let's celebrate!
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Jan 09, 2024 |
Jean Sibelius, how a composer became the voice of a nation!
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Dec 26, 2023 |
Augusta Holmès' Andromède; an epic Greek myth inspired symphonic poem!
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Dec 12, 2023 |
Opera 101, everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask!
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Nov 28, 2023 |
Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture: 3 themes and Shakespearean connections!
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Nov 14, 2023 |
The inspiring life and music of Germaine Tailleferre: plus 5 recommended works!
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Oct 31, 2023 |
The Nocturne, a journey from the 19th century to Daft Punk!
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Oct 17, 2023 |
Respighi's The Pines of Rome: a picturesque tour of Rome!
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Oct 03, 2023 |
The short yet musically prolific life of Franz Schubert
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Sep 19, 2023 |
Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2: a musical comeback story!
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Sep 05, 2023 |
Summer Listening Guide: 4 albums to expand your musical horizons!
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Jun 27, 2023 |
Theme and Variations: 4 types and what to listen for!
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Jun 13, 2023 |
The Illustrious Life and Music of Haydn: From hardship to stardom
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May 30, 2023 |
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor": Breaking expectations!
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May 16, 2023 |
In conversation with Maestro Gianandrea Noseda: His journey, perspectives on music, conducting, and more!
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May 02, 2023 |
Mahler's Symphony No. 1: A rewarding symphonic journey!
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Apr 18, 2023 |
Fantasia: Music from the realm of imagination!
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Apr 04, 2023 |
The life and music of Cecile Chaminade: Genius has no gender
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Mar 21, 2023 |
Women in Music: 6 works by 6 composers you should know
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Mar 07, 2023 |
Ravel's Piano Concerto for Left Hand: A masterpiece of musical illusions and creativity!
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Feb 21, 2023 |
Joseph Bologne, the most interesting 18th century composer?
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Feb 07, 2023 |
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique": A symphony of unanswerable questions
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Jan 24, 2023 |
Antonio Vivaldi's life, music, and the women who shaped his career
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Jan 10, 2023 |
Brahms' Haydn Variations: Don't judge a theme by its composer!
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Dec 27, 2022 |
A holiday gem: Margaret Bonds' The Ballad of the Brown King
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Dec 13, 2022 |
George Frideric Handel: life of fame, musical style, and 3 things you didn't know before!
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Nov 29, 2022 |
WG Still's Afro-American Symphony: Blues idioms, new instruments, and a uniquely American style
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Nov 15, 2022 |
The Saxophone, everything you need to know about this unique genre-hopping instrument!
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Nov 01, 2022 |
Mozart y Mambo! Horn superstar Sarah Willis shows off her newest album
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Oct 18, 2022 |
By Listener Request: 3 deep dives into works by Pachelbel, Liszt, and Vaughan Williams
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Oct 04, 2022 |
Claude Debussy: 4 points to hear his music in a new way!
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Sep 20, 2022 |
Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: A Baltimore connection and hidden themes!
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Sep 06, 2022 |
Summer Listening Guide: 4 albums to expand your musical horizons!
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Jun 28, 2022 |
Grieg’s Piano Concerto: The Heart of Norway
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Jun 14, 2022 |
An Unsung Heroine: The Life and Music of Fanny Mendelssohn
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May 31, 2022 |
Under Pressure: What is an Oboe with Nick Stovall, NSO's Principal Oboe
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May 17, 2022 |
Ravel's Bolero with Joshua Weilerstein: A conductor's insight
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May 03, 2022 |
Piano Transformed: The Life and Music of Frederic Chopin
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Apr 19, 2022 |
All about that bass! With NSO Principal Bass Robert Oppelt
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Apr 05, 2022 |
Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3: A hidden gem!
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Mar 22, 2022 |
Clara Schumann: A story of stardom, passion, and courage
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Mar 08, 2022 |
Florence Price Symphony No. 1: An American Symphony
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Feb 22, 2022 |
George Walker: He wants you to play his music
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Feb 08, 2022 |
Dvorak's Cello Concerto, 5 things to listen for!
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Jan 25, 2022 |
How an orchestra creates a year of concerts, with NSO's Nigel Boon
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Jan 11, 2022 |
The life and music of Robert Schumann
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Dec 28, 2021 |
Bach's Christmas Oratorio, what to listen for and know!
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Dec 14, 2021 |
Bernstein's West Side Story
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Nov 30, 2021 |
The life of William Grant Still
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Nov 16, 2021 |
Mozart's Clarinet Concerto
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Nov 02, 2021 |
The Life of Sergei Rachmaninoff
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Oct 19, 2021 |
What is a Clarinet?
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Oct 05, 2021 |
Tchaikovsky's triumphant Symphony No. 5
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Sep 21, 2021 |
The Life of Leonard Bernstein
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Sep 07, 2021 |
Season 3 starts September 7!
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Aug 31, 2021 |
New classical albums to listen to this summer!
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Jun 29, 2021 |
What is a Viola? Daniel Foster, Principal Viola of the NSO tells us everything!
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Jun 15, 2021 |
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique. A story of obsession, betrayal, and execution.
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Jun 01, 2021 |
The Life of Johannes Brahms
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May 18, 2021 |
What is a Concerto?
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May 04, 2021 |
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. A masterpiece and tribute to a friend.
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Apr 20, 2021 |
What is a Bassoon? Sue Heineman, Principal Bassoon of the NSO, tells us everything!
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Apr 06, 2021 |
Appalachian Spring, an American classic by Aaron Copland
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Mar 23, 2021 |
The Life of Bach
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Mar 09, 2021 |
The life of Florence Price
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Feb 23, 2021 |
Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World." The origins and inspirations you didn't know.
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Feb 09, 2021 |
It's fun and it's virtuosic! Exploring Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21
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Jan 26, 2021 |
What does a Concertmaster really do? Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef of the NSO explains.
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Jan 12, 2021 |
The life of Strauss Jr. aka "The Waltz King"
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Dec 29, 2020 |
The Nutcracker, how it became a holiday classic, and what to listen for
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Dec 15, 2020 |
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
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Dec 01, 2020 |
What is a string quartet?
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Nov 17, 2020 |
Beethoven's triumphant Symphony No. 5
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Nov 03, 2020 |
The life of Tchaikovsky
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Oct 20, 2020 |
What is an Overture?
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Oct 06, 2020 |
Rimsky-Korsakov's enchanting Scheherazade
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Sep 22, 2020 |
The life of Beethoven
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Sep 08, 2020 |
Recommended summer listening
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Jun 30, 2020 |
Lawrence Brownlee on equality in classical music
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Jun 16, 2020 |
Haydn's lost cello concerto and its rediscovery
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Jun 02, 2020 |
NSO Principal Flute Aaron Goldman talks flute and shares his journey in music
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May 19, 2020 |
Debussy's La Mer - Part 3
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May 05, 2020 |
Debussy's La Mer - Part 2
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Apr 21, 2020 |
Debussy's La Mer - Part 1
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Apr 07, 2020 |
Artist Relief Tree, supporting artists affected by cancellations due to COVID-19
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Mar 24, 2020 |
The Life and Music of Amy Beach, an American pioneer
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Mar 10, 2020 |
Haydn's final London Symphony
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Feb 25, 2020 |
What is a Symphony? Part 2
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Feb 11, 2020 |
The life of Mozart
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Jan 28, 2020 |
The Planets by Holst
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Jan 14, 2020 |
Tchaikovsky's The Seasons
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Dec 31, 2019 |
What does a conductor do?
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Dec 17, 2019 |
Handel's Messiah, from swords, hidden meanings, to theft!
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Dec 03, 2019 |
What is a Symphonic Poem?
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Nov 19, 2019 |
Reading between the notes - making a score come alive
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Nov 05, 2019 |
The Abeo Quartet performs Moonshot
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Oct 22, 2019 |
Kian Soltani, cellist, talks tempo, karate, and his debut album "Home"
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Oct 08, 2019 |
What is a Symphony? Part 1
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Sep 24, 2019 |
The Four Seasons, how Vivaldi depicts the world in sound
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Sep 10, 2019 |
Wu Han, pianist and cultural entrepreneur
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Sep 10, 2019 |
How does a composer actually write music?
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Sep 10, 2019 |