Classical Breakdown
By WETA Classical
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Category: Music Commentary
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Subscribers: 156
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Episodes: 131
Description
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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Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5: a symphony of bravery, intrigue, and survival
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Apr 15, 2025 |
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An update on Florence Price!
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Apr 10, 2025 |
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The most difficult music for piano: Gaspard de la Nuit by Maurice Ravel
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Apr 01, 2025 |
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The Future is Female: Exploring Clarice Assad and the Boulanger Initiative with Laura Colgate
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Mar 18, 2025 |
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Ethel Smyth's Mass in D: A 19th century mass by an extraordinary woman!
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Mar 04, 2025 |
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Olly Wilson, an American composer that will change how you hear music!
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Feb 18, 2025 |
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Carlos Simon's Songs of Separation: An American song cycle set to poetry of Rumi
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Feb 04, 2025 |
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Lincoln Portrait: Aaron Copland's defense of Democracy
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Jan 21, 2025 |
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Chris Gekker tells us everything about the trumpet!
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Jan 07, 2025 |
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Your Guide to JS Bach's Cello Suites!
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Dec 24, 2024 |
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Aaron Copland: The Sound of America
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Dec 10, 2024 |
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Dora Pejačević's Symphony in F# minor; Croatia's very first symphony!
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Nov 26, 2024 |
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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 |
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Beethoven’s iconic Violin Concerto: what to listen for and why it was an initial flop!
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Oct 29, 2024 |
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The horn: Everything you need to know from Mozart, Mahler, to the movie screen!
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Oct 15, 2024 |
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The lives and music of Silvestre Revueltas and Gabriela Lena Frank
|
Oct 01, 2024 |
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The Great Unfinished Works
|
Sep 17, 2024 |
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Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 "Romantic"; a monumental masterpiece!
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Sep 03, 2024 |
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Recommended listening; 4 new albums to listen to this summer!
|
Jun 25, 2024 |
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What is a cello? Star cellist Amit Peled tells all!
|
Jun 11, 2024 |
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Elgar's Enigma Variations, a portrait of friends, life, and love!
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May 28, 2024 |
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Robert Schumann's Carnaval: A solo piano brings a masked ball to life!
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May 14, 2024 |
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The Life of Nadia Boulanger: A Lasting Impact from Bernstein to Sesame Street
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Apr 30, 2024 |
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Haydn's masterpiece for 4 soloists and orchestra, the Sinfonia Concertante
|
Apr 16, 2024 |
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The Evolution of the Piano: A Thousand Year Journey!
|
Apr 02, 2024 |
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Joan Tower's Concerto for Orchestra, an adventure in color, illusion, and rhythm!
|
Mar 19, 2024 |
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The secret life of a classical recording engineer: Meet WETA's Charles Lawson
|
Mar 05, 2024 |
|
The life and music of Antonin Dvořák; from humble beginnings to stardom!
|
Feb 20, 2024 |
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6 recommended works by living Black composers!
|
Feb 06, 2024 |
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Korngold's Violin Concerto, from the Golden Age of Hollywood!
|
Jan 23, 2024 |
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Episode 100, let's celebrate!
|
Jan 09, 2024 |
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Jean Sibelius, how a composer became the voice of a nation!
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Dec 26, 2023 |
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Augusta Holmès' Andromède; an epic Greek myth inspired symphonic poem!
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Dec 12, 2023 |
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Opera 101, everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask!
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Nov 28, 2023 |
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Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture: 3 themes and Shakespearean connections!
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Nov 14, 2023 |
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The inspiring life and music of Germaine Tailleferre: plus 5 recommended works!
|
Oct 31, 2023 |
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The Nocturne, a journey from the 19th century to Daft Punk!
|
Oct 17, 2023 |
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Respighi's The Pines of Rome: a picturesque tour of Rome!
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Oct 03, 2023 |
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The short yet musically prolific life of Franz Schubert
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Sep 19, 2023 |
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Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2: a musical comeback story!
|
Sep 05, 2023 |
|
Summer Listening Guide: 4 albums to expand your musical horizons!
|
Jun 27, 2023 |
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Theme and Variations: 4 types and what to listen for!
|
Jun 13, 2023 |
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The Illustrious Life and Music of Haydn: From hardship to stardom
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May 30, 2023 |
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Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor": Breaking expectations!
|
May 16, 2023 |
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In conversation with Maestro Gianandrea Noseda: His journey, perspectives on music, conducting, and more!
|
May 02, 2023 |
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Mahler's Symphony No. 1: A rewarding symphonic journey!
|
Apr 18, 2023 |
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Fantasia: Music from the realm of imagination!
|
Apr 04, 2023 |
|
The life and music of Cecile Chaminade: Genius has no gender
|
Mar 21, 2023 |
|
Women in Music: 6 works by 6 composers you should know
|
Mar 07, 2023 |
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Ravel's Piano Concerto for Left Hand: A masterpiece of musical illusions and creativity!
|
Feb 21, 2023 |
|
Joseph Bologne, the most interesting 18th century composer?
|
Feb 07, 2023 |
|
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique": A symphony of unanswerable questions
|
Jan 24, 2023 |
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Antonio Vivaldi's life, music, and the women who shaped his career
|
Jan 10, 2023 |
|
Brahms' Haydn Variations: Don't judge a theme by its composer!
|
Dec 27, 2022 |
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A holiday gem: Margaret Bonds' The Ballad of the Brown King
|
Dec 13, 2022 |
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George Frideric Handel: life of fame, musical style, and 3 things you didn't know before!
|
Nov 29, 2022 |
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WG Still's Afro-American Symphony: Blues idioms, new instruments, and a uniquely American style
|
Nov 15, 2022 |
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The Saxophone, everything you need to know about this unique genre-hopping instrument!
|
Nov 01, 2022 |
|
Mozart y Mambo! Horn superstar Sarah Willis shows off her newest album
|
Oct 18, 2022 |
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By Listener Request: 3 deep dives into works by Pachelbel, Liszt, and Vaughan Williams
|
Oct 04, 2022 |
|
Claude Debussy: 4 points to hear his music in a new way!
|
Sep 20, 2022 |
|
Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: A Baltimore connection and hidden themes!
|
Sep 06, 2022 |
|
Summer Listening Guide: 4 albums to expand your musical horizons!
|
Jun 28, 2022 |
|
Grieg’s Piano Concerto: The Heart of Norway
|
Jun 14, 2022 |
|
An Unsung Heroine: The Life and Music of Fanny Mendelssohn
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May 31, 2022 |
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Under Pressure: What is an Oboe with Nick Stovall, NSO's Principal Oboe
|
May 17, 2022 |
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Ravel's Bolero with Joshua Weilerstein: A conductor's insight
|
May 03, 2022 |
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Piano Transformed: The Life and Music of Frederic Chopin
|
Apr 19, 2022 |
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All about that bass! With NSO Principal Bass Robert Oppelt
|
Apr 05, 2022 |
|
Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3: A hidden gem!
|
Mar 22, 2022 |
|
Clara Schumann: A story of stardom, passion, and courage
|
Mar 08, 2022 |
|
Florence Price Symphony No. 1: An American Symphony
|
Feb 22, 2022 |
|
George Walker: He wants you to play his music
|
Feb 08, 2022 |
|
Dvorak's Cello Concerto, 5 things to listen for!
|
Jan 25, 2022 |
|
How an orchestra creates a year of concerts, with NSO's Nigel Boon
|
Jan 11, 2022 |
|
The life and music of Robert Schumann
|
Dec 28, 2021 |
|
Bach's Christmas Oratorio, what to listen for and know!
|
Dec 14, 2021 |
|
Bernstein's West Side Story
|
Nov 30, 2021 |
|
The life of William Grant Still
|
Nov 16, 2021 |
|
Mozart's Clarinet Concerto
|
Nov 02, 2021 |
|
The Life of Sergei Rachmaninoff
|
Oct 19, 2021 |
|
What is a Clarinet?
|
Oct 05, 2021 |
|
Tchaikovsky's triumphant Symphony No. 5
|
Sep 21, 2021 |
|
The Life of Leonard Bernstein
|
Sep 07, 2021 |
|
Season 3 starts September 7!
|
Aug 31, 2021 |
|
New classical albums to listen to this summer!
|
Jun 29, 2021 |
|
What is a Viola? Daniel Foster, Principal Viola of the NSO tells us everything!
|
Jun 15, 2021 |
|
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique. A story of obsession, betrayal, and execution.
|
Jun 01, 2021 |
|
The Life of Johannes Brahms
|
May 18, 2021 |
|
What is a Concerto?
|
May 04, 2021 |
|
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. A masterpiece and tribute to a friend.
|
Apr 20, 2021 |
|
What is a Bassoon? Sue Heineman, Principal Bassoon of the NSO, tells us everything!
|
Apr 06, 2021 |
|
Appalachian Spring, an American classic by Aaron Copland
|
Mar 23, 2021 |
|
The Life of Bach
|
Mar 09, 2021 |
|
The life of Florence Price
|
Feb 23, 2021 |
|
Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World." The origins and inspirations you didn't know.
|
Feb 09, 2021 |
|
It's fun and it's virtuosic! Exploring Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21
|
Jan 26, 2021 |
|
What does a Concertmaster really do? Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef of the NSO explains.
|
Jan 12, 2021 |
|
The life of Strauss Jr. aka "The Waltz King"
|
Dec 29, 2020 |
|
The Nutcracker, how it became a holiday classic, and what to listen for
|
Dec 15, 2020 |
|
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
|
Dec 01, 2020 |
|
What is a string quartet?
|
Nov 17, 2020 |
|
Beethoven's triumphant Symphony No. 5
|
Nov 03, 2020 |
|
The life of Tchaikovsky
|
Oct 20, 2020 |
|
What is an Overture?
|
Oct 06, 2020 |
|
Rimsky-Korsakov's enchanting Scheherazade
|
Sep 22, 2020 |
|
The life of Beethoven
|
Sep 08, 2020 |
|
Recommended summer listening
|
Jun 30, 2020 |
|
Lawrence Brownlee on equality in classical music
|
Jun 16, 2020 |
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Haydn's lost cello concerto and its rediscovery
|
Jun 02, 2020 |
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NSO Principal Flute Aaron Goldman talks flute and shares his journey in music
|
May 19, 2020 |
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Debussy's La Mer - Part 3
|
May 05, 2020 |
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Debussy's La Mer - Part 2
|
Apr 21, 2020 |
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Debussy's La Mer - Part 1
|
Apr 07, 2020 |
|
Artist Relief Tree, supporting artists affected by cancellations due to COVID-19
|
Mar 24, 2020 |
|
The Life and Music of Amy Beach, an American pioneer
|
Mar 10, 2020 |
|
Haydn's final London Symphony
|
Feb 25, 2020 |
|
What is a Symphony? Part 2
|
Feb 11, 2020 |
|
The life of Mozart
|
Jan 28, 2020 |
|
The Planets by Holst
|
Jan 14, 2020 |
|
Tchaikovsky's The Seasons
|
Dec 31, 2019 |
|
What does a conductor do?
|
Dec 17, 2019 |
|
Handel's Messiah, from swords, hidden meanings, to theft!
|
Dec 03, 2019 |
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What is a Symphonic Poem?
|
Nov 19, 2019 |
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Reading between the notes - making a score come alive
|
Nov 05, 2019 |
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The Abeo Quartet performs Moonshot
|
Oct 22, 2019 |
|
Kian Soltani, cellist, talks tempo, karate, and his debut album "Home"
|
Oct 08, 2019 |
|
What is a Symphony? Part 1
|
Sep 24, 2019 |
|
The Four Seasons, how Vivaldi depicts the world in sound
|
Sep 10, 2019 |
|
Wu Han, pianist and cultural entrepreneur
|
Sep 10, 2019 |
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How does a composer actually write music?
|
Sep 10, 2019 |