Ep. 49: Fallen Heroes – Beethoven and His Symphony No. 3

In the first drafts of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, there is a name that appeared as the subtitle before it was scribbled out and changed to ‘Eroica’. Originally Beethoven dedicated this symphony to his personal hero, a man who would soon instigate his own demise when he crowned himself Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Ep. 44: Songs of a Storybook – Ravel and Ma mère l’Oye

Mother Goose has been a staple in many a child’s life. Her tales of magic and adventure inspire wonder, and even in adulthood, her stories touch us. They certainly were of great importance to Maurice Ravel, who wrote a piano suite using several fairytales, and was so touched by them that he orchestrated them and then turned it into a ballet.

Ep. 38: Star-Crossed – The Musical Reincarnations of Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy of two star-crossed lovers has been one of the most frequently adapted stories for musical purposes. Composers, such Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Gounod, Berlioz, and even Duke Ellington, have been touched by its heart-wrenching tale since its creation, and this episode gives you a look into the many musical reincarnations of Shakespeare’s young lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Ep. 13: In the Beginning… – Haydn and The Creation

Crowds filled the streets around the old Schwarzenberg Palace, desperate to hear Franz Joseph Haydn’s new oratorio, The Creation. The premiere was a private performance, and those allowed inside must have an invitation or they would be turned away. Inside, the audience would become so enthralled by Haydn’s music, that they could have sworn they saw light shoot out of the composers eyes and they would go about their daily lives for days thinking only about the performance with stars in their eyes.