Music in the eyes of the creators.
Stephen Trygar tells the stories of composers throughout the ages. Historical episodes focus on a particular work by the featured composer and examines their life during the time the piece was written and performed. Additionally, living composers, musicians, industry professionals, and general enthusiasts are featured regularly to share their own stories about the music that we all love. Through these tales, you’re invited to explore each composers’ legacy and their impact in keeping the world entertained.
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S1E80: ICEBERG New Music – The Composer Chronicles
Stephen Trygar
Creator | Host | Writer
Stephen Trygar began his podcast in April, 2020 after almost a year of running his own blog. He realized that his mission was better fulfilled via a podcast, and thus was the birth of The Composer Chronicles! With an M.M. in Music History from Temple University, Stephen felt his historical knowledge better used to revitalize classical music and make it more accessible and approachable by proving that it’s not all black-tie affairs and high-society living.
Daryl Banner
Theme Music Composer
Daryl Banner is a full-time author and composer who graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston Honors College with a degree in Theatre and Psychology. During his time in college, he wrote, composed, and produced a musical under Tony Award-winning musical and Theatre producer Stuart Ostrow, as well as two original plays produced under the mentorship of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson. He toured briefly with an original musical Country Gravy & Other Obsessions to which he also contributed songs and performed. He composes companion soundtracks for the book series he writes, and also has written the music for video games and short films. He composed the score to several audio dramas by New York City-based visionary Jordan Cobb, including “Here Be Dragons” and “Primordial Deep”, as well as the award-winning “Janus Descending”, for which his score and main theme won an Audioverse award.
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Ep. 81: ICEBERG New Music
What do you get when you gather ten composers, all with different musical styles, talents, backgrounds, and areas of expertise? You get ICEBERG. Featured pieces (in alphabetical order by composer last name):Unfolding for strings and live electronics by Drake AndersenCoatlicue barría la escalera del templo (Coatlicue was Sweeping the Temple Steps) by Victor BaézpOwer trIo for…
Game Play (Disk 4): Celeste (w/ Brian Edwards)
When Stephen invited Brian for another episode of Game Play, he didn’t expect to be faced with one of the most difficult, heart-wrenching, and beautiful games he has ever played. Lena Raine’s music in Celeste is not only some of the best to listen to on its own, but it expertly aids in the game…
Ep. 80: Dakota Sauvé/Koda Suave
There are two sides of a coin. Dakota Sauvé has spent so much of his musical career helping develop video games, but there’s a different side to his career that prefers to explore the world of experimental pop.
Ep. 79: Adam Kennaugh
Adam Kennaugh believes that genuine communication between the composer and performer(s) is what creates honest and powerful music.
Ep. 78: Derek Cooper
Derek Cooper is a composer with a deep passion for engaging with his audience. To Derek, the relationship between the composer, the ensemble, and the audience is one of the most important aspects of music making.
Movie Night (Reel 6): Spitfire and Rogue (w/ Brooks Leibee)
On this episode of Movie Night, Brooks Leibee joins me once again to chat about Chris Roe’s score for the 2018 documentary Spitfire and François Tetaz’s score for the 2007 horror/thriller film Rogue. Grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and get comfy!
Ep. 77: Eric Lagergren
In this interview with Eric Lagergren, he leaves us with an important message: never take your art too seriously. Perfection is unachievable, especially when you’re desperate to obtain it.
Ep. 76: Stephen Ryan Jackson
In a world where music has time and time again been given narrative, Stephen Ryan Jackson uses his music to explore the mundane.
Ep. 75: Melissa Dunphy
Melissa Dunphy is an award-winning and acclaimed composer specializing in vocal, political, and theatrical music. Melissa is a composer who would be amongst the first to tell you that, if you want to be a composer, you need to write what you’re passionate about. After the premiere of her large-scale choral work the Gozales Cantata,…
Ep. 73: La vie de bohème – Puccini and La bohème
You never fully understand what someone is going through unless you’ve lived it yourself. What makes Puccini’s opera La bohème so powerful is that so many of its creators went through the same hardships that the characters of the opera went through.
TCC RADIO 2
This is TCC RADIO 2, a radio show style episode featuring the music of some the music you heard or learned about in past historical episodes on The Composer Chronicles. Today’s episode features music by Berlioz, Gesualdo, and Satie. Music featured in this episode:“Un bal” from Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz | Igor Markevitch, Orchestre…
Ep. 72: Written in the Stars – Holst and The Planets
Humans have been looking up towards the sky for answers for thousands of years. To this day, humans have held on to the belief that celestial bodies can impact our daily lives, and Gustav Holst saw this as an opportunity for music.
Ep. 71: Something wicked this way comes…: Verdi and Macbeth
The plays of William Shakespeare have been an inspiration to countless other pieces of art, and that includes composers and music makers. Giuseppe Verdi, one of Italy’s leading composers in the 19th Century, was thrilled at the idea of getting to set an opera to one of Shakespeare’s plays, something he would return to for…
Ep. 70: Movie Night (Reel 5): Trick ‘r Treat (w/ Cameron Chaney)
Let’s kick off this spooky season with a Movie Night! Today, I am happily joined by author and booktuber Cameron Chaney. The film Trick ‘r Treat is one of his favorite movies, enough for him to start a tradition of watching it every year with other activities; however, the music of this film is even…
TCC RADIO 1 (Episode 1)
I didn’t have anything planned for this week due to moving, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me again. So, I decided to do a bit of a different episode featuring recently composed music by past guests! That in turn started what will now be called TCC RADIO 1! In the event I…
Ep. 69: Toska Bear
Making his debut after the release of his first album Year of the Beard, Toska Bear has been on the rise as a singer and songwriter. His unique style marries elements of indie pop, synthwave, vaporwave, EDM, indie rock, and hip-hop, and Year of the Beard is inspired by gay culture, video games, and underground…
Ep. 68: Richard Fay
Richard Fay is a composer who has absorbed the culture of his ancestors and his hometown and embedded them into his own music. With a love for klezmer, Balkan, and Irish music, he had established many various ensembles to perform these musics as well as his own. Featured music:From Hamosity: Music for Hard Times: New…
Ep. 67: Kevin Graham
Life can take you down interesting paths; you never know if that path will lead you directly where you want it to take you or somewhere you are pleasantly surprised to be. Kevin Graham started his career in filmmaking. With a passion for music stirred in, he turned his career into being a full-time composer.…
Ep. 66: The Trumpet (w/ Stuart Stephenson)
The trumpet is an instrument that has been around for a long time, but why only within the past one hundred years has it finally started to see an uptick in virtuosic technique? Stuart Stephenson, principal trumpet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and I discuss trumpet music and the composers that wrote for the instrument.
Ep. 65: Silas Hite
Silas Hite is a composer with many projects. From television to the concert stage, ambient to folk, Silas has created repertoire for himself that gives everyone a chance to hear his music!
Ep. 64: David Dies
Often when music and language are paired together, we simply get lyrics to a song, but every once and a while, a composer will use language in a much more unique way. This week, I’m joined by David Dies to tell his story, discuss the use of language in his music, and the beauty of…
Ep. 62: Movie Night (Reel 4): Dark (w/ Adal Rifai)
Sometimes the score for a film or a television series is just so perfectly crafted for the show that the music is what you remember the most. In this episode of “Movie Night” I chat with Adal Rifai about the perfection that is the score to the Netflix Original series Dark.
Ep. 61: Spicer Carr
Stephen Sondheim. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II. These are just a few names you may see shining bright on the marquees down Broadway. Spicer Carr certainly caught the musical theater bug early on, so much that he dedicated his career to writing musicals.
Ep. 60: The Worth of a Name – Satie, Gymnopédies, and Gnossiennes
Sometimes there are simply no words to describe exactly what you want to express. Erik Satie dug deep into the history of language to find words that would best describe his latest works, altering them just a little bit for his own purposes.
Ep. 59: Game Play (Disk 3): 8-Bit Music (w/ Daryl Banner)
Why do we find the sounds of 8-bit music so nostalgic, even those who grew up in a time when video games no longer had 8-bit soundtracks? Then, it was used out of necessity, and today it is used to add a level of creativity and to evoke a sense of nostalgia. Composer and author…
8. Pride In All We Do (June 2021)
This was a month that truly caused me to pause and reflect on how lucky I have been. Let’s dive in to some of the great things that happened in June!
Ep. 58: Jamal Green
Video game and media composer Jamal Green set out on a journey that he thought would lead him in a very specific direction, but where he ended up, he would have it no other way. Jamal has seen considerable success writing for video games and film, writing the scores to games such as Equilinox, Sizable,…
Ep. 57: Psalms and Sirens – The Life and Works of Lili Boulanger
Life is about making the most of everything you’ve got, no matter how long your time is here on this big, blue marble. Lili Boulanger, the younger sister of the renowned pedagogue Nadia Boulanger, only lived to the age of 25, but during her short life, she was able to accomplish more than what most…
Backstage with J. M. Gerraughty
J. M. Gerraughty quickly became one of The Composer Chronicles’ closest friends after his episode (Ep. 34) aired in January 2021. After sharing his joy for being on the podcast with the Twitter-verse, he sparked some excitement within the composer community, giving The Composer Chronicles an opportunity to flourish into the platform that it is…
Ep. 56: Juan Pablo Contreras
In order for you to be successful, all you have to do is be proud of what you put into your craft. This is one of the great pieces of advice that composer Juan Pablo Contreras lives by every day writing music. Juan Pablo is a Latin Grammy-nominated composer and Universal Music recording artist who…
Ep. 55: Alan Theisen
The world of music doesn’t always have to be black and white. Genres of music don’t always have to remain individualized and separate, and composers are not required to stick to writing a specific genre of music. Alan Theisen, a composer, saxophonist, author, and educator, is a man who appreciates all types of music and…
7. Let’s Time Warp Again (May 2021)
We were all over the place in May, from the ancient world, to jazz, to film music, and many other things. This is a shorter episode than regular Unscripted episodes, but don’t worry! June has an episode of Unscripted: Backstage!
Ep. 54: The Magical, Musical Career of Pierre Boulez (w/ Kevin Fitzgerald)
It’s no secret that Pierre Boulez led a double life as a composer and conductor. Kevin Fitzgerald, a conductor in his own right, has looked up to Boulez as his hero, and he shares his knowledge about the man and his career from the eyes of a conductor.
Ep. 53: Opera on Broadway – Gershwin and Porgy and Bess
When we hear the name George Gershwin, we often associate it with jazz or musical theater, but he didn’t see himself that way. He saw himself as a standard composer of his time and influenced by the sounds around him. So what does that mean for his opera Porgy and Bess? Or is it a…
Ep. 52: Pearl Yim
From the United Kingdom, then to the United States, and and now Singapore, media composer Pearl Yim has seen great success with her music all across the world. Pearl talks about her experience in the fields of film and video game composing and the struggles she faced in order to get where she is today.
Ep. 51: The Ancients
Music, much like any art form, has been a staple in nearly every culture for thousands of years. We often forget where these arts have their roots, and to better understand the music of the last few hundred years, we must go back even further… no matter how grim.
6. Dream a Little Dream (April 2021)
Thank you for celebrating The Composer Chronicles’ one-year anniversary with me! Although the podcast turned 1-year-old on April 29th, we had a lot to celebrate this month.
Ep. 50: The Cello with Steven Chen
The warm, rich tones produced by the cello have been a siren to many composers, calling them to compose for the instrument whether or not it was in their best interest to do so. Cellist Steven Chen gives his professional knowledge and opinion on the cello and the pieces written for it!
Backstage with Andrew Gavin
Andrew Gavin was The Composer Chronicles’ first composer feature back in August, 2020. Since his first appearance, he has been back for an episode of “Movie Night”, has composed the theme music to Unscripted, and has also compose the music of the Alexandria Media pre and post episode tags. On this first episode in the…
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. 48: Brooks Leibee
Brooks Leibee has dedicated much of his career to the art of film making. However, it is his scores for those films that he is most proud of. In this episode, Brooks shares his journey and gives deeper insight into his world.
Ep. 47: The City of Dreams – Korngold and Die tote Stadt
Coming off of the success of his first two operas, young Erich Wolfgang Korngold set out to write his third. His success was so massive, that opera houses all over duked it out for the rights to stage the premier, leaving Korngold with the tough decision of who to give those rights to.
Ep. 46: Movie Night (Reel 3): Melody in the Film Scores of Ben Morales Frost
Have you ever tried recalling a tune from a film you love and have a hard time remembering what it is? Or, have you been so mesmerized by a tune that you’ll never forget it in all your days? Ben Morales Frost, a composer of film scores, is a strong advocate for the use of…
Ep. 45: Evan Kassof
The world of opera isn’t all glitz and glam. Opera maker Evan Kassof has dedicated his life to telling stories in a way that gives audiences a chance to step out of the opera house and potentially stumble upon something new in an unsuspecting place. Evan voices his opinions about the opera world of the…
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…
Ep. 43: Trevor Kowalski
Trevor Kowalski, an American composer based in Los Angeles, uses his years of training in various styles of music to compose for a wide variety of projects, collaborating with award-winning filmmakers, international game developers, theater directors, and various arrangements of ensembles. Trevor has been a part of The Composer Chronicles since day one; his music…
Ep. 42: When Worlds Collide – Vaughan Williams and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
When Ralph Vaughan Williams was rummaging through old hymnals, he discovered a tune by a composer of England’s past Thomas Tallis. This simple tune would inspire Vaughan Williams to write a work for string quartet and double string orchestra, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. In creating this piece he melded two worlds together,…
4. A Strange Kind of Love (February 2021)
Ah… February. The month of love… There was a lot of love to go around in February 2021, but was it all worth it? Let’s find out?
Ep. 41: Game Play (Disk 2): Music in The Elder Scrolls with Andrew Shaw
The music of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, IV: Oblivion, and V: Skyrim turned the tides of video game music composing. Their music sets the tone for the magical worlds that the heroes of Tamriel explore in these vast fantasy games, and musicologist Andrew Shaw has been able to draw narrative connections between the three…
Ep. 40: To the Beloved God – Bruckner and His Symphony No. 9
Every piece of music Anton Bruckner ever wrote was dedicated to God, and his Symphony No. 9 was no exception. What is strange though is that it almost seems as if Bruckner knew that he would be leaving this symphony unfinished.
Ep. 39: Barnaby Martin
Sometimes one road leads us down another that we never expected to find ourselves wandering on. British composer Barnaby Martin has been active in the music world since a young age, but it wasn’t until later in life that his career as a composer led him to becoming a prominent video essayist on his YouTube…
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…
Ep. 37: A Sad Shrovetide – Stravinsky and Petrushka
Petrushka, Igor Stavinksy’s second ballet, is a tragic tale of a living puppet who is treated like a mere toy and brought to the point of madness. Ironically, such a sad tale brought Stravinsky a great deal of success, especially after the triumph that was his previous ballet The Firebird. However, there’s a more you…
3. Make Way for the Music (January 2021)
The Composer Chronicles is starting off strong in 2021! With music being featured as often as possible and with a ton of wonderful guests, 2021 is sure to be a wonderful year for the podcast.
Ep. 36: The Figure and the Frame – Mussorgsky and Pictures at an Exhibition with Notes & Strokes
The day architect and artist Viktor Hartmann died was a sad one. It was especially hard for composer Modest Mussorgsky, who’s opera Boris Godunov was one of Hartmann’s favorite works. After an exhibition of Hartmann’s art, Mussorgsky was moved to write a piano suite based on his experience there. This episode features Izaac and KC…
Ep. 35: Spirit Playing – Scriabin and Le Poème de l’extase (Symphony No. 4)
During his most active years as a member of the Theosophical Society, Alexander Scriabin aimed to follow a spirit on it journey to the Time of Ecstasy via a three-hundred line poem that would eventually be set to music, Le Poème de l’extase (Symphony No. 4).
Ep. 34: J. M. Gerraughty
American composer J. M. Gerraughty imparts to listeners that the path to becoming a composer is sometimes the road less traveled. He shares the struggles of trying to maintain balance between working a full time job, raising a family, and keeping up with promoting his work on social media, but composition is always there as…
Ep. 33: Treasure in the Wreckage – Smyth and The Wreckers
How far are you willing to go to get you want? Dame Ethel Smyth was determined to get her opera The Wreckers produced the way that she wanted. Although the opera was written in French, she had no luck with being able to premiere the opera on French stages, relying on her contacts in Leipzig…
Ep. 32: Repose en paix – Fauré and His Requiem
A Requiem, a Catholic Mass of the Dead, is typically written by a composer when someone is dying or in remembrance of someone who has already died; however, Gabriel Fauré wrote his Requiem for no one, altering it to be a Requiem of peace rather than fear.
2. It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like a Podcast (December 2020)
Whew… December was a quite the month!! From Disney to Christmas carols, and opera to orchestral music, The Composer Chronicles had something for everyone this month.
Ep. 31: Devotion – Poulenc and Dialogues des Carmélites
In the darkest times, we all need something we can turn to for guidance and peace. During one of the most difficult times of his life, Francis Poulenc turned towards his spirituality and the Roman Catholic church and embedding his faith into his opera he was composing at the time, Dialogues des Carmélites.
Ep. 30: Christmas Music from Around the World (Collection 1)
This time of year, our ears are filled with the sounds of holiday music on repeat, but do we know where they came from? This Christmas Eve, enjoy the origins and histories of some of the world’s most famous Christmas songs and carols, including “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bells,” “O Tannenbaum,” “Silent Night,” and “O Holy…
Ep. 29: A Figment of the Imagination – Prokofiev and Lieutenant Kijé
Yury Tynyanov’s fictitious adaptation of a non-existent lieutenant who rises through the ranks of a true historical emperor of Russia was brilliantly adapted for film by the Soviet film director Aleksandr Faintsimmer. Today, this film, Lieutenant Kijé, has fallen to the wayside, but composer Sergei Prokofiev’s ingenious score for the film has certainly persisted and…
Ep. 28: Dani Howard
British composer and orchestrator Dani Howard shares her brilliant story of becoming a composer whilst describing what it’s like to be a composer of New Music who is trying to reshape the genre and make it more accessible to audiences all around the world. Featured Piece: CoalescenceProvided to the podcast by the composer. Recorded by…
Ep. 27: The Devil in the Details – Tchaikovsky and Cherevichki
Convinced that his opera Vakula the Smith was going to prove that he wasn’t a flop, Tchaikovsky did everything he could to ensure that a production of his “precious child” would follow through and be a success, even if he had to make major changes and rename it to Cherevichki.
1. Mysteries, Musings, and Masquerades (November 2020)
Unscripted is back and stronger than ever! With new music by Andrew Gavin, new cover art by host Stephen Trygar, and a new structure to the show, you’re invited behind the scenes of the making of The Composer Chronicles in a podcast that is, unlike The Composer Chronicles, unscripted.
Ep. 26: Movie Night (Reel 2): The Wonderful Music of Disney with Andrew Gavin
There’s something very unique about a Disney song. Why is it that all around the world, you could ask someone to just sing a song from any Disney movie? What makes a Disney score and soundtrack so unique from other production companies and studios? Composer Andrew Gavin and host Stephen Trygar attempt to answer these…
Ep. 25: Fire and Ice – Schubert and Winterreise
Suffering physically and mentally from having contracted syphilis, Franz Schubert set out on a journey to write a piece that would not only be one of his greatest achievements, but would reveal to the world all the pain and suffering he endured for the last years of his life.
Ep. 24: Michael Seltenreich
New York-based Israeli composer Michael Seltenreich tells his fascinating story while we discuss his music, compositional processes, and what it’s like to be a composer of new music.
Ep. 23: Riddles and Revelries – Schumann and Carnaval
Robert Schumann poured his life and soul into his piano suite Carnaval. Rather than letting the world see the man behind the mask, Schumann embedded several cryptic messages and secrets into the piece and hid the identities of the many characters that are depicted throughout the work.
Ep. 22: Game Play (Disk 1): The Music of Final Fantasy X with Brian Edwards
Gamers, get ready for an adventure into the musical world of Final Fantasy X! The magic cast by composers Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, and Junya Nakano certainly charmed Brian Edwards, the guest of today’s episode. Brian is a video editor and a motion graphics designer, and years of playing the game have given him tremendous…
Ep. 21: Case Closed: The Mad Life of Carlo Gesualdo
Happy Halloween! Don Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa was a mysterious man who was haunted by the crimes committed in his youth. His position as prince held him above the law, and he abused his power, isolating himself from the world with only his music to comfort him.
Ep. 20: Ben Morales Frost
London-based film, television, and theater composer Ben Morales Frost reveals what its like to work as a composer for both film and theater and acknowledges the hardships that all creative professions faced during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Ep. 19: Daryl Banner
Daryl Banner, a self-trained composer with a unique repertoire, unravels his unique career as a composer while maintaining his status of being one of the best M/M Romance writers of our time.
Ep. 18B: Rachmaninoff Reborn – Rachmaninoff and His Piano Concerto No. 2
Today’s episode is Part 2 of a two part episode sharing the decline and revitalization of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s career. Today’s episode picks back up after Rachmaninoff’s slink into depression due to the travesty that was the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 Thanks to the help of Dr. Nikolai Dahl, and the composition…
Ep. 18A: Rachmaninoff Ridiculed – Rachmaninoff and His Symphony No. 1
Today’s episode is Part 1 of a two part episode sharing the decline and revitalization of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s career. Today’s episode will center around Rachmaninoff’s slink into depression after the travesty that was the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 while next week’s episode will shed some light on how he managed to…
Ep. 17: Opera Then and Now with Erica Wilens
Today’s episode features opera singer Erica Wilens. She and Stephen chat about where opera is now compared to what it used to be and why it’s not as elitist as it is perceived to be. Erica provides additional insight as to what the art of opera looks like from the perspective of the singers and…
Ep. 16: Better Late Than Never – Joplin and Treemonisha
Scott Joplin considered his opera Treemonisha one of his greatest works, but audiences of the time didn’t feel the same. As a result, the opera never premiered until decades after it was finished. Theme music is by Daryl Banner: https://darylbanner.bandcamp.com/ Join me and an incredible, growing community living healthier lifestyles in a body positive space with…
Ep. 15: Andrew Gavin
In this first installment of “Composers of Our Modern World”, I talk to Andrew Gavin about his journey to becoming a composer, his composition process, and the struggles of getting works of New Music performed.
Ep. 14: Musical Warfare – Shostakovich and His Symphony No. 7 (“Leningrad”)
While it is speculated that Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich began writing his Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op. 60 before the Nazi German armies began bombarding the city of Leningrad, there is no doubt that his accomplishments, and the accomplishments of the musicians of Leningrad, loosened the hinges of the Nazi army and helped…
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…
Ep. 12: A Philadelphian Fiasco – Barber and His Violin Concerto
Samuel Barber’s first major commission was an absolute success, but the journey to that success was more than rocky… it was a fiasco!
Ep. 11: Movie Night (Reel 1): Classical Music in Film with Matthew Trygar
In today’s episode, I interview my brother Matthew Trygar who is an actor and a film maker. We’ll talk about why music is so important in movies, some reasons that film makers might use classical music rather than a pop or rock tune, and the aesthetic that classical music has when portrayed in the movies.
Ep. 10: Be Wary – Bartók and Bluebeard’s Castle
Bluebeard’s Castle’s haunting tale is just the surface of this psychological thriller, and while some modern productions don’t follow the original staging to a “t”, there are plenty of directors who jump at the chance to re-imagine this dark and sinister work. This episode will explore both the history behind Bartók’s only opera and all…
Ep. 9: Homeward – Strauss and An Alpine Symphony
As a young boy, Richard Strauss went on a hiking trip to an Alpine mountaintop. Years later, his final tone poem would be inspired by this trip, the death of his dear friend and colleague Gustav Mahler, and the philosophies of Frederic Nietzsche. This piece was the focal point for several aspects of his life,…
Ep. 8: Living Portraits – Elgar and Enigma Variations
Edward Elgar’s Variation on an Original Theme (a.k.a. Enigma Variations) is one of the most mysterious and puzzling pieces of music of all time. Using a theme he referred to as “the Enigma”, he depicts thirteen of his closest friends as if they were taking a stab at cracking the code. One in particular was…
Ep. 7: Scandalous – Mozart and Le nozze di Figaro
One of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s greatest operatic achievements, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) may not have been possible without the approval of Emperor Joseph II of Austria. The play it was based on by Pierre Beaumarchais was banned from theaters all around the world for its radical political statements and the poor…
Ep. 6: Quest of a Lifetime – Wagner and Parsifal
Wagner’s final opera took him nearly 25 years to compose, but in the end it was completely worth the wait. It quickly became one of the most sought after operas to perform, but Wagner, his estate, and the authorities of his opera house, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, had different plans for it.
Ep. 5: A Swan Song – Sibelius and His Symphony No. 5
Commissioned by the Finnish government and inspired by the migration of swans, Jean Sibelius would create one of his most important works. It was not only important musically, but for how significant it played a role in Sibelius’ life.
Ep. 4: Love and Murder – Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, and Lélio
Hector Berlioz’s unhealthy infatuation with Irish actress Harriet Smithson and failed engagement with Marie Moke sent the composer into a state of mind that nearly killed him several times… and his life wasn’t the only one on the line.
Ep. 3: Dream Come True – Debussy and Pelléas et Mélisande
Debussy dreamed about composing a theatrical work that was as mysterious and reserved as the life he contrived for himself. When a play by Maurice Maeterlinck came along, titled Pelléas et Mélisande, his dream would become a reality.
Ep. 2: Rising to Prominence – Stravinsky and The Firebird
Igor Stravinsky’s commission to write The Firebird would be the break that the young composer had been looking for. After the ballet’s premiere, he became an immediate celebrity, and it not only secured his place as a composer for the Ballets Russes, but as a respected and beloved international figure.
Ep. 1: A Miserable Marriage – Tchaikovsky and Eugene Onegin
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s early relationship with his wife, Antonina Milyukova, and the first stages of creating Eugene Onegin share a spot in the composers life. The two events influenced each other, and it would leave Tchaikovsky wondering where he had gone wrong.
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