Bach to Bock: Recent Episodes
Bach to Bock
In these difficult times ahead we wanted to share with you the organizations & ensembles that are bringing live performances into your home. Feat. Metropolitan Opera & Berlin Philharmoniker, these ensembles give FREE full-access to their digital archives and performances, enjoying performances while we are all in a remote state of life. Please support your local musicians, artists & organizations. They need you especially at a time like now. Cheers everyone, be safe & healthy.
We revisited one of our lowest streamed but one of our favorite episodes to date. Feat. Tan Dun's 'Symphony 1997' and barrel aged beer, this episode is intense and incredible.
We take this episode to recognize the impact one educator can make on an individual. Remembering the life of Uncle Jeffy (Mr. Herchenroder, our high school orchestra teacher), we feature Holst's 'St. Paul Suite' which was standard repertoire for our program, and paired it with the 'Uncle Jeffy' cocktail, made with earl grey tea and Bulleit rye whiskey. Take a moment to remember the educator(s) that positively influenced your life.
This episode is taking you back to basics. From analyzing the parts of a fugue to the specific notes of different types of beers, this episode is bringing you back to your roots in order to enjoy all the parts of beer and music.
This obscure episode features the final movement of the Hindemith Viola Sonata No. 4 Op. 25 paired with Notch Brewing Co.'s Session Dunkel. We explore the unknown of music & beer, and that makes this episode, groundbreaking.
Episode 070 features three movements from Mozart's Requiem that Mozart originally composed before passing away in 1791. Pairing it with Station 119's Black IPA from Suffolk, England, this episode is sadly a heavy, but beautiful pairing.
This heavy episode features Singlecut Beersmith's 'Heavy Boots of Lead' paired with the 2nd movement of Bartok's String Quartet No. 2. Anxiety, yes. Awesomeness, yes.
This episode is all about sleep. Featuring 'Sleep' the 1999 choral work from Eric Whitacre, to the positive effects for quality sleep from hop tea.
This scandalous episode features 'Rubaeus' from Founder's Brewing Co. paired with Samuel Barber's 'Overture to School for Scandal' (1931).
The 100th anniversary of prohibition is Friday, January 17th, 2020 and we are celebrating by drinking 'Upside Dawn' from Athletic Brewing Co., a non-alcoholic gluten-removed golden ale while listening to Rondo a Capriccio for piano by Beethoven.
Episode 065 is for the every person. Featuring Copland's 'Fanfare for the Common Man' we pair it with America's most "every person" beer, Coors Banquet. The history of Coors Brewing is something that everyone should know about. Listen, follow and cheers to our Bach to Bock nation.
Celebrating 2020, we feature the overture to Die Fledermaus and gush over the beer that is Gunner's Daughter from Mast Landing Brewing in Westbrook, ME.
Happy New Year, Bach to Bock nation.
Matty explains why using the English language the proper way is important. Especially when researching beer. Tip: Study Grammar.
Featuring Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from his 'Messiah' oratorio, we pair this iconic holiday piece with Samuel Adams 'Old Fezziwig' and tease some excerpts from Muppet's Christmas Carol.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
This episode gets mathematical. Feat. Berg Violin Concerto, this episode explores 12-tone music (Serialism) and pairs with the most mathematical of beers, Prime from Goodfire Brewing Co. from Portland, ME.
This flashback episode from 2017 features Lone Pine Brewing Co. founders Tom Madden and John Paul, along with a study of Respighi's 'Pines of Rome.'
Featuring Debussy's orchestral work 'La Mer' we explore his influence of the sea from childhood and paintings on this piece and pair it with Whaleback Traditional Dry Cider from Lincolnville, ME.
The last episode of our month-long dive into the work of Benjamin Britten has us wrapping up with his 1962 'War Requiem' (terribly timed for the holidays). Featuring the D-Day ale from Noyon Brewing, we try to keep your spirits light. If not, let the spirits keep you light.
All rise for the national anthem of England. This episode we listen to Britten's arrangement of 'God Save the Queen' composed in 1962, pairing it with Collective Arts Brewing 'Stranger Than Fiction' Porter, designed with the best Queen Elizabeth can artwork (includes a neck tattoo).
Feat. Benjamin Britten's 'Scottish Ballad for Two Pianos and Orchestra', we pair The Original Scotch Ale from Innis & Gunn, which is the perfect pairing for this intense but incredible work by Britten, written in America in 1941.
In the spirit of Brexit, we are featuring all things "Britten" this month.
Kicking off our month featuring the works of Benjamin Britten is his Simple Symphony for string orchestra. We dive into each episode, and top off this podcast with a simple English beer, Old Speckled Hen.
We. Are. Back.
Featuring Brahms 'Academic Festival Overture' and Cushnoc Brewing Co. 'Kolsch' we dive into all things German in our premiere episode of Season 3.
Feat. conductor and long time friend Lidiya Yankovskaya, artistic director of Chicago Opera Theater and founder of Refugee Orchestra Project. We discuss the hurdles as a female conductor in the classical realm, her path to her success and Matty and I dive into 'Intonation' from Brown's Brewing Co. in Troy, NY.
On our road trip back to Albany to visit our parents for Thanksgiving, we do our first every podcast from the car. Testing our knowledge of classical music, we tune into 'Symphony Hall' station from Sirius XM and guess the year the pieces were written, while talking about the breweries in Massachusetts we pass on the way. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Cheers!
After 4 months of being off the air we are back and better than ever. Featuring Gian Carlo Menotti's 'Apocalypse' while enjoying Mason Brewing Co.'s 'Liquid Rapture.' Our alumni guest Griffin Sherry (Ghost of Paul Revere) joins us, and discusses the direction of this piece and the future of classical music. Subscribe today!
Feat. Oh-J Double IPA from Lone Pine Brewing and soundtrack selections from '300' we get you prepped to take your workout to the next level. Workout includes drinking a Double IPA. Subscribe to Bach to Bock on iTunes today!
Celebrate 50 episodes feat. Shipyard Brewing Co. President Bruce Forsley discussing their revolutionary tea beers releasing July 2017 plus learn all about Portland Bach Festival (June 19-24, 2017) with Bach Virtuoso Recipient Momo Wong, violinist, about her involvement and her interests outside classical music. Cheers and thank you for 50 episodes!
Feat. Piazzolla 'Oblivion' and 'Seasons' we talk about the Rite of Spring rave while drinking Weyerbacher's D'Tango Unchained. Going south of the border for this episode!
Feat. Dragon's Milk from New Holland Brewing Co. and Tan Dun's 'Symphony 1997' this episode is all about dragons. All the dragons. Also learn about exciting news stories in the worlds of craft beer and classical music. Cheers!
Feat. Jim Bonney, composer and producer of music for commercial (NASA), video game (Bioshock, Mortal Kombat) & original works, including on this episode 'DARKlightNESS,' a concerto for Electric Guitar and Wind Ensemble. We sit down at Sebago Brewing Company with Jim and Trae Blanco from University of Southern Maine School of Music about their concert on Saturday, May 6th in Gorham, ME featuring multiple works by Bonney. PLUS, learn about Bonney's newest video game that he composed, 'Perception' releasing May 30th.Dive in and learn about the world of commercial music through the eyes and ears of Jim Bonney, and what he has done to change our perception through music.
Feat. Nathan Sanborn & Kailey Partin of Rising Tide Brewing in Portland, ME. Discussing their Ales to ALS beer releasing mid-May 2017, we learn about their commitment to support the community around them through beer sales, partnerships, and community outreach. To tie in the theme of Rising Tide, we feature Bosso's Symphony No. 1, Finale and the 'Storm' from Britten's 'Four Sea Interludes' from 'Peter Grimes.' Support ALS patients, research, and listen today to learn more from Rising Tide Brewing. Cheers!
Feat. Oatsmobile from Bells Brewing and Tchaikovsky's 'Cappricio Italian' we talk all things travels, going back to the Oates Brothers roots of attending music camps. Cheers!
With sunny days finally here to stay, we turn to the Germans for inspiration as we crack open a crisp Hefeweizen by Benediktiner Weissbier - the everyday brew in Germany - and we put on the uplifting third movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
With so much exciting news in the world of local beer, we took a week to catch up, crack open some brews, and make sense of it all - and with a handful of energy-packed pieces we've been wanting to play, this episode is your kickoff to a great month. Featuring a movement of the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, Passacaglia by Handel-Halvorsen, and the Mozart Piano Sonata in C minor K. 457, with the addition of various beers and a special guest star!
Feat. Suzanne Nance of All Classical Portland, we talk about the future of classical radio, and how she is engaging and reinventing how we listen to it. Drinking Sam Adams 'Double Bock', a 9.5% ABV beer packed full of flavor, listen to our conversations from Portland to Portland about all things classical radio. Cheers!
It's taken us a year and a half, but we finally got together with Luke Livingston once more. He's catching us up on all that is new with Baxter Brewing Company, and he brought the delicious new Wicked Dark Imperial Stout for us to try. Paired with the wicked dark Totentanz by Franz Liszt, this episode is perfect for the wintry day that is sweeping the Northeast.
Feat. Sam Bodkin, founder and CEO of Groupmuse, we talk about the way Groupmuse has engaged audiences across the country through living room chamber concerts. Listening to Schubert Quintet in C Major, m. III, get excited for all things chamber music.Cheers!
One thing Maine is known for is our love of pine trees. Featuring Lone Pine Brewing and the Pines of Rome by Respighi, we explore all things the Pines have to offer.
Learn what you need to know about classical concertos from this episode of Bach to Bock. Featuring the works of Sibelius, Mendelssohn & Haydn, we walk you through what a concerto is while tasting Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA.Listen and cheers!
ThatViolaKid (Drew Alexander Forde) has made a living out of being a violist on Instagram, YouTube and performing live. He has helped reshape how we view the viola, and is making it accessible. With over 75K followers on Instagram, he demonstrates everything from technique tips to collaboration with other artists. Featuring TVK's cover of 'Hello' with Nathan Chan & Bach Suite No. 2 in D Minor, we catch up with Drew over Funky Bow Brewing Company's 'G String Pale Ale.'Cheers!
Tackling all the Warlocks this episode. Featuring two movements from the Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock while tasting Southern Tier's imperial stout 'Warlock,' all that's missing is Adam Warlock from the Marvel Universe. Cheers and enjoy this mini-episode!
We are your worst nightmare. Feat. Deathwish Nightmare from Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. and listening to Ligeti's 'Atmospheres' we become your worst nightmare, in the best way possible. Cheers!
Devin Mauch of The Ballroom Thieves joining Bach to Bock and featuring all things America. Drinking Budweiser and making West End Mimosa's with Miller High Life, we listen to the 2nd and 4th movements of Dvorak's 'American' String Quartet, Op. 12. Listen to The Ballroom Thieves new album, 'Deadeye' now available on iTunes and Spotify!Happy 2017 Bach to Bock nation!
Finishing the year strong. Literally. With guests Liz Suggs of Maine Brew Bus and Emily Kingsbury of Slab Portland, we dive into epic, imperial pieces from Mahler and Dvorak while drinking imperial stouts from Barreled Souls and Old Rasputin. These beers kicked our asses, but these pieces kicked ass. Happy end of 2016.
Let's get it out of here and start fresh in 2017!
Winter is coming, and so is the buzz that you get from drinking the Hesperus barleywine from Rising Tide Brewing.
Special guest Andrew Crust, Assistant Conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, we discuss winter symphonies, the future of the orchestra, and how incredibly delicious this barleywine is.
Happy Holidays from Bach to Bock!
With the real Mosart on this episode, Mosart Nunez and the Oates brothers dive into sampling, both in American Pale Ale and DJ beats!Featuring Concerto for Turntable and Orchestra by Gabriel Prokofiev, original works by Mosart Nunez & drinking pale ales from Maine Beer Company, Stone Brewing and Geaghan Brothers. Cheers and start sampling!
Featuring the Belgians, we taste a whiskey that was aged in Allagash Brewing Company barrels, discuss their flagship Belgian White, and listen to the 4th movement of Ysaye's Violin Sonata No. 4.
Listener Note: That whiskey kicked our ass.
With flashy and slick show off pieces, we decided that Slick Nick from Sebago Brewing Company was the perfect beer to pair it with. Featuring Wienawski's Scherzo Tarantella and Popper's Dance of the Elves, listen to these fast-paced show off pieces and see if you can finish your Slick Nick before the episode is over!
Featuring the Cross Fade Farmhouse Ale from Oxbow Brewing Company, we dive into the world of minimalism through the eyes of Steve Reich. Listen to Section XIV from Music for 18 Musicians, pour a farmhouse ale, and enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving Bach to Bock nation!
We. Are. Back.
After a 4-month break we bring you Season 2 of Bach to Bock! Dan Pease from Rock Harbor Brewing Company in Rockland, ME joins us talking about small business tactics as a brewery and we feature Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninoff.Let's rock!
On this episode, we collaborate with the podcast Great Beer Adventure, exploring Mahler Symphony No. 1 (Titan Symphony), Titan IPA, and do our first vertical tasting with a Sierra Nevada barleywine! Visit greatbeeradventure.com for more information on their incredible podcast.
Episode 025 features everything Russian!
From the 'Tsar' Russian Imperial Stout by Buxton Brewing Co., to Flight of the Bumblebee and Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2.
This episode is full of that intense punch Russia offers.
On this episode, our guests When Particles Collide talk about their new EP releasing on June 3rd, while we talk about minimalist composers. We feature Steve Reich's 'Different Trains', John Adams 'Common Tones in Simple Time' and drinking Clown Shoes Space Cake Double IPA.
On this episode, we get ready for the Kentucky Derby THIS SATURDAY by blasting some William Tell Overture, and tying on a buzz with Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), at a whopping 12.4% ABV. Also featuring Copland's 'John Henry,' we are all American this episode. And we're off!
Three Words. Game. Of. Thrones. We feature Ommegang's Limited Release of their Seven Kingdoms, while discussing the Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere on Sunday, April 24 on HBO.
On this episode we dive into the topic of siblings, both us as brothers and the Mendelssohn siblings, Felix and Fanny. Feat. Mendelssohn Octet & Fantasie in G-Minor for Cello and Piano, we also create an original beer cocktail in honor of our late grandmother, which we named The Matriarch.Made with Sibling Rye-valry from Jack's Abby Brewing in Framingham, MA, we did our own take on a manhattan.
The Matriarch (Bach to Bock Original Cocktail):
-Ice
-2 parts rye whiskey
-1 part sweet vermouth
-Splash of Sibling Rye-valry IPL
-Dash of bitters
Mix, strain, and garnish with (2) Werthers
Do you ever remember that moment when you heard something so revolutionary, you knew you were witnessing change in action? That's what happened with Beethoven's Eroica, the symphony that changed it all. We play the first movement while trying out another game changer; an Oyster Stout by the name of Bad Mother Shucker, and man is it good! You might think this is a new craft beer fad, but it's a brewing tradition that goes back a long time.
With the Season 6 finale looming only days away, Matty got his wish to do an episode based around the theme of The Walking Dead, how it sets the mood for the post-apocalyptic world, and how all these opening tunes work our emotions like soft putty. Also with the opener from House of Cards, we crack two bottles of Clown Shoes' 'Undead Party Crasher' and Kevin once again discovers a stout he loves!
Crack a beer and check it out before watching this Sunday's show!
We party like it's 1685! Celebrating the birthday boy himself, J.S. Bach. This episode features the unaccompanied cello suites & excerpts from Bach's Violin Partita No. 1. We also go into how the craft beer industry can be a stimulus for local business and help grow a community. Sounds okay, but the story behind this is, and we'll put this gently...freaking awesome.
Our mini-episode may be small, but it packs a serious punch! Featuring Bartok Concerto for Strings, Celesta & Percussion and Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, we make the timpani feel like the rock star of the orchestra!We also reach new heights with featuring our first beer-cocktail from The Beeroness, using Ketel One Vodka & Uinta Hop Notch IPA!Episode 16 makes the timpani the pimp...ani.
Though we had promised to name this episode "Tongue Feel," we're finally bringing out the Mahler Symphony No. 2 as we talk about resurrection and other happy things with Mark and Nichole Stevens from Maine Beer Tours! We brought Rogue Dead Guy, and they brought along some wicked good bottles from Austin Street and Foundation Breweries...and together we had a listen to the first movement of a symphony that lives up to the word "epic." Check it out today!
When was the last time you had a beer that was 14% ABV? We sat down with Sean Sullivan, Executive Director of the Maine Brewers Guild and tried not one, but two heavy-hitters in our nod to Winter and its perfect compliment; barleywine. Featuring two pieces that perfectly capture the coldest time of year, Sean opens up a local Sebago Brewing barleywine, and a very special treat all the way from Austria! If it's snowing outside, find a comfy chair, crack a beer and listen in!
Our next step to introduce you to the instruments of the orchestra, we talk Double Reeds, Double IPA, and Double Oates. The oboe has been getting a bad rap on our podcast, and we want to turn that around and give you some of the best music we've ever heard with a dance party from Camille Saint-Saens, and some Shakespeare from Felix Mendelssohn! All of it chased by a delicious Road 2 Ruin Double IPA from the Two Roads Brewery..do yourself a favor and double your listening pleasure!
We're breaking down walls and building bridges with the world of Jazz, as we bring on Chas Lester and Emmett Harrity from the Fogcutters to perform live on the air! With cans of Baxter Tarnation Lager strewn about the table, we talk about the similarities between the genres, where we all got our musical starts, and pump up for the release of the newest Fogcutters album, Flotsam, this coming weekend! Get your copy today!
In Part 2 of our Valentine's episode, we've got our two music powerhouses (and all-around wonderful people) Lyle Divinsky and Sara Hallie Richardson, the voices behind the 'Portland In Love' concert! Lyle is still charming as ever while working on two hours of sleep while lovely Sara makes sure we call her when we do a Leonard Bernstein episode...with snow falling outside we open up some Mean Old Tom from Maine Beer Company. With Special Guest Star: Muggsy Bogues
We're getting in the mood with three of the most talented and good-looking people we know. In Part I of our Valentine's Day episode, our friend and PSO Assistant Conductor Norman Huynh is back to talk about the upcoming "Portland in Love" concert this weekend, where the PSO will be playing songs of love with legends Lyle Divinsky and Sara Hallie Richardson! We listen to three versions of THE classic love story of Romeo and Juliet, all by three masters of composition. Part II out on Thursday!
We get to sit down with the one and only Carla Jean Lauter, otherwise known as The Beer Babe! We just joined the legions of fans who follow her writings, and we crack open some beers over the classical pieces of Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies, to talk about her picks of 2015, what to look for in 2016, and why stealing tasting glasses makes you a dingus! Listen now!
We've got one more mini before we get back to guests and new locations! We're starting a series of introductions to the instruments of the Symphony, and what better place to start than with the noble tuba? We put it into action with "Mars: Bringer of War" from The Planets, by Gustav Holst. If you haven't heard it, prepare to feel the earth shake beneath your feet. We break out the Nightmare Porter and Heady Topper to top off the evening!
Matty was out of the state this past week, so we've done another mini-episode bringing you some background about where our podcast name came from, along with stories of Bach himself, and the German-style Bock beer. We'll have a full-length episode next week, throwing new guests and new beers your way. Today, we're drinking Anchor Brewing Company's "Anchor Bock."
Happy 2016 from Bach to Bock! We kick off the new year with a mini-episode talking about Dress Codes at the Symphony, and we throw in a bit of Samuel Adams Winter and some Samuel Barber music for kicks!
We bring you the final episode of 2015 from Rare Form Brewing Company in Troy, NY. Matty and Kev join Rare Form founder Kevin Mullen to talk about their fantastic variety of beers, while playing some of the most regal and celebratory classical pieces, including the 1812 Overture and John Adams' 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine.' Blast it and Happy New Year to you all! Hear Matty talk about balls and the splash they make.....cannonballs that is.
Our first mini-episode, and we're talking about Christmas, etiquette at the symphony, and bourbon barrel-aged porters. We also throw out our wish list of guests for 2016 to Santa...let's see what they old guy can do!
This episode could have gone on for days, provided we had brought enough beer. With the best week of 2015 arriving, we had to talk about the legendary music behind Star Wars, and we hunkered down in Studio B at The Halo to do it. Going off on a million tangents, we explored the dark side and the light with Allagash Black Belgian Stout and Peak Organic Fresh Cut, and talked about the genius and villainy of John Williams and Stravinsky.
Substance is the topic, and we're sitting down in the Bissell Brothers Brewery to talk it out with Pete Bissell and Kate Beever of Maine Music and Health.
Grab a lager or stout and settle in as we discuss Autumn, our memories, and classical pieces that get us cozy for Autumn and the impending Maine winter. Featuring Baxter Brewing Company's president and founder Luke Livingston. Recorded at Baxter Brewing Company Taproom.
Our premiere episode featuring Portland Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Norman Huynh. Hear us talk about Bruce Lee, Taylor Swift, Saint-Saens, and of course, Halloween. Featuring Saint-Saens 'Danse Macabre' and Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain' while we drink Shipyard Pumpkinhead and Little Horror of Hops. Recorded at The Halo Studio in Windham, ME.