The Classical Music Minute: Recent Episodes
Steven Hobé, Composer & Host
Ever wonder who were the Florentine Camerata? Where did the conductor’s baton come from? Or the difference between Opera Buffa and Opera Seria? These little nuggets of classical music trivia are what this podcast is all about. Come hop around music history with me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
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Long before modern acting schools, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote a remarkable guide for performers. Discover why his advice on clarity, discipline, and natural expression still resonates with actors today—all in just sixty seconds.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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Music wasn't always written down. Discover how a medieval monk named Guido of Arezzo helped revolutionize music with a system of notation that still shapes the way musicians read and perform music today—all in just sixty seconds.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
The early twentieth century was a time of enormous musical change. Discover how composers responded to a changing world by breaking traditions, experimenting with new sounds, and redefining what classical music could become—all in just sixty seconds.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Opera didn't appear overnight. Meet Claudio Monteverdi, the composer who transformed music into powerful drama and helped create one of the world's greatest art forms. In just sixty seconds, discover why he's often called the father of opera.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Let's travel back more than 1,100 years to meet Kassia of Constantinople, the earliest known female composer whose music still survives today. In just sixty seconds, I'll introduce you to this extraordinary Byzantine abbess, poet, and composer whose works are still sung today.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Join me as I introduce you to Pérotin, one of the earliest known composers whose music still survives today. In just sixty seconds, you'll discover how this remarkable medieval composer helped shape the future of Western classical music
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why does Richard Wagner remain one of the most debated figures in classical music?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the complex legacy of the German composer whose operas revolutionized music drama while also generating lasting controversy.
Wagner's artistic influence was profound. His innovations in harmony, orchestration, and storytelling shaped the future of opera and inspired countless composers.
At the same time, Wagner published antisemitic writings that remain deeply troubling. His music was later embraced by the Nazi regime, creating historical associations that continue to spark discussion and debate.
Today, Wagner's legacy raises important questions about how we evaluate great works of art when their creators held objectionable views.
In just sixty seconds, discover why Richard Wagner remains both celebrated and controversial.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why are there so many violins in a symphony orchestra?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the role of the violin section and why it often contains more players than any other group in the orchestra.
Because a single violin produces a relatively delicate sound, many players are needed to create the rich, powerful sonority associated with orchestral strings. Violins also perform much of the orchestra’s melodic and harmonic material, making them central to the overall musical texture.
Large orchestras often include twenty to thirty violins split between first and second violin sections, helping balance the sound of the brass, woodwinds, and percussion.
In just sixty seconds, discover why the violin became the largest section of the modern orchestra.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
How can opera singers be heard over an entire orchestra without any electronic amplification?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the fascinating science behind operatic singing. Contrary to popular belief, opera singers do not simply sing louder than everyone else. Instead, they train for years to develop breath control, resonance, and efficient vocal production.
One key advantage is the “singer’s formant,” a special concentration of sound frequencies that allows the voice to stand out above the orchestra. Combined with the acoustics of traditional opera houses, this enables singers to project their voices to thousands of listeners without microphones.
It’s a remarkable blend of artistry, technique, and acoustical science.
In just sixty seconds, discover how opera singers fill large theatres with the power of the human voice alone.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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Why is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony considered one of the most important works in classical music?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the revolutionary ideas behind Beethoven’s final completed symphony. Premiered in 1824, the work broke new ground by introducing a choir and vocal soloists into the final movement—something virtually unheard of in a symphony at the time.
The famous Ode to Joy theme, based on Friedrich Schiller’s poem, celebrates unity, friendship, and the common bonds that connect humanity. Combined with the symphony’s unprecedented scale and emotional depth, it helped redefine what orchestral music could achieve.
The work’s influence can still be heard today, and its message continues to resonate across cultures and generations.
In just sixty seconds, discover why Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony changed music history forever.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
What is the difference between opera and operetta?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore two closely related forms of musical theatre. Opera is usually larger in scale and often more serious in tone, with music driving the drama from beginning to end. Many operas deal with intense themes such as love, tragedy, power, fate, and betrayal.
Operetta, whose name means “little opera,” is generally lighter and more comic. It often includes spoken dialogue, catchy melodies, romantic plots, mistaken identities, and a playful theatrical style.
Popularized by composers such as Johann Strauss II and Franz Lehár, operetta became especially fashionable in nineteenth-century Vienna and later influenced the development of musical theatre.
In just sixty seconds, discover how opera and operetta are connected, and why one tends to bring the drama while the other brings the sparkle.
Fun FactOperetta helped shape the modern musical. Its combination of spoken dialogue, memorable songs, romance, and comedy influenced later stage works on Broadway and in London’s West End.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Topics Coveredopera vs operetta, difference between opera and operetta, what is operetta, opera explained, operetta explained, classical music terms, musical theatre history, Johann Strauss II, Franz Lehár, Die Fledermaus, The Merry Widow, classical music for beginners
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why did Beethoven lose his hearing?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore one of the most famous mysteries in music history. Ludwig van Beethoven began experiencing hearing problems in his late twenties, including ringing in the ears and difficulty hearing high sounds and distant voices.
By 1802, he knew the condition was serious and progressive. During a stay in Heiligenstadt, he wrote the deeply personal Heiligenstadt Testament, describing the distress caused by his hearing loss.
Although many possible causes have been suggested, including illness, infection, autoimmune disease, and lead exposure, the exact reason for Beethoven’s deafness remains uncertain.
What makes his story extraordinary is that he continued to compose some of his most powerful music even as his hearing declined.
In just sixty seconds, discover how Beethoven’s deafness became part of one of the most remarkable creative stories in classical music.
Fun FactBeethoven’s Ninth Symphony premiered in 1824, when he was profoundly deaf. According to one famous account, he could not hear the audience applauding and had to be turned around to see their reaction.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Topics CoveredBeethoven deafness, why did Beethoven go deaf, Beethoven hearing loss, Ludwig van Beethoven, Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven Ninth Symphony, Beethoven biography, classical music history, composers with hearing loss, Beethoven facts
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why has Pachelbel’s Canon in D become one of the most popular wedding pieces of all time?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore how a Baroque composition written centuries ago became closely associated with modern wedding ceremonies.
Known for its flowing melodies and repeating harmonic progression, Canon in D creates a calm and elegant atmosphere that naturally suits processions and ceremonial moments. Its adaptable instrumentation has also helped make it a favourite for string quartets, organists, pianists, and wedding ensembles of all kinds.
Although the piece was not originally composed for weddings, its popularity grew rapidly during the twentieth century through recordings, films, and widely broadcast ceremonies.
In just sixty seconds, discover why this gentle Baroque masterpiece continues to accompany couples down the aisle around the world.
Fun FactThe famous chord progression in Canon in D has become so recognizable that variations of it have appeared in countless pop songs over the years, leading some musicians to jokingly call it “the four-chord ancestor” of modern music.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Topics CoveredCanon in D, Pachelbel Canon in D, wedding classical music, why Canon in D weddings, Johann Pachelbel, famous wedding music, Baroque music, classical wedding songs, Canon in D history, wedding procession music
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why has The Four Seasons remained one of the world’s most recognizable pieces of classical music?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the enduring popularity of Antonio Vivaldi’s famous set of violin concertos. Written in the early eighteenth century, The Four Seasons uses music to depict scenes from nature, including birdsong, storms, flowing water, hunting scenes, and winter winds.
This approach, known as program music, helped make the work vivid and accessible to audiences. Combined with energetic rhythms, memorable melodies, and dazzling violin writing, the music continues to captivate listeners centuries after it was composed.
Today, The Four Seasons remains a staple of concert halls and one of the most frequently used classical works in film and television.
In just sixty seconds, discover why Vivaldi’s musical portrait of the seasons still resonates today.
Fun FactEach concerto in The Four Seasons was originally published alongside a sonnet—possibly written by Vivaldi himself—describing the scenes and imagery the music was intended to portray.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Topics CoveredVivaldi Four Seasons, why is Four Seasons popular, Antonio Vivaldi, Four Seasons explained, program music, Baroque violin music, famous violin concertos, classical music for beginners, Four Seasons history, Vivaldi masterpiece
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why Is Bach Called the Father of Classical Music?
Why is Johann Sebastian Bach often referred to as the “Father of Classical Music”?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the lasting influence of one of history’s greatest composers. Although Bach lived during the Baroque period, his work laid the foundation for much of the music that followed.
Renowned for his mastery of counterpoint, Bach demonstrated how multiple independent musical lines could work together in harmony. His compositions, including The Well-Tempered Clavier and The Art of Fugue, are still studied today for their structural brilliance and expressive depth.
Later composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms learned from Bach’s techniques, helping to carry his influence into the Classical and Romantic eras.
In just sixty seconds, discover why Bach’s music continues to shape the sound of classical music centuries later.
Fun FactBach’s music was largely forgotten after his death in 1750 until it was revived decades later—most notably when Felix Mendelssohn conducted a famous performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 1829, sparking renewed interest in his work.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
What Does “Opus” Mean in Classical Music?
What does “opus” mean when you see it in a classical music title?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the meaning behind this common musical term. Derived from the Latin word for “work,” opus numbers are used to catalogue and organize a composer’s compositions.
Typically assigned in order of publication rather than composition, opus numbers help distinguish one piece from another—especially when composers wrote many works in the same genre.
For example, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is listed as Op. 27, No. 2, indicating its place within a published set of works.
While not all composers used opus numbers consistently, the term remains a helpful way to navigate the vast world of classical music.
In just sixty seconds, discover how one simple word helps organize centuries of musical creativity.
Fun FactSome composers, including Frédéric Chopin, were very selective about which works received opus numbers—often assigning them only to pieces they felt were worthy of publication, leaving many compositions unpublished or without a number.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why did Mozart compose so many operas during his short lifetime?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore why opera played such an important role in Mozart’s career. In the late eighteenth century, opera was one of Europe’s most popular forms of entertainment, and cities across the continent regularly commissioned new works for their theatres.
Mozart was uniquely suited to the genre. Opera allowed him to combine expressive melodies, colourful orchestration, and theatrical storytelling into a single artistic experience.
Collaborating with librettists such as Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart produced operatic masterpieces including The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and The Magic Flute—works that remain central to the operatic repertoire today.
In just sixty seconds, discover why opera became one of Mozart’s most important creative outlets.
Fun FactMozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro was considered controversial when it premiered in 1786 because its story involved servants outsmarting their aristocratic masters—a theme that challenged the social hierarchy of the time.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 one of the most recognizable pieces of music ever written?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the famous four-note opening that begins the symphony—often described as da-da-da-DAAA. This simple rhythmic motif becomes the driving force behind the entire first movement, demonstrating Beethoven’s extraordinary ability to develop a small musical idea into a powerful orchestral statement.
Premiered in 1808, the symphony also captures a dramatic emotional journey. It begins in the dark and tense key of C minor but eventually arrives in a bright and triumphant C major finale.
The work’s unforgettable opening and powerful sense of momentum have made Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony one of the most famous pieces in classical music history.
In just sixty seconds, discover why four simple notes helped create one of music’s greatest masterpieces.
Fun FactDuring World War II, the famous four-note rhythm of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was associated with the letter “V” for Victory because the rhythm matched the Morse code for the letter V (•••—). Allied radio broadcasts often used the motif as a musical symbol of victory.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why Do Orchestras Tune to the Oboe?
Why do orchestras tune to the oboe before a concert begins?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore the tradition behind the single tuning note that signals the start of nearly every orchestral performance.
Before the music begins, the principal oboist plays an A—typically A = 440 hertz—and the rest of the orchestra tunes to match it. The reason is practical: the oboe produces a stable and penetrating pitch that is difficult to adjust quickly. String instruments, brass, and other woodwinds can more easily alter their tuning, so it makes sense for the orchestra to tune to the oboe rather than the other way around.
This brief ritual ensures that dozens of musicians begin the performance perfectly aligned in pitch.
In just sixty seconds, discover why one small instrument quietly sets the tuning for the entire orchestra.
Fun FactIn many orchestras, the oboe gives the tuning note because its bright, focused sound can be clearly heard even when the entire orchestra begins tuning at once.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can also read the written versions of these episodes on Substack, where they’re published as short articles delivered directly to subscribers.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is the creator and host of The Classical Music Minute, a series devoted to making classical music history engaging, surprising, and accessible.
Topics Coveredorchestra tuning, oboe, orchestral tradition, tuning A 440, symphony orchestra, orchestral instruments, double reed instruments, concert traditions, classical music performance, orchestral rehearsal
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
Why is Pachelbel’s Canon in D played at weddings?
In this episode of The Classical Music Minute, we explore how a small Baroque chamber work by Johann Pachelbel unexpectedly became one of the most popular wedding processional pieces in the world.
Written around 1680, Canon in D was originally composed for three violins and basso continuo, with no connection to weddings at all. Its famous repeating bass line supports a series of increasingly elaborate violin melodies, creating a sense of balance, anticipation, and gentle emotional build. Over the past century—particularly through string quartet arrangements—the piece became closely associated with wedding ceremonies. Today, it’s one of the most requested classical pieces for walking down the aisle.
In just sixty seconds, discover how a modest Baroque composition became the soundtrack to countless modern love stories.
Fun FactThe famous chord progression from Canon in D appears in dozens of pop songs. Comedians have even joked that a surprising amount of modern music secretly borrows Pachelbel’s chords.
About The Classical Music MinuteThe Classical Music Minute is a short podcast exploring fascinating stories, quirky history, and surprising facts from the world of classical music—all in about sixty seconds.
Each episode offers a quick and entertaining glimpse into composers, masterpieces, musical traditions, and the curious moments that shaped music history.
You can now also read the written version of these episodes on Substack, where new posts are delivered straight to your inbox.
About Steven, HostSteven Hobé is a Canadian composer and actor based in Toronto and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. Through The Classical Music Minute, he shares curious and engaging stories from the world of classical music in short, accessible episodes.
Topics CoveredPachelbel, Canon in D, Baroque music, wedding music, classical wedding traditions, chord progression, string quartet, Johann Pachelbel, famous classical pieces, classical music history
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
DescriptionMascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana Intermezzo: A Moment of Pure Emotion in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mascagni was only 26 when Cavalleria rusticana premiered—and it immediately made him famous. The opera was written for a composition competition, which he won. Despite composing many works afterward, the Intermezzo became his most beloved music, often performed independently in concerts around the world
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
DescriptionHolst’s Mars: The Sound of War Approaching in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Holst actually wrote Mars before World War I fully erupted, yet many listeners later assumed it was inspired by the conflict. In reality, the piece reflects the astrological character of Mars rather than a specific war—but its ominous power made it feel uncannily prophetic.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
DescriptionThe Barber of Seville in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The opera’s opening night in Rome was a disaster — with onstage accidents and audience hostility — but it quickly became one of the most performed operas in history.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
DescriptionLa clemenza di Tito in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart composed La clemenza di Tito in about 18 days for the coronation of Emperor Leopold II in Prague — while simultaneously finishing The Magic Flute.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Send us Fan Mail
DescriptionBeethoven: The Bridge Between Two Worlds in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
By the time Beethoven premiered his Ninth Symphony, he was completely deaf. Unable to hear the applause, he had to be turned around onstage to see the audience cheering. It was a powerful moment—one that perfectly captured his role as a composer who transcended personal limitation and musical tradition alike.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionDebussy and the Sound of Impressionism in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Debussy disliked the term “Impressionism,” insisting it was borrowed from painting and misunderstood his music. He preferred to think of his works as “images” in sound. Ironically, the label stuck—and today it’s nearly impossible to imagine Impressionism without Debussy at its center.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionThe Fugue: Discipline, Drama, and Design in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Bach’s The Art of Fugue was left unfinished at his death, ending abruptly mid-piece. Legend claims he was working on a final fugue spelling his own name in musical notes—B-A-C-H. Whether intentional or not, the idea feels fitting: a composer signing off using pure musical design.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionTheme and Variations: Order vs. Imagination in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Some variation sets were written as showpieces to prove compositional skill. Brahms once joked that anyone could write a good theme, but only a real composer could write convincing variations. Beethoven agreed—he used the form repeatedly when he wanted to demonstrate both discipline and daring in equal measure.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionThe Art Song: When Poetry Met Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Schubert wrote over 600 art songs, many for informal gatherings with friends called Schubertiades. Performers often sang straight from handwritten manuscripts while the composer turned pages. Some of the most treasured songs in Western music began as living-room experiments rather than formal commissions.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionFrom Court to Concert Hall: The Shift from Patronage to Public Audiences in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Beethoven famously tore the dedication page from his Eroica Symphony when Napoleon crowned himself emperor. The gesture symbolized a larger shift: composers were no longer servants flattering rulers, but artists answering to ideals—and to paying audiences. Independence sounded glorious, but it also meant chasing publishers, patrons, and ticket sales.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionWhy the Symphony Became a Cultural Symbol in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was the first to include a chorus in a symphony—an audacious move at the time. Critics were baffled. Today, its “Ode to Joy” theme is used as the anthem of the European Union, proving the symphony’s power to move from concert hall to cultural symbol.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionMusic After World War I: Art in a Shattered World in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In 1918, Erik Satie described postwar music as needing “fewer perfumes and more reality.” Many composers shared this sentiment, favoring sharp edges and transparency over lush emotion. Audiences weren’t always thrilled—but history proved these reactions marked the birth of modern music, not its collapse.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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DescriptionBartók: When Folk Music Met Modernism in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Bartók wasn’t just inspired by folk music—he treated it like scientific research. Armed with a phonograph, he recorded villagers singing in remote areas, often in harsh conditions. He transcribed songs note by note, preserving traditions that might otherwise have vanished. In the process, he became one of the founders of ethnomusicology—long before the term was widely used.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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The Oratorio: Opera Without the Costumes in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When Messiah premiered in Dublin, audiences were asked to leave their swords at home and ladies were encouraged not to wear hoop skirts—so more people could fit in the hall. Even then, Handel was drawing a crowd. The famous tradition of standing during the “Hallelujah” Chorus came later and wasn’t Handel’s idea at all.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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Erik Satie: The Unlikely Godfather of Les Six in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Satie gave his pieces absurd titles like Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear—a jab at critics who accused him of lacking musical “form.” Les Six adored this irreverence. Poulenc once said Satie proved that “music could smile without losing its intelligence,” a lesson he took to heart.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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Les Six: Paris’s Modern Musical Short-Lived Spark in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Les Six officially collaborated on only one major project, L’Album des Six (1920), before drifting apart. Ironically, the brevity of their partnership helped mythologize them: critics kept the label alive long after the composers stopped meeting, turning a short-lived collaboration into a lasting cultural brand.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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Francis Poulenc: The Man and His Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Poulenc adored Parisian cabarets and often slipped their cheeky harmonic twists into his classical works. After a friend accused him of being “too frivolous,” he replied, “You must take me as I am—Ravel for breakfast and a good music-hall number for dessert.”
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
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Echoes Along the Nile: Music in Ancient Egypt in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The sistrum—a sacred rattle associated with the goddess Hathor—was believed to ward off evil spirits. Priests shook it during ceremonies to “awaken” the gods. Archaeologists have found beautifully ornamented versions made of bronze and faience, proving even ancient noisemakers could be objects of stunning craftsmanship.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Musician’s Life in the Romantic Era in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Franz Liszt was the 19th-century equivalent of a rock star. Fans reportedly fought over his discarded gloves and hair strands, a frenzy dubbed Lisztomania. While his performances caused swooning in concert halls, his income often relied more on teaching and touring than on the sale of his compositions.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mozart’s Piano: The Enlightenment’s Favourite Sound Machine in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart loved his personal fortepiano so much he took it on tour. It still survives today in Salzburg. Unlike modern pianos, its keys are wood-topped, not ivory, and its sound is surprisingly intimate—more like a lively conversation than a thunderous recital. You could almost imagine it gossiping in Viennese.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Harmony Behind Stone Walls: Life in the Medieval Cloister in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The earliest Western musical notation emerged in monasteries, where scribes invented “neumes”—tiny marks above text to guide singers. This humble invention paved the way for modern sheet music. So, the next time you read a score, thank a monk with very steady handwriting.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: A Musical Who’s Who in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra premiered, Britten wasn’t sure audiences would take it seriously. He needn’t have worried—it’s now one of the most-performed orchestral works ever written for education. Ironically, it’s also one of the most sophisticated fugues in the entire 20th-century repertoire.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Pulse Redefined: Rhythmic Complexity in 20th-Century Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When The Rite of Spring premiered in Paris, 1913, its jarring rhythms helped cause a near riot. Audience members shouted, booed, and even fought. A century later, the same rhythms are considered masterpieces of modernity—proof that innovation often sounds like chaos before it becomes art.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Breaking the Spell: Reaction Against Romanticism in Early 20th-Century Music” in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When Stravinsky’s Pulcinella premiered in 1920, audiences were puzzled—was it parody, homage, or rebellion? Stravinsky called it “a look backward with a smile,” summing up the entire neoclassical spirit: modern sensibility dressed in old-fashioned clothes.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mozart in Miniature: Master of Chamber Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart’s publisher worried that his Piano Quartet in G minor (1785) was too difficult for amateurs—the intended market for chamber music. Sales flopped at first, but the piece later became a cornerstone of the repertoire. It’s a reminder that Mozart sometimes wrote not for popularity, but for pure artistry.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Form, Function, and Flourish: The Classical Sonata in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata wasn’t named by him at all—the nickname came years later, when a critic compared its first movement to moonlight on Lake Lucerne. Beethoven might have rolled his eyes, but the title stuck, and today it’s one of the most famous (and misinterpreted) sonatas ever written.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Back to the Future: Neoclassicism in Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Stravinsky admitted that Pulcinella wasn’t just homage—it was liberation. “It was a backward look, of course,” he said, “but it was a look in the mirror too.” By reworking 18th-century melodies with his own twists, he essentially invented neoclassicism—proving that recycling old material can still create something revolutionary.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Faraway Fantasies: Exoticism in Opera in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When Carmen premiered, critics complained it was too scandalous and “vulgar” for the Paris stage. Yet the opera’s Spanish flair and exotic energy soon captivated Europe. Ironically, Bizet never visited Spain—the rhythms and melodies came from French collections of “Spanish” tunes. Authentic or not, it became a timeless hit.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Showtime with Strings Attached: The Romantic Concerto in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Franz Liszt’s piano concertos were so demanding that critics sometimes accused him of showing off. He didn’t mind—he once said performing should “transport the listener.” Paganini caused similar uproar: audiences whispered he’d sold his soul to the devil to master the violin. Marketing hype, 19th-century style.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Bigger, Louder, Wilder: The Romantic Orchestra Arrives in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Wagner was so ambitious he built his own opera house in Bayreuth just to fit the expanded orchestra he envisioned. His pit design hid the musicians from the audience—so all you saw was drama on stage while an enormous, unseen orchestra unleashed waves of sound beneath.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Berlioz & the Program Symphony: When Music Told the Whole Story in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Berlioz claimed Symphonie fantastique was inspired by his infatuation with Irish actress Harriet Smithson, whom he later married—briefly. She didn’t attend the premiere, but when she finally heard it, she was impressed… and a little alarmed. Courtship tip: maybe don’t include a beheading scene when wooing your future spouse.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Small Rooms, Big Genius: Mozart’s Chamber Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet was written for his friend Anton Stadler, whose extended-range clarinet could play lower notes than normal. Mozart adored the instrument’s warm tone—so much so that he later wrote his famous Clarinet Concerto for Stadler. Friendship goals: writing one of the most beautiful pieces in the repertoire just for you.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Lutes, Lyrics, and Life on the Road: Meet the Medieval Minstrels in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Minstrels had to pass on their songs by memory, since music printing wouldn’t arrive until the 15th century. That meant performances changed over time—sometimes intentionally, sometimes forgetfully. A tale sung in France might sound very different once it reached England… with a new punchline and an extra verse or two.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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If the Music Fits, Sing It: The Art of Word Painting in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In Weelkes’ madrigal "As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending", the word “descending” is literally sung with downward scales—meanwhile, “ascending” climbs right back up. Even “running down” gets a rapid, breathless passage. It’s one of the earliest—and cheekiest—examples of word painting pushed to delightful extremes.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Notes on Repeat: How the Printing Press Changed Music Forever in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Petrucci’s music prints were so beautifully done that people treated them like prized books. His triple-impression method printed staves, then notes, then text—a slow process, but incredibly precise. Later printers opted for faster techniques, but Petrucci’s editions set a gold standard for music printing that lasted well into the 16th century.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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When One Voice Became Many: The Rise of Polyphony in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In early polyphonic music, singers didn’t always have rhythm notated. They had to feel their way through the parts. Imagine performing complex interwoven melodies… by ear! It wasn’t until the 13th century that rhythmic notation caught up. Until then, performances were part skill, part educated guess.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Opera à la Carte: Rossini, Risotto, and the Birth of a Beloved Aria in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Rossini retired from composing operas at just 37, choosing to focus on fine food and entertaining. He invented or inspired several gourmet dishes—like Tournedos Rossini, topped with foie gras and truffles. For Rossini, music and food weren’t separate pleasures—they were two ways of feeding the soul.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Knock Knock... It’s Fate: The Four Notes That Shook the World in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
During WWII, Allied radio broadcasts began with the da-da-da-DUM motif because its rhythm matched the Morse code for “V” (•••–), symbolizing “Victory.” Beethoven’s Fifth thus became a sonic emblem of resistance—proof that four notes written in 1808 could help rally hope more than a century later.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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When a Cello Speaks: The Heartbreaking Opening of Elgar’s Concerto in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Elgar’s Cello Concerto premiered in 1919—and flopped. Overshadowed by rehearsal mishaps, it wasn’t until Jacqueline du Pré’s 1965 recording that the piece gained fame. Today, its opening bars are considered some of the most emotionally gripping in classical music—proof that some masterpieces just need time to be heard.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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That Note from Heaven: The Top C in Allegri’s Miserere in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Vatican once banned copying Miserere, enforcing secrecy to protect its mystique. Young Mozart heard it once in 1770 and wrote it out entirely from memory. This musical jailbreak helped make the soaring top C famous—and added to Mozart’s legend as a prodigious musical genius with a photographic ear.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Lip Gymnastics: The Wild World of Horn Embouchure in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Horn players often practice just buzzing their lips into a mouthpiece—no horn needed—while driving, walking, or even watching TV!
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Puff, Play, Breathe: The Oboe’s Magic Trick in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Some oboists have used circular breathing to play continuous notes for over 45 minutes—long enough to make a sandwich between breaths!
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mahler’s Motto: Go Big or Go Back to Vienna in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 premiered in 1910 with over 1,000 performers on stage. Though “Symphony of a Thousand” wasn’t his title, the name stuck. It was one of the largest-scale choral works ever attempted—and still gives orchestra managers mild panic attacks every time it’s programmed.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Nutcracker? No Thanks, Said Tchaikovsky (At First) in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Tchaikovsky didn't trust Russian composers not to steal his idea of using the celesta for The Nutcracker, so he had it secretly shipped from Paris. He needn’t have worried—now it’s hard to imagine Christmas without it. He didn’t love the ballet, but the celesta made magic.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Lisztmania: The First True Fan Frenzy in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Lisztmania wasn’t just poetic—it was real, and intense. Fans fought over Liszt’s handkerchiefs, collected his hair, and wore cameos bearing his face. Some even claimed his music had healing powers. Critics struggled to understand the frenzy, but audiences simply couldn't get enough of the pianist who played like a storm.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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When Titans Duel: Handel vs. Scarlatti in the Baroque Showdown in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In early 1700s Rome, Handel and Scarlatti participated in a legendary keyboard duel judged by local nobility. Though equals on the harpsichord, Handel’s mastery of the organ gave him the edge. Scarlatti reportedly acknowledged Handel’s superiority—an extraordinary moment of respect between two of the Baroque era’s greatest composers.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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How Medieval Monks Invented the Way We Write Music Today in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Before musical notation, music was passed down by memory! Around the 9th century, monks created neumes—squiggly symbols above lyrics—to guide melodies. Guido of Arezzo later added the staff and pitch names. His system was so effective, it’s still the basis for how we read and write music today!
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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How Beethoven Composed Masterpieces Without Hearing a Sound in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Beethoven composed some of his greatest works after going completely deaf! He couldn’t hear a single note but used his deep understanding of music and felt vibrations through the piano. His Ninth Symphony—featuring “Ode to Joy”—was written in total silence, yet it remains one of the most powerful pieces ever created.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Gounod’s Divine Remix: A Heavenly Twist on Bach in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Gounod’s Ave Maria wasn't originally intended as a standalone work. It began as an improvisation over Bach’s 1722 prelude, and the Latin prayer was added later. Today, it's often mistakenly credited to Bach alone, despite Gounod’s soaring melody being the emotional centerpiece that transformed it into a sacred favorite.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Elgar’s Triumphant Soundtrack: From Studio to Stadium in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 was so beloved at its debut that the audience demanded an encore—twice. Elgar reportedly walked home overwhelmed by the applause, later saying, “I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” The melody’s transformation into a graduation theme was entirely unplanned but became iconic worldwide.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Royal Albert Hall: A Regal Stage for Icons in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When Led Zeppelin played Royal Albert Hall in 1970, their performance was so powerful that the venue’s management banned rock concerts for a while! Decades later, rock icons like Eric Clapton and David Bowie reclaimed the stage, proving the hall could handle both symphonies and screaming guitars.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Carnegie Hall: A Stage for Legends in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In 1962, The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records, who claimed "guitar groups are on the way out." Two years later, they rocked Carnegie Hall in a sold-out show, proving just how wrong Decca was! Their performance was so wild that police had to hold back screaming fans.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 – A Teenage Prodigy’s Bold Beginning in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Rachmaninoff composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 at 18, then revised it in 1917, refining its structure and orchestration. Though overshadowed by his later works, it bursts with virtuosity and emotional depth, foreshadowing his iconic style.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Liszt’s Dazzling Masterpiece: The 20-Year Journey of His First Piano Concerto in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 took over 20 years to complete, blending dazzling piano virtuosity with bold orchestration. Premiered in 1855 with Berlioz conducting, it featured dramatic runs and an unusual triangle part. Initially criticized, it later became a beloved staple of the Romantic piano repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mozart’s Final Years: Defying Fate in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In his final years, Mozart’s letters reveal confidence, struggle, and an eerie sense of fate. As he composed the Requiem, he seemed to foresee his death, yet his genius endured, leaving the world in awe.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mozart in Paris: A Stormy Prelude in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart’s 1778 trip to Paris was filled with frustration, rejection, and tragedy. His letters to his father reveal disdain for aristocrats, financial worries, and grief over his mother’s death. Despite composing great music, his Parisian experience left him deeply disillusioned.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Swan Lake: Tchaikovsky’s Enchanting Ballet of Love and Tragedy in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is a legendary ballet of love and tragedy, featuring an unforgettable score. Despite initial rejection, it became an enduring masterpiece. Its haunting melodies and dramatic storytelling capture the grace of ballet and the depths of human emotion, securing its place as a timeless classic.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Blue Danube: Strauss’s Timeless Waltz of Elegance and Flow in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Johann Strauss II’s On the Beautiful Blue Danube epitomizes elegance, fluidity, and grandeur. Originally a choral piece, it became an iconic waltz, symbolizing Vienna’s culture and charm. Despite its initial lukewarm reception, it gained worldwide acclaim, remaining a beloved staple in New Year’s celebrations and classical music history.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Verdi’s Nabucco: A Triumph of Freedom and Song in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco is a landmark opera that established his reputation as a composer. Featuring the iconic "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves," it blends dramatic storytelling with powerful music, reflecting themes of exile and freedom. Its success marked the rise of Verdi as a towering figure in Italian opera.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Holst's The Planets: Astrology, Emotion, and Musical Genius in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Gustav Holst's The Planets transforms astrological symbolism into a stunning orchestral journey. Each movement captures the unique emotional essence of a planet, showcasing Holst's innovative orchestration and introspective artistry. With its groundbreaking techniques and universal themes, the suite remains a timeless masterpiece of imagination, depth, and musical storytelling.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Erik Satie: The Velvet Gentleman of Musical Eccentricity in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Erik Satie’s first known composition, Allegro (1884), reflects the young composer’s early exploration of classical piano forms. Though relatively conventional compared to his later experimental works, it hints at his developing style. Satie’s distinctive voice, blending simplicity and eccentricity, would soon emerge, marking him as a true musical original.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Arnold Schoenberg: The Maverick Composer with a Fear of 13 in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Arnold Schoenberg's most famous piece, Pierrot Lunaire (1912), is a groundbreaking work blending atonal music with Sprechstimme—a vocal style between speaking and singing. Featuring a haunting mix of chamber instruments and surreal poetry, it redefined modern music, capturing the eerie, fragmented emotions of early 20th-century expressionism.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Haunting Brilliance of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The exact date and location of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor premiere remain unclear, but it likely debuted in the early 1700s, showcasing Bach’s virtuosity as an organist. Originally performed on a church organ, its dramatic opening and intricate fugue highlighted his mastery of Baroque composition and improvisation.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Soulful Majesty of St. Matthew Passion in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion premiered on Good Friday, April 11, 1727, at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Performed as part of the church service, its emotional depth and intricate structure made a lasting impression. Though initially modest in reception, it later gained recognition as one of Bach’s greatest masterpieces.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Silent Night: The Humble Song That Captured the World in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf, Austria, stands on the site where Silent Night was first performed in 1818. Built in 1937 after the original church was destroyed, it honors the carol’s creation by Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber. The chapel hosts a special Christmas service each year.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Mystery and Majesty of 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
A fun fact about O Come, All Ye Faithful is that it’s sometimes called the “Portuguese Hymn.” Legend has it that it was performed at the Portuguese royal chapel, leading some to mistakenly believe it originated there. This international mix-up only adds to its enduring charm and intrigue!
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Celebrating 200 Episodes & Anton Bruckner (born 1824) in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, known as the "Romantic," is his most famous work. Celebrated for its majestic themes, sweeping orchestration, and evocative depiction of nature and medieval life, it captures Bruckner's deep spirituality and dramatic vision, solidifying his place among the great symphonic composers of the Romantic era.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Plot of Madame Butterfly in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The most famous aria from Madame Butterfly is "Un bel dì, vedremo" ("One Fine Day, We'll See"). Sung by Cio-Cio-San (Madame Butterfly), it expresses her unwavering hope for her husband's return. This poignant aria is a masterpiece of longing and optimism, beautifully showcasing Puccini's emotional depth and melodic genius.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Soulful Journey of the Oboe: From Ancient Reeds to Modern Mastery in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the most famous pieces for oboe is Alessandro Marcello’s Oboe Concerto in D minor. Composed in the early 18th century, this Baroque gem highlights the oboe’s lyrical and expressive qualities. The slow, emotive Adagio movement is particularly beloved, showcasing the instrument’s ability to sing with haunting beauty. Often performed and recorded, the concerto remains a favorite in the oboe repertoire, offering both technical brilliance and profound emotional depth.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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From Bone to Brilliance: The Flute’s Fabulous Evolution in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the most iconic classical pieces for the flute is Claude Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" (1894). This masterpiece opens with an enchanting flute solo, evoking the dreamy musings of a faun in a sunlit glade. The delicate, flowing melody pushes the flute’s expressive range, blending impressionistic colours with ethereal charm. Revolutionary for its time, the piece redefined orchestral music and remains a cornerstone for flutists, captivating audiences with its hypnotic beauty.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Felix Mendelssohn: The Wunderkind Who Composed with Spark & Soul in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Felix Mendelssohn's first known composition, a Piano Quartet in C minor, was completed when he was just 13 years old. Written in 1822, this ambitious work already showed remarkable maturity, blending classical elegance with hints of youthful intensity. It was one of many early pieces that demonstrated Mendelssohn’s exceptional talent and foreshadowed his future as a celebrated composer. His sense of structure, melodic grace, and expressive depth made even his earliest compositions stand out.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Young Chopin: The Piano Prodigy Who Played with Heart & Fire in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Frédéric Chopin’s first known composition, a Polonaise in G minor, was written when he was just seven years old. Created in 1817, this piece already hinted at the national pride and expressive flair that would define Chopin’s later works. Although simple, it carried a distinctive style and charm that captivated listeners. This early Polonaise marked the beginning of Chopin’s lifelong love for Polish musical forms, setting the stage for his remarkable career.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Echoes of Love: The Enduring Opera of Orpheus and Euridice in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The first performance of Gluck’s "Orfeo ed Euridice" took place on October 5, 1762, at the Burgtheater in Vienna. This opera marked a revolutionary shift in the genre, emphasizing simplicity and dramatic expression over elaborate arias. Gluck sought to reform opera, focusing on seamless storytelling, cohesive music, and emotional impact, influencing future composers significantly.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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From Crisis to Symphony: How Near-Death Shaped Mahler's Musical Revolution in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Gustav Mahler's most famous piece is arguably his Symphony No. 2, known as the "Resurrection Symphony." Composed between 1888 and 1894, it is celebrated for its grand scale, emotional depth, and exploration of life, death, and spiritual rebirth. The symphony is a monumental work, lasting about 80-90 minutes, and features five movements. Its powerful finale includes a chorus and vocal soloists, expressing a vision of resurrection and eternal life. Mahler's orchestration, innovative structure, and blending of song and symphony make this piece a landmark in the Romantic repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Jacques Offenbach: The Maestro Who Turned Opera into a Dance Party in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Jacques Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" is one of his most famous operettas, premiering in 1858. A satirical take on Greek mythology, it includes the iconic "Galop Infernal," widely recognized as the Can-Can. Offenbach's witty, lighthearted music and comedic libretto revolutionized 19th-century French operatic theater.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Leopold Mozart: The Ultimate 18th-Century Stage Dad in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Leopold Mozart's "Trumpet Concerto in D major" is one of his most celebrated works, composed around 1762. It highlights the Baroque influence on his music, featuring bright, majestic trumpet lines and intricate orchestration. The piece is a fine example of Leopold’s skill in composing for wind instruments.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Farinelli: The Legendary Castrato and His Timeless Legacy in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
A famous aria sung by Farinelli is "Alto Giove" from the opera Polifemo by Nicola Porpora. This aria, renowned for its beauty and serenity, allowed Farinelli to display his incredible vocal agility and emotional depth. His performance captivated audiences, leaving an enduring legacy in the Baroque opera world.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Echoes of Eternity: The Rise and Fall of the Castrato in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the most famous castrato songs is Son qual nave ch'agitata, performed by Farinelli in the opera Artaserse by composer Leonardo Vinci. This aria, known for its demanding vocal range and emotional depth, showcased Farinelli's exceptional voice, making him a sensation across Europe.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Maestro of the Strings: The Concertmaster’s Leading Role in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
A famous concerto featuring the concertmaster is Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4. In this piece, the concertmaster plays a prominent role as the solo violinist, leading intricate dialogues with two accompanying flutes. The violin part is technically demanding, filled with fast runs and ornate passages. The concertmaster's virtuosic performance is crucial to the concerto’s lively character, highlighting the instrument’s versatility while blending with the other soloists and the ensemble.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mind Games: The Psychology Behind a Solo Performance in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the most difficult violin concertos is Niccolò Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major. Known for its technical demands, it features rapid scales, double stops, harmonics, and wide leaps that push the limits of a violinist's dexterity and control. The concerto also requires expressive phrasing while navigating these complexities, blending virtuosity with musicality. Its intense demands on both technique and endurance make it a formidable challenge for even the most skilled violinists.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Unheard Genius: Franz Schubert’s Hidden Legacy in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Franz Schubert is most celebrated for his Lieder (art songs), particularly Ave Maria and Erlkönig. His Unfinished Symphony and String Quintet in C Major are also iconic. Schubert’s music, characterized by its emotional depth and melodic beauty, captures the essence of the Romantic era. Though he struggled for recognition during his short life, his works are now cherished for their profound expression and have cemented his legacy as a master of song and symphony.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Royal Harmonies: The Musical Splendor of France's Grand Court in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Jean-Baptiste Lully, the master of French Baroque, is best known for his opera Armide and the grand ballet Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. His work defined the court of Louis XIV, with the king himself often dancing in his productions. Lully's music, characterized by its rhythmic precision and grandeur, set the standard for French opera and ballet, making his compositions central to the opulent cultural life of the Sun King’s Versailles.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Maestro's Magic Wand: The Art of the Baton Dance in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the most difficult pieces to conduct is "Le Sacre du printemps" (The Rite of Spring) by Igor Stravinsky. Its complex, irregular rhythms, sudden tempo changes, and layered dissonances demand extraordinary precision and deep understanding. The piece's primal energy and unpredictable structure make it a formidable challenge for any conductor.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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How Classical Music Takes Your Brain on a Symphony Adventure in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Classical music offers many mind-bending pieces due to their complexity and emotional depth. Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring is famously intense, with its dissonant harmonies and primal rhythms causing a riot at its 1913 premiere. Bach's The Art of Fugu* is another, with its intricate counterpoint that challenges the mind. Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, written in a WWII prison camp, blends complex rhythms and spiritual themes into a truly transcendent work.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Tearful Power of Classical Music: Emotion in Every Note in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
If you’re looking for three pieces that will move you to tears: Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is a tear-jerking masterpiece with its haunting, lyrical piano. Barber's "Adagio for Strings" pulls heartstrings with its sweeping, sorrowful notes. Mahler's "Symphony No. 5, Adagietto" is an emotional rollercoaster, blending lush orchestration and tender themes that hit you right in the feels.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Isabella Colbran: The Enchanting Muse of Opera in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Gioachino Rossini's collaboration with his wife, Isabella Colbran, was a symbiotic blend of genius. He composed some of his most celebrated operas, including "Otello" and "Semiramide," specifically for her. Colbran's powerful voice and dramatic presence brought Rossini's compositions to life, making them a legendary duo in the opera world.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Plácido Domingo, A Man of Enduring Passion & Extraordinary Talent in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of Plácido Domingo's most famous roles is Otello in Verdi's opera of the same name. His powerful portrayal of the tragic Moorish general showcases his dramatic intensity and vocal prowess, making it a defining performance in his illustrious career and a benchmark for tenors in this demanding role.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Brahms & His Violin Concerto in D major in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Johannes Brahms became a composer through early piano studies and composing in his teens, influenced by Romantic greats like Schumann. Supported by his musician parents, he performed in taverns to help financially. His breakthrough came when Robert Schumann praised his talent, propelling him into the spotlight and cementing his career.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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From Mozart To Verdi, Renée Fleming in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Renée Fleming's first professional performance took place in 1986 when she sang the role of Konstanze in Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" at the Houston Grand Opera. This debut showcased her remarkable vocal talent and stage presence, quickly earning her critical acclaim and paving the way for a distinguished career in the world of opera. Her performance was a pivotal moment, marking the beginning of her rise to international stardom.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Joan Sutherland aka La Stupenda in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Joan Sutherland's first major performance was as Dido in Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" in 1947 at the Sydney University Musical Society. This debut showcased her burgeoning talent and marked the beginning of her illustrious career. Sutherland's powerful voice and emotive interpretation quickly garnered attention, setting the stage for her future successes on the world’s most prestigious opera stages. This early performance was a critical stepping stone in her journey to becoming an operatic legend.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Donizetti: One of Opera’s Brightest Stars in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Gaetano Donizetti's first opera, "Il Pigmalione," was composed in 1816 when he was only 19 years old. This one-act opera, based on the myth of Pygmalion, showcases his early talent and promise as a composer. Though not as famous as his later works, "Il Pigmalione" is notable for its lyrical melodies and set the stage for Donizetti's prolific career in opera, including masterpieces like "Lucia di Lammermoor" and "L'elisir d'amore."
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Birth of the Modern Timpani in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Handel incorporated the timpani in several of his compositions, notably enhancing the grandeur and dramatic impact. Key pieces featuring timpani include the "Music for the Royal Fireworks" and the "Messiah." In the "Water Music," timpani are used sparingly for festive occasions. The instrument's powerful sound added a majestic and ceremonial quality, underlining important moments and contributing to the overall dynamic range of his orchestral works.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Bizet's Carmen in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Georges Bizet's "Carmen," composed in 1875, was crafted during a time when French opera was dominated by grand, serious works. Bizet, influenced by emerging realism, sought to break conventions with "Carmen," infusing it with Spanish flair, everyday characters, and a tragic storyline. Set in Seville, Spain, the opera's portrayal of a fiery, independent woman and its innovative music challenged societal norms and faced initial criticism for its perceived immorality. Despite a lukewarm premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, "Carmen" ultimately gained acclaim, becoming a landmark in operatic history for its bold narrative and rich, evocative score.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, was likely composed during his early career, possibly when he was in his late teens or early twenties. This period coincides with his time as a young organist in Arnstadt (1703-1707) or Mühlhausen (1707-1708).
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Enchanting Creation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," formally known as "Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor 'Quasi una fantasia,' Op. 27, No. 2," was not performed publicly during Beethoven's lifetime. It was composed in 1801 and published in 1802, dedicated to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The piece gained popularity posthumously through various performances and publications.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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How The Blue Danube Cast Its Spell in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
"The Blue Danube," composed by Johann Strauss II in 1866, was first performed in February 1867 in Vienna, Austria. Originally a choral work, it gained greater popularity as an orchestral piece and is now one of the most famous waltzes in classical music. Its debut took place at a concert of the Vienna Men's Choral Association.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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La Traviata in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" premiered on March 6, 1853, at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Initially, the opera faced a lukewarm reception due to its controversial subject matter. However, it quickly gained popularity and is now one of the most beloved and frequently performed operas worldwide for its poignant story and beautiful music.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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La clemenza di Tito in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito" premiered on September 6, 1791, at the Estates Theatre in Prague. Commissioned for the coronation festivities of Emperor Leopold II, it received a mixed reception but gained popularity in later years for its emotional depth and stirring arias, becoming a staple of the opera repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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How did the Saxophone come to be? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
"Rhapsody for Saxophone" by Claude Debussy is one of the most iconic pieces for saxophone. Composed in 1919, it showcases the instrument's versatility and expressive range. With its lush melodies and rich harmonies, the piece captivates listeners with its romantic and evocative qualities. Debussy's masterful writing for the saxophone has solidified its place as a classic in the repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Siegfried Wagner, son of Richard Wagner, had to overcome many obstacles in his life. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Siegfried Wagner's most famous piece is likely his opera "Der Bärenhäuter" (The Bearskin), based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Premiered in 1899, it showcases his romantic style with lush orchestrations and Wagnerian influences, though often overshadowed by his father's works.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer renowned for his virtuosic skills and innovative compositions. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Paganini's "Caprice No. 1" for solo violin is a dazzling display of virtuosity, composed in 1805. Its intricate arpeggios, rapid scales, and double stops push the limits of violin technique. Despite its technical demands, it captivates listeners with its lyrical beauty and remains a cornerstone of the violin repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Mozart, the legendary composer, was a fascinating figure with a multitude of odd traits. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, composed in 1784, showcases his mastery of melody and form. Its buoyant and elegant character, coupled with intricate piano passages, captivates listeners. The concerto's rich interplay between soloist and orchestra reflects Mozart's unparalleled ability to balance virtuosity with emotional depth.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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How did Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” come to be? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
"The Rite of Spring," composed by Igor Stravinsky, had its notorious premiere on May 29, 1913, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. The ballet was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky and produced by Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The premiere caused a sensation, with its avant-garde music and controversial choreography leading to a riot among the audience. Despite the initial uproar, "The Rite of Spring" has since become recognized as one of the most influential and groundbreaking works of the 20th century.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Recently, I chatted with author Sophia Lambton about her book, "The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography".
If you are a fan of Callas, which I am, this book offers you a deep dive into her life, born from extensive research, debunking popular theories and offering an authentic portrayal.
Twelve years in the making "The Callas Imprint" reaps never-before-seen correspondence and archival documents worldwide—closing in on the self-contradictions of Callas, her attitudes and habits with empathic scrutiny. It swivels readers through the singer's on- and offstage scenes and flux of fears and dreams... the double life of all performers. Please enjoy!
To order on Amazon, visit.
Maria Callas sings Puccini: Tosca - 'Vissi d'Arte' at Covent Garden 1964 c/o Warner Classics
[Maria Callas' final appearance on the operatic stage was in Tosca at Covent Garden's 1965 Royal Gala. For many opera lovers, Maria Callas and Tosca's Vissi d'Arte are inseparable. "I lived for art; I lived for love" became La Divina's cri de coeur, her swansong, the perfect expression of her own triumphs and tragedies. This unrivaled recording is from that legendary Zeffirelli production in 1964 and is one of just many jewels in the Maria Callas Live edition.]
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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What were the origins of the sliding trombone? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to "The Blue Bells of Scotland" by Arthur Pryor c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
One of the most famous and iconic pieces for the trombone, often featuring the sliding trombone (also known as the tenor trombone), is "The Blue Bells of Scotland" by Arthur Pryor. This piece is a virtuosic solo originally composed for trombone and piano, showcasing the technical capabilities and lyrical qualities of the instrument. It has become a standard in the repertoire for trombonists and is frequently performed in both solo and ensemble settings.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Recently released, an extraordinary film entitled, "Maestro," about the cultural icon Leonard Bernstein. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was a renowned American composer, conductor, and pianist, famed for his versatility and influence in classical music. He conducted the New York Philharmonic, composed iconic works like "West Side Story," and educated audiences through his engaging television lectures. His legacy endures as a towering figure in music history.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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What is the story of the harp? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the most renowned harp pieces is Claude Debussy's "Danses sacrée et profane." Composed in 1904, it seamlessly blends sacred and profane themes, showcasing the harp's ethereal qualities. Its evocative melodies and lush harmonies captivate audiences, making it a staple of the harp repertoire worldwide.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Why is the French Horn so difficult to play? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Elgar - Cello Concerto - Sheku Kanneh-Mason [BBC Proms 2019]
Fun Fact
Mozart's horn concertos are some of the most famous and beloved pieces in the horn repertoire, and they are frequently performed by horn players around the world. For instance, his Horn Concerto No. 1 in D major, K. 412/514, is a delightful classical composition from 1782. It's a playful piece with three movements: an Allegro, a Romanza, and a Rondo. The concerto showcases the French horn's agility and virtuosity, making it a beloved staple in the horn repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Ninety Years ago Sir Edward Elgar passed away. Throughout his life he was plagued by illness. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The last major work composed by Sir Edward Elgar was his Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85. Elgar completed the concerto in 1919, and it was premiered in London in 1919 by the cellist Felix Salmond. The concerto is known for its emotional depth and expressive melodies, and it has become one of the most popular and frequently performed cello concertos in the repertoire. Elgar also composed a few smaller works after the Cello Concerto, including the Severn Suite for brass band, Op. 87, which was completed in 1930.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Did you know that Charlie Chaplin was not only an actor but composer as well? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Chaplin was awarded three Oscars. At the very first Academy Awards, in 1929, he was given a special statue for The Circus, and in 1972, 20 years after his exile from the US amid dubious claims he was a communist, he returned to receive an honorary Oscar and a 12-minute standing ovation. But the only Oscar he won as a nominee was for Limelight in 1973 – for best score (the 1952 film only screened theatrically in Los Angeles in 1972, at which point it became eligible for Academy Award consideration).
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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I would like to dedicate this episode to Seiji Ozawa, who passed away at the age of 88 on February 6th, 2024.
Fun Fact
After graduating from the Seijo Junior High School in 1950, Ozawa broke two fingers in a rugby game. Hideo Saito, his teacher at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, brought him to a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, ultimately shifting his musical focus from piano performance to conducting.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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La bohème in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Bohème," premiered in 1896, derives from Henri Murger's novel "Scènes de la vie de bohème." It portrays the lives of struggling young artists in 19th-century Paris. Puccini's emotive score and Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica's libretto capture the essence of love, poverty, and artistic pursuits.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The Marriage of Figaro in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
"The Marriage of Figaro," composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, premiered in 1786 as a comic opera. Based on a play by Pierre Beaumarchais, it explores complex relationships, love, and class struggles. Mozart's masterful music and Lorenzo Da Ponte's libretto create a timeless masterpiece that remains a cornerstone of operatic repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
A Brief History of the Piano. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's love for the piano began in early childhood under the guidance of his father, Leopold Mozart, who recognized his son's prodigious talent. At the age of three, Mozart showed an innate affinity for the instrument, demonstrating remarkable dexterity and an exceptional ear for melody. His fascination with the piano deepened as he grew, leading him to become a virtuoso performer and a prolific composer for the instrument, contributing significantly to the classical piano repertoire.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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A Brief History of the Concerto. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Renowned for his innovative approach, Vivaldi crafted hundreds of concertos, particularly for the violin. His pioneering use of ritornello structure, a recurring thematic passage shared between soloist and orchestra, became a hallmark of the Baroque concerto. Vivaldi's exploration of virtuosic solo passages showcased technical prowess and expressive depth, influencing the evolution of the solo concerto.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
The Baroque Era in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Handel, a Baroque maestro, personifies the era's grandeur through his majestic compositions. His music, like the famous "Messiah," showcases elaborate ornamentation, dramatic dynamics, and emotional intensity. Handel's works epitomize Baroque extravagance, employing intricate counterpoint and lavish orchestration, making him a quintessential figure of this ornate musical epoch.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Ever wondered where the Metronome came from? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Mass manufacturing of clockwork metronomes made the devices increasingly cost effective and accessible, so that the periodical Music declared in 1897 that “A METRONOME SHOULD BE ON EVERY PIANO.” This push for the metronome stood in stark contrast to many composers’ attitude and aesthetic, with Brahms saying, “good friends have talked me into putting [metronome marks] there, for I myself have never believed that my blood and a mechanical instrument go well together.”
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Joseph Haydn's The Creation was inspired by Handel's Messiah and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The first of the oratorio’s three parts begins with “Representation of Chaos,” an orchestral prelude that uses stark chords and shifting harmonies to portray the formlessness and disorder that preceded the Creation. The six days of creation occupy the remainder of the first and all of the second part, with each day introduced in recitative by the archangels Raphael (bass), Uriel (tenor), and Gabriel (soprano).
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was a huge hit at the time. But did you know that most of it was cobbled together from previous writings? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Christmas Oratorio is in six parts, each of them being intended for performance on one of the major feast days of the Christmas period. The first part - for Christmas Day - describes the Birth of Jesus, the second - for 26 December - the annunciation to the shepherds, the third - 27 December - the adoration of the shepherds, the fourth - New Year's Day - the circumcision and naming of Jesus, the fifth - for the first Sunday after New Year - the journey of the Magi, and the sixth - for Epiphany - the adoration of the Magi.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
‘Tis the season for some great music, including Handel’s Messiah! What were the origins of this fantastic work? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days without getting much sleep and or eating much food. While writing the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus Handel’s servant discovered him with tears in his eyes, and he exclaimed, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with His company of Angels.”
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Have you heard of the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, one of the first classical composers of African heritage to attain widespread acclaim in European music? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In early 1776, the financially troubled Paris Opéra considered Chevalier de Saint-Georges as its new director. Despite his merit as the creator of the first disciplined French orchestra, opposition led to Antoine Dauvergne being appointed instead. It is likely this was fuelled by racial bias.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Did you know that Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, was truly passionate about the harp? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When Marie Antoinette arrived in Paris in 1770, the harp was already a relatively widespread instrument in Paris. However, her unwavering passion for the instrument was partially responsible for inspiring a veritable harp craze.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
The musicians of the Titanic all died when the ship sank in 1912. They played music, intending to calm the passengers, for as long as they possibly could. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
There are no indications that the Titanic’s band members ever attempted to save themselves, and all of them died in the sinking. Most people regard them as musical heroes, who helped to bring comfort and beauty to passengers’ final moments and avoid panic.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Did you know that Richard Strauss came from a very musical family, his father being both a composer and horn player. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Strauss's first horn concerto was premiered, with the composer playing the horn part, in 1865 and he remained greatly in demand as a soloist. The conductor Hans von Bülow called him "the Joachim of the horn".
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky is now one of the most popular ballets of all time. It’s remarkable, then, that when Swan Lake premiered in 1877, the reception was lukewarm at best. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When most of us think about Tchaikovsky, we think of his ballets — Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, the latter as ubiquitous at Christmastime as Handel’s Messiah. Between the 1877 premiere of Swan Lake in Moscow and the debut of The Nutcracker in St. Petersburg in 1892.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Did you know that Chopin also had a talented older sister who not only composed, but was a professional writer, too? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Frédéric’s health had never been good, and it deteriorated especially markedly in the late 1840s. For two months, she nursed her beloved brother in his final illness, a task that must have been overwhelmingly difficult, both physically and emotionally. Frédéric continued to deteriorate, and he died on 17 October.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Well, it’s nearly Halloween 🎃 and there are many works of music that depict the spookiness, darkness and morbidity of this annual tradition. 😱 But one jumps out at me, Danse macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Like all great music, this work was imitated by many over the years. The re-tuning of the violin for the tri-tone interval was used by many composers, with my personal favorites being Béla Bartók’s Contrasts for violin, clarinet, and piano, and James Newton Howard’s chilling score to the 2002 film, Signs. But notable occurrences include Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninoff, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim, and “Into the Unknown” by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez from Frozen II. Rachmaninoff actually quoted the “Dies Irae” theme in a dozen of his works.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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The young virtuoso, Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl, was quickly overshadowed by her brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, five years her junior. But she was nonetheless a child prodigy. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
As a trusted friend, family member and intimate music-making partner, Nannerl could have been exactly what Wolfgang needed to make the leap from sonatas to symphonies. As one scholar put it, “They probably had lots of discussion about what he was doing. I’ll bet she not only reminded him about the horns but also suggested some things for the horns and for other parts of the composition as well.”
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Mozart's Oboe Concerto in C major was composed in the summer of 1777, for his colleague the oboist Giuseppe Ferlendis. But shortly after that, went missing. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Composed when Mozart was twenty-one, this oboe concerto is a delightful, untroubled, and relatively straightforward composition, cast in the usual three movements. The solo oboe throughout the movement entertains with a delightful variety of virtuosic figurations, and after a brief, almost perfunctory, middle "developmental" section, regales us with a cadenza. After which the movement quickly moves through familiar themes to the end.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Description
Martha Argerich was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1941. She is a pianist [and one of my favourites] known for her recordings and performances of chamber music, particularly works by Messiaen, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No 1, Martha Argerich
Filmed at the La Roque d'Anthéron festival on July 29th, 2005.
Fun Fact
Martha Argerich made her first recording in 1960, aged just 19. The recording featured works by Chopin, Brahms, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Liszt, and was a critical success. Over the decades since, Martha Argerich has recorded works by a wide range of composers, with the Romantic era a speciality. Indeed, her recordings of the piano works of Robert Schumann, such as the Kinderszenen, Kreisleriana and Fantasia, arguably represent the pianist at her expressive, emotional and virtuosic peak.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
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Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 🤔
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Description
With the passing of Dame Angela Lansbury in 2022, it reminded me of one of my favourite Sondeim musicals, Sweeney Todd. She played the first Mrs Lovett in 1979. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Dame Angela Lansbury singing The Worst Pies in London.
Fun Fact
The original production of Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway March 1, 1979, at the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin). The show, featuring music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Wheeler, was directed by Harold Prince and starred Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. The production received eight Tony Awards in 1979—including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score—as well as 11 Drama Desk Awards and the Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical. It went on to be revived twice on Broadway and adapted into a 2007 film, in addition to the recent Off-Broadway production.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
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Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 🤔
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Description
Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away on March 28, 2023. He was a Japanese composer, pianist, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Ryuichi Sakamoto was born on January 17, 1952, in Tokyo. His father, Kazuki Sakamoto, was a well-known literary editor, and his mother, Keiko (Shimomura) Sakamoto, designed women’s hats. He began piano lessons at age 6, and started to compose soon after. His early influences included Johann Sebastian Bach and Claude Debussy — whom he once called “the door to all 20th century music”.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 🤔
Support the show
Description
There is little doubt that Mozart was a genius. But what was extraordinary was his abilities from such a young age. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
While Wolfgang was young, his family made several European journeys in which he and his sister Nannerl performed as child prodigies. These began with an exhibition in 1762 at the court of Prince-elector Maximilian III of Bavaria in Munich, and at the Imperial Courts in Vienna and Prague.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 🤔
Support the show
It was my privilege to be joined for this episode by acclaimed Canadian Composer and Pianist, Frank Horvat to discuss his own journey with mental illness; the effects it's had on him personally, as well as professionally; and now his advocacy work reaching out to young musicians to discuss their own struggles.
Over the centuries, many of the composers that we know all too well, were also battling mental health issues. It’s only recently that the stigma surrounding this is beginning to lift and people can have an open dialogue without being judged. But what is the link between creativity and mental health? How does it affect a composer's output or a performer’s interpretation of music? Please join me for this very special episode.
Frank's Bio
Frank explores a wide array of themes in his music from love to the environment, mental health and social justice issues. He gives his audiences time and space to reflect in this fast-paced world. Frank’s compositions tell deeply personal stories while permitting audiences to ponder their own.
His works have been featured on over twenty albums on labels including ATMA Classique, Really Records, and Centrediscs. With composition premieres on four continents, his music has been showcased internationally in theatre, feature films, and radio/TV networks including BBC Radio 3, Bravo, CBC, CBS, Discovery, HBO, Vice, and featured in publications such as Gramophone, The Strad, BBC Music Magazine, Toronto Star and Vancouver Sun.
Frank’s 2021 album, Music for Self-Isolation, was listed in the top 5 classical albums of the year by CBC Classical, plus, Frank’s other 2021 album, Project Dovetail, was included in CBC Music’s ‘must hear’ Fall albums.
For more with Frank, please check out his linktree: https://linktr.ee/frankhorvat
Piano Therapy Virtual Tour: https://frankhorvat.com/ptvt
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Jean Sibelius was thought to be a hero of Finland, as his music reflected the struggle of the people against the Russian Empire. This is most evident in his work, Finlandia. Take a minute to get the scoop!
An incredible performance of Finlandia, op. 26 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan. c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
Sibelius later reworked the Finlandia Hymn into a stand-alone piece. This hymn, with words written in 1941 by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi, is one of the most important national songs of Finland. It has been repeatedly suggested to be the official national anthem of Finland. Today, during modern performances of the full-length Finlandia, a choir is sometimes involved, singing the Finnish lyrics with the hymn section.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Rather than just disappearing for a few weeks—I thought I'd let you know that I am taking a rest until mid-September. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Fun Fact
When Steven isn't recording podcast episodes, he is auditioning for tv commercials and series/film or feeding his cats milk. 🐱
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Barber of Seville is an opera by Rossini and ‘perhaps the greatest of all comic operas’. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Rossini's Barber of Seville is considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music, and has been described as the opera buffa of all "opere buffe".
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach certainly got off to a rocky start—with the death of the composer before its premiere and then disaster striking its first Vienna performance. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Royal Family of Austria arrived at the theatre as the disaster was ending and immediately began collecting relief funds for the victims and their families. Crown Prince Rudolf was particularly emotional, crying upon seeing the hundreds of lifeless bodies.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
I am so pleased to announce the winner of our draw to receive a copy of "The Real Mozart: The Original King Of Pop". If you didn't catch my interview with author Judith Grohmann, please check it out HERE.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, originally titled ‘Six concertos for several instruments’, were composed for the Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg—yet were never performed in Brandenburg. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Each concerto was written for a different combination of instruments and demonstrates a musical style that was popular in Bach’s lifetime. It’s thought that this variation was intended to show off the instrumental strength of the Cöthen Court Orchestra, giving each musician a chance to demonstrate their virtuosity.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, known as the Unfinished Symphony, has always been mired in mystery as to why it was never completed by the composer. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Third & fourth movements: The fragment of the scherzo intended as the third movement returns to the tonic B minor, with a G major trio. The first 30 measures are preserved in full score, but the entire rest of the scherzo proper (both strains) only in short score. Only the first strain of the trio exists, and that as a mere unadorned, unharmonized single melodic line. The second strain is entirely absent.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Bruckner’s third symphony did not make the splash that he had hoped. Many factors came into play to cause a complete flop of a premier. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Stunned by this debacle, Bruckner made several revisions of his work, leaving out significant amounts of music including most quotations from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and Die Walküre. The original 1873 score was not published until 1977.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is one where the composer began to contemplate his own mortality. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Bruno Walter, who conducted the work’s posthumous premiere on June 26, 1912, with the Vienna Philharmonic, had never seen the score of the Ninth during Mahler’s lifetime; he only received it when Mahler’s widow Alma approached him about giving the premiere. He went on to become one of the work’s most eloquent exponents.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Recently, I chatted with author Judith Grohmann about her book, "The Real Mozart: The Original King Of Pop". This biography dives headfirst into the psychological workings of Mozart, as he navigates the explosive times of Viennese society during the enlightenment; his romantic and familial relationships, especially with his father Leopold; as well as, balancing the mundane task of earning money versus musical experimentation and expression.
If you'd like to order the book, please visit Pen & Sword Books.
I will also holding a draw for a free copy of the book. Just give the podcast a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com and you will be entered into the draw to win.
I will announce the winner at the end of July.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel is considered by many to be a true masterpiece. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Diaghilev had originally intended Daphnis et Chloé to form the centrepiece of the 1910 season, and although the first piano draft was ready by the beginning of May, this was already far too late, leaving the door wide open for Igor Stravinsky to score his first great success with The Firebird. This seems to have inspired Ravel to get a move on and by the end of the summer he was hard at work on the orchestration.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Rite of Spring composed by Igor Stravinsky premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris on May 29, 1913—it created quite an uproar with the audience claiming that Stravinsky was no composer but a madman. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Like Stravinsky’s earlier works for the Ballet Russes, The Rite of Spring was inspired by Russian culture, but, unlike them, The Rite of Spring challenged the audience with its chaotic percussive momentum.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16, were composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1909 much to the dismay of British audiences of the time. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Even Arnold Schoenberg admitted in his letters to Richard Strauss: “The greatest difficulty in performing these pieces is that...it is really impossible to read the score. It would be almost imperative to perform them through blind faith. I can promise you something really colossal, especially in sound and mood. For that is what they are all about – completely unsymphonic, devoid of architecture or construction, just an uninterrupted changing of colours, rhythms, and moods.”
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Planets, Op. 32, by Gustav Holst, was written after a holiday in Spain that sparked an acute interest in astrology. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The first movement of The Planets to be written was Mars in mid-1914, followed by Venus and Jupiter in the latter part of the year, Saturn and Uranus in mid-1915, Neptune later in 1915 and Mercury in early 1916. Holst completed the orchestration during 1917.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Join me as I chat with author Patrick Mackie about his book, “Mozart In Motion: His Work And His World In Pieces”. This novel is a fabulous deep-dive into Mozart—his inner psychology as both performer and composer and how he interacts with external forces such as society and family.
To order a copy of the book please visit the publisher.
Patrick Mackie is a poet whose work has appeared in The White Review, New Statesman, and The Paris Review. A former visiting fellow at Harvard, he is the author of Excerpts from the Memoirs of a Fool.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Peter and the Wolf Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", was written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936, as a means of introducing children to the instruments of the orchestra. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Typically, prior to a performance of Peter and the Wolf, the instruments are shown to the children in the audience, so that they may become familiar. They learn not only the themes presented in the work but learn to distinguish the sounds of each the instruments.
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
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Description
The Carnival of the Animals (Le Carnaval des animaux) is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements by Camille Saint-Saëns. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The first public performance of The Carnival of the Animals was given on 25 February 1922 by the Concerts Colonne, conducted by Gabriel Pierné. It was rapturously received. Le Figaro reported: “We cannot describe the cries of admiring joy let loose by an enthusiastic public. In the immense oeuvre of Camille Saint-Saëns, The Carnival of the Animals is certainly one of his magnificent masterpieces…”
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About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, aka The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell, Op. 34, was written by British composer Benjamin Britten. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In the last portion of the work, Britten combines all the sections of the orchestra in an intricate fugue on a new, dancelike theme derived from the original. Thus, the piece not only allows listeners to hear the contrasting voices of the instruments but also offers a peek into musical techniques of earlier centuries, showing how a melody can bounce from one instrument to another in sequence while other melodic ideas occupy the background.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Chopin’s Nocturnes were brief piano works that were inspired by the night. The Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9, No. 2, was written when Chopin was only 20. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Nocturne, Op. 9: No. 2 in E Major, Andante
Transcr. for Violin and Piano by A. Schulz
Alessandro Clerici, violin
Elena Brunello, piano
Fun Fact
The Nocturnes, Op. 9 are a set of three nocturnes for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin between 1831 and 1832, published in 1832, and dedicated to Madame Marie Pleyel. These were Chopin's first published set of nocturnes. The second nocturne of the work is often regarded as Chopin's most famous piece.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Samuel Osmond Barber II was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator. He’s also considered one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. One of his best known works is Adagio for Strings. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: The Dover Quartet plays the masterpiece by Samuel Barber in its original form, from the composer's String Quartet Op. 11 c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
The music critic Donal Henahan said of Barber, "Probably no other American composer has ever enjoyed such early, such persistent and such long-lasting acclaim."
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Grieg was first approached by the playwright Henrik Ibsen in Italy, 1866. Ibsen asked if Grieg could write incidental music for his drama Peer Gynt. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Grieg’s music for Peer Gynt is usually heard in the form of two orchestral suites (Op. 46 and Op. 55), each featuring four movements selected from his score. The best-known movements include “Morning Mood,” in which a serene melody for flute and oboe depicts a calm dawn; “Anitra’s Dance,” a nimble and seductive dance for strings; and “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” in which a short, mysterious theme gains speed and volume as it is repeated, building toward a frenetic climax.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
What was the genesis of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, one of the most frequently performed choral work of the 21st century? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Carl Orff - Carmina Burana | Cristian Măcelaru | WDR Symphony Orchestra | WDR Radio Choir
Fun Fact
Of the 315 profane songs contained in the Codex Buranus, Orff chose just 24, organising them into five sections in what he called a “scenic cantata”. They covered themes such as the joys and pains of love, the beauty of nature in springtime, and drinking’s guilty pleasures.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The trombone has a long history, said to have been created in the middle of the 15th century. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice: 'Beata es virgo' a6 - English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
The sackbut was used extensively across Europe, from its appearance in the 15th century to a decline in most places by the mid-late 17th century. It was used in outdoor events, in concert, and in liturgical settings. With trumpeters, trombonists in German city-states were employed as civil officials.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
On 21 October 1898, Edward Elgar returned to his wife and their home in Malvern after a long day teaching. He finished dinner, lit a cigar and sat down at the piano to doodle. Hence his Enigma Variations was born. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations, Op.36: IX. (Nimrod)
Queensland Symphony Orchestra ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
The first performance, conducted in London by Hans Richter, took place on 19 June 1899 in a concert that concluded with Mozart’s ‘Prague’ Symphony. It was not until 13 September in Worcester, however, that the Variations were heard in their final form after Elgar had added a further 100 bars to the end of “E.D.U.” to make a more powerful conclusion.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Elgar composed the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in 1901 as part of a series of five marches. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
At its publication the march was dedicated to English conductor A.E. Rodewald and the Liverpool Orchestral Society, who gave the first performance. The piece was an immediate success; at the London premiere later that year the audience demanded two encores of it.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Moonlight Sonata aka Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, was completed in 1801, published the following year, and premiered by the composer himself, whose hearing was still adequate but already deteriorating at the time. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The subtitle—“Sonata in the manner of a fantasia”—reminds listeners that the piece, although technically a sonata, is suggestive of a free-flowing, improvised fantasia. Indeed, arpeggios—playing of the notes of a chord sequentially, which remains a common improvisational device in the 21st century—permeate all three movements of the Moonlight Sonata and ultimately generate the themes and motifs that form the foundation of the work.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Ravel had long toyed with the idea of building a composition from a single theme which would grow simply through harmonic and instrumental ingenuity. And thus was born, Boléro. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Boléro was given its first performance at the Paris Opéra on November 20, 1928. The premiere was acclaimed by a shouting, stamping, cheering audience in the midst of which a woman was heard screaming: “Au fou, au fou!” (“The madman! The madman!”). When Ravel was told of this, he reportedly replied: “That lady… she understood.”
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67, became a standard against which many other symphonies were measured. It is best known by the ominous four-note opening motif. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Just for fun you may want to check out:
The Vienna boys choir, On the Beautiful Blue Danube 🎶
Fun Fact
In the mid-1970s, American musician Walter Murphy released “A Fifth of Beethoven,” a popular disco recording based on the signature motif and other elements of the symphony’s first movement. The “fate” figure has also been featured in many films and has been used in television commercials to promote a range of products and services from liquor to convenience stores to an Internet browser.
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
__________________________________________________________________
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Blue Danube is the most famous waltz ever written. It is considered Austria’s second national anthem. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Just for fun you may want to check out:
The Vienna boys choir, On the Beautiful Blue Danube 🎶
Fun Fact
The Blue Danube premiered in the United States in its instrumental version on 1 July 1867 in New York, and in the UK in its choral version on 21 September 1867 in London at the promenade concerts at Covent Garden.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Eine kleine Nachtmusik or “A Little Night Music” aka Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K 525, is admired for its lively, joyful quality and memorable melodies. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The four-movement work opens with a bright allegro in sonata form, and a slow, lyrical second movement follows. The third movement is a light minuet, and the finale is a brisk rondo. Originally, the piece contained a second minuet, but that movement has been lost. The specific occasion, if any, for which Eine kleine Nachtmusik was composed has never been determined.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture is considered one of his greatest masterpieces. Why then, did he not appreciate the accolades that came with its success? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
That infamous assessment of it as “very loud and noisy and completely without artistic merit, obviously written without warmth or love,” was penned by Tchaikovsky himself. The overture’s popularity was a source of deep frustration to this sensitive, serious-minded symphonist whose imaginative fantasy and whimsical, melodic turn of phrase had also managed to transform the art of composing ballet music to a high calling.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Handel's Water Music was composed around 1717 and first performed after George I requested a concert on the River Thames. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The first performance of the Water Music is recorded in The Daily Courant, the first British daily newspaper. At about 8 p.m. on Wednesday, 17 July 1717, King George I and several aristocrats boarded a royal barge at Whitehall Palace, for an excursion up the Thames toward Chelsea. The rising tide propelled the barge upstream without rowing. Another barge, provided by the City of London, transported about 50 musicians who performed Handel's music. Many other Londoners also took to the river to hear the concert.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
It may not be to everyone’s taste, yet Pachelbel’s Canon in D is one of the most famous pieces of classical music of all time. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Take a listen to: Canon and Gigue for Three Violins and Continuo in D Major: Canon · Jean-François Paillard c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
Pachelbel wrote more than 500 pieces over his lifetime. He was a prolific organist in his hometown of Nuremberg, and even taught the man who became Bach’s teacher. Despite the sheer volume of his output, there’s still no system to number all of his works.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
To celebrate the 100th episode of this podcast, I thought we could travel back in time to the dynamic public concerts of London’s Hanover Square Rooms during the early 1790s and the presentation of Joseph Haydn’s Military Symphony No 100 in G Major. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
At the time, Joseph Haydn was taking the city by storm, conducting his final twelve symphonies (Nos. 93-104) from a seat at the harpsichord. Haydn remained on the payroll of the Esterházy court during this time. But it was London where he was regarded as a rockstar, thanks to an invitation from the prominent impresario, Johann Peter Salomon.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
At first glance, Mozart’s piano music may look simple. Yet for many pianists, the music’s greatest challenge lies in that seeming simplicity. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Take a listen: Mozart Piano Sonata No 16 C major K 545 Barenboim c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
Another challenge for the pianist is Mozart’s complete mastery of orchestration. Many of the piano sonatas have a symphonic sweep and soundworld in their opening and closing movements, while the slow movements are soprano arias with dramatic interludes. Such piano writing demands that the pianist harnesses his/her imagination to evoke these instruments and sounds within the scope of two staves and just two hands.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Though Felix Mendelssohn was one of the most beloved composers of the Romantic period, 270 of his works remained unpublished until recent years. But why? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Thanks to the work of The Mendelssohn Project many of his pieces are now being shared along with his story, letters and artworks. The project aims to establish itself as the world's central resource point for all matters pertaining to the prominent Mendelssohn family.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The Bach Six Solo Cello Suites are considered a staple for every budding cellist. But in Bach’s day, the cello was not considered a solo instrument and these works were shelved for decades. Not until Pablo Casals came along. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in D min. BWV 1008 Casals c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
Since the earliest manuscripts copied by his wife Anna Magdalena Bach contain no markings as to the bowings, tempo, character, or articulation of the pieces, the suites have been reinterpreted in myriad ways by cellists around the world. One has to admire how the music speaks no matter how varied the approach. Nonetheless, certain cellists stand out for their Bach’s music.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Frédéric Chopin loved his food and was afforded great opportunities to develop his rather expensive tastes. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Chopin’s favorite restaurant was “Au Rocher de Cancale,” and that particular eatery is still located at rue Montorgueil, Paris 75002. The composer also liked to eat at the “Café de Foy” when it was actually called Café Tortoni.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
This holiday season I had the priviledge to talk with Patrick Rutikanga, Executive Director of the Gisimba Memorial Center in Rwanda. They run an after school program for children, part of which introduces music into their lives. The purpose of the program is to build strong relationships, heal families, restore dignity, and create hope in vulnerable East African communities. Take a listen.
About Gisimba
Using a holistic, trauma-informed approach Gisimba provides art and academic enrichment, family education, and therapeutic services to communities recovering from conflict or neglect. Every Child has the potential to acquiring and develop skills not only to give them a sense of meaning and identity but also empowering them to become fully active citizens in the development of Rwanda.
Contact Patrick Rutikanga: gisimba3patrick@gmail.com
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
As we usher in the New Year, many around the world sing "Auld Lang Syne" to bid farewell to the year gone by. But where did this tune come from and how did it come to be so popular? Take a minute to get the scoop!
AULD LANG SYNE ~ GUY LOMBARDO ~ 1947 Version ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
Guy Lombardo’s orchestra played at the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City from 1929 to 1959, and from then until 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Live broadcasts (and later telecasts) of their performances were a large part of New Year's celebrations across North America; millions of people watched the show with friends at house parties.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Beginning January 4th 2023, Classical 95.9-FM WCRI will be airing The Classical Music Minute just prior to Noon every Wednesday. Catch it live!
About Classical 95.9-FM WCRI
Classical 95.9-FM WCRI & Billboard Connection Providence are owned by Judson Group, Inc., a company that includes the son and grandsons of broadcasting pioneer Ted Jones, founder of Charles River Broadcasting Company and Boston’s legendary classical music station, WCRB. Judson Group acquired Classical 95.9-FM WCRI from Charles River Broadcasting in 2006 and is committed to carrying on the Ted Jones tradition of radio excellence.
Classical 95.9-FM WCRI is the only classical music station exclusively serving southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. Tune in to Classical 95.9-FM WCRI.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
This episode I have something special for you, I chatted with Vice-President and Co-Owner of Classical 95.9-FM WCRI situated in Rhode Island. Come January 4th 2023 they will be airing The Classical Music Minute just prior to Noon every Wednesday. But the station also has a really interesting history and approach. Take a listen.
About Classical 95.9-FM WCRI
Classical 95.9-FM WCRI & Billboard Connection Providence are owned by Judson Group, Inc., a company that includes the son and grandsons of broadcasting pioneer Ted Jones, founder of Charles River Broadcasting Company and Boston’s legendary classical music station, WCRB. Judson Group acquired Classical 95.9-FM WCRI from Charles River Broadcasting in 2006 and is committed to carrying on the Ted Jones tradition of radio excellence.
Classical 95.9-FM WCRI is the only classical music station exclusively serving southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. Tune in to Classical 95.9-FM WCRI.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The holiday season wouldn’t be marked without a rousing rendition of Handel’s Messiah. But was that its original intent? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Enjoy BBC Proms: Handel's Messiah – 'Rejoice greatly' with Trinidadian Soprano Jeanine De Bique. Amazing! ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
In the 1730s, the emotional and financial toll of producing operas, as well as changing audience tastes, contributed to Handel's growing interest in sacred oratorios—which required neither elaborate scenery nor foreign stars—including, eventually, Messiah. "With oratorios, Handel could be more his own master," says Keates.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The majority of modern music we hear today would not have been possible without the development of Polyphony in the 12th and 13th centuries. Much of this was accomplished through the innovation of The Notre Dame School in Paris. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to a great example of Pérotin’s organum quadruplum—four-voice polyphony ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
The earliest motets are the Notre-Dame motets, written by composers such as Leonin and Perotin during the 13th century. These motets were polyphonic, with a different text in each voice, and employed the rhythmic modes. An example of a Notre-Dame motet is Salve, salus hominum/O radians stella/nostrum by Perotin, composed between 1180 and 1238.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Alma Mahler was an Austrian composer and socialite. First, wife to Gustav Mahler and then after his death re-marrying twice. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Here’s a lovely recording of her Laue Sommernacht (mild Summer Night) for Mezzo & Piano ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
In 1938, after the Anschluss, Werfel and Alma were forced to flee Austria as it was unsafe for Jews. Eventually the couple settled in Los Angeles. In later years, her salon became part of the artistic scene, first in Vienna, then in Los Angeles and in New York.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
What is the oldest known instrument to exist today? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Paleolithic, also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek palaios - old, lithos - stone), is a period in prehistory, distinguished by the original development of stone tools, that covers 99% of the period of human technological prehistory. It extends from the earliest known use of stone tools by hominins c. 3.3 million years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene c. 11,650 cal BP.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Here’s another one of my favourite pieces, L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) by Igor Stravinsky. Take a minute to get the scoop!
L`Histoire du Soldat/ Suite de Concert, Pierre Boulez ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) was premiered in Lausanne on 28 September 1918, conducted by Ernest Ansermet. The British conductor Edward Clark was a friend and champion of Stravinsky and a former assistant conductor to Ansermet at the Ballets Russes. He conducted the British premiere of L'Histoire du soldat in 1926 in Newcastle upon Tyne, and gave three further fully staged performances in London in July 1927.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Recently I came across a fabulous Spanish Concert Pianist on YouTube, by the name of Juan Pérez Floristán. He was playing the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1—one of my favourites. Watching him play had me literally jumping out of my seat. So, I decided that I’ve really got to chat with him. And I did, from his home in Spain.
Juan’s website
Juan’s YouTube Channel
Tócala otra vez Juan (Play it again, Juan)
My Note: I checked it out and watched (with subs) his analysis of Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto. It was fun and informative. 🤓
Juan P. Floristán plays Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major ℅ YouTube
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (Floristán) ℅ YouTube
Here’s a little more about Juan, in his own words:
“I was born in 1993, in Seville, a city in the south of Spain, which in itself is in the south of Europe. My father, Juan Luis Pérez, is an orchestra director, and I learned how to conduct from him. My mother, María Floristán, is a pianist and pedagogue, and I learned to play the piano from her.
My orchestral activity also began when I was very young, playing Mozart's Concerto 12 with my father Juan Luis Pérez at the baton. Since then, I have played with ensembles such as the RTVE Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Spain, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Camerata, the Monterey Symphony Orchestra (USA), the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, the Seville Royal Symphony Orchestra, & the Barcelona Orchestra.
I have also conducted Beethoven and Mozart concerts from the piano.
As for the venues I have had the privilege of playing in, I cannot forget the Royal Albert Hall (together with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms), the Wigmore Hall, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Tonhalle in Zürich , the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, the Béla Bartók Hall in Budapest, & the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
Probably the greatest milestones of my professional life have been winning in 2015 the International Piano Competition "Paloma O'Shea" in Santander and in 2021 the International Piano Competition "Arthur Rubinstein" in Tel Aviv. In both I also won the public award, and to all this we must add the Gold Medal of the City of Seville and the First Prize in the Berlin Steinway Competition in 2015. But I never forget the saying that "Winning a prize does not depend on you. Deserve it, yes."
__________________________________________________________________
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
John Williams is of course known for his Hollywood blockbuster orchestral music. But has also composed many incredible works, including his cello concerto for famed cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Cello Concerto: I. Theme & Cadenza ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
Williams has composed for a staggering number of critically acclaimed and popular movies, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the first two Home Alone films, the Indiana Jones films, the first two Jurassic Park films, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, Seven Years In Tibet, and the first three Harry Potter films.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
One of my favorite pieces of all time is Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major. This episode is dedicated to this breathtaking composition. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to Juan P. Floristán play Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major ℅ YouTube—Juan will also be a guest of mine coming soon!!!
Fun Fact
One day during the summer of 1911, Sergei Taneyev, the revered composer, asked the young Prokofiev a question that undoubtedly puzzled many musicians of his generation: “Where, Sergei Sergeyevich, do you think your predilection for dissonances comes from?”
Prokofiev responded: “Well, you know, Sergei Ivanovich, when I was eleven years old and I brought you my first symphony [an unpublished student work], you listened to it and said with a smile, ‘Very good, very good; except the harmony is painfully primitive…’ Those words burned themselves into my brain, I became ashamed of my primitive harmony, and tried in every possible way to make it more interesting.
This ambition has never left me, and as my musical powers developed I was always aiming at ever more complex harmony […]” Laughing, Taneyev replied, “Well, imagine that! I never knew it was I who had set you off on that path…!”
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
John Gay wrote The Beggar's Opera as an anti-opera rather than an opera, lampooning the Italian opera style and the English public's fascination with it. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: The Beggar's Opera ℅ YouTube
Fun Facts
Fact 1
Lavinia Fenton, the first Polly Peachum, became an overnight success. Her pictures were in great demand, verses were written to her and books published about her. After appearing in several comedies, and then in numerous repetitions of The Beggar's Opera, she ran away with her married lover, Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton.
Fact 2
Bertolt Brecht adapted the work into Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) in 1928, sticking closely to the original plot and characters but with a new libretto, and mostly new music by Kurt Weill.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
Igor Stravinsky was a huge proponent of Neoclassicism in music—much to the shock and dismay of some listeners and critics. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Igor Stravinsky - Octet for Wind Instruments [With score] ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
A pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov in his native St. Petersburg, Stravinsky had inherited the style of the Russian nationalist group, the so-called kuchka or Mighty Handful, and the ballets he wrote for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes before and during the First World War – The Firebird, Petrushka, The Rite of Spring, and Les Noces – are post-kuchka works, based on folk tales or rituals, using folk music or poetry, and largely ignoring the orthodox procedures of traditional classical music.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
What was Neoclassicism in music? And which composers utilized this aesthetic form? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 (1917) is sometimes cited as a precursor of Neoclassicism. Prokofiev himself thought that his composition was a "passing phase" whereas Stravinsky's neoclassicism was by the 1920s "becoming the basic line of his music".
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
__________________________________________________________________
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
Got a topic? Pop me an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Support the show
Description
The tale of Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in F♯ minor, known as the "Farewell" Symphony was told in Haydn’s later life to his biographers Albert Christoph Dies and Georg August Griesinger. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 45, The "Farewell" Symphony ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
The symphony could not be performed without the purchase of some special equipment. Haydn signed an order for two special half-step slides for use by the horn players. These slightly lengthened the horn's tubing, permitting the instrument to be used to play in keys a semitone lower than usual. The horn of the time was the valveless natural horn, which needed to be adjusted with inserted crooks to play in different keys.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
In my past episode about Frederick The Great, I mentioned Sturm und Drang aka "storm and stress". This movement occurred in German literature and music between the late 1760s and early 1780s. It was a style of composition that evoked emotions of stress, fear, horror and anxiety. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to: Mozart's Symphony No. 25 (the "Little" G-minor symphony) ℅ YouTube
Fun Fact
The clearest musical connections to the self-styled Sturm und Drang movement can be found in opera and the early predecessors of program music, such as Haydn's Farewell Symphony. Beethoven, Weber, and even Schubert also have elements of Sturm und Drang.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
King Frederick II of Prussia aka Frederick The Great was passionate about music. He particularly loved to play the flute, which he initially learned in secret due to his father being a straight-laced military man. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Check out Friedrich II - Concerto For Flute, Strings & Continuo No.1 in G major
1st Movement - Allegro, c/o YouTube
Fun Fact
King Frederick II loved operas but never wrote one himself – he did, however, contribute arias for operas by Carl Graun, and wrote the libretto for Graun’s opera Montezuma. His flute sonatas make virtuosic demands on the performer and are excellent at conveying different ranges of emotion, expressing both soulful and spirited feelings.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Some thought that the virtuoso violinist Paganini was a metaphorical musical God, others thought he literally got his virtuosity from a deal with the Devil. But what was the real story behind Niccolò Paganini’s genius? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Check out the trailer for The Devil's Violinist
Fun Fact
Known particularly for his fiendish 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Paganini helped popularise certain string techniques such as bow bounces – spiccato – as well as left-hand pizzicato and harmonics. He also purposely mistuned strings to make certain pieces easier to play. It is said he could play 12 notes per second – a feat later achieved by violinist David Garrett, who plays Paganini in The Devil’s Violinist, a 2013 film based on the composer’s life story.
It is now believed that Paganini’s unusual finger length, which allowed him to play three octaves in one hand span, was due to Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder. Equally, his ability to play at incredible speed could be attributed to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disorder which causes increased flexibility and a lack of coordination.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Nowadays, ‘Für Elise’ is undoubtedly one of Beethoven’s most famous works. It seems almost strange then that, at the time it was composed, the piece was relatively incidental. It certainly didn’t provoke much of a reaction and apparently, Beethoven himself was never fully satisfied with the work, returning to it some years later and trying, unsuccessfully in his eyes, to revise and refine it. Ultimately, ‘Für Elise’ wasn’t even published until 1865, nearly forty years after Beethoven’s death on 26 March 1827. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Listen to "Für Elise" Performed by Lang Lang
Fun Fact
Beethoven composed the piece on 27 April 1810. At this stage, Beethoven’s hearing was getting gradually weaker. The composer could apparently still hear some speech and music until 1812. But by the age of 44 (four years after he composed ‘Für Elise’), he was almost totally deaf and unable to hear voices. As he got progressively deafer, his pieces got higher and higher. This might account for the relatively high pitch of ‘Für Elise’, which reaches an E7 – two Es above a top soprano C.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Johann Strauss Jr. found the perfect formula for engaging with the masses. He made a killing money-wise and was considered the biggest pop star of his time. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Strauss Jr. had a passion for accumulating an awe-inspiring array of medals, decorations and honours from the world’s sovereigns. As such, the titles and dedicatees of his compositions, as has been suggested, “may be viewed as a musically illustrated guide to about 50 years of European history.”
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the compact disk. It’s worth giving a nod to this period in our music recording history because for many of us it was a brave new world. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
A BBC programme called Tomorrow’s World introduced British audiences to the CD in 1981 – the presenter Kieran Prendiville was skeptical about “whether there’s a market for this kind of disc”. There was indeed a huge market for this shiny little miracle worker, but alas, it wouldn’t last.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
The world of trailer music evolved composer Kati Falk-Flores’ skills beyond her classical training into writing the larger-than-life, cinematic music needed for the promotion of Hollywood’s biggest films.
From the heartwarming piece used for advertising Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns to the dark exploration of humanity used for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Kati’s music resonates with audiences for its “powerful role in storytelling” and has won both CLIO and Golden Trailer Awards.
While trailer music has given Kati well-earned skill in writing orchestral-hybrid music, emotive storytelling takes the front seat for both her concert works and music for media, just as it did in the violin-feature orchestral work Awakening, commissioned in 2015.
Currently, Kati balances composing trailer music with writing music for indie film projects. Join me for this bonus episode coffee chat!
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
On a personal note, please consider a coffee donation. 🤓☕️
It's thirsty work creating content for TCMM. Many sleepless nights spent crafting that perfect one-minute episode or editing my latest fab interview as a bonus episode for your listening pleasure. 🎙🤔📚 But a cup of coffee is always welcome to keep my creativity flowing. 🎼☕️✍🏽🙏
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Blessed with good looks, but bad teeth, Franz Liszt had a number of vices, including cigars and cognac. All of which he would indulge in to excess. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Liszt was quite the rock star of his time. They called it “Lisztomania” – women would faint and go into a frenzy when he performed, so much so that local doctors thought it was an epidemic of mental illness. And it wasn’t just women swooning for Liszt! Upon seeing Liszt, one critic, Yuri Arnold, wrote: “As soon as I reached home, I pulled off my coat, flung myself on the sofa, and wept the bitterest, sweetest tears.”
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Anton Bruckner was extremely critical of his own work and often reworked his compositions. One such perplexity was his Symphony No. 0. Or was it? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Check out Bruckner's Symphony in D minor ℅ Frankfurt Radio Symphony | Paavo Järvi (YouTube)
Fun Fact
Unlike other musical radicals such as Richard Wagner and Hugo Wolf, Bruckner showed extreme humility before other musicians, Wagner in particular. This apparent dichotomy between Bruckner the man and Bruckner the composer hampers efforts to describe his life in a way that gives a straightforward context for his music. Hans von Bülow described him as "half genius, half simpleton". Bruckner was critical of his own work and often reworked his compositions.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
In defence of Ukraine and its cultural heritage, Keri-Lynn Wilson is leading the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra on its inaugural tour of Europe and America. Composed of leading Ukrainian musicians from both inside and outside of Ukraine, the orchestra was created by Ms. Wilson with support from the governments of Ukraine and Poland and the Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera.
About the Ukrainian Freedom OrchestraAbout Maestro Keri-Lynn WilsonBBC Proms Events
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
"Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" ("Hell's vengeance boils in my heart"), commonly abbreviated "Der Hölle Rache", is an aria sung by the Queen of the Night, a coloratura soprano part, in the second act of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte). But who are some of the sopranos who successfully tackled this feat of brilliance? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Four Soprano Greats with their Queen Of The Night (℅ YouTube)
Cristina Deutekom
Diana Damrau
Lucia Popp
Edda Moser
…Wow! I never get tired of listening to this aria…worth checking out. 🤓🎵🌎
Fun Fact
the Queen of the Night Aria is written in D minor, and is scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, and trumpets, along with timpani and the string section. This is a larger orchestra than for "O zittre nicht" and comprises all the players from the opera as a whole, except the clarinets and trombones. The aria is renowned as a demanding piece to perform well. The vocal range covers two octaves, from F4 to F6 and requires a very high tessitura, A4 to C6.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
For this bonus interview episode, I chat with Canadian Media Composer, Maria Molinari. Trained as a classical guitarist, Maria Molinari began her composing career writing concert music for soloists, chamber groups, ballet and orchestras until her love of film, storytelling & collaboration drew her to film scoring. Maria recently composed the score for the bold critically acclaimed anthology film TO THE NEW GIRL. Her music can be heard in the score for the feature film END OF DAYS, INC. and the theme for the forensic series MOTIVES & MURDERS: CRACKING THE CASE. She has provided additional music for the MARVEL COMICS based sci-fi syndicated series MUTANT X and the retro musical comedy series GETTING ALONG FAMOUSLY. Enjoy!
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
The ‘Queen of the Night’ aria, "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" ("Hell's vengeance boils in my heart"), is a coloratura soprano part, in the second act of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte). Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The story is a mixture of fun and high ideals, of Masonic philosophy and high jinx, of brotherhood and love affairs, of melodrama and serious thought. Within this context Mozart sent his final message of personal conviction and standards of living, which had been confirmed by his membership in the Freemasons, on January 7, 1785, admitted into the Zur Wohltätigkeit Lodge in Vienna. There, he was in familiar company. Other contemporary members of this Lodge were Joseph Haydn, his patron Prince Lichnowsky, his father Leopold, Michael Puchberg and Gottfried van Swieten, two of his most important patrons, Anton Stadler (clarinetist) and Angelo Solimon, a good friend.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Henry VIII, King of England (1491-1547) excelled at languages, literature, theology, sport and, famously, music. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In 1515, May Day was celebrated at Greenwich with all kinds of music, including, according to this description, a mix of natural and ‘made’ music: ‘In the wood were bowers filled purposely with singing birds which carolled most sweetly, and in one of these bastions or bowers were some triumphal cars, on which were singers and musicians, who played on organ, lute and flutes for a good while, during a banquet which was served in this place.’
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
For this bonus interview episode, I chatted with world-renowned theremin player Pamelia Stickney (formerly known as Pamelia Kurstin). She has performed and recorded with many artists including David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, David Garland, Seb Rochford, Otto Lechner and Simone Dinnerstein, and was instrumental in the final design of Robert Moog's Etherwave Pro Theremin, for which she was the primary test musician.
I was also joined by composer, Sasha Rapoport, who has written several works for the theremin, performed by his good friend Pamelia Stickney. Among other things, he chatted and played a clip from his 3rd Sonata, march and minuet. Sasha's principal compositions include works for Jamie Sommerville (Waldberauscht, 2016) Pamelia Stickney (Sonata for Theremin and Piano no. 1, 2014 and no. 2, 2018) The Talisker Players (And Hast Thou Glossed the Jabberwock? 2011, and The Pilgrimage of Henry Pyne, 2009), The Canadian Children’s Opera Company (Dragon in the Rocks, 2008), The Windermere Quartet (String Quartet no. 1, 2006 and no. 2, 2017), Valerie Tryon (Variations on a Theme of Chopin for Piano and Orchestra, 1999) and Judy Loman (Hymn to the Redeemer of the Nations, 1986). He is an associate professor, teaching stream, in composition and music theory at the University of Toronto.
Read about the documentary film: Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
During the late 1940s, Copland became aware that Stravinsky and other fellow composers had begun to study Arnold Schoenberg's use of twelve-tone (serial) techniques. After he had been exposed to the works of French composer Pierre Boulez, he incorporated serial techniques into his Piano Quartet (1950), Piano Fantasy (1957), Connotations for orchestra (1961) and Inscape for orchestra (1967). Unlike Schoenberg, Copland used his tone rows in much the same fashion as his tonal material—as sources for melodies and harmonies, rather than as complete statements in their own right, except for crucial events from a structural point of view.
About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
The lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687 – 1750) was one of the most prolific composers of the lute in history and was the virtuoso lutenist of his day. He was a contemporary of J.S. Bach and even competed with him in improvisation. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In later life, Weiss became a friend of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and met J.S. Bach through him. Bach and Weiss were said to have competed in improvisation, as the following account by Johann Friedrich Reichardt describes: "Anyone who knows how difficult it is to play harmonic modulations and good counterpoint on the lute will be surprised and full of disbelief to hear from eyewitnesses that Weiss, the great lutenist, challenged J.S. Bach, the great harpsichordist and organist, at playing fantasies and fugues."
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
The aria Nessun dorma is one of the most famous in all of operatic history and has been sung by an array of fantastic tenors—each adding their own unique technical and expressive prowess. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
"Nessun dorma", "Let no one sleep" is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot and one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. Any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles; if he fails, he will be beheaded. In the aria, Calaf expresses his triumphant assurance that he will win the princess.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
I wanted to do a special two-part episode on the famous aria Nessun dorma. First the plot and lead up to the aria itself. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Although "Nessun dorma" had long been a staple of operatic recitals, Luciano Pavarotti popularized the piece beyond the opera world in the 1990s following his performance of it for the 1990 World Cup, which captivated a global audience. Both Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo released singles of the aria, with Pavarotti's reaching number 2 in the UK, and it appeared on the best-selling classical album of all time, The Three Tenors in Concert.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show
Description
Need a quick refresher on the plot of Verdi’s Rigoletto? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Rigoletto premiered on 11 March 1851 in a sold-out La Fenice as the first part of a double bill with Giacomo Panizza's ballet Faust. The opening night was a complete triumph, especially the scena drammatica and the Duke's cynical aria, "La donna è mobile", which was sung in the streets the next morning. It initially had a run of 13 performances and was revived in Venice the following year, and again in 1854.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Occasionally, I am going to release a bonus interview episode for your listening pleasure. For this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Bekah Simms who is the outgoing General Manager for the Canadian League of Composers. She is also a truly innovative composer in her own right. We chatted all about the League as well as Bekah’s compositional process and what she’s currently working on. Enjoy!
Bekah on SoundCloud | Ghost Songs By Bekah Simms on Bandcamp
About Bekah Simms
The varied output of JUNO and Gaudeamus Award-nominated composer Bekah Simms has been heralded as “cacophonous, jarring, oppressive — and totally engrossing!” (CBC Music), “tough, even gutsy...with a sure sense of original and vibrant colours” (Vancouver Sun), and lauded for its "sheer range of ingenious material, expressive range and sonic complexity" (The Journal of Music.) Propelled equally by fascination and terror toward the universe, her work is often filtered through the personal lens of her anxiety, resulting in nervous, messy, and frequently heavy musical landscapes. Foremost among her current compositional interests is quotation and the friction between recognizability and complete obfuscation.
Bekah hails from St. John's, Newfoundland and is currently Toronto-based. Her music has been widely performed across Canada, in over a dozen American states, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Austria, Lithuania, the UK, and Russia. Commissioning ensembles include some of the top interpreters of contemporary music in both Canada and internationally, such as Crash Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, l’Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Thin Edge New Music Collective, Esprit Orchestra, Continuum Contemporary Music, Ensemble Télémaque, Ensemble Paramirabo, and Duo Concertante. Upcoming commissions include new works for Crash, But What About?, New Music Concerts, and more.
About Steven (TCMM Host)Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Medieval Western European music encompassed sacred and secular genres in the Middle Ages, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. It spans centuries and is worth considering as an integral part of our musical development. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Hildegard von Bingen was a rare Medieval female composer. Also known as Saint Hildegard and the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages. She is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony, as well as the most recorded in modern history. She has been considered by many in Europe to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Music has the power to arouse strong feelings and recall memories and the performer is the conduit to communicate this emotion. But it is actually far more complex than that. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
We’ve all had those ‘Proustian rush’ moments when a piece of music, or a single movement or even a phrase, provokes an involuntary memory, sometimes with physical side-effects such as goosebumps or shivers. Sometimes we want to feel uplifted or transported by music, taking us out of ourselves and the mundanity of everyday life to another place, to experience something touching or transcendent. Such moments, and the memory of them, are very special and individual.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
The theremin was the first electronic musical instrument invented purely by accident by a physicist and trained cellist. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The theremin became the go-to noise for an alien encounter, most famously in the classic 1951 movie The Day the Earth Stood Still (scored by Bernard Herrmann). Other high-profile credits, alongside lots of B-Movies, include The Lost Weekend and the Biblical blockbuster The Ten Commandments.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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After a harrowing pandemic, and shut down of the arts worldwide, the BBC Proms is back this summer. It will showcase repertoire not heard at the festival since 2019, but also lesser-known works in its ‘Cinderella’ instruments series. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The 2022 Proms marks the centenary year of the BBC, celebrating a historic partnership between music and broadcasting that has brought the world’s largest classical music festival into people’s homes across the UK and beyond.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Franz Schubert in just eleven years (1797-1828) wrote over 600 songs. He set some of the greatest poets of his time to music. Some of them were even contemporary minor poets who were his friends. The greatest poet of Schubert’s age was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. One of the most dramatic of Schubert’s vocal works was the setting of Goethe’s poem, The Erlking, Der Erlkönig. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
More than 10,000 of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s letters are still in existence as are nearly 3,000 drawings. He was a literary celebrity by age 25. A recent reviewer of a new biography of Goethe noted wryly that if Goethe had lived during the age of Shakespeare, we’d be wondering if there were one Goethe or if there were many, now confused under one name.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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It was the passionate and sometimes tempestuous relationship between Tchaikovsky and violinist Yosif Kotek that sparked the miraculous creation of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, a true masterpiece. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Although Yosif Kotek and Tchaikovsky were inseparable at one time, due to Kotek’s “unbelievable womanizing” the two fell apart. They would occasionally meet, love had clearly turned into contempt, and they found each other’s company “more unpleasant than pleasant,” and more “tiresome than attractive”. As it happens, contempt turned into pity when Kotek contracted tuberculosis and was sent to Switzerland for treatment. Tchaikovsky rushed to the bedside of his estranged and ailing lover, and dispensed various spiritual and physical comforts for six days. Kotek died, aged 29, and Tchaikovsky was charged with informing Kotek’s parents of their son’s untimely passing.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Teaching was part of Mozart’s lifestyle, and it was not uncommon for him to offer instruction while playing billiards or at the bowling alley. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
During the early stages of his career in Vienna, Mozart would give pupils 3 to 5 one-hour lessons per week but wasn’t particularly flexible about when the lessons could happen: he only wanted to teach during and around noon, so that he could have the mornings and evenings to write, perform and generally ponder over his own compositions.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart loved to eat. His favourites included a variety of dishes to fuel his creativity. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
With Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and numerous other composers hanging around, Vienna was clearly a musical center. Concurrently, it was an epicurean center that created and established the Viennese cuisine we still enjoy today.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Dating back over one thousand years, it is said that Ukrainian choral music embodies a cultural identity and is truly a reflection of the soul of a nation. Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
With ever-changing borders and territories, Ukraine became a truly independent state only in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet choral art in the Ukrainian lands stretches back for over 1,000 years. The so-called “Znamenny Chant” stood at the core of Eastern Byzantium church music and rites, but a good number of the early sources have not been fully deciphered to date. Eventually, responding to Western European developments, notation was reformed by the Kyiv square notation.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Sergei Rachmaninoff had an unmistakable connection to writing in minor keys. In fact, his three symphonies, Symphonic Dances, four piano concertos, and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini are all written in minor keys. But why you may ask? Join me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
By 1900 Rachmaninoff was paralyzed with self-doubt and unable to compose. After professional help, his creative juices were rekindled. The Piano Concerto No. 2, completed in 1901 and performed by Rachmaninoff himself, was a success and led to a Glinka Award.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Vladimir Horowitz is considered one of the greatest pianists of all time. What is less known is that Horowitz was born in Kiev, the capital of modern-day Ukraine and at the time this was part of the Russian Empire. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Horowitz was acclaimed for his recordings of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3, and his performance before Rachmaninoff awed the composer, who proclaimed "he swallowed it whole. He had the courage, the intensity, the daring."
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Sergei Bortkiewicz, a Ukrainian composer and pianist, was oppressed by the Soviets and the Nazis, a refugee and survivor of two World Wars, yet he composed wonderfully rich, appealing and colourful music. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 changed Bortkiewicz's life: Being a citizen of the Russian Empire, he was—together with his wife—initially put under house arrest and later deported from Germany to Russia. He returned to Kharkov, where he established himself as a music teacher, and also gave concerts. Hear his 3rd Piano Concerto.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Luciano Pavarotti was one of the most remarkable tenors of all time. Born into a humble working-class family, he attained worldwide fame, and eventually the honorific title of "King of the High Cs". Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Though praised for his voice, Pavarotti was often criticized for his inability to read music well and was unpopular with conductors due to telling them the correct tempo he believed was appropriate.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Alexina Louie is one of my favourite Canadian composers of contemporary classical music. I first heard her work “Music For Heaven and Earth” in 1990, which was commissioned by the Toronto Symphony. This is one composer you should definitely get to know. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Alexina Louie settled in Toronto in 1980, and over the subsequent four decades, she created a brilliant and ongoing career whose highlights are far too many to mention. Some of the most notable ones include her work O Magnum Mysterium: In Memoriam Glenn Gould, composed in response to the tragic and untimely death of Gould in 1982; two JUNO awards, as well as numerous JUNO nominations; her opera, The Scarlet Princess, commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company; her 2005 appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada; and esteemed awards like the 1999 Jules Leger Prize for New Chamber Music and the 2019 Canada Council Molson Prize in the Arts.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Esprit Orchestra is one of the few full-sized orchestras devoted to performing the work of living composers. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Conductor, Alex Pauk, is married to composer Alexina Louie. Over the years, both have collaborated on several film scores including Don McKellar's Last Night, which received a Genie nomination for Best Original Score in 1998, and The Five Senses, a film by Jeremy Podeswa that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival the following year. In conjunction with David Henry Hwang, Louie composed a full-length opera, The Scarlet Princess (1996–2002).
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Over the years 1825–1849, Frédéric Chopin wrote at least 59 Mazurkas for piano, based on the traditional Polish dance. But his unique style differed significantly from the original. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In 1921, Béla Bartók published an essay in which he said that Chopin "had not known authentic Polish folk music." Bartók suggested that Chopin instead had been influenced by national, and not folk music.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
There has been much debate over the years as to how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died. What had he suffered from that had taken his life at the early age of only thirty-six? Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Most of us have seen the movie Amadeus, and the scene with Salieri pestering Mozart on his deathbed. However, there is little evidence that Salieri was present during Mozart’s final hours. The cause of Mozart’s death will surely be debated for decades to come, but we do know that he was buried in a common grave at St Marx Cemetery on 7 December 1791.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
There are a myriad of animations around the world that use classical music. Sometimes to support the action and other times to be the focal point. Here are three that I wanted to touch upon. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Another Japanese anime to consider watching is Your Lie In April. It is about Kōsei Arima, a child prodigy who became famous after winning a major piano competition. However, he lost his ability to play following his mother’s passing. The story focuses on his friendship with Kaori Miyazono, who encourages Kōsei to return to the musical world and reignite his passion for playing.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
If you are a Rachmaninoff fan, his Symphonic Dances are worth a listen to gain further insight into the many shades of this dynamic composer. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Symphonic Dances combine energetic rhythmic sections, reminiscent of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, with some of the composer's lushest harmonies. He also may have included material intended for a ballet entitled The Scythians, begun in 1914–15 but abandoned before he left Russia.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Beethoven was both composer and businessman as he hustled to make a living on a daily basis, balancing writing with the necessity of giving private lessons and negotiating with publishers. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The publishing industry during Beethoven’s time was in its infancy, and as such, it was quite unreliable. People of ill repute dominated the publishing business, as they stole music, “altered it, misattributed it, bribed copyists to steal it, and pasted their own name over copies bought from the original publishers.”
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony was composed amidst significant upheaval during the “Great Patriotic War” which began in 1941. No composer before Shostakovich had ever written a symphony during a raging war, “and no composer had ever attempted to describe a future victory, in music, with such power and conviction.” Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Shostakovich’s “War Symphony” was finally performed on 9 August 1942 in Leningrad. A playwright in the audience wrote, “People who no longer knew how to shed tears of sorrow and misery now cried from sheer joy. It was not an impression, but a staggering experience.” The siege of Leningrad was finally lifted two years later, but almost one million of the city’s civilian population had by then perished.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
On New Year’s eve, there are a handful of audience favourites that conductors around the world choose to perform. One such crowd-pleaser is the Die Fledermaus Overture by Johann Strauss II. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The first London performance of Die Fledermaus did not take place until 1895, "Twenty years after its production as a lyric opera in Vienna…it was [composer and conductor Gustav] Mahler [who] raised the artistic status of Strauss's work by producing it at the Hamburg Opera House”.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is a staple of ballet stages worldwide during the holiday season. But how did it come to be? And was it a hit right off the bat? Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In the original version of "Nutcracker and Mouse King" a little girl, Marie, worries about a beautiful nutcracker that's been broken. At night, she goes to check up on it. To her surprise, it has come alive, and a story-within-the-story begins. Armies of mice and toy soldiers battle in what is either the child's delirious nightmare or perhaps another reality into which she wanders. Alexandre Dumas altered that original version, making it lighter and less scary for the ballet version that we see today.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Franz Schubert died at the early age of only thirty-one. For a number of years, he suffered from the crippling effects of syphilis, coupled with the effects of highly toxic mercury treatment. Yet, despite this, he composed three final solo piano sonatas which are said to reflect his psychological journey of isolation and alienation. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
It is said that Schubert’s place in the history of music is equivocal, for he stands between the worlds of Classical and Romantic music. He can, however, be considered as the last of the great Classical composers. His music, subjectively emotional in the Romantic manner, poetically conceived, and revolutionary in language, is nevertheless cast in the formal moulds of the Classical school—with the result that it has become increasingly apparent that Schubert more truly belongs to the age of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart than to that of Schumann, Chopin, and Wagner. (Maurice J.E. Brown. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Last Updated: Nov 15, 2021)
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Flutes come in all shapes and sizes. But each one was created with a specific purpose in mind and marks a period in musical history. In Western music history, certain well-known composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky utilized different flutes in their pieces, thus paving the way for future works. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
There are several means by which flautists breathe to blow air through the instrument and produce sound. They include diaphragmatic breathing and circular breathing. Circular breathing is quite difficult and can take performers years to master. It is a technique where players produce a continuous tone without interruption. It is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Glenn Gould is best remembered for his remarkable interpretations of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. But he is also fondly thought of as having been extraordinarily peculiar—in the most endearing way. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
From an early age, Gould challenged the accepted norms of the “classical music biz.” After winning the first Kiwanis festival in Canada in 1944, he swore off competitions, claiming that they were antithetical to the nature of art. (He later declared that “competition, rather than money, is the root of all evil.”) Most controversial of all, he came to detest the live concert experience – for reasons of anxiety, and more importantly, for philosophical reasons. Fundamentally, he regarded his mission as an artist as a moral one: to experience and share a state of “ecstasy,” of a higher spiritual state. (The Glenn Gould Foundation 2021)
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
The Age of Enlightenment saw the dawning of a new era in music. Public concert halls were established, lower classes had access to music, and even music itself changed and grew. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Age of Enlightenment considered the importance of an individual who can reason for themselves, the idea of equality under the law, and the notion of natural and inherent rights. This focus on the individual greatly influenced the music composition of the time.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
The Renaissance was a period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
From about 1520 through to the end of the sixteenth century, European composers utilized polyphonic language to explore musical expression through the French chanson, the Italian madrigal, the German tenorlieder, the Spanish villancico, and the English song, as well as in sacred music.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Steve Reich is an American composer and leading exponents of Minimalism, a style based on repetitions and combinations of simple motifs and harmonies. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In commemoration of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, Reich composed WTC 9/11: For Three String Quartets and Pre-recorded Voices (2010), incorporating recordings of emergency personnel and New York residents that had been made on the day of the tragedy.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
John Cage’s music is loved by many and hated by some. After him, no one could look at a painting, book, or person without considering how they might sound if you listened closely. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In the 1970s, with inspirations like Thoreau and Joyce, Cage began to take literary texts and transform them into music. “Roratorio, an Irish Circus on Finnegan’s Wake” (1979), was an outline for transforming any work of literature into a work of music.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Frédéric Chopin suffered from serious and chronic health problems throughout his life. This shaped many of the pieces he created as he searched for peace of mind and a quest for simplicity. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop! Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Chopin generally bypassed the sketching process and proceeded directly from the piano to the engraver’s manuscript. As such, dealing with Chopin’s posthumous works was a rather complex undertaking. Chopin’s music was, for the late 19th century, “an intimate communication, an agent for cultural and even political propaganda, and a commodity.”
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
There was an overwhelming melancholy in Elizabethan times and composer John Dowland understood how best to capture this sadness. Dowland (1563 –1626) is best known for “I saw my lady weep,” and “Flow my tears” both of which capture the melancholy side of the early 17th century. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Dowland made his name on these crying songs and “Flow My Tears” became his signature song. The piece first existed as one for lute simply entitled Lachrimae (Tears). Despite its sad nature, this song is considered by some to be the most widely known English song of the early 17th century.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
The Metropolitan Opera is back after a long pandemic shutdown with a new season. It launched with Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” marking the first time that a Black composer and a Black librettist have found their way to the Met. This is indeed a historic moment, fueled by recent events, and yet long overdue. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
“If you have passion for something and you work hard and study hard and put forth the effort, the sky’s the limit. One thing I believe as an artist is when you’re honest about what you are creating, you are creating something that will touch other people who are dealing with the same issues.” — Terence Blanchard, Composer
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is a highly celebrated work. But did you know that poetry was also published along with it? You can check out the full poetry on the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s site. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Vivaldi’s opera Giustino, which was also written in 1723, has similarities to The Four Seasons. In the middle of Act I, there’s a short sinfonia, and we can hear what Vivaldi did with the theme from the first movement of his (then) new concerto.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Leonard Bernstein was one of the first American-born conductors to receive worldwide fame. A conductor, composer, and avid educator, his life cannot be captured in this podcast. But my hope is that if you didn’t know much about Leonard Bernstein, this snapshot may inspire you to learn more. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The original 1957 Broadway production, ran for 732 performances before going on tour. It was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1958. The show had an even longer-running London production, a number of revivals, and international productions. A 1961 musical film adaptation was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won ten, including Best Picture.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Ever wondered what is Neoclassicism in music? And how did Igor Stravinsky play his part? Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
From 1948 to 1951, Stravinsky worked on his only full-length opera, The Rake’s Progress, a Neoclassical work based on a series of moralistic engravings by the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth. The Rake’s Progress flirts with the late 18th-century grand opera but with the hard edges and twists of the Stravinsky wit and refinement.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Why was Verdi so revered by the Italian people? Was it just his catchy tunes, or something deeper and more complex? Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Italian unification is also known as the Risorgimento meaning "Resurgence", was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single state, the Kingdom of Italy. The unification process was precipitated by the revolutions of 1848 and reached completion in 1871 when Rome was officially designated the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Ever wondered who invented the printing press and how this affected music way back when? Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
It wasn’t until the 19th century that the hand-operated Gutenberg-style press was replaced by steam-powered rotary presses. This allowed printing on an industrial scale, becoming practically the sole medium for modern bulk printing worldwide.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Martin Luther is best known for having brought about the Protestant Reformation. But Luther was also an avid composer, whose works are still celebrated today. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The Protestant Reformation was a religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century. Its greatest leaders were Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Reformation had far-reaching political, economic, and social effects on society. It became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Description
Ever heard of the “pants role” aka “trouser roles” or “breeches parts” in opera? Well, this goes back centuries, with quite the backstory. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Why did Baroque audiences buy into women playing masculine heroic parts in opera? The most conceivable theory is that Baroque opera was not concerned with realism. Further, these parts were designed to showcase vocal virtuosity, as opposed to lending credence to the plot or character.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
In order to understand where music stands today, it’s great to consider some of the origins and uses of music. Archaeology has uncovered numerous indications of the importance of music in Ancient Greece, especially as it relates to their athletic Games. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The earliest games at Delphi were held in the eighth century BC. Initially, they were wholly religious. They formed part of the festival of Apollo. A sacrifice of three different animals opened proceedings, followed by a sacred banquet. The games began the following day.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Description
Ever heard of the twelve-tone technique aka dodecaphony aka twelve-tone serialism aka twelve-note composition? I know, it’s a little mind-bending, but worth noting if you love music that breaks the boundaries of tonality. It’s even used in modern broadway shows! Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Schoenberg believed that his 12-tone technique would assure the supremacy of Germanic music for another hundred years. In reality, it had far less impact than he had hoped. Even Schoenberg’s star pupil Alban Berg found ways to infuse elements of 12-tone into his scores, but with his own unique flare.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Ever wonder what inspired Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz? This “program” symphony is fueled by Hector’s obsession with actress Harriet Smithson. It is a shocking ride of epic psychological dimensions. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
In the fall of 1827, at age 24, Hector Berlioz attended the opening night of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, performed in Paris by an English theatre company. On that night, Berlioz was fascinated by more than the work of the revered English poet: he was enchanted by Harriet Smithson, the young Irishwoman who played Ophelia. That enchantment soon turned to obsession as Berlioz haunted the stage door and inundated Smithson with love letters only to have his advances ignored.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Description
One of my favourite operas by Giuseppe Verdi is Macbeth—maybe because I am such a Shakespeare fan. Verdi himself was also an avid reader of Shakespeare and sought to produce an operatic work unlike any that had gone before. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
When Verdi’s Macbeth first premiered in Florence in 1847, it was dubbed “L’opera senza amore!” The opera without love. It was odd to Italian audiences of the day that there was no great love affair as the focal point. Despite that, Verdi proved himself to be a trailblazer as he pushed the boundaries of the operatic art form to great acclaim.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Ever wondered where the term Bel canto came from? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Did you know that Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the Bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s? One of the most remarkable female opera singers of the 20th century, she was dubbed La Stupenda by a La Fenice audience in 1960 after a performance of the title role in Handel's Alcina. Her good friend Luciano Pavarotti once called Sutherland the "Voice of the Century".
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Although not a superstar like Handel, J.S. Bach was prolific in his writing. Yet, after his death, his music remained relatively dormant for some time. So, was Felix Mendelssohn responsible for kickstarting Bach back into the limelight? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
At the time Mendelssohn was promoting Bach, there was already a Bach revival underway; in fact even Beethoven proclaimed Bach as being one of the greats. There was also the first biography of J.S. Bach published in 1802 by Johann Nikolaus Forkel.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Maybe you’ve heard of the famed violins by Stradivarius. But why are these violins so coveted? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
What about the best-preserved Stradivarius? Tellingly nicknamed “the Messiah,” it sits in a climate-controlled case in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, receiving the kind of curatorial attention and care reserved for precious works of art.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Description
Ever wondered who were the Medieval Troubadours? Back in the day, nothing was written down but passed from performer to performer as they travelled the countryside. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
One of the epic poems performed by troubadours was Beowulf. Beowulf was spoken by some and sung by others. Beowulf is the story of a hero who fights and defeats a huge monster. Another epic poem is that of the Song of Roland.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Ever wondered how the Operatic Overture came into existence? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
The roots of the opera Overture begin with the first surviving opera, Peri’s L’Euridice in the year 1600. Peri included an instrumental “ritornello” at the beginning of the opera. This planted the seeds for what would eventually become the full-blown overture.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Carlo Gesualdo was both a vicious murderer and brilliant composer—the two going hand in hand. Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
There have been no fewer than eleven operatic works on the subject of Gesualdo’s life, with Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) premiering his Gesualdo in 1993.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
Need a quick refresher on the plot of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte aka The Magic Flute? Take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Emanuel Schikaneder decided to write The Magic Flute aka Die Zauberflöte in the style of Singspiel—a German-language comic opera with singing and dialogue—though it should be noted that Mozart never actually referred to it as a Singspiel.
The opera premiered on 30 September 1791, just two months before Mozart’s death, with the composer himself conducting and Schikaneder as the bird-catcher Papageno. It was an immediate hit with audiences. It took Vienna by storm, and its popularity soon spread throughout all of Europe.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
In this minute of classical music history, I’ll showcase Mozart’s partner in crime, Lorenzo Da Ponte, who was librettist to many in the operatic world at the time, including writing for three of Mozart’s greatest works.
Fun Fact
At the age of 79, Da Ponte became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Five years later, he founded America's first opera house, the New York Opera Company. Unfortunately, it lasted only two seasons due to his lack of business savvy and was promptly disbanded. However, it was the predecessor of the New York Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Description
In this minute of classical music history, I’ll delve into the life of Hildegard of Bingen who was, among other things, one of the first identifiable composers—dating back over 800 years to the early medieval period.
Fun Fact
A character of the same name, Hildegard, was created for the Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. Although Hildegard is mentioned in a long list of witches throughout history, there's no evidence she actually had any magical powers.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
From the grand gestures of gods and ancient heroes in Opera Seria to the comical meanderings of Opera Buffa. These two genres occurred at a time of great change both in music and European society as a whole. Take one minute to Get the Scoop!
Fun Fact
Opera Buffa was inspired by intermezzi, which were comic intermissions appearing in between acts of Opera Seria, in order to break up the tension. This gave way to full-fledged operas in the new comic style of Opera Buffa.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
In this episode, I explore the history and impact that Castrati made on the musical scene of the time. They were indeed a powerful force, both literally and figuratively in shaping musical dexterity, virtuosity, and prowess.
Fun FactAlessandro Moreschi was the last castrato to sing in the Sistine Chapel choir. He would retire in 1913, thus ending the Castrati legacy. About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
In this minute of classical music history, I’ll delve into the make-up and influences of the Florentine Camerata. They had a big impact on the arts in the latter part of the 16th century, more specifically the development of a new kind of music.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that Jacopo Peri’s Dafne (1598) is said to be the first opera ever written? Apparently, Jacopo might have popped in on Camerata meetings every once in a while to get the latest scoop.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Today, most orchestral performances begin with the grand entrance of the maestro, as he/she takes their place on the podium and then emphatically points their baton at the musicians to indicate everyone (including the audience) should pay attention.
But the use of the baton wasn’t always this elegant and didn't always convey the musical subtleties of conductor to musician.
In this episode, I hopscotch through history to see how the modern-day baton came to be.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)
Ever wondered how some wind players circular breath? What is circular breathing anyway?
Check out my first episode of The Classical Music Minute podcast for the answer to this burning question.
If you’re interested to hear the oboe piece I mentioned in the podcast check out the recording. See if you can spot this circular effect in action!
Featured Soundtrack for this episode, “The Nose: A Brief Moment In Time”.
About StevenSteven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TCMM)