Sometimes the best things happen by accident! Allegri's 'Miserere' is famously beautiful, ethereal and transports us out of ourselves - or maybe deeper within. But the 'best bit', when one of the singers soars high above the others, wasn't actually composed at all - could it be music's greatest mistake? And how did it happen? Let's find out... Music here on Youtube or Spotify . (Listening time 20 mins: podcast 8', music 12') Please help Cacophony grow and develop by doing some of these things: L...
Apr 01, 2021•8 min•Ep. 107
I'm always a bit surprised to find myself humming bits of Ma Vlast - My Country by one of the Czech's favourite sons. I guess I must really love it! Feared by the Nazis, loved by the Czechs, this is the acceptable face of nationalism, and its full of great tunes and causes deep satisfaction. Music here on Youtube or Spotify . (Listening time 32 mins: podcast 10', music 23') Please help Cacophony grow and develop by doing some of these things: Leave a comment to tell us what you think at Cacophon...
Mar 06, 2021•9 min•Ep. 106
American composer Amy Beach was so popular that her followers held ‘Beach Clubs’* to play and listen to her music! Her Quartet for strings is lean and powerful, as well as being a great jump-off into the world of string quartets: a place fraught with danger for the players, where composers go to bare their souls. Take a listen and join the Beach Club! Music here on Youtube or Spotify . (Listening time 21 mins: podcast 7', music 13') Please leave a comment to tell us what you think at Cacophony's...
Feb 27, 2021•7 min•Ep. 105
Poignant, peaceful, maybe even transcendental music for choir with cello: Svyati by John Tavener is the result of a lifetime of spiritual enquiry and of perfecting a simple and profound musical style. Beautiful. Listening time 19 mins (Intro 5', music 14') Music on youtube or Spotify Please leave a comment to tell us what you think at Cacophony's website. Please subscribe to the podcast and share widely. If you like this piece, you can buy it here or elsewhere in top quality download for pennies...
Feb 20, 2021•5 min•Ep. 104
What's in a name? Not much it seems. An 'Intermezzo' is often a short piece that breaks up something bigger... but Brahms used it as his go to name for any short piano pieces where nothing else came to mind! In any case, these three Intermezzos for solo piano from late in Brahms's life are beautiful, wistful, dreamy and give us a perfect break from whatever you've got going on... Like all Brahms pieces they're musically perfect too. Listening time 21 mins (Intro 6', music 15') Music on youtube o...
Feb 07, 2021•6 min•Ep. 103
Delicate, sparkling and perhaps surprisingly touching, here are three short diversions from the various trials of modern life - written 300 years ago by Couperin and brilliantly rewritten in 2006 by Thomas Adès who takes obvious delight in the sound of music. Listening time 20' [podcast intro 7', music 13'] Francois Couperin liked nice titles - we're listening to The amusements , Sleight of hand and The soul in torment from his Pieces for Harpsichord. Music here on Youtube or Spotify . Please le...
Jan 29, 2021•7 min•Ep. 102
Great music to mark the US Presidential hand-over! Raucous fun alongside the deep and meaningful, Three Places in New England is challenging, confusing, complex, silly and surprising music that leaves me baffled but smiling and moved too! A hundred years old but way ahead of its time from one of America's first great composers, Charles Ives. Listening time 28mins (10' intro, 18' music) Listen to the music on Spotify or Youtube Let me know what you think at cacophonyonline.com or Facebook. Please...
Jan 21, 2021•10 min•Ep. 101
If you've got any new year sluggishness, sweep all that away with a blast of Respighi's Roman Festivals - four vivid musical pictures featuring love songs and folk dances, wine, religion and state-sponsored violence (lions eating Christians)! Listening time c32 mins [8' podcast, 24' music] Listen to the the music here on youtube or spotify and also here with pictures, played by the same Italians (the fabulous and fabulously titled Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Roma and the...
Jan 14, 2021•8 min•Ep. 100
Three musical geniuses really make the magic come alive in Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's adaptation of Tchaikovsky's classic, Nutcracker. Essential Christmas listening to bring joy to the word! For the original Tchaikovsky Nutcracker check out Episode 50 of Cacophony Music on Youtube or Spotify Listening time 38 mins [8' podcast, 30' music] Please like, rate and share the podcast. Please visit Cacophonyonline.com to let us know what you think! Thanks for listening!...
Dec 24, 2020•8 min•Ep. 99
There's so much unknown great music out there! You almost certainly won't have heard this great piece or have heard of its writer. I certainly hadn't. Henriëtte Bosman's wrote her Concert Piece for violin and orchestra for her fiancé. He died before he could play it, and in her grief she couldn't compose any more. Then the war and Nazi occupation of Amsterdam cut short her career as a performer too. I'm joined by my friend, violinist Marina Solarek, who tells us the story of an amazing woman, he...
Dec 17, 2020•18 min•Ep. 98
In the dramatic final part of our drug-fuelled adventure with composer Hector Berlioz, the dreams turn to nightmare visions of murder, execution, witches and demons. It's loud, exciting, brilliant and I love it. Listening time: 21 mins (into 6'; music 15') Music for part 3 on youtube with pictures (18 mins), or Spotify . or the whole Fantastic Symphony: youtube or Spotify . Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate/review, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening...
Dec 03, 2020•6 min•Ep. 97
Composer Hector Berlioz's love-struck young artist - in his drug induced dreams - escapes to the country. In the peaceful atmosphere he dreams of love and happiness - but can it last? Listening time: 22 mins (into 4'; music 18') Music on youtube with pictures (18 mins), or Spotify . Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Nov 29, 2020•4 min•Ep. 96
Driven to distraction and to drugs by a woman he'd never even spoken to, Hector Berlioz was consumed with passion. His obsession and fevered mind produced the unique, Symphony Fantastique. It's brilliant, dramatic, original and gets three episodes of Cacophony! Listening time: 31 mins (into 9.5'; music 21') Music on youtube with pictures (first 22mins), or Spotify . Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Nov 26, 2020•10 min•Ep. 95
This is a rarity on two counts - it's a really good French symphony from the 1800s, and it's written by a woman! The brilliant, Symphony No.3 by Louise Farrenc. Listen [and watch] on youtube or Spotify Listening time 43mins (7 'intro, 36' music) I don't really like using old pictures of composers, but when we're playing music by women, who are entirely new to us and aren't just another dead white guy (with or without a wig) it seems appropriate! Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.c...
Nov 06, 2020•7 min•Ep. 94
Some music conjures up a sense of place perfectly and no one has done it better then Benjamin Britten's depiction of the Suffolk coast of England. Bleak, angry, foreboding and special - this is Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes. Music here on youtube or Spotify Listening time: 23 mins [Intro podcast 7', Music 16'] Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Oct 21, 2020•7 min•Ep. 93
It's great to be able to escape from modern life's concerns. Dvorak's sixth symphony is full of good tunes, and a spirit of generosity and optimism. Also a bit of Nationalism... but in a good way. So forget about everything else for a bit and bask in Dvorak's warmth and positivity. Listening time =24 mins (Intro 5' plus second half of symphony 18') Music here (2nd half of symphony only) on Youtube (sound only) or Spotify or the whole piece of music here on Youtube or Spotify Please comment on Fa...
Oct 13, 2020•5 min•Ep. 92
It's great to be able to escape from life's concerns. Dvorak's sixth symphony is full of good tunes, and a spirit of generosity and optimism. So forget about everything else for a bit and bask in Dvorak's warmth and positivity! Listening time =35 mins (Intro 7' plus first half of symphony 28') Music here on Youtube (sound only) or Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Oct 13, 2020•6 min•Ep. 91
They say you never forget your first loves and one of mine was Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff - it's immediate and high impact. Even before I was properly into music I was into this... and you will be too! There's really nothing like the sound of a huge choir and orchestra: it's awesome stuff! Music here on youtube - we're listening to the first 27 minutes - but the whole thing is here if you get swept along. Please do! And on Spotify Listening time: 35mins [Intro podcast 8', Music 27'] Please com...
Oct 06, 2020•8 min•Ep. 90
This is a journey of discovery for me, exploring some musical detective work and blatant speculation with Songs from the 12/13th Century Carmina Burana - drinking, love and wickedness and all hugely entertaining! New music to me and lots to enjoy. Music on Youtube or Spotify Listening time: 26mins [Intro podcast 5', Music 21'] Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Oct 03, 2020•5 min•Ep. 89
Visionary, mystic, theologian, scientist, naturalist, medic, nun and more: Hildegard of Bingen, born in 1098, is also one of the very first known composers - and savvy enough to preserve her legacy! Her life was extraordinary in any era and her music is timeless, moving and special. Listening time = 17mins (intro 7', music 10') This episode's music here on Youtube or here on Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening...
Sep 29, 2020•7 min•Ep. 88
300 years ago JS Bach was writing music at the cutting edge - with the newest instruments and freshest ideas. My friend, conductor and TV presenter, Jason Lai says Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 is an 'unbelievable box of delights' and he's got much more to say too in our conversation about this conversational music, that's both moving and full of life. Listening time = 34mins (intro conversation 14', music 20') Music here , in the live performance we speak about: https://youtu.be/LHjbRMIIhuM ...
Sep 22, 2020•14 min•Ep. 87
I love the final September burst of summer and this piece - Samuel Barber's Summer Music - is the perfect accompaniment. Languid, hazy and slightly wistful. Music here on Youtube or Spotify . Listening time c16 mins (Intro podcast 4', music 12') Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Sep 18, 2020•4 min•Ep. 86
My daughter's bed time reading inspires a brief trip to the opera, for some great singing - high drama and high silliness from Mozart's Magic Flute. Listening time = 14 mins (5' podcast, 9' music) Music here , with pictures, from a recent production from London's Royal Opera House. Or here with just music on Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!...
Sep 16, 2020•5 min•Ep. 85
One of my very favourite things, Sibelius takes us on an all-encompassing journey from the musical spring to the wide open ocean: it's organic, generous, inevitable and uplifting. Total listen: 35 mins (Intro podcast 7', great music 28') Music here on Youtube , or Spotify Please rate, comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page . Please share and subscribe!...
Sep 09, 2020•7 min•Ep. 84
Fully of exuberance and swagger, Roman Carnival is great music from Berlioz, the man who wrote the book on how to write for orchestra in glorious technicolour. Total listen time: c14mins (5 mins intro plus 8/9' music) The music: Live concert performance with video here on Youtube Or music only on Spotify Please rate, comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page . Please subscribe to the podcast and share it too!...
Sep 04, 2020•5 min•Ep. 83
George Gershwin spent two hectic weeks on holiday in Cuba and returned with a case full of percussion instruments, latin spirit and musical inspiration. The resulting Cuban Overture became an instant hit. Total listening time c14 mins (3'30" podcast, 10' music) The music: There’s a fab concert performance on Youtube, with the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra - one of Venezuela's top youth orchestras, playing with great style - check out the easy enjoyment of the percussionists. Youth Orchestras...
Aug 21, 2020•4 min•Ep. 82
Erich Korngold was one of the composers who invented the sound of Hollywood - and his music for The Sea Hawk (a 1940 Erol Flynn swashbuckler) is passionate, exhilarating and hugely influences our very ideas of what film music should sound like. Total listen time 36mins [podcast plus music] I talk about all this with my pal, Lev Parikian. Music here: Though the "overture" gets played in concerts, it doesn't really exist as a thing that gets recorded! Mostly people record a suite - giving you more...
Aug 18, 2020•16 min•Ep. 80
Hear more. Feel more. Be... more! Cacophony brings you great music you may or may not know, but we think you'll love. If you've not heard any Cacophony, start with The Trailer! ...and then pick an episode and dive right in! Visit: www.cacophonyonline.com and let me know what you think, or use the Facebook page or Twitter @steve_cacophony Please share the trailer and your favourite episodes! Trailer music from: Richard Strauss's opera: Elektra, Felix Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream Overtur...
Aug 17, 2020•2 min
Vanessa's been humming a bit of Nutcracker, so I thought we should hear how it's meant to go - and there's so much great music to delight and enjoy. And it turns out she knows the storyline better than I did! Music here with pictures or here on Spotify Please rate and share the podcast Please leave a comment on the website or Facebook www.cacophonyonline.com...
Jul 20, 2020•6 min•Ep. 79
Fans of Rachmaninov describe his music as lush, passionate, romantic. They're right! His Cello Sonata is a terrific piece, and I love it much more than his famous piano concertos. Music here . or here on Spotify Please rate the podcast at apple podcasts or your provider Please leave a comment at cacophonyonline.com , on Facebook or Twitter [@steve_cacophony] Visit cacophonyonline.com...
Jul 11, 2020•4 min•Ep. 78
