In Ep. 22 I am pleased to bring you a very special guest, Suzanne Bona, host of the syndicated radio program "Sunday Baroque". We met up at WGUC studios in downtown Cincinnati and enjoyed a wide ranging discussion about her show, her life, and lots of interesting musical things! She was also kind enough to let us hear a sample of her program at about 45 minutes in, a special treat indeed. Be sure to listen to Suzanne's show "Sunday Baroque" on your local radio station every Sunday morning. For m...
Sep 24, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 22
Ep. 21 - "Through the Looking Glass" --- Its 1974, and the great composers of the Western avant-garde continue to drift ever further apart. Stockhausen tours the globe and dreams of a life among the stars, Boulez becomes a world-renowned conductor, John Cage adds to his growing list of artistic pursuits, and György Ligeti settles down to a life as a teacher and begins planning his next moves as a composer. Much more composing and much more life is to come. We see Ligeti through dry spells and pe...
Sep 17, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 21
Ep. 20b...Continuing where we left off... The Life of György Ligeti, pt. 2 "A Composer in Wonderland" we see our great composer through the 1960's and into the early 70's, discussing his music of that period in detail. Having at last achieved some success with the orchestral works "Apparitions" and "Atmospheres" Ligeti would rattle off a few non-musical, farcical pieces. Then in 1965, his Requiem (a deeply serious and moving work) had its premiere in Stockholm, Sweden. This was a pivotal moment ...
Aug 30, 2018•53 min•Ep. 20
In Ep. 20a, we join the Hungarian refugee, György Ligeti, as he explores the musical wonderland that was the Free West. The year is 1957, and a shivering, disheveled Ligeti has just landed on the doorstep of the great German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. Stockhausen will show Ligeti all that he had been missing in the world of composition over the last several years, and introduce him to the new compositional methods of the West as well as the people who practiced them. But as Alice found down...
Aug 24, 2018•50 min•Ep. 20
In Ep. 19, The Life of György Ligeti, pt. I "Down the Rabbit Hole" we explore the life of György Ligeti from 1923 to 1957. During this period, Ligeti and his fellow Hungarians would suffer under political domination and from social oppression by the Nazis and then the Russian Soviets. Fed up with their totalitarian overlords, the Hungarians in 1956 broke into revolt. Ligeti, who lived a life of obscurity behind the Iron Curtain, would flee his homeland with his wife, Vera, for the Free West. Aft...
Aug 01, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 19
Ep. 18b The Grand Finale! The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven pt. 10, "The Candle in the Wind" we see our great composer to the end of his life. The last years were not easy ones for Beethoven. He proved himself to be cruel and kind, hateful and loving, violent and sweet. But in the end, he was able to transcend the shortcomings of human existence, gain in his own way forgiveness of his many sins, and echo down the years a heroic tale of redemption. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, ...
Jul 14, 2018•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 18
In Ep. 18a, Beethoven pt. 10 "The Candle in the Wind", first part of our massive grand finale(!) we start Beethoven on the last leg of his life. As a new father, and aging man with ill health, life would become more and more difficult for our great composer. His compositional life would prove more cumbersome as well, as massive new works that took a considerable amount of time to complete were now at the forefront of his mind: the "Hammerklavier" Sonata, the Missa Solemnis, the Diabelli Variatio...
Jul 10, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 18
In Ep. 17 "The Ill-Made Knight" we investigate the mystery surrounding the Immortal Beloved letters, and discuss several theories which attempt to identify who she was. We then continue to parallel the lives of Beethoven and Napoleon Bonaparte, and see that the events of 1812 would hurdle both men towards destruction. Only one of them however met ruin, while the other eventually transcended the difficulties of his life to become greatness renewed. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate,...
Apr 26, 2018•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 17
In Ep. 16, The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven pt. 8 "The Witch in the Wood" our great hero will ride triumphant into 1809. Though it began well enough for Beethoven, 1809 was to be a bad year for Austria. Defeat on the battlefield, a depressed economy, and a deeply wounded national pride would touch all of her citizens. As his country declined, so in a way did Beethoven. He would compose less and less, but what he did write was still of the highest quality. We close this episode in the summer of 1...
Feb 25, 2018•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 16
In Ep. 15 The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, pt. 7 "A Hero's Life" we explore the Beethoven's life between the years late 1802 and 1808. During that time, the composer would overcome adversity to reach the pinnacle of his career. Masterpieces would fly from his pen and both the man and the legend of Ludwig van Beethoven will be formed. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?f...
Dec 18, 2017•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 15
This is an updates episode for The Great Composers Podcast, with a bunch of stuff you might be interested in including my interview with Adam Rodman of the "Bedside Rounds" podcast, and an episode XV teaser at the end! Enjoy! The show returns on Dec. 22nd with The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven pt. 7, just in time to celebrate the 209th anniversary of the monumental concert which saw the premier of the 5th and 6th symphonies, and also the 4th piano concerto. Music: Me playing some Ligeti A variati...
Dec 13, 2017•18 min
In Ep. 14 - "Friends and Enemies" we will see Beethoven continue adding to his fame. As a new century dawns however, he will encounter dangerous enemies who will threaten to unseat him as Vienna's top piano virtuoso. But one of these enemies will seek not only to knock off his piano playing crown, but to destroy his life altogether. He will not be able to resist this new threat, and will be forced to choose between a sad, silent artistic oblivion or the absolutism of death. ---------------- For ...
Aug 02, 2017•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 14
In Ep. 13 - The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven pt. 5, "The Spirit of Mozart" we see our great composer arrive in Vienna in late 1792, starting out as a student of Haydn and a nobody. But within a few years, Beethoven would make a name for himself in the great music capital, and then try his luck on a tour across Germany. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTEl...
Jun 18, 2017•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 13
In Ep. 12 - "The Will to Power" we will explore Beethoven's life between the years 1787 and 1792. During these years, Beethoven will overcome personal and professional obstacles so that he might make his way back to Vienna, and pursue his dreams of becoming a virtuoso composer once more. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3...
May 27, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 12
In Ep. 11 - "The Sword in the Stone" we explore Beethoven's teenage years, the circumstance that would lead to his first trip to Vienna, and his mythologized meeting with Mozart. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A comp...
May 05, 2017•53 min•Ep. 11
In Ep. 10 - The Life Of Ludwig van Beethoven, pt. 2 - 'The Dreams Of My Father' we will explore the character of Beethoven's father, Johann, and his impact upon his son's early life. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A ...
Jan 05, 2017•48 min•Ep. 10
Ep. 9 - "A Distant Mirror" begins to paint the portrait of Beethoven's life. We first describe his grandfather, the first Ludwig van Beethoven. This Ludwig was our great composer's lifelong musical idol and the one person he sought to emulate in nearly everything he did. We then meet Beethoven's father, Johann, and explore the first half of the tragedy that was his life. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-g...
Nov 12, 2016•38 min•Ep. 9
In Ep. 8, The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, 'An Introduction' introduces us to the man who is perhaps the greatest composer in the western classical music tradition. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A complete bibliogr...
Nov 12, 2016•23 min•Ep. 8
In Ep. 7, The Life of Fritz Kreisler, Part III finishes the story of the great Fritz Kreisler, from the end of the First World War, through his retirement in 1950, and all the way to the twilight of his life. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/th...
Oct 08, 2016•59 min•Ep. 7
In Ep. 6, The Life of Fritz Kreisler, Part II tells the story of this great violinist composer's life from 1900 to the end of The First World War. We will see him achieve glory on the concert stage, in composition, and on the battlefield. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook pag...
Sep 05, 2016•57 min•Ep. 6
In Ep. 5, The Life of Fritz Kreisler, pt. I tells the story of Vienna's greatest violinist, Fritz Kreisler, from birth to his marriage in the beginning of the 20th century. His rise to fame was an eventful one and we will see him grow from a normal little boy into a first rate wunderkind. Following the glories of his youth, Kreisler will give up the violin to pursue the medical arts and also do a bit of soldering. But in the end, the call of music was too great and he set his sights once more on...
Jul 31, 2016•44 min•Ep. 5
Ep. 4, The Life of JS Bach, "Old Man Bach, The Twilight of a God" brings us to the end of the great man's life and to the beginning of his immortality. As Bach grew to old age, his music slowly faded out of fashion and appreciation for his great musical achievements diminished. Even so, he would continue his work, dedicated as always to spirits greater than his own, and press on towards musical godhood. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! ht...
Jun 19, 2016•59 min•Ep. 4
In Ep. 3, The Life of Johann Sebastian Bach pt. 3, "The Cantor of Leipzig", we see our great composer become the Cantor of Leipzig. He will encounter many obstacles during these long years in Leipzig, but will still manage to be able to keep up a relentless composition schedule and create one of the greatest bodies of work in the history of music. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/i...
Jun 19, 2016•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 3
In Ep. 2, The Life of Johann Sebastian Bach pt. 2 'The Maturing Master', we see our hero off to Weimar, where he will play a little organ, lay down a few tunes, and cause some trouble. From there, he will journey to Cöthen and enjoy a few years of tranquility before his real life's work begins in Leipzig! ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQ...
Jun 19, 2016•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 2
In Ep. 1, The Life of Johann Sebastian Bach pt. 1 “The Young Bach”, we explore the early life of this great composer from birth until his appointment to the court at Weimar in 1708. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A c...
Jun 18, 2016•56 min•Ep. 1
Ep. 0, The GCP pilot episode! The life of Johann Sebastian Bach 'An Introduction' surveys the life of one of classical music's greatest composers. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A complete bibliography for all episod...
Jun 15, 2016•12 min
