Braving the Stave

Mention improvisation and many classical musicians break into a cold sweat. JJ and Haz debunk some common myths and delve into the roots and cures of 'improvophobia' and why every musician should give improv a go. And why it's good to be a 'musical magpie'. With inspiring examples from Messiaen to Mehldau, Fantasias to Flamenco.

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Can classical music still shock? Braving the Stave asks the question to BBC NOW's principal conductor Ryan Bancroft as he launches the autumn season with Stravinsky's infamous 'Rite of Spring'. JJ and Haz explore its continuing hold on audiences and share contemporary music that manages to provoke and tease.

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JJ and Haz reach for their T-shirts and ponder how music expresses all things summery, whether the heat of Latin America or the poignancy of lost memories by a lake. Haz reveals a surprising summer piece that brings her out in hives. Which family of instruments sounds the warmest? And which version of Gershwin's Summertime would you pick?

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Jon and Haz take on Shostakovich's mighty Tenth symphony, but not before appreciating his lighter side. Expect quick quizzes, a lesser heard gem for the viola and a rather ambiguous Welsh sign-off.

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With Haz away, Jon takes a look at the signature sounds of Vaughan Williams, in particular in his 'London Symphony', which takes in all the sights and sounds of the city: from Big Ben to Bloomsbury Square, from drunken jigs to solemn marches. It's a work full of surprises.

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At a time of so much conflict,  Jon and Haz discuss their favourite cross-cultural musical projects and celebrate the power of music to connect.  With music from the Silk Road Ensemble, reflections on the past by both Russian and Ukrainian composers (cue stares into the middle distance) and a brief turn from Sir Tom Jones. 

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Do you prefer your apple crumble in a bowl with custard or deconstructed and reinvented like on Masterchef? Jon and Haz put a range of  neo-classical and neo-baroque works to the 'crumble' test. Along the way, they consider why Schnittke is a slippery fish, what the collective noun for saxophones might be and consider the art of 'thinking in the box'.

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Musical allergies and the Jazzical genre

What are your musical allergies and pet peeves? Jon and Haz share theirs before quibbling over Gilbert and Sullivan. A brief introduction to the light classical genre follows, with examples of jazzical fusion. Will it be your cup of tea? Or, as the Germans say, your 'collar size'?

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In this Christmas Cracker, Jon and Haz ask some essential seasonal questions, including what are today's 'posh pantos', which music sounds Christmassy without even trying, and what their favourite new Christmas carols are.

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In this cosy November edition of Upbeats, JJ and Haz discuss why choral music goes well with hot chocolate, the effect of conductor Harry Christophers' flowing locks, the music of Gjeilo (not J Lo), and the difference between female sopranos and boy trebles. The piece explored this time is Herbert Howells' 'A Spotless Rose', in time for the concert at St David's Hall by The Sixteen.

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