Classical Cake

Silent Night was composed in Oberndorf, a small village in Austria, but spread across the world as the most performed Christmas song. Guest Hermann Schneider explains the history of "Silent Night" and why it captures our hearts.

Alma Rosé was a celebrity and classical music royalty — Gustav Mahler was her uncle and her father was concertmaster for the Vienna Philharmonic. But, the next chapter of her life included: Nazis, the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, a prisoner’s orchestra, and saving lives. Hear her incredible story from experts Dr. Michaela Raggam-Blesch, Dr. Heidemarie Uhl, and Dr. Monika Sommer.

Do you really know how to read classical music from the era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven? In this episode of Classical Cake, guest Malcolm Bilson – an expert in historical performance practices – will make you question what you’ve learned as he gives tips on interpreting musical notation.

Classical music from Mozart and Beethoven’s day was written for the fortepiano. Guests Paul McNulty and Viviana Sofronitsky build and test fortepiano replicas with painstaking detail. The result is a sound that makes classical music come alive in a way that modern pianos can’t.

Piano compositions by Mozart and Beethoven were written for the fortepiano – an early piano much different from the Steinways invented 100+ years later than the fortepiano. Guest Ingomar Rainer explains how fortepianos influenced classical music and their impact on today’s pianists.

Joseph Haydn’s personality comes alive with stories about his exchanges with Beethoven and Napoleon. In part 2 of a 2-part series, discover how Haydn’s wit and loyalty affected his relationships and music in his later years.

Joseph Haydn is less talked about than Mozart and Beethoven, but his contributions to classical music are immense. In part 1 of a 2-part series, discover his incredible journey from disgraced choirboy to celebrated composer.

Who was Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved, the unknown woman mentioned in a passionate letter discovered after Beethoven’s death? This question has obsessed people for almost 200 years. Our guest, musicologist Dr. Rita Steblin, finally identifies the correct woman.