Classical Classroom

The Classical Minds Festival and Competition just took place here in Houston, and though the festival is all about classical guitar, Dr. Tamara McCoy was there on piano. She stopped by the Geary Studio at Houston Public Media to record and teach about Franz Liszt's Totentanz. As it turns out, the only thing harder than playing the piece was writing it — it took Liszt almost 20 years. Learn all about the piece, the inspiration behind it, and…Steve Holt!

Download Tamara McCoy's performance of the piece (used in this episode and produced by Todd Hulslander) here:

Audio production for Classical Classroom by Todd "Totentodd" Hulslander with Lisztomania by Dacia Clay. Many thanks to the awesome Valerie Hartzell for her help in making this episode happen!

If you've never lived through one, David Hanlon's chamber opera After the Storm is a good place to begin to understand what "hurricane" really means. The opera premiered with Houston Grand Opera's HGOco via their Song of Houston initiative this May. In this episode, composer Hanlon talks about conducting research for the opera, which included investigating Galveston's 1900 Storm, about capturing the awesomeness of a massive hurricane in a chamber opera, and about living through a monster storm himself. Hunker down and gather canned goods before listening.

Music in this episode:

• Excerpts from David Hanlon's After the Storm, provided by Houston Grand Opera.
• "Riders on the Storm," by the Doors. From L.A Woman.

Radio voiceovers in the opera by Houston Public Media's Carrie Feibel and Michael Hagerty.

Audio production for this episode by Todd "Typhoon Todd" Hulslander with window taping by Dacia Clay.

To hear more about After the Storm, check out Amy Bishop's piece, "New Hurricane Opera Hits Close to Home for Houstonians".

"All I have is a voice." ― W.H. Auden

"I was never particularly fond of my voice." — David Bowie

Countertenor John Holiday says that he's never wanted to emulate anyone else's voice, and that instead, he's tried to find and be true to his own. And the unique sound that he belts out will make you believe that he alone can produce anything like it. But as it turns out, there's a whole history behind voices like his. Learn all about the countertenor voice, as well as it's historical relationship to the castrati in this episode. John also teaches about the opera world's embrace of gender fluidity for art's sake throughout the ages.

Audio production by Todd "Tremolo" Hulslander with side eye from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

Skyline Sessions: John Holiday, "Stille amare" by G.F. Handel:

David Daniels, "Ombra mai fu," Xerxes by Handel:

Alessandro Moreschi, "Ave Maria":

• Ewa Podleś, La Cieca "Voce di donna o d'angelo" from La Gioconda by A. Ponchielli.
• Marian Anderson & William Primrose, 2 Songs for Contralto, Viola & Piano by Johannes Brahms
• John Holiday, "Crude furie" from Serse by Handel (from Operalia, The World Opera Competition – part 2)

Allegedly, as of this posting, there are still about three weeks of spring to go. But in Houston, spring has already died of heat exhaustion. That's why we decided to bring back this episode about Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. The episode was originally recording in the fall of 2013. This all totally makes sense. We think. Then again, it's really hot, so this could be faulty logic. In any case, this is a great episode from the Wayback Machine about an iconic piece of music. Enjoy!

Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring was so revolutionary that its alien sounds literally incited a riot at its premiere. Dr. Ana María Otamendi, Venezuelan pianist and professor at the University of Houston tells us why! And btw, we areaware that it's Fall. But we don't even care!

Audio production by Todd "Travesty" Hulslander with aspersions cast by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

• Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

British-style brass bands are of the people, for the people, and by the people. They're made up of unpaid citizens who get together to play classical music just because they love to. They have this crazy working class history that dates back almost 200 years to British industrialization. At competitions, fans express allegiance to their local brass bands with the same passion that they do sports teams. And many of the musicians are one life choice away from being professional players. Robert Walp of the Houston Symphony and the Houston Brass Band explains all about the history and culture of the British-style brass band, and what these bands look like in America today.

Music in this episode (all from the Houston Brass Band's CD One):

• Fantasia Brilliante on Rule, Britannia. Thomas Arne/John Hartmann.
• Pizzicato Polka. Johann & Josef Strauss, arr. by D. Ashmore.
• Tuba Copper. Gilbert and Sullivan, arr. by S. Roberts.
• Prelude for an Occasion. Edward Gregson.

Audio production for this episode by Todd "Trombone Shorty" Hulslander with muting by Dacia Clay.

To find out about the Houston Brass Band's upcoming events, go here.

Ottorino Respighi wasn't a native of Rome, but he got there as quickly as he could. And then he set to writing lots of music about the place. Conductor Franz Anton Krager and Houston Symphony Principal Trumpet Mark Hughes teach all about Respighi, some of his Roman tone poems, and why he was a master of orchestration. Krager and Hughes will be performing Respighi together at the Texas Music Festival on June 11. It's going to be fantastico!

Music in this episode (all by Ottorino Respighi):

• "Circenses." Festa Romane. Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra with Mariss Jansons. EMI 49964.
• Excerpts from Pines of Rome. Chicago Symphony with Fritz Reiner. RCA 68079.

Audio production by Todd "Totally Tubular" Hulslander with "Like, ohmygawd!" by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Thanks to Susan Farb Morris for her help with this episode!

We've retrieved an episode from the Classical Classroom Wayback Machine for Chamber Music Month! Please, by all means, enjoy.

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The Grammy-nominated Enso String Quartet puts the "class" in this episode of Classical Classroom. We discuss where string quartets come from, why the instruments in a quartet go together so well, what sets Enso apart from other string quartets, and what it's like to play live (which apparently sometimes includes hitting yourself in the face and dancing to get away from bees).

Music in this episode includes:

• Franz Joseph Haydn, String Quartet in C Major, Op.76 No.3 Hob. III:77, "Emperor", Mvt. 1. Allegro & Mvt 2 Poco adagio, cantabile. Performed by the Kodaly Quartet (Naxos, 8.550314)
• Franz Schubert, Quartet No. 12 in C minor, "Quartett-Satz". Performed by Enso String Quartet
• Kurt Stallman, "Following Franz"
• Richard Strauss, Quartet in A Major, Op. 2: 1. Allegro

Audio production by Todd "He-Man" Hulslander with a few carefully-worded complaints from Dacia Clay.

We are endorsing this Classical Classroom guest — Rodney Waters — to replace the Most Interesting Man in the World, and not just because of his amazing beard. He's a musician, a humanitarian, a photographer, and he's currently training to become a Jungian analyst. In this Choose Your Own Adventure episode (listen for details), Rodney first explains Jungian theory, archetypes, myths, and fairy tales, and then walks us through pieces of classical music that exemplify those things. You'll confront your Shadow Self, experience catharsis, and ultimately find spiritual wholeness just by listening. It'll be a hoot!

All music in this episode was performed by Rodney Waters (piano) and Judy Dines (flute), and recorded at the Jung Center by Todd Hulslander.

• Pan. Albert Roussel.
• "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka. (Antonin Dvorak/Waters)
• Syrinx. Claude Debussy.
• Undine Sonata for Flute and Piano. Carl Reinecke.
• Falling (Twin Peaks theme). Angelo Badalamenti.

Audio production by Todd "Trickster" Hulslander with heroic journeys by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

We could just as easily have called this episode, Growing Up Beethoven, or Build-A-Beethoven, or Beethoven: From Boy to Boss, but "actualization" is more accurate. As violist Simone Gramaglia of Quartetto di Cremona explains, like any artist we study in hindsight, Beethoven's creative development has distinct, identifiable periods. Unlike other artists, as he evolved, Beethoven moved increasingly away from rules and conventions, and into something transcendent: a full expression of his own unique creative vision. What I'm trying to say is that Beethoven had a lot in common with Prince.

All music in this episode from Quartetto di Cremona's Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, including:

• String quartets Op. 16, 95, and 132

Audio production by Todd "La Dolce Todda" Hulslander with Vespa riding by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Today – that is April 18th 2016 – much of our fair city of Houston is underwater. There was a big scary flood, the power's out, the roads are lakes, and we, the Classical Classroom team, literally can't get to the station to access the files we need to post our new episode. We tried to cobble together an ark, but it turns out that's a whole thing. However! Through sheer grit, determination and the power of the human spirit to use computers, we have unearthed this episode with Todd Reynolds, which we think – nay! – we know you will enjoy.

Also, on a serious note, our city is in bad shape and a lot of folks are going to need some help after the floodwaters subside. If you can help, visit the Texas Red Cross Gulf Coast Region website and make a donation. That's also a good place to go if you are in need of help.

What do we mean when we say "classical music"? Sure, sure: it refers to a period of music, like "Baroque" or "Romantic". But we largely use the word as a sort of generic brand-name for a specific variety of sound. In this episode of Classical Classroom, genre-ignoring violinist Todd Reynolds attempts to define classical music. Does he succeed? Does he give up and just start talking about Prince instead? Maybe and maybe! Listen to this episode to find out.

Audio production by Todd "Timbalander" Hulslander with at least 3 really good suggestions from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

• Third Construction by John Cage
• Composition for Four Instruments by Milton Babbitt
• "Pulses" from Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
• Symphony No. 41 (the "Jupiter Symphony"), Molto Allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• "Happy" from G I R L by Pharrell Williams
• "Let's Go Crazy" from Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution
• "Crossroads" and "Taskforce: Farmlab" from Outerborough by Todd Reynolds
• Fantasia in G Major, BWV 571 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Todd Reynolds was a special guest of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

ABOUT THE MITCHELL CENTER The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.

For more about Todd Reynolds check out his blog: www.toddreynolds.wordpress.com