Classical Classroom

Knowing how a piece of classical music came to be is often a bit of a guessing game. What inspired Bach to write the Goldberg Variations, or Beethoven to write his 9th Symphony? Context clues, letters, composers' notes help us put the story together; we fill in the rest with our imaginations and mythology. But no more! In this episode of Classical Classroom, you'll hear the entire story of a piece of modern classical music, Music for Wood and Strings, from commission to performance. Even the instruments on which the piece is played didn't exist before this story began. You'll meet composer Bryce Dessner (The National), instrument maker Aron Sanchez (Buke and Gase), and the members of So Percussion. You'll hear a lot of awesome music. You'll laugh! You'll cry. Your life will be affirmed. But seriously, it's a compelling (and thoroughly American) story about ingenuity, modernist music, and most importantly, joy.

Music in this episode:

• Music for Wood and Strings. Bryce Dessner. Played by So Percussion.
• "Don't Swallow the Cap." The National, from the album Trouble Will Find Me.
• "Seam Esteem." Buke and Gase.
• So-Called Laws of Nature. David Lang. Played by So Percussion.
• Appalachian Grove I. Laurie Spiegel.

Audio production by Todd "Tex" Hulslander with giddyups from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more So Percussion: www.sopercussion.com

For more Bryce Dessner: www.brycedessner.com

For more Aron Sanchez (and great pics of the chordsticks and other instruments he's made): www.polyphonicworkshop.com

Thanks to Emily Motherwell, Stuart Wolferman, Da Camera of Houston, and the people at Brassland for their help with this episode.

How do you tell a story without words? Why, with music of course! Richard Scerbo, founder and artistic director of DC-based Inscape Chamber Orchestra, explains how – and why – composers use music to tell tales. Walk through two very different kinds of musical "stories" in this episode. Watch out for dancing puppets and swamp ghosts.

Richard Scerbo. Image courtesy of his website.

All music in this episode performed by Inscape Chamber Orchestra: – Excerpts from their new album, Petrushka, by Igor Stravinsky. – "Black Bend" by Dan Visconti from the album American Aggregate.

Audio production by Todd "Tiny T-Rex Arms" Hulslander with fleeing by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more Inscape: www.inscape.org For more Richard Scerbo: www.richardscerbo.com

This episode contains pretty much everything: Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday, Plato's Symposium, music by living composers, the Great American Songbook, and most importantly, love, baby.

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. Photo by VANESSA BRICEÑO-SCHERZER / CHRISTIE STOCKSTILL.

All music in this episode from Anne Akiko Meyers' new album, Serenade: The Love Album.

Audio production by Todd "Tickle Me Elmo" Hulslander with high-pitched cackles by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Anne Akiko Meyers: www.anneakikomeyers.com

It's a Menotti two-fer! Lynda McKnight from Houston's Opera in the Heights teaches all about the composer Gian Carlo Menotti and two of his short operas, The Medium(not the Patricia Arquette kind), and The Telephone (not the Lady Gaga kind). Learn about this versatile 20th century composer and these two drastically different operas. Also, zombies.

By the way, Opera in the Heights is staging a Medium and Telephone double-header through November 7th!

Music in this episode: – Gian Carlo Menotti, The Medium. Chicago Opera Theater recording. – Gian Carlo Menotti, The Telephone. BBC Radio Broadcast on YouTube.

Audio by Todd "My, My Telephone" Hulslander with psychic readings by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Thumbnail image: Paul Hume and Marie Handy performing Gian Carlo Menotti's comic opera The Telephone, or L'Amour à trois at Catholic University, Washington DC, 1952. Public domain.

What?? Two episodes in one week? That's right. We made you a treat: Go with us on a field trip to the Moores School of Music Organ Recital Hall at the University of Houston where we meet up with Keith "Creepy" Weber and the colossal, two-story Beckerath Organ that lurks in the hall. Learn all about Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and why it's the soundtrack for all things macabre in this episode, the final installment of our Bachtoberfest series.

Music in this episode played by Keith Weber, except for "Toccata Remix" by VioDance.

Audio production by Todd "All A-Twitter" Hulslander with snargling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to Matthew Dirst and Melissa Sanson for the information they provided for this episode.

Check out these photos from our recording session!

Taken from the floor of the recital hall. Because why not. Photo by Dacia Clay

Keith Weber and Dacia Clay. Regular-sized people, giant Beckerath organ. Photo by Mark DiClaudio.

Keith Weber (L) and Dacia Clay (with zombie hand gestures). Photo by Mark DiClaudio.

Keith Weber plays Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Why are there so many keys?? I mean, 3 tiers seems excessive, no? Photo by Mark DiClaudio.

Keith Weber preparing to creep us out. Photo by Dacia Clay.

Organ in the dark. Extra creepy! Photo by Dacia Clay.

Cover of cellist (and – we suspect – part-time lumberjack), Matt Haimovitz's new CD. Courtesy of Oxingale/Pentatone.

Cellist Matt Haimovitz has grappled with Bach's Cello Suites for decades. He first recorded them in 2000. He's dedicated his new second recording of the Suites to Anna Magdalena, Bach's second wife, who copied Bach's manuscripts. Haimovitz talks about how Anna Magdalena's transcriptions became his spirit guide on a quest to gain a greater understanding of the Gospel of Bach.

Music in this episode:

• Excerpts from J.S. Bach, The Cello Suites According to Anna Magdalena. Matt Haimovitz.
• Excerpts from J.S. Bach, 6 Suites for Cello Solo. Matt Haimovitz.
• J.S. Bach, Suite 1. Pablo Casals.
• That one sound effect from Law and Order, created by Mike Post.
• Philip Glass, Orbit. Matt Haimovitz.Audio production by Todd "Toddtober" Hulslander with smashing of pumpkins by Dacia Clay, and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more Matt Haimovitz: www.matthaimovitz.com

Thumbnail photo by Stephanie Mackinnon. Courtesy of the artist's website.

Bachtoberfest continues! Catalyst Quartet members Karla Donehew-Perez and Karlos Rodriguez talk about famously eccentric (eccentrically famous?) performer and composer, Glenn Gould, his recordings of Bach's Goldberg Variations, and Catalyst's Gould-inspired arrangement of the Variations. Discussed: breakfast, order out of chaos, and who this "Goldberg" person was.

Music in this episode:

• "Aria da capo" from Gould's 1955 and 1981 recordings, and from the Catalyst Quartet's debut album, Bach/Gould Project.
• Goldberg Variations from Catalyst's CD

Audio production by Todd "Triffid" Hulslander with ingenious biological meddlings by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more Catalyst Quartet: www.catalystquartet.com

More

Continuing with our Bachtober celebration, we revisit this oldie but goody with Kurt Stallmann.

Bach's Invention No. 1 contains an entire universe of music as we learn in this episode with Kurt Stallmann, Associate Professor of Music at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. It gets metaphysical up in here, you guys.

Audio production by Todd "Birthday Boy" Hulslander, with happy claps of approval by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

• Johann Sebastian Bach, Invention No. 1 in C Major (from his Inventions and Sinfonias BWV 772–801, aka the Two- and Three-Part Inventions), played by Kurt Stallmann.

This Classroom teacher needs only one name: Madonna! JK! But he's also a world-famous musician: Pianist Yundi teaches about Chopin's preludes, all of which he recently recorded on his new album, aptly entitled Frédéric Chopin: Complete Preludes. Where did these preludes come from? Why are they each so different? Yundi teaches all of this and more in this episode.

All music in this episode from Yundi's new album.

Audio production by Todd "A Confederacy of Todds" Hulslander with cries of "Opa!" from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Yundi: www.yundimusic.com

The first woman who ran for the U.S. presidency did so in 1872. Never heard this story? Thankfully, composer and conductor Victoria Bond has written an opera about this woman's life. Hear the incredible, true, titillating tale and learn about opera AT THE SAME TIME! Sex, scandal, alliteration! All in this episode.

All music in this episode is from Victoria Bond's opera, Mrs. President.

Audio production by Todd "Trusty Sidekick" Hulslander with quick draws by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Victoria Bond: www.victoriabond.com