Classical Classroom

Rachel Barton Pine, classical violinist, and member of the metal band Earthen Grave, has played with orchestras all over the world, and under the baton of many renowned conductors. But in this episode of the Classical Classroom, she comes back to a piece – over, and over, and over, and over – studied by every young violin player. Rachel shows us how Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor has been interpreted by violinists across history and cultures, and how this ebullient piece is given new life by each new musician who plays it.

Rachel Barton Pine, classical violinist, and member of the metal band Earthen Grave, has played with orchestras all over the world, and under the baton of many renowned conductors. But in this episode of the Classical Classroom, she comes back to a piece – over, and over, and over, and over – studied by every young violin player. Rachel shows us how Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor has been interpreted by violinists across history and cultures, and how this ebullient piece is given new life by each new musician who plays it.

Audio production by Todd "Toddy Ruxpin" Hulslander, with kind of creepy hovering during the editing process by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – "Life Carries On" from Dismal Times, by Earthen Grave – Brahm's Violin Concerto, Rachel Barton Pine with Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Carlos Kalmar conducting. – "Rock You Like a Hurricane" from Love at First Sting by the Scorpions. – "Ice Cream Man" from Van Halen by Van Halen. – Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor as performed (not necessarily in this order) by: — Rachel Barton Pine with Gottinger Symphonie Orchester. Christoph-Mathias Mueller conducting. — Joshua Bell with Camerata Salzburg. Roger Norrington conducting. — Fritz Kreisler with Berlin State Opera Orchestra. Leo Blech conducting. — Jascha Heifetz with Boston Symphony Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham conducting. — Maxim Vengerov with Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Kurt Masur conducting. — Isaac Stern with Philadelphia Orchestra. Eugene Ormandy conducting. — Henryk Szeryng with London Symphony Orchestra. Antal Dorati conducting. — Nathan Milstein with New York Philharmonic. Bruno Walter conducting. — Anne-Sophie Mutter with Berlin Philharmonic. Herbert von Karajan conducting. — Itzhak Perlman by London Symphony Orchestra. Andre Previn conducting. — Maud Powell

For more information about Classical Classroom: www.houstonpublicmedia.org/classroom

For more information about Rachel Barton Pine: www.rachelbartonpine.com

But wait! There's more!

In this short Classical Classroom, she talks about the most important thing her two musical loves share in common: emotional power.

Audio production by Todd "Goes to 11" Hulslander with lighters in the air by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – "Death Is Another Word" from Earthen Grave, by Earthen Grave – Brahm's Violin Concerto, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar conducting. – "Rock You Like a Hurricane" from Love at First Sting by the Scorpions – "Ice Cream Man" from Van Halen by Van Halen – "Arpeggios from Hell" by Yngwie Malmsteen – Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Vadim Repin with Kirov Orchestra. Valery Gergiev conducting. – Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor, Salvatore Accardo with London Symphony Orchestra. Sir Colin Davis conducting. – "Wasted Years" from Somewhere in Time by Iron Maiden – "Ozzy/ Black Sabbath Medley" by Rachel Barton Pine

Coming at you this Friday, Rachel Barton Pine teaches all about the many different sounds of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor. Hear how violinists have interpreted the piece over the years, and learn why Rachel was dressed like a cowgirl.

It's Women's History Month up in the Classroom! Houston Public Media's own Amy Bishop (see also, Episode 9: Tone Poems) teaches us all about female classical music composers, from the millennia-old ethereal sounds of Hildegard von Bingen, to the contemporary works of Jennifer Higdon. Why have so many women composed classical music but so few have become household names (yet)? We jiu jitsu that question and others in this episode!

Audio production by Todd "von Toddgen" Hulslander with double-plus masterful editorial decisions by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – Hildegard von Bingen: Caritas Abundat in Omnia (Love Abounds All) – Clara Schumann: Piano Concerto in a minor, Opus 7 (first movement) – Jennifer Higdon: Blue Cathedral

For more about Classical Classroom, go to www.houstonpublicmedia.org/classroom.

For more about Women's History Month, go to www.womenshistorymonth.gov.

Pattern preludes are enigmas inside of conundrums wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. No – wait. That's not right… Pattern preludes, according to composer Karim Al-Zand's website, are, "…pieces constrained by a single idea (usually a rhythmic or textural ostinato) through which a composer expresses a narrowly focused thought. Patterning is especially well-suited to preludes, which are by convention short, concise and introductory." Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and others wrote pattern preludes. These little pieces function as a tool by which classical music newbies can get to know a composer's style. Learn aaall about them in this episode!

Audio production by Todd "Titters" Hulslander with almost zero production input from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

• Bach's Well Tempered Clavier C major prelude book 1
• Chopin's C major Etude, Op 10, No.1, played by Vladimir Ashkenazy
• Chopin/Bach, played by Kana Mimaki
• Al-Zand Pattern Prelude No. 1 (after Bach), played by DiLiberto
• Schumann Album Leaves Op. 124, No. 17, played by Denes Varjon

For more information about Karim Al-Zand's pattern preludes, go here: www.alzand.com/pattern

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein talks all about her educational initiative, Bachpacking, and her community initiative, Neighborhood Classics, Bach Inventions, and how Led Zeppelin is more like Bach than Jay Z.

Audio production by Todd "Toddsy Turvy" Hulslander with yips of joy from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – Bach Inventions, played live by Simone Dinnerstein, and from her new album, J.S. Bach: Inventions & Sinfonias – "Suit and Tie", from the 20/20 Experience by Justin Timberlake, feat. Jay Z – "Misty Mountain Hop", from untitled album by Led Zeppelin

Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 is dramatic, cinematic, erratic, sarcastic, and full of existential longing – according to Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, James Gaffigan. Why is it important to listen to this symphony, the musical expression of Shostakovich's depression and anxiety as he lived under Stalin's thumb? Listen to this episode and find out!

Audio production by Todd "Taller than Necessary" Hulslander with inspired napping from Dacia Clay.

Music in the episode includes:

– Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, New York Philharmonic Orchestra led by Leonard Bernstein

PS, I found a really cool article and video on this symphony from PBS's Keeping Score.

To find out more about conductor James Gaffigan, go to To find out more about hilarious comedian Jim Gaffigan, go to a different website. :)

It's Black History Month! Time to learn about all of the amazing contributions that black people have made to classical music. Pay close attention because we had to talk really, really fast to fit this many people into a short. PS, You can check out our timeline of black classical music contributors in the "Raise Your Hand" section of our webpage.

Audio production by Todd "Troubled Island" Hulslander with barely audible suggestions from Dacia Clay.

Thanks to MusicLab intern Princeton Miles for lending his dulcet tones to this episode. Thanks also to St. John Flynn and Daniel Webbon for their contributions to our timeline, and to Daniel for his music research minioning.

Music in this episode includes:

– Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 9 (Kreutzer Sonata)

– Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Hiawatha's Wedding Feast

– William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American"

– George T Walker, Jr., Lilacs for voice and orchestra

– Wynton Marsalis, from Blood on the Fields

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).

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

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 (currently unreleased)

– Kurt Stallman, "Following Franz" (currently unreleased)

– Richard Strauss, Quartet in A Major, Op. 2: 1. Allegro (from the Enso Quartet website)

For more information about the Enso String Quartet: www.ensoquartet.com

Louis Andriessen is one of the most important contemporary composers you've (probably) never heard of. His work isn't widely played because he's written many pieces for varieties of ensembles that don't exist. In fact, specially created ensembles have sprung up because of Andriessen's pieces, including the famous British ensemble, Icebreaker. Guitarist, composer, and co-founder of Liminal Space Contemporary Music Ensemble, George Heathco, teaches us all about Andriessen and his contributions to the alt classical movement. Or indie classical. Or whatever you wanna call it.

Music used in this episode includes:

• Hoketus by Louis Andriessen
• De Materie by Louis Andriessen (begins with 144 repetitions of same chord)
• De Staat by Louis Andriessen
• Yo Shakespeare by Michael Gordon
• Pierced by David Lang
• "Bone Chapel" from O Death by Oscar Bettison

Audio production from Todd "Twinkles" Hulslander with very marginal oversight from Dacia Clay.

PS, One of the images attached to this article is not George Heathco, but his TV doppleganger George from Being Human. Can you tell which is which? One of them loves Twilight. (Apologies, non-specific George!)

The Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto was written by two Chinese composers, Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, in 1959. In honor of Chinese New Year – which begins 1/31 – Houston Public Media's Catherine Lu has come back to the Classroom to teach us all about this gorgeous piece, which was based on possibly the most tragic opera ever.

Audio production by Todd "??" Hulslander with ??????? by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

– Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao – violin by Gil Shaham

– "Leading a Camel" from the The Flowing River Water, by Yang Yi He (erhu example)

…and don't miss Catherine Lu's 2-hour Chinese New Year classical music celebration on Classical 91.7 (and on classical917.org) at noon and again at 10pm, Friday (1/31)!