Dr. Music

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An addendum to Season 3, addrssing music literacy and appreciation in our culture.

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Ever hear a classical piece of music on TV and wonder what it's called, and who wrote it? Commercials never tell you who wrote the famous pieces used on the soundtrack. That's what Dr. Music is for! In this episode, you'll hear examples of great music used on TV and gain an insight into not only who wrote them, but why they might have caught the attention of producers!

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Even if you are familiar with the music of Felix Mendelssohn, this episode contains interesting facts about some of his best works - much of which was composed before the age of 20!

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We do not have a formal theory of melody in the vast discipl;ine of music theory. But if we limit our examination to particular styles and particular cultural themes, you may be surprised how collections of notes can "tend" toward certain patterns!

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Can a piece of music be generated from a 2-note "sigh" motif that has been used over and over again for hundreds of years? Frederic Chopin would say "yes"--as we'll see looking at his famous Opus 64 Waltz in C# Minor!

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When Dmitri Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No. 5, he, like all Soviet artists, was writing under the watchful eye of Joseph Stalin. Learn how  a very talented composer can disguise a seemingly nationalistic, optimistic piece as a veiled denunciation of the regime!

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Discover how Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov was able to produce such a vivid impression of the sea in his classic symphonic suite, Scheherazade!

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Close Encounters of the Third Kind  is one of Steven Spielberg's greatest movies - and features  one of the greatest scores of John Williams.  In this episode, we'll be looking at the last 20 minutes of the film to get a better appreciation of why Mr. Williams is the second most Oscar-nominated person in all film history!

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Samuel Barber's Adagio For Strings, from his String Quartet,  is one of the most recognizable works of the 20th century.  Despite its mournful tone, why has this haunting piece caught the attention of so many listeners, including film producers? 

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Harold Arlen's "Over The Rainbow" is considered one of the best songs ever written for the movies. What is it about this song that makes it so memorable, and so magical? We'll see how the notes themselves reflect the lyrics in a way as colorful as a rainbow!