Intermezzo

JingXing Wang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform "Pi Huang" by Zhao Zhang recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo."

Music in this episode:

Zhao Zhang: "Pi Huang"

Sencheng Zhang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform Schumann's "Arabeske" recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo."

Music in this episode:

Schumann: Arabeske, op.18

Ryan Lu spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform a Prelude and Fugue by Bach recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo."

Music in this episode:

J. S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor from WTC II, BWV 883

Ryan Huang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform Scriabin's "Fantasy" recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo."

Music in this episode:

Scriabin: Fantasy, op.28

Anna Kesselman spent her summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear her Chopin set recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo."

Music in this episode:

Chopin: Mazurkas, op. 30

Some experiences just stick out. Maybe because they’re out of the ordinary, or maybe because our senses were on high alert that day. In this episode, Christy and her cohost Betty dig into the kind of memories that pop up when you least expect them — and how music can take us right back to those moments.

That spark of nostalgia leads the conversation into how composers throughout history have done the same thing. Meet Fanny Mendelssohn, who, after a yearlong family trip through Italy in 1839–1840, wrote a set of pieces inspired by her time in Rome. One of them, "Farewell to Rome," really captures that feeling of not wanting to say goodbye.

Music in this episode:

Fanny Mendelssohn: "Farewell to Rome"

Ever wonder what a song about a pet would sound like? If someone wrote a song remembering their dog — would it feel different than a song about a person? Maybe softer, funnier or just more… tail-waggy?

Composer Leonard Bernstein actually wrote music for dogs. He wrote a piece called "Fanfare for Bima." Bima was a black cocker spaniel, and the melody came from the whistle used to call her inside.

Leonard Bernstein also wrote a second piece for a pet. When his brother’s dog Mippy passed away, Bernstein composed a tribute called "Elegy for Mippy." It’s just a trombone and a tapping foot. Honestly, it sounds like a dog’s tail thumping on the floor. Sweet and a little silly — just like pet memories often are.

Music in this episode:

Bernstein: "Fanfare for Bima"

Bernstein: "Elegy for Mippy II"

In this episode, we dive into the unexpected ways nostalgia shows up in our lives. We start by asking our cohost Betty: "What sparks nostalgia for you?"

For Betty, it’s often photos — especially the ones that pop up unexpectedly. These days, it’s Google Photos or Facebook memories, quietly waiting to catch you off guard with a flood of emotion. But before that, it was printed photo albums. And even earlier, people kept memories alive through lockets, painted miniatures, and carved cameos worn around the neck.

Then we turn to music. Betty shares a personal story: when her mom was a baby, her grandfather would hum the "Volga Boat" song as he walked her around, trying to get her back to sleep.

We then introduce a piece by composer Antonín Dvorak called “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” written in 1880.

Music in this episode:

Dvorak: "Songs My Mother Taught Me"

Balakirev: "The Song of the Volga Boatmen"

Christy and her cohost Betty unpack how nostalgia for home is more than just longing — it's an emotion made of memories, culture and identity.

Composer Teresa Carreno was born in Venezuela, and was already writing her own piano pieces by age six. Her family believed in her talent so much, they moved to New York City. By age nine, she was performing sold-out concerts in Boston and she even played for Abraham Lincoln at the White House!

Carreno's career took her all over Europe, and while her life was full of excitement and adventure, she still missed the Venezuela she left as a little girl.

One of her most moving pieces is called "Souvenirs de mon pays," which is French for “Memories of my country.” She wrote it while living in Paris, but you could say the notes are in Spanish — the language of her heart, and of Venezuela. As you listen, maybe it’ll stir up a bit of your own nostalgia for home.

Music in this episode:

Carreno: "Memories of my country"

We're exploring nostalgia this week: memories, emotions and classical music.

In this first episode with our cohost Betty, the focus is on childhood — a time of wonder, play and imagination. Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), a suite of 13 short piano pieces that reflect the emotional world of a child.

Music in this episode:

Schumann: "Scenes from Childhood"

Bonis: Suite for Flute, Violin and Piano, Op. 59

Beach: "Children’s Carnival." Op.25

Beach: "Slipping on the Ice" from "From Six to Twelve"