Description
Although not a superstar like Handel, J.S. Bach was prolific in his writing. Yet, after his death, his music remained relatively dormant for some time. So, was Felix Mendelssohn responsible for kickstarting Bach back into the limelight? Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
At the time Mendelssohn was promoting Bach, there was already a Bach revival underway; in fact even Beethoven proclaimed Bach as being one of the greats. There was also the first biography of J.S. Bach published in 1802 by Johann Nikolaus Forkel.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
Maybe you’ve heard of the famed violins by Stradivarius. But why are these violins so coveted? Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
What about the best-preserved Stradivarius? Tellingly nicknamed “the Messiah,” it sits in a climate-controlled case in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, receiving the kind of curatorial attention and care reserved for precious works of art.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
Ever wondered who were the Medieval Troubadours? Back in the day, nothing was written down but passed from performer to performer as they travelled the countryside. Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
One of the epic poems performed by troubadours was Beowulf. Beowulf was spoken by some and sung by others. Beowulf is the story of a hero who fights and defeats a huge monster. Another epic poem is that of the Song of Roland.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
Ever wondered how the Operatic Overture came into existence? Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
The roots of the opera Overture begin with the first surviving opera, Peri’s L’Euridice in the year 1600. Peri included an instrumental “ritornello” at the beginning of the opera. This planted the seeds for what would eventually become the full-blown overture.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
Carlo Gesualdo was both a vicious murderer and brilliant composer—the two going hand in hand. Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
There have been no fewer than eleven operatic works on the subject of Gesualdo’s life, with Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) premiering his Gesualdo in 1993.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
Need a quick refresher on the plot of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte aka The Magic Flute? Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Emanuel Schikaneder decided to write The Magic Flute aka Die Zauberflöte in the style of Singspiel—a German-language comic opera with singing and dialogue—though it should be noted that Mozart never actually referred to it as a Singspiel.

The opera premiered on 30 September 1791, just two months before Mozart’s death, with the composer himself conducting and Schikaneder as the bird-catcher Papageno. It was an immediate hit with audiences. It took Vienna by storm, and its popularity soon spread throughout all of Europe.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
In this minute of classical music history, I’ll showcase Mozart’s partner in crime, Lorenzo Da Ponte, who was librettist to many in the operatic world at the time, including writing for three of Mozart’s greatest works.

Fun Fact
At the age of 79, Da Ponte became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Five years later, he founded America's first opera house, the New York Opera Company. Unfortunately, it lasted only two seasons due to his lack of business savvy and was promptly disbanded. However, it was the predecessor of the New York Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

Description
In this minute of classical music history, I’ll delve into the life of Hildegard of Bingen who was, among other things, one of the first identifiable composers—dating back over 800 years to the early medieval period.

Fun Fact
A character of the same name, Hildegard, was created for the Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. Although Hildegard is mentioned in a long list of witches throughout history, there's no evidence she actually had any magical powers.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

From the grand gestures of gods and ancient heroes in Opera Seria to the comical meanderings of Opera Buffa. These two genres occurred at a time of great change both in music and European society as a whole. Take one minute to Get the Scoop!

Fun Fact
Opera Buffa was inspired by intermezzi, which were comic intermissions appearing in between acts of Opera Seria, in order to break up the tension. This gave way to full-fledged operas in the new comic style of Opera Buffa.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show

In this episode, I explore the history and impact that Castrati made on the musical scene of the time. They were indeed a powerful force, both literally and figuratively in shaping musical dexterity, virtuosity, and prowess.

Fun Fact
Alessandro Moreschi was the last castrato to sing in the Sistine Chapel choir. He would retire in 1913, thus ending the Castrati legacy.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: [email protected] 

Support the show