Your Classical Coffee Break

A troubled artist pushes the boundaries of creativity as he finds his unique voice in a turbulent world. The Pauls finish the discussion on Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, "Fate," and explore the brilliance of his ballet scores, such as The Nutcracker. And what is the BIG TUNE all about, anyway?

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One final trip to Mars and otherworldly music before the two Pauls travel to Mother Russia to discuss the great composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Mr. Somers explores the contrast between the structured Europen compositions and the folk-based, heart-on-the-sleeve tradition of Russian composers.

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Mr. Somers shows the ever-expanding complexity of sacred music as it evolved, went quadrophonic, and found, perhaps, its greatest form in Bach's St. Matthew Passion. And how JSB used numerology in his spiritual composition.

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How the building of the great cathedrals helped classical music develop, when echoes are important to sacred music, and why ancient music sometimes sounds like it comes from Mars. Mr. Somers samples amazing music that transports to other worlds.

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We have one last discussion on Richard Strauss and his amazing work, "Thus Spake Zarathrustra," used in the opening of Stanley Kubrick's "2001, A Space Odessey." Then we journey back to the beginning of classical music, explore early sacred music, and listen to the work of the very first woman composer.

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Your Classical Coffee Break presents a holiday discussion of Christmas Concerti, a specialized, rich genre of sacred music of the 18th century. We listen to how Handel adapted the genre for "Messiah."

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Mr. Somers concludes the extraordinary story of Richard Strauss' courageous struggle as an artist living in Nazi Germany. He shares Strauss' later work, including "Metamorphosen," a heart-rending piece that reflects on the destruction WWII brought to Germany, and his inspirational works composed just before he died.

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The Pauls continue the discussion regarding Richard Strauss and his courageous personal and artistic stand while living and composing under the realm of the Third Reich: how he safeguarded his family from the SS, continued to work with Jewish artists, and attempted to release concentration camp prisoners. Mr. Somers shares the stunning and rarely heard anthem for the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

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The coffee break discussion focuses on the career of Richard Strauss, German composer of the late Romantic era, and his great operas and tone poems. The talk leads to the dilemma of the artist who lives in a police state. Strauss composed during the Third Reich and had to steer through a difficult poltical path to survive and create. Contact the show at [email protected]

Mr. Somers discusses his first lessons in composition and why and how composing music is like a game. We get to hear and explore some of Mr. Somer's own pieces.

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