YourClassical Adventures

J. S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: Prélude —

Performed by Yo -Yo Ma

Anonymous: Song of the Birds -

Performed by Sheku Kanneh-Mason & CBSO Cellos

Francesco Gasparini: Cantate da camera a voce sola, Op 1 —

Performed by Roberta Invernizzi, Auser Musici & Carlo Ipata

Harold Arlen: Over the Rainbow —

Performed by Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott

Akua Dixon: Afrika! Afrika! —

Performed by Akua Dixon

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When you picture your perfect day in the fall season, what does it look like Does it include crisp fall leaves, sweater weather and cooler temperatures? Join host Liz Lyon as we discover pieces that sound like the different stages of fall.

Scott Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag - (Used at the beginning and end of the episode) This piece by Scott Joplin was groundbreaking for the genre of rag music and became a template for the composers of rag music in the years to come.

The Maple leaves change their color in the fall to the vivid browns and fiery reds.

Performed by The Band and Lara Downes on Piano.

Fanny Mendelssohn: Das Jar No. 9 (September) - Fanny Mendelssohn composed a set of 12 piano pieces representing every month of the year.

‘September’ of Das Jahr (‘The Year’) is based it off a poem “To the Moon,” which compares the passage of time with a flowing river.

Performed by Liana Serbescu on piano.

Imogen Holst: Fall of Leaf — As you get further into the fall you can see the magic of leaves turning different colors and they begin to fall….

In this piece you can almost hear the individual leaves falling and drifting in the wind.

Performed by Steven Isserlis on Cello.

Tōru Takemitsu: A String Around Autumn — Tōru Takemitsu wrote this piece of music to celebrate a fall festival but it sounds like the end of autumn. It is sadder, more sparse and you can almost hear the promise that snow is on the way.

Performed by Saito Kinen Orchestra and featuring Nobuko Imai on viola.

Astor Piazzolla: Autumn in Buenos Aires (Otono Porteno) - Astor Piazzolla wrote a piece of music to celebrate the different seasons in Buenos Aires Argentina. Autumn contains musical raindrops and a wintery sun.

Performed by the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra featuring Tessa Lark on violin.

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Halloween is a great time to explore the most mysterious music ever composed.

Camille Saint-Saens: Danse Macabre — Music about ghosts and spirits coming alive in a graveyard to dance in the moonlight.

LISTEN — Camille Saint-Saens: Danse Macabre

Carl Orff: O Fortuna from Carmina Burana — This piece makes us want to hide. Where is your favorite hiding spot? Do you use it when you play hide-and-seek?

LISTEN — Carl Orff: O Fortuna

Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” — This piece may make you feel like running. How fast can you run in place?

LISTEN — Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, “In the Hall of the Mountain King”

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Sometimes composers and their work can get buried in time. Join producer Melanie Renate as we uncover and learn more about composers who aren’t as well known in the traditional classical world.

Gerald Finzi - Cello Concerto — Some of Gerald Finzi’s pieces are well known, but after he died his family worked hard to help make sure more of his music was made accessible to people. This is the last piece he wrote.

LISTEN  — Gerald Finzi: Cello Concerto

Jan Dismas Zelenka: Capriccio No. 4  — War causes great loss. One of the many things that can be lost or destroyed by war is art. Jan Dismas Zelenka’s music was thought to have been lost when his city was destroyed during a war. Luckily, some of his music survived.

LISTEN  —  Jan Dismas Zelenka: Capriccio No. 4

Kikuko Kanai: Ryukyu Dances - 'Maidens Under the Moon' — There are so many amazing composers who aren’t well-known simply because their music hasn’t been recorded yet. Kikuko Kanai was well-known in her home country of Japan. Even though she composed more than 150 pieces of music, only a relative few have been recorded.

LISTEN  —  Kikuko Kanai: Ryukyu Dances - 'Maidens Under the Moon'

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Enjoy peaceful music that can help you feel calm and relaxed.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending — Sometimes music can help you slow down and let your mind wander by creating pictures or places in your mind. Like this piece by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

LISTEN — Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending

Claude Debussy: Claire de Lune — Music can play a part in some of our favorite memories and can help us feel comforted and happy.

LISTEN — Debussy: Claire de Lune

Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata — Some music can help us relax our minds and our bodies and lull us to sleep. This piece is a good example of sleepy sounds.

LISTEN — Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata

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When Xuefei Yang was a young girl, she became the first Chinese guitarist to enter an international competition. It was one of many firsts for her as she paved the way for future female guitarists from China.

Xuefei Yang: Romance de Amor — This is a piece off of Xuefei Yang’s debut album.

LISTEN — Xuefei Yang: Romance de Amor

Xuefei Yang: Shuo Chang — This piece was written by Chinese composer Chen Yi. Although they were famous for writing music for various instruments, this was the first time they composed a piece for the guitar.

LISTEN — Xuefei Yang: Shuo Chang

Xuefei Yang: Flower Drum — This is from an album released in August 2020 and dedicated to the music of Yang’s home country, China.

LISTEN — Xuefei Yang: Flower Drum

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The modern guitar is a popular instrument, but did you know there are many different types of guitars? Join host Liz Lyon as we take a trip around the world to listen to the sounds of different guitars throughout history.

Issam Rafea and Gao Hong: From Our World to Yours — This piece showcases the oud, which is a pear-shaped, stringed instrument popular in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Armenia and Turkey.

LISTEN — Issam Rafea and Gao Hong: From Our World to Yours

John Dowland: Mrs. Winter’s Jump — The lute was popular in Europe in the 1500 and 1600s. There are different variations of the lute. There are lutes of different sizes and with different numbers of strings.

LISTEN — John Dowland: Mrs. Winter’s Jump

Robert de Visee: La Muzette — The Baroque Guitar was popular in Spain. Everyone, from people in the streets up to King Charles II, was fond of this guitar. You can hear it featured in this piece.

LISTEN — Robert de Visee: La Muzette

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Working and collaborating together is a great way to build a friendship. Join two friends, host Liz Lyon and producer Melanie Renate, as they explore friendship in classical music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Haydn Quartets — Not much is documented about their friendship, but what we do know is that Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn enjoyed spending time together and that they respected and inspired one another.

LISTEN — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Haydn Quartets

Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, Nimrod — The Enigma Variations are like sketches of some of Edward Elgar’s friends. They describe not just their personality, but many of these variations also act as a musical reference to the way a friend laughed or spoke, or references a special moment they shared.

LISTEN — Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, Nimrod

Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar: Prabhati — These two musicians were friends for 14 years before they decided to record an album together. This is a piece off their album, West Meets East.

LISTEN — Yehudi Menuhin & Ravi Shankar: Prabhati

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You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy.

When you are learning any subject, is it helpful to have small assignments to work on in order to practice your skills? Join host Liz Lyon as we explore pieces of music that are helpful for learning an instrument.

György Ligeti: Etude No.13 “The Devil’s Staircase” — Etudes are short pieces of music that are written to practice a specific technical skill. Composer György Ligeti wrote a very difficult etude for solo piano that forces the player to get used to playing the entire keyboard. It is called, “The Devil’s Staircase” because it sounds like the piece is climbing up a staircase. Performed by Maria Nemtsova on Piano.

LISTEN  — György Ligeti: Etude No.13 “The Devil’s Staircase” 

Nicolo Paganini: Caprice 24 in A Minor — Composer Niccolò Paganini was a violin superstar who created a ton of new techniques or ways to play the violin. Some of these techniques were published in a set of 24 pieces. The first 23 each focus on a specific skill but number 24 is a piece that combines all of the skills you have learned through the first 23. Performed by Itzhak Perlman on Violin.

LISTEN  — Nicolo Paganini: Caprice 24 in A Minor

Ralph Van Williams: Concerto Grosso — The Rural Music Schools Association asked composer Ralph Vaughn Williams to write a piece of music that could be played by students at all levels. He talked to a lot of teachers to write for three different levels: Beginner, Intermediate and advanced. These three sections all play together at the same time. Performed by Bournemouth Sinfonietta.

LISTEN  — Ralph Van Williams: Concerto Grosso

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Which classical pieces go with big things that happen in your life such as moving or living with quarantines? Join host Liz Lyon and producer Melanie Renate and listen to music that deals with change.

Claude Debussy: Arabesque No. 1 — Debussy moved when he was a child to live with his aunt, who discovered his musical talent. This is one of his popular pieces.

Ludwig Van Beethoven: Ode to Joy — Beethoven experienced change when he lost his hearing, but that didn’t stop him from creating great music like this well-known selection from his Symphony No. 9.

Philip Glass: Etude No. 6 — Pianist Simone Dinnerstein had to cope with change during quarantine and found a new way to record music, including this performance.

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You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy.