Description How The Blue Danube Cast Its Spell in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact "The Blue Danube," composed by Johann Strauss II in 1866, was first performed in February 1867 in Vienna, Austria. Originally a choral work, it gained greater popularity as an orchestral piece and is now one of the most famous waltzes in classical…

Description La Traviata in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" premiered on March 6, 1853, at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Initially, the opera faced a lukewarm reception due to its controversial subject matter. However, it quickly gained popularity and is now one of the most beloved and frequently…

Description La clemenza di Tito in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito" premiered on September 6, 1791, at the Estates Theatre in Prague. Commissioned for the coronation festivities of Emperor Leopold II, it received a mixed reception but gained popularity in later years for its emotional depth and sti…

Description How did the Saxophone come to be? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact "Rhapsody for Saxophone" by Claude Debussy is one of the most iconic pieces for saxophone. Composed in 1919, it showcases the instrument's versatility and expressive range. With its lush melodies and rich harmonies, the piece captivates listeners with its romanti…

Description Siegfried Wagner, son of Richard Wagner, had to overcome many obstacles in his life. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Siegfried Wagner's most famous piece is likely his opera "Der Bärenhäuter" (The Bearskin), based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Premiered in 1899, it showcases his romantic style with lush orchestrations and Wag…

Description Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer renowned for his virtuosic skills and innovative compositions. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Paganini's "Caprice No. 1" for solo violin is a dazzling display of virtuosity, composed in 1805. Its intricate arpeggios, rapid scales, and double stops push the lim…

Description Mozart, the legendary composer, was a fascinating figure with a multitude of odd traits. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, composed in 1784, showcases his mastery of melody and form. Its buoyant and elegant character, coupled with intricate piano passages, captivates listeners. The conce…

Description How did Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” come to be? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact "The Rite of Spring," composed by Igor Stravinsky, had its notorious premiere on May 29, 1913, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. The ballet was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky and produced by Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russe…

Recently, I chatted with author Sophia Lambton about her book, "The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography". If you are a fan of Callas, which I am, this book offers you a deep dive into her life, born from extensive research, debunking popular theories and offering an authentic portrayal. Twelve years in the making "The Callas Imprint" reaps never…

Description What were the origins of the sliding trombone? Take a minute to get the scoop! Listen to "The Blue Bells of Scotland" by Arthur Pryor c/o YouTube Fun Fact One of the most famous and iconic pieces for the trombone, often featuring the sliding trombone (also known as the tenor trombone), is "The Blue Bells of Scotland" by Arthur Pryor. Th…

Description Recently released, an extraordinary film entitled, "Maestro," about the cultural icon Leonard Bernstein. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was a renowned American composer, conductor, and pianist, famed for his versatility and influence in classical music. He conducted the New York Philharmonic, comp…

Description What is the story of the harp? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact One of the most renowned harp pieces is Claude Debussy's "Danses sacrée et profane." Composed in 1904, it seamlessly blends sacred and profane themes, showcasing the harp's ethereal qualities. Its evocative melodies and lush harmonies captivate audiences, making it …

Description Why is the French Horn so difficult to play? Take a minute to get the scoop! Listen to: Elgar - Cello Concerto - Sheku Kanneh-Mason [BBC Proms 2019] Fun Fact Mozart's horn concertos are some of the most famous and beloved pieces in the horn repertoire, and they are frequently performed by horn players around the world. For instance, his…

Description Ninety Years ago Sir Edward Elgar passed away. Throughout his life he was plagued by illness. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact The last major work composed by Sir Edward Elgar was his Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85. Elgar completed the concerto in 1919, and it was premiered in London in 1919 by the cellist Felix Salmond. The …

Description Did you know that Charlie Chaplin was not only an actor but composer as well? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Chaplin was awarded three Oscars. At the very first Academy Awards, in 1929, he was given a special statue for The Circus, and in 1972, 20 years after his exile from the US amid dubious claims he was a communist, he ret…

Description I would like to dedicate this episode to Seiji Ozawa, who passed away at the age of 88 on February 6th, 2024. Fun Fact After graduating from the Seijo Junior High School in 1950, Ozawa broke two fingers in a rugby game. Hideo Saito, his teacher at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, brought him to a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concert…

Description La bohème in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Bohème," premiered in 1896, derives from Henri Murger's novel "Scènes de la vie de bohème." It portrays the lives of struggling young artists in 19th-century Paris. Puccini's emotive score and Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica's libretto captur…

Description The Marriage of Figaro in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact "The Marriage of Figaro," composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, premiered in 1786 as a comic opera. Based on a play by Pierre Beaumarchais, it explores complex relationships, love, and class struggles. Mozart's masterful music and Lorenzo Da Ponte's libretto c…

Description A Brief History of the Piano. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's love for the piano began in early childhood under the guidance of his father, Leopold Mozart, who recognized his son's prodigious talent. At the age of three, Mozart showed an innate affinity for the instrument, demonstrating remarkable dext…

Description A Brief History of the Concerto. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Renowned for his innovative approach, Vivaldi crafted hundreds of concertos, particularly for the violin. His pioneering use of ritornello structure, a recurring thematic passage shared between soloist and orchestra, became a hallmark of the Baroque concerto. Viva…

Description The Baroque Era in 60 seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Handel, a Baroque maestro, personifies the era's grandeur through his majestic compositions. His music, like the famous "Messiah," showcases elaborate ornamentation, dramatic dynamics, and emotional intensity. Handel's works epitomize Baroque extravagance, employing…

Description Ever wondered where the Metronome came from? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Mass manufacturing of clockwork metronomes made the devices increasingly cost effective and accessible, so that the periodical Music declared in 1897 that “A METRONOME SHOULD BE ON EVERY PIANO.” This push for the metronome stood in stark contrast to ma…

Description Joseph Haydn's The Creation was inspired by Handel's Messiah and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact The first of the oratorio’s three parts begins with “Representation of Chaos,” an orchestral prelude that uses stark chords and shifting harmonies to portray the formlessness and disorder that preceded the Cr…

Description Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was a huge hit at the time. But did you know that most of it was cobbled together from previous writings? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact The Christmas Oratorio is in six parts, each of them being intended for performance on one of the major feast days of the Christmas period. The first part - for Chri…

Description ‘Tis the season for some great music, including Handel’s Messiah! What were the origins of this fantastic work? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days without getting much sleep and or eating much food. While writing the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus Handel’s servant discovered him with tears in his eyes,…

Description Have you heard of the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, one of the first classical composers of African heritage to attain widespread acclaim in European music? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact In early 1776, the financially troubled Paris Opéra considered Chevalier de Saint-Georges as its new director. Despite his merit as the creato…

Description Did you know that Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, was truly passionate about the harp? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact When Marie Antoinette arrived in Paris in 1770, the harp was already a relatively widespread instrument in Paris. However, her unwavering passion for the instrument was partially responsible for ins…

Description The musicians of the Titanic all died when the ship sank in 1912. They played music, intending to calm the passengers, for as long as they possibly could. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact There are no indications that the Titanic’s band members ever attempted to save themselves, and all of them died in the sinking. Most people r…

Description Did you know that Richard Strauss came from a very musical family, his father being both a composer and horn player. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Strauss's first horn concerto was premiered, with the composer playing the horn part, in 1865 and he remained greatly in demand as a soloist. The conductor Hans von Bülow called hi…

Description Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky is now one of the most popular ballets of all time. It’s remarkable, then, that when Swan Lake premiered in 1877, the reception was lukewarm at best. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact When most of us think about Tchaikovsky, we think of his ballets — Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, the …

Description Did you know that Chopin also had a talented older sister who not only composed, but was a professional writer, too? Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Frédéric’s health had never been good, and it deteriorated especially markedly in the late 1840s. For two months, she nursed her beloved brother in his final illness, a task that m…

Description Well, it’s nearly Halloween 🎃 and there are many works of music that depict the spookiness, darkness and morbidity of this annual tradition. 😱 But one jumps out at me, Danse macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Like all great music, this work was imitated by many over the years. The re-tuning of the v…

Description The young virtuoso, Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl, was quickly overshadowed by her brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, five years her junior. But she was nonetheless a child prodigy. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact As a trusted friend, family member and intimate music-making partner, Nannerl could have been exactly what Wo…

Description Mozart's Oboe Concerto in C major was composed in the summer of 1777, for his colleague the oboist Giuseppe Ferlendis. But shortly after that, went missing. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Composed when Mozart was twenty-one, this oboe concerto is a delightful, untroubled, and relatively straightforward composition, cast in the…

Description Martha Argerich was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1941. She is a pianist [and one of my favourites] known for her recordings and performances of chamber music, particularly works by Messiaen, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff. Take a minute to get the scoop! Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No 1, Martha Argerich Filmed at the La Roque d'Anthéro…

Description With the passing of Dame Angela Lansbury in 2022, it reminded me of one of my favourite Sondeim musicals, Sweeney Todd. She played the first Mrs Lovett in 1979. Take a minute to get the scoop! Dame Angela Lansbury singing The Worst Pies in London. Fun Fact The original production of Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway March 1, 1979, at the …

Description Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away on March 28, 2023. He was a Japanese composer, pianist, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Ryuichi Sakamoto was born on January 17, 1952, in Tokyo. His father, Kazuki Sakam…

Description There is little doubt that Mozart was a genius. But what was extraordinary was his abilities from such a young age. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact While Wolfgang was young, his family made several European journeys in which he and his sister Nannerl performed as child prodigies. These began with an exhibition in 1762 at the co…

It was my privilege to be joined for this episode by acclaimed Canadian Composer and Pianist, Frank Horvat to discuss his own journey with mental illness; the effects it's had on him personally, as well as professionally; and now his advocacy work reaching out to young musicians to discuss their own struggles. Over the centuries, many of the compos…

Description Jean Sibelius was thought to be a hero of Finland, as his music reflected the struggle of the people against the Russian Empire. This is most evident in his work, Finlandia. Take a minute to get the scoop! An incredible performance of Finlandia, op. 26 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan. c/o YouTube …

Description Rather than just disappearing for a few weeks—I thought I'd let you know that I am taking a rest until mid-September. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Fun Fact When Steven isn't recording podcast episodes, he is auditioning for tv commercials and series/film or feeding his cats milk. 🐱 ______________________________________________________…

Description The Barber of Seville is an opera by Rossini and ‘perhaps the greatest of all comic operas’. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Rossini's Barber of Seville is considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music, and has been described as the opera buffa of all "opere buffe". ___________________________________…

Description The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach certainly got off to a rocky start—with the death of the composer before its premiere and then disaster striking its first Vienna performance. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact The Royal Family of Austria arrived at the theatre as the disaster was ending and immediately began collecting …

I am so pleased to announce the winner of our draw to receive a copy of "The Real Mozart: The Original King Of Pop". If you didn't catch my interview with author Judith Grohmann, please check it out HERE. __________________________________________________________________ About Steven, Host Steven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Th…

Description Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, originally titled ‘Six concertos for several instruments’, were composed for the Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg—yet were never performed in Brandenburg. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Each concerto was written for a different combination of instruments and demonstrates a musical style th…

Description Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, known as the Unfinished Symphony, has always been mired in mystery as to why it was never completed by the composer. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Third & fourth movements: The fragment of the scherzo intended as the third movement returns to the tonic B minor, with a G major trio. The first 3…

Description Bruckner’s third symphony did not make the splash that he had hoped. Many factors came into play to cause a complete flop of a premier. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Stunned by this debacle, Bruckner made several revisions of his work, leaving out significant amounts of music including most quotations from Wagner's Tristan un…

Description Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is one where the composer began to contemplate his own mortality. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Bruno Walter, who conducted the work’s posthumous premiere on June 26, 1912, with the Vienna Philharmonic, had never seen the score of the Ninth during Mahler’s lifetime; he only received it when Mahl…

Recently, I chatted with author Judith Grohmann about her book, "The Real Mozart: The Original King Of Pop". This biography dives headfirst into the psychological workings of Mozart, as he navigates the explosive times of Viennese society during the enlightenment; his romantic and familial relationships, especially with his father Leopold; as well …

Description Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel is considered by many to be a true masterpiece. Take a minute to get the scoop! Fun Fact Diaghilev had originally intended Daphnis et Chloé to form the centrepiece of the 1910 season, and although the first piano draft was ready by the beginning of May, this was already far too late, leaving the door wi…