Best Straz Center Podcasts (2024)

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Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 8:36

5d ago8:36

8:36

The concert pairs two of the most famous openings in music: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey). In Beethoven’s Fifth, it’s up to you, the listener, to interpret those four iconic bursts of sound – da da da dum! Fate knocking at the door? Victory over tyranny? A deaf composer sh…

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Program Notes: Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 8:10

16d ago8:10

8:10

Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 may be his most intriguing – and underrated – symphony. Four decades separate Rachmaninoff’s First and Third symphonies, both neglected compared to the celebrated Second. Written in America, his Third Symphony radiates lush romantic melodies, drenched in his trademark orchestral colors. The program starts off with Sibe…

1
Program Notes: Ravel's Bolero 12:33

1M ago12:33

12:33

Ravel’s Bolero begins quietly and ends demonically. The repetition – a maddening rat-a-tat-tat of the snare drum – may sound simple, but the gradual crescendo builds into a frenzy of intensity and brilliant color. Ravel himself underestimated the appeal of the piece, calling it “orchestration without music.” Instead of sliding into oblivion, Bolero…

1
Program Notes: Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony 6:38

5M ago6:38

6:38

Mahler knew how to think big. For his Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” he stuffed the stage with 270 musicians, including 10 trumpets and 10 horns in the original score. It took Mahler five years to complete the symphony, which stretches more than 80 minutes and holds a special place among musicians and audiences. Today, millions of people have hear…

1
Program Notes: Elgar’s Enigma Variations 8:16

6M ago8:16

8:16

The power of friendship. Edward Elgar’s most popular work, Enigma Variations, was dedicated to 14 friends portrayed in the pieces – from his wife to an Oxford professor, a bulldog and even Elgar himself. Like the Elgar, each section of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin (The Grave of Couperin) is dedicated to someone the composer knew, but this time th…

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Secret Lives: Listening to Sunsets 23:32

6M ago23:32

23:32

All in the family. From a tiny apartment around the world to a chance audition at The Florida Orchestra, family has been a driving force for Principal Cellist Yoni Draiblate. Is he bringing up the next Yo-Yo Ma? Time will tell. Even Brahms’ Double Concerto, which Yoni performs this weekend, cannot escape family drama.…

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Program Notes: Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony 7:31

6M ago7:31

7:31

We’re taking a tour of France in the spring. Magnifique! Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony – used so effectively in the 1995 movie Babe – is a lush masterpiece that builds and builds until … wait for it … the organ is let loose in the finale. Fauré’s Requiem creates a place of peace and serenity with rich, soulful melodies, featuring The Master Chorale o…

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Program Notes: Dvorak’s New World Symphony 8:54

7M ago8:54

8:54

Antonin Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony is as big a deal today as it was in 1893, when it premiered with huge fanfare at Carnegie Hall in New York. The Ninth was special. Major composer. Written in America. Inspired by African-American spirituals. No wonder it prompted one of the most elaborate music reviews in the history of newspapers, a 3,000-word essay…

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Program Notes: Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony 9:01

7M ago9:01

9:01

This is the symphony that changed all symphonies, Beethoven’s monumental Third. No one had heard anything like it before. The work was originally called “Bonaparte” after Napoleon, but a disgruntled Beethoven hastily changed the title to “Eroica,” meaning heroic. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 breaks free from oppression after the death of Sta…

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Secret Lives: Robin Hood of Fried Chicken 33:06

8M ago33:06

33:06

Cellist, conductor, Robin Hood of Fried Chicken For TFO Associate Principal Cello Victor Minke Huls, his life in music started way before he was born. And it keeps getting better. From homework in the concert hall to conducting, salsa dancing, an Irish family band and his secret career as a counter tenor, the Florida native keeps adding to an amazi…

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Program Notes: Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto 6:42

9M ago6:42

6:42

A heroic concert indeed. Beethoven’s famed Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” composed when he was deaf, is a stunning example of Beethoven’s stubborn nature. He overcame his liability to create a work of unprecedented depth and expression. The adagio is simply sublime. “The concerto encapsulates the heroic struggle of the individual,’’ says TFO Musi…

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Program Notes: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue 11:18

9M ago11:18

11:18

This program is packed with American greats in honor of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, a smash hit since its debut 100 years ago. “I wanted to put it on a pedestal because it deserves to be there,” says TFO Music Director Michael Francis. The concert starts with jazzy fanfare Herald, Holler & Hallelujah composed by Wynton Marsalis before launching in…

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Program Notes: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 8:09

10M ago8:09

8:09

Tchaikovsky packs a lot of emotion into his Sixth: “Without exaggeration, I have put my entire soul into this symphony.” Less than 10 days after its premiere, Tchaikovsky died. This symphony would become his requiem, a last will and testament of a composer whose music comes so directly from the heart. Barber’s Violin Concerto starts out lush and ly…

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Program Notes: Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 10:48

10M ago10:48

10:48

The word of the day is hurdy-gurdy. Which, in case you don’t know, is a medieval stringed instrument with an attached keyboard. And an inspiration for two pieces on this program written 200 years apart – Missy Mazzoli’s contemporary Sinfonia (For Orbiting Spheres) and Mozart’s charming Violin Concerto No. 4 – though in very different styles. The co…

1
Program Notes: Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 9:36

12M ago9:36

9:36

Brahms was incredibly hard on himself. Plus, he couldn’t seem to shake the shadow of Beethoven and his incredible success. That’s why Brahms struggled for more than 14 years to complete his first symphony, which premiered when he was 43 years old. It was worth the wait –widely considered to be one of the most significant symphonies ever written. In…

1
Program Notes: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 11:00

1y ago11:00

11:00

The concert that takes off “faster than a speeding bullet” with Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony, inspired by the adventures of Superman. Music Director Michael Francis calls it “Dvorak with a dash of Marvel comics thrown in.” Then you’ll instantly recognize Rachmaninoff’s painfully beautiful Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, often featured i…

1
Program Notes: Copland’s Appalachian Spring 11:51

1y ago11:51

11:51

Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring was a breakthrough for its time. The music resonated across America like few works of its day, and not surprisingly, won Copland the Pulitzer Prize a year after its premiere. Also on the program are Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, a continuation of his wildly popular earlier dances, which made him a household na…

1
Secret Lives: No Angels Allowed 30:20

1y ago30:20

30:20

No angels allowed... Not for TFO Principal Harp Anna Kate Mackle. She commissions new music for harp and percussion with her husband, TFO Principal Percussionist John Shaw. Tune in as Anna Kate chats with Resident Conductor Chelsea Gallo about what makes the harp so captivating that people just can’t keep their hands off it. Plus, you’ll never beli…

1
Program Notes: Holst's The Planets 9:56

1y ago9:56

9:56

If you think you hear hints of Star Wars in Holst’s The Planets, you are not wrong. This cosmic experience has inspired composers and patrons for more than 100 years. The Planets is a suite of miniature, often turbulent tone poems of varying moods. The Percussion Collective starts off the program with Christopher Theofanidis’ Drum Circles, a sonic …

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Program Notes: Wagner’s The Ring Without Words 7:26

1+ y ago7:26

7:26

When was the last time you met someone who sat through Richard Wagner’s entire 15-hour Ring cycle? The full spectacle rarely appears outside the most consecrated of opera houses. Now there’s a version that lets you cheat. Wagner’s The Ring Without Words takes all the best parts of music – yes, Ride of the Valkyries – and condenses them into a diges…

1
Secret Lives: Offensive Tackle Goes Orchestral 26:50

1+ y ago26:50

26:50

At 6-foot-6, heavily recruited Harold Van Schaik had a choice to make in college. Football or music? Now the secret life of TFO’s bass trombone player is filled with Wagner, sports and his three cats – who may not be the biggest fans of the trombone. And perhaps the best secret of all? What it takes to get into TFO’s secret society, the Order of th…

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Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Elijah 5:44

1+ y ago5:44

5:44

It might be called an event of Biblical proportions. Rainstorms, floods, droughts, fire from heaven. A child brought back to life. A cloak of angels. The coming of a Messiah and the promise of eternal life. That’s a tall order, but Felix Mendelssohn pulls it off in his monumental oratorio, Elijah. The visceral power of Mendelssohn’s music propels t…

1
Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 10:28

1+ y ago10:28

10:28

Beethoven’s even-numbered symphonies often get a bad rap. But they shouldn’t! His Fourth Symphony is joyous and rhythmically charged and could easily be embraced as a best effort by countless other composers. As one of the few early composers of color, Joseph Bologne is often overlooked. One of the finest examples of Bologne’s style is the Symphony…

1
Program Notes: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 10:03

1+ y ago10:03

10:03

Rachmaninoff wrote music that sticks to the ribs of listeners. His Piano Concerto No. 2 is extravagant and voluptuous from start to finish, and he would take pride in knowing it remains the single-most played work in the repertoire. Sibelius struggled to complete his Symphony No. 5. But the ending is worth all the angst – a triumphal, powerful fina…

1
Program Notes: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 5:56

1+ y ago5:56

5:56

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is breathtakingly beautiful – but fiendishly difficult. Partly because not every pianist has hands the size of Rachmaninoff’s – his thumb and pinkie could span 12 inches, more than most NBA players – and could canvas nearly two octaves. Audiences feel like anything could happen, makes it one of the most thrilling…

1
Secret Lives: The Need for Speed 22:42

2y ago22:42

22:42

In this episode, we talk to Principal Bass Dee Moses, who is “retiring” after 47 seasons with TFO. Well, more like “refocusing” his life to make more time for what’s important to him and his family. Even after more than four decades on stage, there’s a lot we don’t know about the man behind the double bass. Think motorcycle fanatic. Lead guitar roc…

1
Program Notes: Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 6:26

2y ago6:26

6:26

Here’s the moment you fall in love with Mahler. His lyrical Symphony No. 4 has started many a love affair with Mahler’s work, which can feel daunting. This very accessible masterpiece looks at the world through the lens of a child, who in the finale, “tells us what it all means.’’ If ever art imitates life, Elgar’s very personal Cello Concerto is i…

1
Program Notes: Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony 10:28

2y ago10:28

10:28

A concert that’s a little bit city and a little bit country. In his Symphony No. 6, Beethoven is in awe of the power of nature, from flowing streams and peasant dances (fueled by alcohol) to thundering storms that ease into a prayerlike sense of gratitude. Jessie Montgomery’s tone poem Records from a Vanishing Citysoaks up the music that surrounded…

1
Pre-Concert Talk: Drunk with Fire 29:17

2y ago29:17

29:17

In this episode, hear directly from tuba soloist TJ Graf on how he ended up in a rare spot – center stage for Wynton Marsalis’ jazzy Tuba Concerto. Plus: Composer Joshua Cerdenia talks about infusing fire into Feuertrunken, and guest conductor Fawzi Haimor and TFO trombonist Ross Holcombe dig into Duke Ellington’s groundbreaking Black, Brown and Be…

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Program Notes: Gershwin's An American in Paris 12:15

2y ago12:15

12:15

A jazzy program of music by groundbreaking composers. Gershwin captures beautiful sights and intense sounds in his postcard from An American in Paris. A rare Tuba Concerto, by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, features our own TJ Graf in a playful work with a great sense of humor. Duke Ellington’s grand masterpiece Black, Brown and Beige -- a broad tale…

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Program Notes: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 9:30

2y ago9:30

9:30

Hang on for an explosive tribute to fate. In his Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky takes us on a powerful journey that ends in a virtuosic volley of fireworks at breakneck speed. Breathtaking. This program’s real star is the world premiere of the Violin Concerto composed by Michael Ippolito, a Tampa native and award-winning composer. Music Director Micha…

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Program Notes: Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring 8:31

2y ago8:31

8:31

Have you ever had a really intense reaction to live music? We explore Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring – a ballet with music so “shocking” that it started a riot during its premiere in Paris in 1913. That leads us to the opposite end of the ballet spectrum: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, with a sumptuous, soaring score and tear-jerker story. The other pie…

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Program Notes: Scheherazade 9:40

2y ago9:40

9:40

A program of 1001 stories and more that celebrates women as heroes. In Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, the clever sultana spins exotic, cliff-hanger Arabian stories from A Thousand and One Nights to delay her demise. Then there’s Clara Schumann, who finished composing her Piano Concerto by age 16 at a time when women simply did not compose. Roundin…

1
Program Notes: Brahms’ Violin Concerto 8:35

2y ago8:35

8:35

Is it a concerto or a symphony with a fiddle in the middle? That’s the debate surrounding Brahms’ demanding Violin Concerto, in part because the orchestral writing doesn’t bow to the violin; instead, it’s in full throttle throughout. Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8, too often overshadowed by his great New World Symphony, offers an idyllic refuge of joy and…

1
Program Notes: Carmina Burana 8:08

2y ago8:08

8:08

We explore one of the biggest primal screams in music: Carmina Burana. Carl Orff’s barbaric yet lyrical cantata for orchestra and chorus is an epic fight back against the powers of fate. The iconic musical drama is filled with drunkenness, debauchery and love. We’ll also hear the strange love story of Daphnis et Chloe, by Maurice Ravel. These progr…

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Episode 28 - Taking Our Shot To Review Hamilton on Disney Plus 26:08

4y ago26:08

26:08

Episode 28 - Taking Our Shot To Review Hamilton on Disney Plus by Straz CenterBy Straz Center

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Episode 27 - POSE Season 2 Part 3 33:25

4+ y ago33:25

33:25

The revelation and revolution that is the TV series Pose, about the drag ballroom culture in 1980s New York City, is the object of affection of our podcasters Zach and LeeAnn. Zach and LeeAnn dish about the conclusion of Season 2 in part 3 of this 3 part series.By Straz Center

1
Episode 26 - POSE Season 2 Part 2 19:52

4+ y ago19:52

19:52

The revelation and revolution that is the TV series Pose, about the drag ballroom culture in 1980s New York City, is the object of affection of our podcasters Zach and LeeAnn. Zach and LeeAnn dish about the last half of Season 2 in part 2 of this 3 part series.By Straz Center

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Episode 25 - THE CATEGORY IS ... POSE SEASON 2 (PART 1) 41:18

4+ y ago41:18

41:18

The revelation and revolution that is the TV series Pose, about the drag ballroom culture in 1980s New York City, is the object of affection of our podcasters Zach and LeeAnn. Zach and LeeAnn dish about the first half of Season 2.By Straz Center

1
Episode 24 - STRIKING A POSITION ON POSE SEASON 1 27:07

4+ y ago27:07

27:07

The revelation and revolution that is the TV series Pose, about the drag ballroom culture in 1980s New York City, is the object of affection of our podcasters Zach and LeeAnnBy Straz Center

1
Episode 23 - Lady Day Proves Billie Holliday Still Resonates 31:37

4+ y ago31:37

31:37

Zach and LeeAnn are still home and chatting about Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Billie Holliday and how her story and music are still relevant in this challenging and changing time.By Straz Center

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