27 - Some Other Bachs, pt. 4 "Carl Philipp Emanuel and the Prussian Blues"
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
Release Date: 01/22/2019
50 - Johannes Brahms pt. 15a "Tokens of Friendship" a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
Brahms pt. 15a: we return to the life narrative of our great composer, picking up where we left him in the summer of 1879 adding the finishing touches to his D major violin concerto which he had written for and with the advice of his great friend, Joseph Joachim. This was the high point of their friendship and musical partnership; but for how long would the happy feelings last, and if they didn't, how long would it take Brahms to reclaim them? Works heard in this episode in order (all by Brahms): - Hungarian Dances WoO 1 books 3-4, nos. 11-21 17. in F Sharp Minor (Andantino) 18. in D...
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49 - Johannes Brahms pt. 14 "The Violin Concerto" a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
In Brahms pt. 14 our pause in the narrative continues as we study the greatest of all violin concertos, that by Johannes Brahms. We will analyze the relationship between Brahms and the work's first, possibly finest performer Joseph Joachim, putting the concerto in the context of his performing life and in relation to other works in the genre. We conclude with a discussion of cadenza's, but Joachim and others, which happily allows us to revisit Fritz Kreisler, seeing how his life intersects with Joachim's and Brahms's, and discuss another of my heroes: the violinist Jascha Heifetz. Works heard...
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48 - Johannes Brahms pt. 13 "The Second Symphony" a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
In Brahms pt. 13 we pause the narrative and retrace our steps to spend some more time with the Second Symphony. A brief discussion of the symphony and an analysis of its motives will be presented, including excerpts from it and a complete recording by the Musopen Symphony. Works heard in this episode in order (all by Brahms): -Symphony no. 2 in D major op. 73 Multiple excerpts recorded by Chang Ji, violin and Kevin Nordstrom, viola 1. Allegro non troppo 2. Adagio non troppo 3. Allegretto grazioso 4. Allegro con spirito Musopen Symphony...
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47 - Johannes Brahms pt. 12 "Why the Light is Given" a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
Pt. 12: It is early November 1876 and Brahms is in the audience as the orchestra at Carlsruhe premieres his first symphony in C minor. The concert goes better than expected and riding high on his success, Brahms performs the symphony many more times elsewhere. Its positive reception gladdened his heart and he quickly produced another symphony to celebrate, then a series of other wonderful works including the first violin sonata in G major, and the monumental violin concerto for Joseph Joachim. Works heard in this episode in order (all by Brahms): -Symphony no. 2 in D major op. 73,...
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46 - Johannes Brahms pt. 11 "A Symphony" a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
It is summer 1876. Brahms is vacationing with his friend George Henschel on the Baltic island or Rügen and finishing work on his first symphony in C minor... Works heard in this episode (all by Brahms): Symphony no. 1 in C minor op. 68 Excerpts: performed by Chang Ji, Mrs. the GCP - mvt. 1 mm. 1-2, mm. 41, mm. 42-46 - mvt. 4 mm. 1-3, mm. 12-14 ...by The GCP House Orchestra... - mvt. 4 mm. 30-38, mm. 61-78 Complete performance by the "Musopen Symphony" 1. Un Poco Sostenuto - Allegro 2. Andante sostenuto 3. Un poco Allegretto e grazioso 4. Adagio. Più andante. Allegro non troppo, ma...
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45 - Johannes Brahms, pt. 10 "From the Soul of the Purest Youth" a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
It is December 1871 and Johannes Brahms has finally established permanent residence in the music loving city of Vienna. Still, his thoughts remain in Hamburg for a time as his family slowly start to drift away from him... He himself then drifted for a time, compositionally at least. He would begin his new position as Artistic Director of the Gesellschaft der Musik Freunde in Fall 1872 which made him so busy he hardly had time to compose. Except during the summers, when he would disappear from their sight, as it were, and work on his music. And what incredible music it would be: two string...
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44 - "Interview with Alan Walker and Daniel Vnukowski” a classical music podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
I am pleased to be joined during this episode by Alan Walker, celebrated author of biographies of Franz Liszt, Frederick Chopin and others, and acclaimed concert pianist Daniel Vnukowski. We discuss Liszt, Chopin, and Schumann, taking a look at their lives and music from the perspectives of biographer and performer. Vnukowski and Dr. Walker present "In the Footsteps of Chopin" on Wednesday June 23rd 7pm Eastern, a free virtual event a part of the Collingwood Music Festival's Summer Solstice Series. You can RSVP to using the link below. See you there! Music heard in this episode,...
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43 - Johannes Brahms pt. 9 "A Lovely Dwelling Place" - Classical Music Podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
Ep. 43 – It is Good Friday, April 10, 1868 in Bremen and Brahms has just finished giving the premiere of his German Requiem. It is a complete triumph but one not celebrated with wild applause, the work is too grave for that. Instead, attendees of the premiere listened with glad hearts and in reverence, awe really of the work’s creator. Thus, Johannes Brahms became an internationally recognized composer of considerable importance and some measure of celebrity. Works heard in this episode (all by Brahms): -Requiem mvt. 4 "How Lovely is They Dwelling Place" mvt. 5 "And Ye Now are...
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42b - Johannes Brahms pt. 8 "The Scent of Lilac" - Classical Music Podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
Ep 42(b) - It is early 1865. Brahms's mother has just passed away. Filled with emotion he grudgingly moves from winter to spring, entering a long period of deep and private mourning during which he would retreat into himself for a time in order to gather his thoughts and energies, and orient them toward a grand act of artistic creation in which he would immortalize his beloved mother and through which his artist soul would be elevated and ennobled and made pure. ----------------- Subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-star review! Share with your friends! download our app! Visit and like...
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42a - Johannes Brahms pt. 8 "The Scent of Lilac" - Classical Music Podcast
The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast
Ep. 42(a) - It is late November 1862. We find Johannes Brahms in Vienna making a great success of himself for once but reeling from a devastating blow given him by the musical establishment of Hamburg. He will try to pick himself up and carry on with his work, compartmentalizing the tenderness he felt for one place from the bitterness for the other so that he might do so. And then further troubles to deal with: family strife and division that will make his life more difficult than ever; a loss that will wrench his heart and cause him the greatest pain, one for which tears aplenty would not be...
info_outlineIn Ep. 27, The Lives of Some Other Bachs, pt. 4 “Carl Philipp Emanuel and the Prussian Blues” we see Emanuel Bach suffer many more years in service to King Frederick the Great of Prussia, unable to find employment elsewhere. His perpetual good cheer served him well during these troubled years and he continued to compose and make a success of himself as before. Following the Third Silesian War from 1756-1763, Emanuel had enough of royal service and was determined to leave Berlin. He set his sights on Hamburg, where his godfather Georg Philipp Telemann was music director. Luckily, Emanuel would be Telemann’s successor, and took over his new post in 1768. He spent the rest of his life there and passed away in 1788 knowing that his life had been a success from beginning to end.
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Music heard in this episode:
1. B minor sonata, H. 245 beginning of mvt. 3 (played by me)
2. Solfegio in C minor, organ version - Dick Koomans https://musopen.org/music/43229-solfeggio-in-c-minor-h-220/
3. D major symphony H. 663 mvts. 1,2,3
4. Fantasia in F-sharp minor H. 300 - Joan Benson https://musopen.org/music/9240-fantasia-in-f-sharp-minor-h-300/
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