A selection of Cacophony episodes featuring a mix of the explicitly Christmas and a bit of fairytale ballet action
50. Christmas ballet music that’s great any time: Nutcracker
So much great music to delight and enjoy in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. And it turns out my 7 year old daughter knows the storyline better than I did! [31 mins]… Listen
69. The best Christmas treat! Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker
Three musical geniuses really make the magic come alive in Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s classic, Nutcracker. (38 mins)… Listen
102. Nightmare before Christmas? Schnittke‘s ‘Silent Night‘
Everyone knows and loves Silent Night, right? But you probably haven’t heard it sound quite like this. It probably won’t actually give you nightmares, but it will certainly stay with you (Listening time 7mins). And despite the bleak music, I do wish you a happy Christmas!… Listen
101. Music from an arc-angel! Corelli, Christmas Concerto
If you want a change from Christmas pop, Christmas baroque is the way to go – here’s a sparkling little gem from Arcangelo Corelli – a great 15 minute way to reset, reflect and energise – it manages all these things! (17 mins: podcast 3′, music 14′)… Listen
Lockdown 7: Ravel – Mother Goose
This is the first audio introduction where I forget to mention the name of the piece! It’s the Mother Goose Suite, by Ravel and I love it. The music’s here: or here:
153. Ecstasy, beauty, and ripping the universe open: Messiaen, Vingt regards sur l’enfant Jésus – with Rolf Hind
Pianist Rolf Hind introduces one of the epics of piano music. A heady mix of virtuoso composing and devout faith, Olivier Messiaen’s 20 reflections on the infant Jesus, Vingt regards sur l’infant Jésus, brings us a two-hour deep dive of … Listen
