122. The height of passion? Haydn, Symphony No.49
It’s not about that sort of passion, but this symphony La Passione is intense, dark, thrilling, and one of Haydn’s best! Listening time c30 minutes (podcast 5.5′, music 23′)… Listen
119. Dancing into Immortality: Prokofiev, Romeo & Juliet
So much more than just a famous TV theme tune, Prokofiev’s music for Romeo and Juliet is full of intensity, drama, passion, wit and the occasional brilliantly pure dance number. Simultaneously draining and energising it’s a fabulous demonstration of the sheer power of music. I love it. Listening time 41 mins.… Listen
118. Songs from the greatest ever musical! Bernstein, West Side Story
Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (Cacophony ep.117) features the driving funky rhythms at the expense of the wit, poetry and driving funky rhythms of the song numbers… so this episode features four of my favourites. Listening time 22 mins.… Listen
117. The greatest Musical? Bernstein: West Side Story, Symphonic Dances
I played this over a week ago and still the tunes dance around inside my head – it’s the jazz- and latin-fuelled brilliance of the Symphonic Dances from Leonard Bernstein’s smash hit musical, West Side Story – perhaps the greatest musical there is? What do you think? Listening time 34’… Listen
115. A superstar symphony, but not a miracle: Haydn, Symphony No.96
n Haydn came to London he was treated like a superstar: wined and dined by the great and good, and his concerts were the hottest ticket in town. The ‘Miracle’ Symphony, no.96, was Haydn’s first written for Londoners and is designed to win us over with its charms. Music to put a smile on our faces and a spring in our step! Listening time c32 (music 22′, podcast 10′)… Listen
113. London’s the place for me: Coates, London Suite
I’ve come over all nostalgic at the prospect of returning to London in a few days, so here’s a swaggering piece of escapism back to the heady optimistic days of the 1930s in Eric Coates London Suite. Listening time 21 mins… Listen
112. Dancing on Love Island? Ravel, Daphnis & Chloé
Bursting full of life, Ravel’s music for this everyday love story of shepherd meets goatherd meets Greek god of nature is dreamy, sensual, and downright thrilling, all delivered in glorious orchestral technicolor. Meet Daphnis & Chloé! Listening time: 25 mins (podcast 9′, music 16′)… Listen
110. Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky, and how great art knows no borders. Tchaikovsky, The Tempest
Shakespeare reaches people across the world with his insights into our shared humanity and his plays have inspired countless composers to write music – providing their own way for us to connect to Shakespeare, each other and ourselves. Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest overture gives us a torrential storm, a big love theme that beats Romeo & Juliet, and one of the most atmospheric, goose-bump-inducing beginning and end to any piece of music. And almost no one knows it at all! Listening time 33 mins… Listen
108. A short break for bread and Beethoven
We’ve all got pieces of music that instantly remind us of special times and places in our lives. What are yours I wonder? (Tell me!) We’re in Sri Lanka at the moment and, bizarrely, the piece of music we’ve heard more than any other in the last few months has been Beethoven’s perfect little piano piece, Für Elise, but perhaps not as we’re used to hearing it… Here’s the story of why, and how it’s in the ears of everyone Sri Lanka. (Listening time 8 mins: podcast 5′, music 3′)… Listen