What’s this program about?
Enter the musical world of Sir Malcolm Arnold, a world of brisk expression and energy, evocative 
soundscape, precise instrumentation, and winsome melody. A world of richly colored, well crafted, deeply satisfying sound.
Many people discover Malcolm Arnold through his sets of appealing dances and through his film scores, especially Bridge on the River Kwai.
What’s this program about?
Vienna drew musicians from all over Europe, 
luring them with Imperial support for the arts and a public eager for music. Mozart and Mahler came to work in Vienna more than a century apart, and both experienced success and frustrations in this opera-loving city so rich in architectural and cultural splendors. From the Turkish cultural influence to the passion of the waltz and operetta, Professor Carol surveys the musical history of Vienna and talks about Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, Marriage of Figaro, and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.
Works discussed: Mozart Violin Concerto in A Major, K. 219, Overture to Marriage of Figaro; Mahler, Symphony No. 5
What’s this program about?
Was it the great tunes, the snappy lyrics, or both? George Gershwin’s fabulous songs are a treasured part of American music. His Rhapsody in Blue, theater works American in Paris and Porgy and Bess, brought him celebrity status and changed the course of American music. After his premature death, his brother Ira carried on the legacy working with the Library of Congress to ensure that these musical treasures are ours today. Professor Carol surveys the life and works of Gerswhin.
Works discussed: Rhapsody in Blue, Songs, Three Preludes for Piano
Conductor and oboist Vladimir Lande talks with Professor Carol about the legacy of Evgeny Mravinsky and Soviet composers Shostakovich and Khachaturian, as well as the influence of folklore and the bells of the Orthodox Church on Russian composers. He discusses performances of music by John Corigliano, Gaetano Panariello, and Lorenzo Ferrero and his enthusiasm for performing contemporary music of 
In addition to his conducting career, Lande is a virtuoso oboist with the Poulenc Trio and the D’Amore duo. He began his career as principal oboist of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (1984-1989), playing under such legendary conductors as Mravinsky, Mariss Jansons, Leonard Bernstein, Claudio Abbado, Valery Gergiev, and Yuri Temirkanov.
Lande has been awarded many prestigious prizes, including the First Prize of the Russian Republic Wind Competition. He was named principal guest conductor of the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra in
What’s this program about?
Russian music has tremendous audience appeal. Its sources are the very cornerstones of Old Russian Culture: the Orthodox Church, Russian history, Russian fairy tales and folklore, and Russia’s position between West and East. Liturgical chants and bells reverberate in the music of Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, and Rachmaninov. Russian history and literature inspire the operas Prince Igor and Khovanshchina.
Works discussed: Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian Easter Overture; Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Prelude to Khovanshchina; Borodin, Prince Igor, Polovtsian Dances.
What’s this program about?
Richard Wagner was, and remains, one of the most intense and controversial figures of all time. For those who love Wagner’s music, Wagner becomes an obsession. Wagner understood and glorified the sound of wind instruments, especially brass, and transcriptions of Wagner’s operatic music have made highly effective and enjoyable arrangements for wind band. That’s how Wagner became a band geek.
Works discussed: Wagner’s Rienzi, Lohengrin, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung
What’s this program about?
In today’s classical music world, there are not many composers who can stir up the excitement that might have accompanied the premiere of a new work by Brahms. But John Mackey is a composer who can. He has a popular following from all over the world. The Dallas Wind Symphony collaborated with a group of wind bands to commission Mackey’s new Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble. Mackey dedicated the work to Don Fabian, principal saxophonist of the Dallas Wind Symphony, and Professor Carol talks to Fabian about the upcoming premiere.
Works discussed: John Mackey’s Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble
In popular usage, “classical” means anything that lasts and is passed down from generation to generation. It also refers to the particular style of music, rich in contrast, that flourished in late 18th-century Vienna. Professor Carol talks about classicism from Mozart to Brahms to Prokofiev.
Works discussed: Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68; Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25, “Classical Symphony,” Lieutenant Kijé Suite, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Flat Major, Op. 10.
What’s this program about?
Ottorino Respighi was not at war with tonality or tradition, and his works have consequently been denigrated at times as “crowd pleasers.” Although he wrote successful concertos, operas, and ballets that were widely performed in his day, he is known primarily for his Roman trilogy: Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals. Professor Carol takes a close look at Roman Festivals and the current revival of interest in Respighi’s works.
Works discussed: Respighi’s Roman Festivals, Pines of Rome, Fountains of Rome, Laud of the Nativity
The Respighi Foundation
The Resphigi Society
Further reading: Elsa Respighi. Ottorino Rspighi. His Life-Story Arranged By Elsa Respighi. Translated by Gwyn Morris. London: Ricordi, 1962.
Mahler expanded the orchestra to huge proportions, going beyond the already inflated forces of Wagner. But Mahler simultaneously achieved an striking delicacy and transparency by using solo instruments to create “chamber music” in the midst of a his massive musical canvases. He drew his inspiration from the simple tunes of his childhood, military marches, folk songs, and village dances. But he also used the Viennese traditions of Beethoven, Schubert, and the Imperial Viennese waltz. He treated all of these elements as pieces of a mosaic, and placed them in a sophisticated symphonic frame. His great range of artistic expression and his choice to empower the instrumentalists with wonderful solo passages revolutionized music.
It’s true that musicians get excited about playing Mahler in a way that can’t be compared to other composers. Their Mahler experiences stand out – their first awed encounters with his music and their experiences performing it. Mahler demands constant attention from the musicians and pushes them to their limits of physical endurance. So it makes sense to let the musicians themselves talk about Mahler and explain not only why it’s electrifying to play his music, but why so many listeners identify Mahler as one of their favorite composers.
This podcast features Michael Shih, Concertmaster, Ana Victoria Luperi, Principal Clarinet, Mark Houghton, Principal Horn, Steve Wegel, Principal Trumpet, Ron Wilson, Principal Trombone, Kathryn Perry, Violin, and Brian Perry, Bass.
The Fort Worth Symphony’s Mahler Cycle at Bass Hall opens August 23, 2007, with “The Man Behind the Music,” a spectacular multimedia experience led by Professor Carol Reynolds and featuring selections from Mahler’s vocal works with mezzo-soprano Jill Grove and pianist John Churchwell.
