All Podcasts

Commissions, Dedications, and Premieres

October 17, 2007

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 [...]

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What Does “Classical” Mean?

October 9, 2007

  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 [...]

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The Making of a Steinway

October 5, 2007

Professor Carol interviews New York Times veteran reporter James Barron, author of Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand (New York: Times Books, 2006), which tells the story of a single piano (K0862) and its eleven-month journey from its beginnings as raw lumber to the concert stage at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.   [...]

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The Music of Magic

September 27, 2007

What’s this program about? Can musical works actually paint magic into sound? Or are the sounds magical only because we know the stories behind them? Professor Carol looks at magic in music, from E.T.A. Hoffmann to John Williams’ Harry Potter score.   Works discussed: Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique; Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo; Dukas’ Sorcerer’s [...]

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Respighi’s Roman Festivals

September 14, 2007

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, [...]

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The Musicians’ Perspective on Mahler

August 16, 2007

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 [...]

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Tulsa Symphony Season Preview Pt 2

July 18, 2007

The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra Season Preview continues with Part 2. Go to Part 1 now.

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Tulsa Symphony 2007-2008

June 26, 2007

A look at the upcoming 2007-2008 season of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.  Professor Carol reviews the orchestra’s concert programs in this netcast and takes you on a virtual tour from America to Imperial Russia to Vienna and back.  This netcast is divided into two parts so be sure to listen to Part 2. Go to [...]

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Rossini’s Petit Messe Solonnelle

May 18, 2007

What’s this program about? Rossini, the master of bel canto opera, retired young, rich, and famous. Decades later, in old age and ill health, Rossini returned to composition and crafted a liturgical mass as his final work, a work both spiritual and theatrical, Petit Messe Solonnelle. Works Discussed: Rossini’s Petit Messe Solonnelle Where you can [...]

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The Essential Tchaikovsky

May 7, 2007

What’s this program about? Tchaikovsky’s music holds a sacred place in Russian culture. Dmitri Shostakovich said, “Without Tchaikovsky we could not endure our sorrows.” Professor Carol examines his Fifth Symphony and considers his life, his personal struggles, and his professional successes. Works Discussed: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 4, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The [...]

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