Classical Music Decoded

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto was criticised by its dedicatee, poorly performed at its premier and savaged by a leading critic. But still, this child of the composer's imagination became hugely popular and is one of the foremost violin concertos in classical music.

8 Mar 15 min

Fauré: Pélleas et Mélisande

Fauré's Pélleas and Mélisande concert suite was extracted from music he wrote for a performance of Maurice Maeterlinck's play. It showcases Fauré's ear for beautiful melodies and his knack for expressing deeply felt emotions in music that's powerful and yet at the same time, restrained.

11 Jan 11 min

Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor

Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto has been popular ever since it's premier in 1868. Its combination of arresting melodies, warmth and dazzling piano parts has charmed audiences around the world. In this episode Deano Maduramuthu gives background to Grieg's journey into Norwegian nationalism, the encouragement he received from Franz Liszt and…

11 Nov 2022 12 min

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

A public performance of Rhapsody in Blue was advertised before Gershwin had even thought of composing it! This episode explains how the Rhapsody came into being and how Gershwin infused 'jazz vocabulary' into a piece of classical music.

11 Sep 2022 10 min

Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra

South Africa once again has a national orchestra - the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra. It's the first national orchestra since the NSO was disbanded. I attended the launch where orchestra CEO Bongani Tembe spoke about the purpose of the Mzansi NPO and dealt with some of the criticism levelled against…

18 Jul 2022 9 min

Beethoven - Symphony no. 3 in E flat major "Eroica"

Concert goers in Vienna in the early 1800s were unsure about Beethoven's Eroica symphony. It was unlike any other composed before and it broke the mould, eventually changing what they expected a symphony to be. Acclaimed conductor Bernhard Gueller explains what made the Eroica a groundbreaking work, as well as…

5 Jul 2022 29 min

Tchaikovsky - Symphony no. 5 in E minor

Tchaikovsky composed his fifth symphony to prove to others, and to himself, that he wasn't "played out" as a composer. He needn't have worried. It's a fantastic symphony, containing gorgeous melodies and deeply felt emotion - traits that are typical of Tchaikovsky. Rather than the work of someone in decline,…

16 Jun 2022 15 min

Dvorak - Symphony no.9 "From the New World"

Dvorak's Symphony no.9 in E minor was first performed in New York in 1893 and was an immediate hit. But despite Dvorak giving it the subtitle "From the New World", was there anything American about the symphony? That's a question musicologists continue to debate, but what is clear is that…

3 Jun 2022 17 min

Bruch - Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor

Zanta Hofmeyr is one of South Africa's most acclaimed violinists. In this episode she guides us through a work about which she is passionate - Max Bruch's Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor. Zanta identifies some of the themes and key changes, gives insight into the difficulty of the soloist's…

29 May 2022 37 min

Scheherazade Symphonic Suite

Scheherazade was composed by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. It was inspired by One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights) and like many good stories, is full of colour, adventure and a bit of romance! Miro Chakaryan is the concert master of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. He takes us through each movement,…

28 May 2022 42 min