Classical Breakdown

Episodes

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  Season 7 Recommended Summer Listening! 23.06.2026 33m

  It's time again to look at some recently recorded albums for us to enjoy and grow with this summer. John Banther has 4 albums to recommend, and one of them includes a remarkable composer's story!
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  Tosca! Puccini's tragic opera on love, lust, and brutality 09.06.2026 1h 14m

  Why watch a thriller on a Friday night when you can watch the dramatic and compact "blood and guts" opera by Puccini that is... Tosca! John Banther and Linda Carducci give you the historical and cultural context to the plot, show you specific themes hidden throughout, and highlight 4 show-stopping moments.
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  The Montgomery Variations: A Piece of American History by Margaret Bonds 26.05.2026 1h 1m

  Music can be just as much of a historical document as letters or legislation, and we see that directly in this episode with music by Bonds written in 1963. John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for, how Bonds adapts a well-known melody, the historical context, and more.
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  Haydn's Trumpet Concerto: Revolutionary in ways you didn't know! 12.05.2026 50m

  There is so much more to this humble concerto than you realize, because the context of hearing a trumpet do something unheard of before has been lost. We show you what made this concerto possible, how Haydn was revolutionary, and why each recording is a little bit different.
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  Leos Janacek: an original composer who found success late 28.04.2026 53m

  Another listener request! John Banther and Bill Bukowski explore the life of Leos Janacek and look at 2 specific subjects to understand this composer's original sound, speech melodies and modality.
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  Bonus! John and James discuss Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and gigs 21.04.2026 27m

  John Banther and James Jacobs discuss Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and performing it at gigs, which for James reaches into the hundreds at weddings! Plus, we enjoy a full performance with the Berlin Philharmonic.
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  Also Sprach Zarathustra: Where Music and Philosophy Reach New Heights 14.04.2026 53m

  You know the opening of this work through its countless use in movies, commercials, and even popular music. But do you know the underlying philosophy that inspired Strauss? John Banther and Evan Keely show you how themes transform from beginning to end in an effort to reach the Übermensch!
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  Bonus! 2 Opera preludes by Richard Wagner 07.04.2026 24m

  Let's enjoy two iconic Wagner preludes in two larger-than-life recordings featuring the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and conductor Bernard Haitink!
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  Richard Wagner: The flawed man who changed opera 31.03.2026 1h 18m

  This composer's life was tumultuous and sometimes straight out of a soap opera. John Banther and Evan Keely explore what led him to opera, his initial success and failures, his bigoted "Judaism in Music" essay, and how his Ring Cycle changed everything.
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  Bonus! 3 Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tampered Clavier Book 1 by Sam Post 24.03.2026 14m

  Listen to Ralitza Patcheva and Sam Post in their latest recording, featuring a rhythmic reimaging of JS Bach. If you missed last week's episode, listen afterwards to learn all about this project from beginning to end. Music provided by (c) Acis Productions LLC. All rights reserved
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  The Well-TAMPERED Clavier: A rhythmic reimagining of JS Bach by Sam Post 17.03.2026 44m

  JS Bach was experimental, and that spirit has carried on into the 21st century with composers and pianists like Sam Post and Ralitza Patcheva. While Bach was experimenting with using all 12 major and minor keys at a single keyboard, Sam Post's rhythmic reimagining brings together elements that didn't exist in Bach's time.
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  Brahms Symphony No. 3: Perfection in Orchestration and Form 03.03.2026 51m

  The first symphonies came from a place of insecurity, but his 3rd exudes confidence from the first note to the last. John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for in Brahms' orchestration, how he uses compositional tools to create new melodies, sonata form basics, and the rivalry that took place the night of the premiere.
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  3 Composers lost to Tyranny 17.02.2026 43m

  A hallmark of tyranny is its desire to control and stifle creative expression. In this episode, in memory of Lubna Alyaan, John Banther and Evan Keely explore three 20th-century composers, what happened to them, and select works that demand your attention.
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  Meet Grammy-Winning Composer Jessie Montgomery! 03.02.2026 40m

  Jessie Montgomery and John Banther discuss her popular works, her time writing for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Blacknificent 7 composer group, and her early artistic influences.
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  A performance of Carnival of the Animals featuring Argerich and Freire! 27.01.2026 25m

  Enjoy this performance after listening to the previous episode all about Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. (Elephant image: By Muhammad Mahdi Karim)
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  Carnival of the Animals, a work of genius kept hidden (plus animal facts!) 20.01.2026 1h 2m

  One of the most endearing works in music was also hidden for years because the composer worried about his reputation. John Banther and Evan Keely explore the world of animals, how Saint-Saëns brings them to life, and why you have to play bad to sound good!
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  Bonus episode: Ballet music from 2 operas by Verdi! 13.01.2026 17m

  Different audiences have different tastes, and you can't always serve them the same dish. If Verdi wanted his grand operas to be staged in Paris, he needed to include ballet. In this bonus episode, we'll hear two ballet sections from two different operas, sometimes composed decades later.
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  Giuseppe Verdi: A life of drama, censorship, and even farming! 06.01.2026 57m

  This composer wrote operas almost exclusively, and his 19th-century success and popularity are hard to grasp even today. John Banther and Linda Carducci explore his life, his upward rise, the tragedies, and how he provided the sound for Italy's "Risorgimento!"
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  Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto, one of the most challenging works for violin! 23.12.2025 52m

  This concerto is one of the most daunting in the repertoire, and almost every big soloist aims to lay down their interpretation. But what makes this work so difficult? Is it the written music or is it something else? John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for, how Sibelius does things differently, a moment from a masterclass, and what went wrong in the premiere.
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  A performance of Emilie Mayer's Cello Sonata in D minor featuring Grace Mockus 16.12.2025 28m

  In the episode on Emilie Mayer's life and music, we briefly discussed her wonderful writing for cello, and we get to experience it firsthand in this bonus episode. Juilliard Graduate student, Grace Mockus, is working on publishing her critical edition of Emilie Mayer's Cello Sonata in D minor! After listening to this, you can find more performances of Grace Mockus on YouTube.