Classical Classroom

“When somebody shows you who they are, believe them.” That’s one of cellist Amanda Gookin’s favorite quotes. And through the Forward Music Project, she’s decided to show people who she is, and who women and girls are. Learn Amanda’s story (which includes many digressions from, and returns to, the classical music world), and learn why she decided to aim all of her disparate passions at one target. Hear the innovate pieces that she’s commissioned in what she calls a “giving project,” which seeks not only to bring awareness to causes that benefit women and girls, but to donate money to those causes. Music in this episode (all from the Forward Music Project): “For Edna,” by Leila Adu “Stray Sods,” by Amanda Feery “Swerve,” by Jessica Meyer “Memories lie dormant: they are reviled before they are revealed,” by Morgan Krauss Audio production by Todd “Take 5” Hulslander with pick up sticks by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. Thanks much to George Heathco for the use of his music in our intro!

Happy birthday, Rachmaninov! Because Rachmaninov’s birthday and our Spring Break lined up so nicely, it’s obviously the perfect opportunity to repeat this episode. Back next week with more of the usual (i.e., heavy metal car racing stories with lots of explosions). Cellist Alisa Weilerstein’s gives an introduction to the music of Sergey Rachmaninov. Who was this romantic man, and what makes him different from all the other guys – I mean, composers? Weilerstein walks us through Rachmaninov’s Sonata in G Minor for Cello and Piano. Plus, she talks about her musical relationship with performing partner, pianist Inon Barnatan, and what it’s like to be part of a long-term creative duo. Music in this episode is all from Weilerstein and Barnatan’s CD, Chopin and Rachmaninov Cello Sonatas: Sonata in G Minor for Cello and Piano, Opus 19. Sergey Rachmaninov. Audio production by Todd “Toight like a toiger” Hulslander with grrrr aargh’s from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. If you enjoyed this episode with Ali

For starters, this episode was recorded on Groundhog’s Day. Which is pretty perfect considering that this is the second time we’ve had the Cypress String Quartet on the show to talk about a “final” recording. Cypress cellist Jennifer Kloetzel swears that this really is the quartet’s final final recording and assures us that this is not just a clever publicity gimmick. (Although for the record, if it was, we would gladly play along.) Kloetzel tells us why, for their final final recording, the group went with a composer they’d never recorded before (Brahms), why they recorded the album live in front of a studio audience, and why they played as a sextet rather than a quartet. Also discussed: whether or not one has to have Jedi training to record at Skywalker Sound, and whether Jennifer and Zuill Bailey had a cello battle in the studio. All music in this episode from the Cypress String Quartet’s Brahms: String Sextets Op.18 and Op.36. Audio production by Todd “Marmot” Hulslander with shadow-siting by Dacia Clay a

It all started because Tom Steenlandreally dug the music of composer Tod Dockstader. He wanted the rest of the world to hear it, too. And so began the (thus far) 25-year DIY project born out of Steenland’s passion for innovative sound that is Starkland Records, a label that specializes in experimental music, alternative classical, and the avant-garde. Since the label started in 1991 (AKA, the Year Punk Broke), Steenland has almost single-handedly propelled Starkland’s motor, doing the bulk of the work for the label himself, including the minutiae like graphic design. And, to top all of that, Starkland is a non-profit label and has worked directly with nearly 100 composers. Learn about this unicorn among labels in our Classical Classroom MusicWorks story. Music in this episode from Starkland, including music by Tod Dockstader, Phillip Bimstein, and more. Audio production by Todd “Dockstader” Hulslander with robot sounds from Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. Thanks muchly to composer George Heathc

Collaborative pianist Madeline Slettedahl came to the Classical Classroom to describe the nuances of her trade. What’s it like to play one instrument that’s sometimes a stand-in for a whole orchestra? How is playing piano with a vocalist different than playing with an instrumentalist? Doesn’t she like the glory of playing solo piano better? And why can’t we call her an “accompanist” anymore? Madeline graciously answers all of our ridiculous questions and more. Also included: lots of fun and lots of made up words. By the way, Madeline and baritone Ben Lowe recently won the The Music Academy of the West’s 2016 Marilyn Horne Song Competition. As part of their winnings, they’re kicking off a nationwide tour that starts in March and includes Houston! Stay tuned to our social media for more information. Audio production by Todd “Toxic” Hulslander with hungry eyes from Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. 

All of us have heard spirituals before – those sometimes jubilant, sometimes sorrowful songs created by African American slaves. But have you really heardthem? As it turns out, these deceptively simple songs sometimes carried hidden messages, signals, and directions. Dr. Jason Oby, artistic director of the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, teaches all about this ingenious and soulful musical invention that was born out of oppression and necessity. He also talks about the spiritual’s connection to classical music, and the music of Roland Carter, who, among many things, arranges spirituals. Music in this episode: “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” feat. Jason Oby and Moses Hogan (piano) “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” feat. Jessye Norman “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” arranged by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson, feat. Roland Carter “Hold Fast to Dreams,” by Roland Carter Audio production by Todd “Telekinesis” Hulslander with levitation from Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. To learn m

Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth. Neo: What truth? Spoon boy: There is no spoon. Neo: There is no spoon? Spoon boy: Then you’ll see that it is not the spoon that bends; it is only yourself. – from The Matrix Dr. George E. Lewis is the Neo of the classical music Matrix. He doesn’t have a great deal of use for preconceived notions of genre and form and he doesn’t have a lot of time to worry about definitions. That’s because he’s pretty darn busy making music and art. In addition to chairing the Composition Area at Columbia University, he’s a composer, an electronic performer, an installation artist, a trombone player and a scholar. In this episode of Classical Classroom, Dr. Lewis pauses for a moment to talk about his experimental classical music, and about what he’s been doing at Rice University with the James Turrell Sky Space using the things Houston is best known for: its crazy weather and its diverse people. Music in this episode : “Anth

Liszt’s Transcendental Études are such popular pieces that pianists Kirill Gerstein and Daniil Trifonov put out recordings of them within a month of each other during 2016. Which made Classical Classroom ask, “What’s with the étude, dude?” In this episode, Gerstein teaches what an étude is, and why Liszt’s are “transcendental,” using lots of skiing metaphors. Also included: a piano smackdown. All music in this episode from Kirill Gerstein’s recording, Liszt: Transcendental Études, S. 139. Audio production by Todd “Twilight” Hulslander with full moon transformation by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

It’s entirely possible that cellist Matt Haimovitz has forgotten that composers other than Bach exist. On his last visit to Classical Classroom, he talked about Anna Magdalena’s (Bach’s second wife’s) transcriptions of Bach’s Cello Suites. On the visit before that, Matt and Christopher O’Riley talked… oh wait – that was about Beethoven. But still! The guy’s obsessed! And we’re glad he is. In this episode, Haimovitz talks about his CD Overtures to Bach, on which he commissioned 6 contemporary composers to essentially build an aural bridge from our time to Bach’s. Learn about Bach and hear amazing new music in this episode.  All music in this episode from Matt Haimovitz’s Overtures to Bach.  Audio production by Todd “Mr. Robot” Hulslander with poorly executed fake hacking sequences by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Late last year, composer and Shepherd School of Music professor Shih-Hui Chen helped bring something called “nanguan” music to Houston. Specifically, she and Asia Society Texas brought the Lâm-hun-koh/Gang-a-Tsui Nanguan Music and Theater Troupe to perform this special kind of traditional Chinese music. We somehow squeezed all of the members of the troupe into our studio, including musician and ethnomusicologist Katie Chen, for this episode. Katie and Shih-Hui talk about nanguan music and some of Shih-Hui’s contemporary pieces that the troupe were to play at their Asia Society performance. We saved this episode for Chinese New Year (shout out to the Year of the Rooster!) which starts on January 28th. You’re welcome! Music in this episode: Traditional Nanguan pieces: Traditional piece Pushing Away The Pillow Shih-Hui Chen pieces: Returning Souls A Plea to Lady Chang’e  Audio production for this episode by Todd “I’m not Todd” Hulslander with meandering by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Music and poetry go together like inhaling and exhaling, or like gasoline and matches, or like Sherlock and Watson, or like Parker and Stone, or like a hammer and a nail. Et cetera, et cetera. In this episode, composer Dale Trumbore talks about setting poems and prose to music, and about the relationship between poetry and music. There are exercises within, so get out your paper and your pencils. Music in this episode: As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending (The King’s Singers, Royal Rhymes and Rounds) The Road Home (Dale Warland Singers, Harvest Home) Threshold of Night (Conspirare, Threshold of Night) In the Middle by Dale Trumbore Timor et tremor (The Sixteen, The Earth Resounds) Spiritus Mundi, by Dale Trumbore Audio production by Todd “Twitty” Hulslander with indispensable input from Dacia Clay and assistance by Mark DiClaudio.

The celebrated classical music composer Béla Bartók was really into folk music. I mean, really into it. Not like, hitchhiking-with-beat-up-acoustic-guitar, playing-open-mic-nights folk music. More like, invented-an-analytic-study-of-folk-music-and-created-the-field-of-ethnomusicology-in-general folk music. Hyeyung Yoon, Greg Beaver, and Jonah Sirota of the Chiara String Quartet talk about how Bartók brought the collection and analysis of folk music into his work as a classical composer. They also talk about why playing Bartók’s music “by heart” was important on their latest CD. All music in this episode from the Chiara String Quartet’s CD, Bartók by Heart. Audio production by Todd “Stranger Todds” Hulslander with Demogorgon slaying by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Welcome to part 2 of our holiday indulgence: a walk through the music of the Coen Brothers films with Craig Cohen of Houston Matters. We pick up our where our last conversation ended (with 1994’s The Hudsucker Proxy), and move on to the sparse music of Fargo. Hear a little Mozart, a fake bluegrass band, wind used as an instrument, and even the vocal stylings of an X-Wing fighter pilot.  Music in this episode: From Fargo (the movie): Music by Carter Burwell From The Big Lebowski: Featuring Mozart’s Requiem From O Brother Where Art Thou?: Soundtrack curated by curated by T-Bone Burnett, featuring the bluegrass stylings of fake band, the Soggy Bottom Boys From No Country for Old Men  From A Serious Man From Inside Llewyn Davis: Soundtrack curated by curated by T-Bone Burnett, featuring vocals by Oscar Isaac, aka Poe Dameron Audio production by Todd “A Serious Todd” Hulslander with talking in a Fargoaccent by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Okay, so it’s a little bit of a departure from our typical classical music fare, but it’s the holidays so we’re indulging in some serious fun: Craig Cohen, host of our mothership’s daily public affairs program, Houston Matters, walks us through the music of the films of Joel and Ethan Coen, better known as the Coen Brothers. In part 1 of our epic conversation, you’ll learn about the musical mastermind behind the brothers’ films, Carter Burwell. You’ll also hear a little melodramatic Khachaturian, and, of course, some yodeling.  Music in this episode: From Blood Simple: Music by Carter Burwell From Raising Arizona: Featuring the yodel stylings of Mieczyslaw Litwinski and a banjo player who Carter Burwell claims may have been one of the Coen brothers’ optometrists From Miller’s Crossing: Orchestral score by Carter Burwell From Barton Fink  From The Hudsucker Proxy: Featuring compositions by Aram Khachaturian, including “Sabre Dance” Audio production by Todd “Fink” Hulslander with hula hooping by Dacia Clay an

Okay, so we are re-gifting this year’s holiday episode from our 2013 collection. But it’s only because we thought you’d like it! Please re-enjoy learning about this gorgeous, never-gets-old classic. And from all of us at Classical Classroom HQ: peace, joy, and ALL THE PRESENTS to you this year! We all know The Nutcracker, right? Wrong! In this episode of Classical Classroom, Shelly Power (director, Houston Ballet Academy) and Michael Remson (executive director, AFA) blow your minds with the history of the ballet and a behind-the-scenes look at the massive undertaking that putting on the show entails every year. All music in this episode from The Nutcracker: Score by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky Original choreography by Marius Petipas and Lev Ivanov Libretto adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Audio production by Todd “Pas de Todd” Hulslander with sugarplum fairies dancing in her head by Dacia Clay.

As of 2016, the Emerson String Quartethas been around for 40 years. For comparison, here is a brief list of other awesome things that have been around for 40 years: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Muppet Show, the movie Rocky, the Blues Brothers, Big Red Gum, the game Whack-a-Mole, VHS tapes, and the Ramones’ debut album. In this episode, Emerson violinist Eugene Drucker talks about what it means to play for that long with the same musicians, about what has changed over the years, and about Emerson’s new 52-CD box set. Music in this episode (all from Emerson String Quartet – Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammophon): String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor. Franz Schubert. String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor. Ludwig van Beethoven. String Quartet No. 1.  Béla Bartók. String Quartet No. 17 (“The Hunt”). Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Symphony No. 15. Dmitri Shostakovich. 3 Madrigals. Bohuslav Martinů. Lyric Suite. Alban Berg. String Quintet for 2 violins, viola & 2 cellos in C major. Franz Schubert. Audio production by Todd

Jason Vieaux and Julien Labro both play instruments that have had historically complex relationships to classical music. Even today, the classical guitar and the bandoneon are a little unorthodox in that world. Maybe that’s why Jason and Julien – and their instruments – are such an obvious fit together. Without easy paths to follow, they’ve made their own and they’ve subsequently both become uniquely musically versatile. They’re also both brood-y and wear sunglasses at night (one imagines). Learn about the classical guitar and the bandoneon, their histories, their repertoires, and what kind of trailblazing Vieaux and Labro are up to on their new CD, Infusion.   If you like what you hear in this episode, go see Jason Vieaux in concert with Da Camera of Houston on December 9th! More details here. Music in this episode: “Escualo” by Astor Piazzolla “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears Tres Danzas Concertantes – I. Allegro by Leo Brouwer  Audio production by Todd “Tablature” Hulslander with Da

Immortality might be writing a piece of music that is so cool, so archetypal, that hundreds of years later, it’s still used in media that its creator never could have imagined existing. Case in point, Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, which was used to amazing effect in the dystopian world of the Emmy award-winning USA Network show, Mr. Robot. Or Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, recently used in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This old gold episode from the Classical Classroom vault, featuring independent producer Wesley Horner, focuses on the former. Hear Wesley’s theories about what makes an immortal piece of music tick. Music in this episode: Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, 2nd movement Audio production by Todd “Toddtastic” Hulslander with deep, brooding glances from Dacia Clay.

Holy 150th episode, Batman! Because we are so stoked to have reached this milestone, we bring you not one, but two treats: A new Classical Classroom show intro, and the comedic stylings of violinist Jennifer Koh. Jennifer was Musical America’s Instrumentalist of 2016 and recently put out an album of Tchaikovsky’s complete works for violin and orchestra. Some of Tchaikovsky’s pieces are commonly referred to as, “…the most daunting works in the violin repertoire.” Jennifer explains why a composer would write something that musicians consider intimidating to play, and why musicians like her have fun feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Also in this episode, bear witness to astonishingly inept sports talk, and the best story about a violinist playing softball ever. All music in this episode from Jennifer Koh’s CD, Tchaikovsky’s Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra. Audio production by Todd “Birthday Boy” Hulslander with assistance from Mark DiClaudio and parkour by Dacia Clay. Many thanks to our listeners for

Before you get all excited, no: the Cypress String Quartet has not reunited. It’s just that we at Classical Classroom have been so busy that we’re a wee bit behind the times. By like…5 months-ish. This episode was originally recorded back in June of 2016, 3 days before the quartet’s last performance after 20 years together, and just after the release of their CD Beethoven: The Early String Quartets. CST members Jennifer Kloetzel (cello) and Tom Stone (violin) talk about how Beethoven’s music brought the group together, and about mastering his music from end to beginning. Learn about Beethoven’s periods and how his music toys with listeners’ emotions like a bad BF (Beethoven friend). Then learn who broke up the band! Music in this episode (all Beethoven performed by the Cypress String Quartet): String Quartet in B-flat Major Op.130  Grosse Fugue  String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 No.1: II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato String Quartet No. 8, Op. 59 No.2 “Rasumovsky”: II. Molto Adagio String Qu