Classical Music Happy Hour

Yo-Yo Ma - 53 years of friendship and duets

Live from Tanglewood, cellist Yo-Yo Ma chats with Manny about their long musical relationship and friendship.  The two treat the live audience to a few musical performances, and they take questions from the audience about their burning musical questions, like “why does a piano have three pedals?” Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music Performed in Today’s Episode: Lieder ohne Worte (Song without Words) Mendelssohn Yo-Yo Ma, Cello Emanuel Ax, Piano Ave Maria Schubert Yo-Yo Ma, Cello Emanuel Ax, Piano Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.  Credits Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson. Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon. Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

John McWhorter - Lover of Language

Columbia University Professor of Linguistics John McWhorter, chats with Manny about swear words, Broadway, and tackles the conundrums of musical etymology.  McWhorter also makes the case for the brilliant first movement of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor. The two then square off in a game about famous classical pieces that bombed at their premieres. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in today’s episode includes: Strike Up the Band: The Man I Love (Arr. For orchestra) George Gershwin Richard Hayman Symphony Orchestra & Richard Hayman Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115, I. Allegro Brahms József Balogh, clarinet and Danubius Quartet Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3 “The Hunt” Beethoven Joyce Yang, Piano Live Recording at The Greene Space Herzgewächse  Arnold Schoenberg Alumni Musicians of the Bang on a Can Summer Festival Live Recording Symphony No. 5 in D Major, I. Preludio. Moderato. Allegro Vaughan Williams Kees Bakels and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 Liszt Juan Pérez Floristán, piano Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53, B. 108: I. Allegro ma non troppo Dvorak Ilya Kaler, violin and Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Camilla Kolchinsky Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.  Credits Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson. Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon. Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

John Adams - not the President

Renowned American composer John Adams joins Manny to discuss his approach to opera composition, the stories behind his intriguingly titled works, and the time he was once mistaken for John Cage. Adams answers listener questions on the evolution of music and the emotional pull of minor keys.  He also  shares his love of Stravinsky and Handel. For our game segment, Adams puts his knowledge to the test as Manny quizzes him on outrageous performance directions. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in today’s episode includes: Italian Concerto in F Major BWV 971, III: Presto Bach András Schiff, Piano Live Recording at The Greene Space Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Var. 25 Bach Anne-Catherine Bucher, Harpsichord Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Var. 25 Bach Simone Dinnerstein, Piano Live Recording at The Greene Space Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304 Mozart Takako Nishizaki,  Violin Jeno Jando, Piano Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Cello  Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38, I. Allegro non troppo Brahms Johannes Moser, Cello Michael Brown, Piano Liver Recording at The Greene Space Symphony No. 5, I. Trauermarsch Mahler Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, IV. Finale–Adagio lamentoso Tchaikovsky Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Tu Del Ciel Il Trionfo Del Tempo E Del Disinganno Handel Claron McFadden, Elisabeth Scholl, Joachim Carlos Martini, Junge Kantorei, Barockorchester Frankfurt, Nicholas Hariades & Peer Abilgaard Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Gnossienne No. 3 Satie Klara Kormendi, Piano Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Horn Concert No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 417, III. Rondo Allegro Mozart Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Michael Thompson Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.  Credits Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson. Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon. Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Gabriela Ortiz - Composer and Grammy Gal

Composer Gabriela Ortiz joins Manny to talk about her grandfather’s surprising connection to Mahler, her own compositional process, and her enduring love for works by Debussy and Stravinsky. Listeners call in with tricky questions about folk music’s influence on classical works, new developments in orchestral instruments, and the realities of orchestra cliques. In our game segment, Manny puts Gabriela to the test—can she identify which famous composer was panned by critics? Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in today’s episode includes: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp minor, IV. Adagietto Mahler Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Le Sacre du Printemps Stravinsky Brussels Philharmonic, Ali Rahbari Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. La Mer, L. 109, II. Jeux de vagues Debussy Brussels Philharmonic, Ali Rahbari Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Miroirs, M. 43 Une barque sur l'océan Ravel Francois-joel Thiollier, piano Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Estancia, Op. 8, Scene 5: Danza Final. Malambo Alberto Ginastera London Symphony Orchestra, Gisele Ben-Dor Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Romanian Folk Dances Bartok Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Live Recording Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 Beethoven Danish Chamber Orchestra, Ádám Fischer Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.  Credits Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson. Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon. Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Marc-André Hamelin - Rocks Rachmaninoff

Composer and pianist Marc-André Hamelin joins Manny to talk about growing up with a musical father, the mechanics of piano playing, and the influences behind his prolific performing and recording career. He answers listener questions about piano transcriptions and why music is written in so many different keys. In the music segment, Hamelin performs one of his favorite works by Rachmaninoff live in the studio. The piece performed by Marc-André Hamelin is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Etude-Tableau op39/5 in E-flat minor. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in today’s episode includes: 53 Studies on the Chopin Études: No. 12 in G-Flat Major (6th Version) Leopold Godowsky Robert Helps, Piano 53 Studies on the Chopin Études: No. 45 in E Major (1st Version) Leopold Godowsky Robert Helps, Piano Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade Modest Mussorgsky Yutong Sun, Piano Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade Modest Mussorgsky Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Serov Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-Flat Major Mozart Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Michael Thompson Fantasia in C minor, K. 475 Mozart Péter Nagy, piano Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.  Credits Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson. Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon. Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.