Brewing Classical

A conversation fellow music educator and classmate Alex Gittelman. We talk jazz, concert band, and orchestra via a specific interest common to both of us, the human brain and what happens inside when musicians perform and improvise.

We leave the real world behind for a short time and dive into mysticism and infatuation with all things exotic with one of the great Russian composers. The 1800s world felt smaller than it does today and so, at least to a Russian musician, tales from the middle east and Arab world created all kinds of distraction and wonder. Nicknamed “Antar”, Rimsky-Korsakov’s second symphony is a relatively little-known work that focus on one exotic story from the Middle East, filled with neat melodies that tie Europe and the Arab world together.

Porgy and Bess faces controversy each time it is performed. Black subject matter, created by the white composer George Gershwin, provides lush music rife with stereotypes. This is the second in a two-part series to help prove, or disprove, that Gershwin's music transcends racial stereotypes.

Porgy and Bess faces controversy each time it is performed. Black subject matter, created by the white composer George Gershwin, provides lush music rife with stereotypes. This is the first in a two-part series to help prove, or disprove, that Gershwin's music transcends racial stereotypes.

Florence Price’s works have been recently rediscovered and reconstructed for modern performances throwing her efforts into the national conversation. Her efforts were groundbreaking after fighting initial adversity through the double-disadvantage of being a woman and a black person in the 1900s United States. In this episode we drop in on three works: the Symphony in E Minor, Concerto in One Movement, and the Mississippi River Suite.

Julia, Nikki, and Sammy completely inspire as they passionately talk about their chamber music. These students met and rehearsed online during the summer of 2020 to play Florence Price's Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint. Their enthusiasm is infectious and they are clearly aware of music's powerful intricacies.

US Orchestras owe their success to Women's Clubs working behind the scenes. Amy Beach, the first American woman to publish a symphony took full advantage of established orchestras to create her Symphony No. 3, "Gaelic."

Seth Hanes, author of Amazon Best Seller Break Into the Scene and the blog Musican's Guide to Hustling, chats about Mahler Symphony No. 1 and what encouraged him to help musicians get gigs! Visit Seth at sethhanes.com.

The Pines of Rome is just part of Respighi's sonic tribute to the Eternal City. The Orchestra is full and pushed to it's limits!

Welcome Brewing Classical's first guest, Dr. Michael Accurso, in a conversation about Handel's Messiah and how Mozart made it his own.

The first episode is here! Discover underlying meaning and musical gems in Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, nicknamed the "Pastoral." Click here to access a PDF of the musical score referenced in the episode.