Classical Music Decoded

Felix Mendelssohn expected to complete his violin concerto in 6 months, instead it took 6 years. He spent much of that time consulting his friend Ferdinand David, the violinist for whom he wrote the concerto. Noted for its beautiful melodies, its fine balance between orchestra and soloist, and the smooth transitions between movements, the concerto is a masterpiece and was certainly worth the wait.

Daniel Boico is one of the most prominent conductors in the country and he cuts a warm and charismatic figure on the podium. In this interview, he spoke about his (relatively) late start as a professional musician, his education under the revered Russian teacher Ilya Musin and what he learned from his behind-the-scenes role with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Robert Schumann's wife Clara encouraged him to write for orchestra. The Piano Concerto in A minor was one of the results of her encouragement. It was not well received at first, as it presented a new (or newish) model where the piano and orchestra were given almost equal prominence. But over time, and thanks mainly to the efforts of Clara Schumann, it has rightfully become a concert favourite.

Internationally acclaimed clarinetist Maria du Toit took some time off from her whistle-stop tour of South Africa and she spoke about what drew her to classical music, the mental health demands of being in the spotlight and why for a musician, being good might not be enough.

Richard Cock is probably the best known conductor in South Africa. In this episode, he talks about his beginnings in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), how the hugely popular RMB Starlight Classics got off the ground and his support for music projects in disadvantaged communities. Richard's cats took exception to being ignored, so you will hear them making a racket in the background!

There has been a welcome increase in concert activity in Johannesburg over the past few months. This episode is about a new chamber music forum in the city, as well as what you can expect from the JPO's upcoming Winter Season 2023.

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.

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.

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 the main themes of this gorgeous piano work.

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.

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 it.

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 its link to Napoleon and Beethoven's personal circumstances when he composed the symphony.

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, it's the work of a composer who was very much at the peak of his powers.

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 the New World captured the verve, optimism and growing influence of the United States of that time. Dvorak masterfully repeats themes throughout to give the symphony a sense of continuity. It's work that is by turns rousing and spirited, as well as gentle and sensitive. Presented by Deano Maduramuthu.

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 part, and deeply feels the emotion that the concerto evokes in listeners.

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, explaining how Rimsky-Korsakov used the orchestra to depict different characters and create different effects. Miro also gives us an insight into the difficulty that the end of the work poses for violinists.