Classical Music Happy Hour

The New York Times has called Nicholas Brittel: “The composer at the frontier of film music.” Britell has written scores for Hollywood movies including:The Big Short, Moonlight and If Beale Street Could talk. Listeners might best recognize his work from the theme of the HBO series “Succession” for which he’s won the Emmy for the iconic theme song. He’ll talk about writing for the big screen and he’ll play one of his most recognizable pieces live-in studio.  

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 "Enigma": Var. I (C.A.E.)

Elgar

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra & George Hurst

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

The Planets, Op. 32: I. Mars, the Bringer of War

Holst

CSR Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava & Adrian Leaper

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, TrV 176: Introduction

Strauss

Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra & Zdeněk Košler

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor Op. 13, Pathetique”

Beethoven

Alessio Bax, piano

Live recording at The Greene Space

 

Fantasia in C minor, K. 475

Mozart

Péter Nagy, piano

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, L. 86

Debussy

The Knights

Live recording at the Naumburg Bandshell

Symphony No. 64 in A Major, Hob. 1:64 (Tempora mutantur)

Haydn

The Knights

Live recording at the Naumburg Bandshell

Le Sacre du Printemps

Stravinsky

Brussels Philharmonic, Ali Rahbari

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107; II. Adagio. Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam

Bruckner

Linz Bruckner Orchestra & Mark Poschner

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.

Actor David Hyde Pierce has had a long career in film, television and the theater.  He’s best known to listeners for his portrayal of Niles Crane on the sitcom "Frasier."  He joins Manny to talk about his life and love of classical music and listen to some of their favorite recordings.  They also play a game called “Animal or Instrument.” 

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80 "Choral Fantasy": Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80

Beethoven

Leon McCawley, piano 

City of London Choir 

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Trio No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Archduke": III. Andante cantabile

Beethoven

Xyrion Trio

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor": I. Allegro

Beethoven

Boris Giltburg, piano 

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & Vasily Petrenko

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.

Composer Jeanine Tesori is a two time Tony Award winner, a two time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and in 2024, she became the first woman composer to open the Metropolitan Opera Opera season in its 139 year history. On this edition of CMHH she tells Manny about her time living in a lighthouse, about her love of Stravinsky, and why she decided not to be a doctor. 

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

3 Movements from Petrushka: No. 1, Danse russe

Stravinsky

Antonii Baryshevskyi, piano

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Carmen, Habanera

Bizet

Graciela Alperyn, mezzo-soprano

Slovak Philharmonic Chorus

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

Alexander Rahbari, conductor

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Turandot, SC 91: Nessun dorma (Live)

Puccini

Mario Malagnini  

Genoa Carlo Felice Theatre Orchestra & Donato Renzetti

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Carmen: Act I: Habañera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Bizet

Marjana Lipovšek, mezzo-soprano

Munich Radio Orchestra 

Giuseppe Patanè, conductor

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Boléro, M. 81

Ravel

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Adrian Leaper

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.

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.

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.