The Joy of Classical Music

Beginning around the 1920s, composers in American and elsewhere began imagining a new kind of musical theatre, a fusion of styles that borrowed from established operatic traditions, Broadway and popular music and culture, but whatever it was going to be, it wasn’t going to happen overnight, it would be something that evolved over time. Over the next few weeks I’ll be exploring the new musical theatre and some of the composers that brought it to life, people like Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein and Marc Blitzstein, but kicking it off, it’s the music of the incomparable George Gershwin.

Fred and Adele Astaire perform George and ira Gershwin - Fascinating Rhythm

Al Jolson performs George Gershwin and Irving Cesar - Swanee

The Juilliard String Quartet performs George Gershwin – Lullaby

Frances Lucey performs George Gershwin and Buddy DeSilva - Blue Monday: Has Anyone Seen My Joe?

Leonard Bernstein and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra perform George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

Judy Garland performs George and Ira Gershwin - I Got Rhythm

Adele Addison performs Summertime from 1959 film Porgy and Bess, Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin

Robert McFerrin performs I Got Plenty O’ Nutting from 1959 film Porgy and Bess, Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs George Gershwin - Catfish Row

The final episode of the Best Classical Albums of 2025 includes recommendations from Gramophone, Classical Radio Boston 99.5FM, The New York Times and NPR. Among the selections is composer Arthur Bliss’s joyous and lyrical Cello Concerto and Seelentrost, an album from soprano Isabel Schicketanz that explores early Baroque music about the soul.

Avi Avital with Between Worlds perform Manuel de Falla: El amor brujo: Danza del juego del amor from The Song of Birds

Alessia Tondo, Avi Avital and Between Worlds perform Bella ci dormi from The Song of Birds

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform Arthur Bliss - Cello Concerto from Arthur Bliss: Cello Concerto

Isabel Schicketanz performs Johann Theile - Gott hilf mir, denn das Wasser gehet mir bis an die Seele from Seelentrost

Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform Igor Stravinsky - Dumbarton Oaks Concerto: Movement II from Hallelujah Junction

The London Philharmonic performs Tania Leon - Pasajes from Tania Leon - Orchestral Works

Part 3 of the Best Classical Albums of 2025 includes recommendations from The New York Times, The Times and classical music streaming site Presto Music. Among this weeks selections is the Collected Works of Steve Reich, a 27 CD set that spans 6 decades and Songs of Passion, a collection of vocal and instrumental music by John Dowland and Henry Purcell.

Lutist Thomas Dunford performs John Dowland - A Dream from Songs of Passion

Alarm Will Sound performs Steve Reich - Tehillim: I. Psalm 19:2-5 - Hashamyim mehsapehrim kavohd Kail from Steve Reich - The Collected Works

Thomas Dunford, Lea Desandre, Jupiter, Alex Rosen, Jess Dandy and Laurence Kilsby performing John Dowland - First Book of Songs or Ayres: No. 1, Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite from Songs of Passion

Gävle Symphony Orchestra perform Max Reger - 4 Tone Poems After Arnold Böcklin: No. 1, Der geigende Eremit from Reger: 4 Tone Poems After Arnold Böcklin, Op. 128 & Romantic Suite, Op. 125

The Philadelphia Orchestra perform William Grant Still: Symphony No. 2 Movement 4: Song of a New Race from Still & Bonds - Symphonies & Variations

The Philadelphia Orchestra perform Margaret Bonds: Montgomery Variations: VII. Benediction from Still & Bonds - Symphonies & Variations

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs Anna Clyne - Within Her Arms from Abstractions

In Part 2 of the Best Classical Albums of 2025 we will be hearing music from albums recommended by Gramophone, Substack writer Leah Broad, The Boston Globe, Apple Classical, and I Care If YouListen. Among the selections is an evocative album by pianist Julia Hamos called Ellis Island and the wondrous Yanga from YANGA: an album of Orchestral Works by Gabriela Ortiz.

Countertenor Hugh Cutting performs Herbert Howells - Come Sing and Dance from Refound

Pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra perform Elena Kats-Chernin: Ancient Letters: Movement 1 - Tiger Club from Ancient Letters

Julia Hamos performs Meredith Monk - Ellis Island from Ellis Island

Here’s Chris Thile performs Ciaccona, the fifth movement from Bach’s Partita No 2 in D-Minor from Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2

Sarah Alice Ott performs John Field: Nocturne No. 15 in D Minor, H. 59 Song Without Words from John Field: Complete Nocturnes

Sphinx Virtuosi perform Quenton Blache - Habari Gani from American Mirror

Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble perform Gabriela Ortiz - Yanga from YANGA: an album of Orchestral Works by Gabriela Ortiz.

Over the next 4 weeks, I’ll be playing a wide selection of music drawn from numerous Best Classical Music of 2025 lists. In this episode we’ll be hearing music from albums recommended by NPR, The Guardian, Gramophone, The New York Times and Bandcamp. Among the selections is a personal favourite - Hallelujah Junction, an album by pianists Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene

ROSALÍA - Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti from Lux

ROSALÍA - Reliquia from Lux

The Hermes Experiment perform Islands from Tree

Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley with the Munich Radio Orchestra perform Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto: Gualtier Maldè! ... Caro nome from Golden Age

Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform John Adams - Hallelujah Junction: Movement 1 From Hallelujah Junction

Les Kapsber’ Girls perform Barbara Strozzi - Che si può fare? from Vox Feminae

Exaudi Vocal Ensemble performs Jürg Frey - Polyphonie der Wörter from Voices

Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform George Gershwin - Cuban Overture (Arr. for 2 Pianos by Gregory Stone) from Hallelujah Junction