Classical Discoveries

It's Classical-Discoveries-time and it' back to film music, finally! (For Joe, anyway) This time, Jens and Joe delve into the world of Prokofiev-as film-composer, on whether he's more or less famous for writing film scores than Shostakovich, and why. Along the way, the explore his incidental music, where Prokofiev had set all the great Pushkin plays to music, even if the plays he wrote...

Is modern classical music “ugly”? Why does contemporary classical music often feel challenging—and is it worth the effort to listen? In this episode, Jens and Joe dive into the world of modern classical music through Aribert Reimann, one of the most distinctive contemporary composers. Using his re-scoring of Mendelssohn’s Songs for String Quartet as a starting point, they explore how classical mas...

In this episode, Jens and Joe turn to  Bohuslav Martinů , focusing on his six symphonies — works that sound “American” in spirit even though their composer was born in a Czech church tower. Written in the U.S. for the great American orchestras, these scores show how the former “lazy boy” from rural Bohemia came to write some of the most compelling symphonic music of mid‑20th‑century America. Chapt...

You’ve heard of Johann Sebastian, but it’s Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach — the second‑oldest Bach son — who offers some of the richest, most expressive sacred and Passion‑season music of the late 18th century. In this episode, Jens and Joe re‑center C.P.E. Bach himself, using his sacred works and Passions not as seasonal novelties but as a window into the  Galant  style and the emotional world of the...

When you hear “Engelbert Humperdinck”, you’ll usually think either of the King of Romance’s hit ballad  Release Me  (in which case you’ve got the wrong Humperdinck, as far as we are concerned) or of the King of Romantic Children’s Opera’s greatest hit,  Hansel & Gretel . In their latest podcast, Jens and Joe try to re‑wire your brain so that the name will conjure mystical blue birds and nuns o...

In this episode, Jens & Joe tackle Franz Schreker, the missing link between Schoenberg and Zemlinsky — and a composer of wildly Freudian fairy‑tale operas that were all the rage between the wars. Deemed too modern in his time, and shocking in Vienna — but loved for both — Schreker was one of the most widely performed opera composers before World War II, alongside Richard Strauss and Walter Bra...

If you wanted to dance with somebody in 19th‑century Vienna, Johann Strauss was your best bet for the soundtrack. But he wasn’t alone: a whole galaxy of composers cranked out waltzes, polkas, and operettas — the “light music” the city consumed at a breakneck pace. In this episode, Jens and Joe explore some of these figures, trace the history of the genre, and even spin off to Copenhagen by way of...

Once upon a time, there was a tiny little man in Vienna who composed the grandest operas. What started out as fairy‑tale works of musical theatre ended, alas, in tragic fashion for Alexander Zemlinsky in the New World. In this episode, Joe and Jens track this wildly underrated composer’s operatic career from Vienna via Prague and Berlin to his premature death in New York. 0:20   Introduction 1:16 ...

Krzysztof Penderecki: String Quartets, Trio and More The whole stylistic world of  Krzysztof Penderecki  in just over 70 minutes sounds almost unbelievable — but that’s the total performing time of his works for string quartet, string trio, and related chamber forces. From the wild, uncompromising  String Quartet No. 1  to the masterly  String Trio  and the later, more overtly lyrical works, these...

If you know that sharks have teeth, dear, that’s probably because Kurt Weill told you so in “Mack the Knife.” But there’s much more to Weill than  The Threepenny Opera  and  Mahagonny : he was a remarkably versatile composer whose music moved between Weimar satire, modernism, and Broadway. Join Jens and Joe as they explore the wide-ranging world of this extraordinary, hard-to-pin-down composer. 0:...

You may not have heard of Werner Ehrhardt, but if you’ve spent any time with early music, you’ve probably heard his work. In this first instalment, the founder and leader of Concerto Köln and L’arte del mondo joins Jens and Joe to reflect on half a century of recording rare and early repertoire — and on how to discover music that has yet to be discovered. 0:20   Introduction 1:11   Introducing our...

In their latest  Classical Discoveries  episode, Jens and Joe explore Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphonies — works of daring subversion masked as Soviet conformity. From the banned  Fourth Symphony  to the sardonic  Ninth , they reveal how Shostakovich smuggled private rebellion into public music. Featuring the Gürzenich‑Orchester Köln’s powerhouse recordings, this is Soviet‑era genius at its most exp...

In their latest episode of the  Classical Discoveries  podcast, Jens and Joe explore the scintillating music of Charles Koechlin, a fascinating yet overlooked French symphonist who defies easy categorisation. Neither purely an impressionist nor simply a romantic, dramatic, lyric, abstract, or “programmatic” composer, Koechlin combined revolutionary, academic, and eclectic traits. One moment his la...

In this episode, Jens & Joe dive into the forgotten reels of Dmitri Shostakovich’s film music, from Italian partisans to Austrian invaders — and ask why everyone knows Prokofiev’s  Ivan the Terrible , but not  The Fall of Berlin . A well‑earned shoutout, too, to Dave at @DavesClassicalGuide. 0:20   Introduction 1:32   Shostakovich and the Soviet Film Industry 4:30    The Gadfly  (1955) – Bazar...

Easter marks the high point of the Christian year, and some of the greatest works in classical music were written for this feast. While today’s concert programs often revolve around Bach, Jens and Joe, in their latest podcast, explore other Easter-themed gems — from the Renaissance to the 19th century. 0:20   Introduction 1:10   The Bulk of Compositions 3:00   Anton Schweitzer –  The Resurrection...

Franz Schmidt may not be the most neglected composer among the grand romantics of the 20th century, but the gap between the greatness of his music and its absence from concert halls is staggering. Together with conductor Jonathan Berman, who recently recorded Schmidt’s four symphonies with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Jens and Joe explore the Schmidt phenomenon and the enduring appeal of h...

Explore the life and works of Nino Rota, the Italian composer celebrated for both his iconic film scores and his classical music. Discover his collaborations with legendary directors, his opera  The Florentine Straw Hat , and his distinctive gift for blending nostalgia, optimism, and humor in his music. Chapters 0:20 Introduction 1:02 Biographical Facts 1:58 Italian Hollywood 4:05 Rota and Opera 9...

Discover Karl Weigl, the forgotten Viennese composer who carried Romanticism into the 20th century. Join Jens and Joe on  Classical Discoveries  as they explore Weigl’s life, legacy, and remarkable output, including symphonies and string quartets. Learn about his early career under Mahler, his “Mahler without the neurosis” style, his struggles as an émigré in the United States, and the rediscovery...

Classical Discoveries: A Festive Journey Beyond Bach Join Jens and Joe for a delightful exploration of Christmas music that goes far beyond Bach! Discover hidden gems like Pfitzner’s  Christelflein , Rheinberger’s  Star of Bethlehem , and Cartellieri’s  Christmas Oratorio . Journey from Renaissance masterpieces to Romantic treasures, with music by Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, and even Sibelius. Enjoy...

In this episode, we explore the fascinating life and work of composer  Miklós Rózsa , focusing on his “double life” balancing film scoring and concert hall composition. Initially resistant to working in film, Rózsa went on to achieve great success in Hollywood, winning  three Academy Awards  for his scores to  Ben-Hur ,  Spellbound , and  A Double Life . The hosts discuss Rózsa’s autobiography and...

Discover the life and works of Christian Sinding, the Norwegian composer who spent most of his career in Germany. Explore his symphonies, his place in late Romantic music, and why he is so often overshadowed by his contemporary Edvard Grieg. Chapters 0:20 Introduction 1:24 Norwegian One-Hit Wonder 3:00 The Symphonies – Recording Impressions 7:19 Essentially German Music? 8:11 Biographical Facts 9:...

In this episode of  Classical Discoveries , we welcome  Dr. Christoph Becher  — former dramaturg and general director — to unpack the art and challenges of  curating a concert season . Dr. Becher outlines the three-pronged approach involving the orchestra chief, guest conductor, and presenter, each bringing distinct goals and perspectives. The discussion explores how  radio symphony orchestras  ba...

The influence of Gustav Mahler on the performance practice of Beethoven's symphonies  is explored in this episode. Mahler's "retouchings," made to adapt Beethoven’s works for the larger orchestras and concert halls of his time, are examined in detail. The discussion also considers how these revisions shape modern interpretations of Beethoven’s symphonic repertoire. 0:00 Introduction0:58 Mahler and...

In this episode of  Classical Discoveries , we explore the musical landscape of East Germany (GDR) before the fall of the Berlin Wall and examine the high cultural prestige that classical music held there, with insights from musicians such as  Olaf Bär  and  Christine Schornsheim . The discussion highlights how music was used for propaganda, how musicians lived secure yet politically constrained l...

Alfred Schnittke ’s (1934 – 1998) film music encapsulates almost everything that characterizes the Russian composer’s compositional style. A self-described polystylist, he began writing for film in the 1960s, penning 66 film scores between 1962 and 1984 for Soviet film companies. His method of drawing on the past was rejected by the avant-garde but embraced by filmgoers and concertgoers too. An Ov...