Mahler Symphony No. 4, Part 1

When the great pianist and composer Frederic Chopin decided to write a piano sonata in 1837, fashions had turned against the genre itself. Perhaps it was a feeling that Beethoven had essentially "finished" the genre, or perhaps it was a sense that a non-Germanic composer couldn't ...  Show more

As I've often said, I love doing Patreon-sponsored episodes in part because they allow me to discover music I might never have encountered otherwise. Today's episode is one of those, because the truth is that before I made it, I had heard of Finzi, but that was about it. I knew n ...  Show more

This Sarabande is an excerpt from Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat. I have also recorded the Praeludium previously. I have always loved the serene melody that makes up this Sarabande. I play this piece much slower than is typical in a performance. However, I find it to be so exquis ...  Show more

Richard Strauss was aged 84 when he completed his final composition. It was 'Four Last Songs', which, although dealing death, conveys a sense of calm acceptance. Though written in 1948, it still touches the hearts of many listeners today. As the soprano voice delves ever deeper i ...  Show more

In the first movement of his famous symphony, Beethoven sets up a battle between hope and despair. The dark side of that spectrum is represented by the anguished opening notes of the first movement: DUN DUN DUNNN. Over the course of the next three movements, Beethoven keeps tryin ...  Show more