Cacophony

In the dramatic final part of our drug-fuelled adventure with composer Hector Berlioz, the dreams turn to nightmare visions of murder, execution, witches and demons. It's loud, exciting, brilliant and I love it.   Listening time: 21 mins (into 6'; music 15') Music for part 3 on youtube with pictures (18 mins), or Spotify. or the whole Fantastic Symphony: youtube or Spotify.   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate/review, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening

Composer Hector Berlioz's love-struck young artist - in his drug induced dreams - escapes to the country. In the peaceful atmosphere he dreams of love and happiness - but can it last?   Listening time: 22 mins (into 4'; music 18') Music on youtube with pictures (18 mins), or Spotify.   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!  

Driven to distraction and to drugs by a woman he'd never even spoken to, Hector Berlioz was consumed with passion. His obsession and fevered mind produced the unique, Symphony Fantastique. It's brilliant, dramatic, original and gets three episodes of Cacophony! Listening time: 31 mins (into 9.5'; music 21') Music on youtube with pictures (first 22mins), or Spotify.   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!    

This is a rarity on two counts - it's a really good French symphony from the 1800s, and it's written by a woman! The brilliant, Symphony No.3 by Louise Farrenc. Listen [and watch] on youtube  or Spotify  Listening time 43mins (7 'intro, 36' music)   I don't really like using old pictures of composers, but when we're playing music by women, who are entirely new to us and aren't just another dead white guy (with or without a wig) it seems appropriate!    Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!    

Some music conjures up a sense of place perfectly and no one has done it better then Benjamin Britten's depiction of the Suffolk coast of England. Bleak, angry, foreboding and special - this is Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes. Music here on youtube or Spotify  Listening time: 23 mins [Intro podcast 7', Music 16']   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!    

It's great to be able to escape from modern life's concerns. Dvorak's sixth symphony is full of good tunes, and a spirit of generosity and optimism.  Also a bit of Nationalism... but in a good way. So forget about everything else for a bit and bask in Dvorak's warmth and positivity. Listening time =24 mins (Intro 5' plus second half of symphony 18')   Music here (2nd half of symphony only) on Youtube (sound only) or Spotify or the whole piece of music here on Youtube or Spotify   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!  

It's great to be able to escape from life's concerns. Dvorak's sixth symphony is full of good tunes, and a spirit of generosity and optimism. So forget about everything else for a bit and bask in Dvorak's warmth and positivity! Listening time =35 mins (Intro 7' plus first half of symphony 28') Music here on Youtube (sound only) or Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!  

They say you never forget your first loves and one of mine was Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff - it's immediate and high impact. Even before I was properly into music I was into this... and you will be too! There's really nothing like the sound of a huge choir and orchestra: it's awesome stuff! Music here on youtube - we're listening to the first 27 minutes - but the whole thing is here if you get swept along. Please do! And on Spotify   Listening time: 35mins [Intro podcast 8', Music 27']   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!      

This is a journey of discovery for me, exploring some musical detective work and blatant speculation with Songs from the 12/13th Century Carmina Burana - drinking, love and wickedness and all hugely entertaining! New music to me and lots to enjoy. Music on Youtube or Spotify Listening time: 26mins [Intro podcast 5', Music 21']   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

Visionary, mystic, theologian, scientist, naturalist, medic, nun and more: Hildegard of Bingen, born in 1098, is also one of the very first known composers - and savvy enough to preserve her legacy! Her life was extraordinary in any era and her music is timeless, moving and special. Listening time = 17mins (intro 7', music 10')   This episode's music here on Youtube  or here on Spotify   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

300 years ago JS Bach was writing music at the cutting edge - with the newest instruments and freshest ideas. My friend, conductor and TV presenter, Jason Lai says Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 is an 'unbelievable box of delights' and he's got much more to say too in our conversation about this conversational music, that's both moving and full of life. Listening time = 34mins (intro conversation 14', music 20') Music here, in the live performance we speak about: https://youtu.be/LHjbRMIIhuM or on Spotify   Find out more about the guest, my friend, conductor, presenter and coach, Jason Lai.   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

I love the final September burst of summer and this piece - Samuel Barber's  Summer Music - is the perfect accompaniment. Languid, hazy and slightly wistful. Music here on Youtube or Spotify. Listening time c16 mins (Intro podcast 4', music 12')   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

My daughter's bed time reading inspires a brief trip to the opera, for some great singing - high drama and high silliness from Mozart's Magic Flute.   Listening time =  14 mins (5' podcast, 9' music)   Music here, with pictures, from a recent production from London's Royal Opera House.   Or here with just music on Spotify   Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

One of my very favourite things, Sibelius takes us on an all-encompassing journey from the musical spring to the wide open ocean: it's organic, generous, inevitable and uplifting.   Total listen: 35 mins (Intro podcast 7',  great music 28')   Music here on Youtube, or Spotify    Please rate, comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please share and subscribe!

Fully of exuberance and swagger, Roman Carnival is great music from Berlioz, the man who wrote the book on how to write for orchestra in glorious technicolour. Total listen time: c14mins (5 mins intro plus 8/9' music)   The music: Live concert performance with video here on Youtube Or music only on Spotify   Please rate, comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please subscribe to the podcast and share it too!

George Gershwin spent two hectic weeks on holiday in Cuba and returned with a case full of percussion instruments, latin spirit and musical inspiration.  The resulting Cuban Overture became an instant hit. Total listening time c14 mins (3'30" podcast, 10' music)   The music: There’s a fab concert performance on Youtube, with the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra - one of Venezuela's top youth orchestras, playing with great style - check out the easy enjoyment of the percussionists. Youth Orchestras and classical music are a big deal in Venezuela, using music as a vehicle for social change in disadvantaged communities, thanks to a system (actually called The System - El Sistema) which has now been copied across the world.   My Spotify recommendation is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by AndrewLitton The 1930s Cuban hit, Echale salsita by Septeto Naconal De Ignacio Pineiro is on youtube too.   Please comment at www.cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please subscribe to the podcast and s

Erich Korngold was one of the composers who invented the sound of Hollywood - and his music for The Sea Hawk (a 1940 Erol Flynn swashbuckler) is passionate, exhilarating and hugely influences our very ideas of what film music should sound like. Total listen time 36mins [podcast plus music] I talk about all this with my pal, Lev Parikian.   Music here: Though the "overture" gets played in concerts, it doesn't really exist as a thing that gets recorded! Mostly people record a suite - giving you more of Korngold's great music...   So here are my recommendations: I've selected my favourite bits (all the stuff Lev and I talked about) on Spotify: Top conductor Vladimir Jurowski has made a suite of his favourite bits and it's here on Youtube: complete with clips from the film and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia.   Please comment at www.cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please subscribe to the podcast and share it too!        

If you've not heard any Cacophony, start with The Trailer! ...and then pick an episode and dive right in!   If you've heard lots of Cacophony, please share the trailer!   Visit: www.cacophonyonline.com or the Facebook page   Music from: Richard Strauss: Elektra Felix Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances  

Vanessa's been humming a bit of Nutcracker, so I thought we should hear how it's meant to go - and there's so much great music to delight and enjoy.  And it turns out she knows the storyline better than I did!   Music here with pictures or here on Spotify   Please rate and share the podcast Please leave a comment on the website or Facebook www.cacophonyonline.com    

Fans of Rachmaninov describe his music as lush, passionate, romantic. They're right! His Cello Sonata is a terrific piece, and I love it much more than his famous piano concertos.  Music here. or here on Spotify   Please rate the podcast at apple podcasts or your provider Please leave a comment at cacophonyonline.com, on Facebook or Twitter [@steve_cacophony] Visit cacophonyonline.com