Classical Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

Bonus episode: Ballet music from 2 operas by Verdi! Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

Different audiences have different tastes, and you can't always serve them the same dish. If Verdi wanted his grand operas to be staged in Paris, he needed to include ballet. In this bonus episode, we'll hear two ballet sections from two different operas, sometimes composed decades later.

Giuseppe Verdi: A life of drama, censorship, and even farming! Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

This composer wrote operas almost exclusively, and his 19th-century success and popularity are hard to grasp even today. John Banther and Linda Carducci explore his life, his upward rise, the tragedies, and how he provided the sound for Italy's "Risorgimento!"

Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto, one of the most challenging works for violin! Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

This concerto is one of the most daunting in the repertoire, and almost every big soloist aims to lay down their interpretation. But what makes this work so difficult? Is it the written music or is it something else? John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for, how Sibelius does things differently, a moment from a masterclass, and what went wrong in the premiere.

A performance of Emilie Mayer's Cello Sonata in D minor featuring Grace Mockus Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

In the episode on Emilie Mayer's life and music, we briefly discussed her wonderful writing for cello, and we get to experience it firsthand in this bonus episode. Juilliard Graduate student, Grace Mockus, is working on publishing her critical edition of Emilie Mayer's Cello Sonata in D minor! After listening to this, you can find more performances of Grace Mockus on YouTube.

Emilie Mayer; Rediscovering a celebrated 19th-century composer Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

She didn't have a typical upbringing like other composers, and forged her own way with private teachers and determination. John Banther and Evan Keely explore the wide range of repertoire she composed, from symphonies to songs, and look at events that changed the trajectory of her life and career.

Clara Wieck Schumann's Piano Concerto; a teenage work of genius Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

This, the only orchestral output from Clara Wieck, might be one of the few 19th-century concertos written by a teenager that still occupies the concert stage today, and its popularity is only increasing. Join hosts John Banther and Linda Carducci to explore its youthful origins, characteristics of her writing, the size of her hands, and her big concert premiere.

Adolphus Hailstork, an American composer writing for our time Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Hailstork has been writing music and teaching for over 5 decades, and his work has documented in music major American moments, from the bicentennial, 9/11, George Floyd, and even infrastructure. John Banther and Evan Keely explore his life, studies with Boulanger, his military experience, and look at 3 works from orchestral to choral that demonstrate his style.

Death in music! 10 works that explore life’s final question Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Death has been depicted in music to console, frighten, warn, and entertain for over 400 years. In fact, the most quoted motif about death is also the oldest, and you know it intimately whether you realize it or not! John Banther and Evan Keely take you on a deathly trip over 10 works and a bonus.

Bonus episode! 3 select performances of guitarist Xuefei Yang Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

I'm excited to bring you more from Xuefei Yang with these three performances taken from her YouTube channel (where you will find plenty more performances!).

In this episode, we hear:

John Williams (guitarist/composer) - When The Birds Return
Changjun Xu - Sword Dance
Jerome Kern - Smoke gets in your eyes

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Bonus episode! 3 select performances of guitarist Xuefei Yang Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

I'm excited to bring you more from Xuefei Yang with these three performances taken from her YouTube channel (where you will find plenty more performances!).

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