WAR OF THE ROMANTICS
Great composers of the mid-19th century face-off over “new” music’s direction; the causes and results are a fascinating study of responses to music. Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Clara & Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf, and seldom-heard others, huge in their time, are played and sung.

MAZURKA! MORE OF CHOPIN’S MUSICAL JOURNAL

Frederic Chopin left us the most intimate of personal journals -his musical miniatures, the Mazurkas – that say as much or more than any words one can muster.

GREAT WOMEN IN MUSIC: PAULINE VIARDOT
A fascinating look at Pauline Viardot, (she had a remarkable career in singing, and was a composer as well) and her life-crossing with George San. Passions are explored and Viardot’s music is performed.

GREAT WOMEN IN MUSIC: CLARA SCHUMANN
An in-depth look at and listening to a giant among female artists of the 19th century. A stunning pianist and prolific composer, she raised six children while supporting a career for decades. Her rarely heard, highly regarded music brings insight to her era, and person.

MUSICAL MIRACLES – SAVING A LEGACY FROM EXTINCTION
Komitas of Armenia researched and saved much of his country’s indigenous music for future posterity, then did so much with it to bring it into the world’s consciousness. We’ll explore this Eastern European music, so special and still much less-known than it should be to Western ears. Armenia sanctified Komitas for his saving  that which would have been decimated.

GREAT WOMEN IN MUSIC: MARIA SZYMANOWSKA
Poland, 1828: first, there was Chopin? Actually, first there was Maria Szymanowska, twenty years earlier, writing wonderful pieces of music in many of the forms we know through Chopin. Hear them, think, listen; we play Chopin as well – the world of musicians is a wondrous melting pot of original ideas blending in to the ether of what exists around them.

CAN WE SAY WHAT MAKES MUSIC GREAT?
We explore fascinating concepts about classical music’s life, death or rebirth, from the highly controversial 1950’s book, “The Agony of Modern Music”. They become focal points for listening and pondering juxtaposed traditional styles of music leading into a modern era.

(special) STAGE FRIGHT! – Can such dilemma be accepted? How it connects with inspired music-making; first-hand experience of its pains and devilment.
A FRIENDLY “ANTI-MASTER” CLASS FOR AMATEURS – Playing for the love of music.
POETIC INTERVENTION – musical story-telling; setting the mood for listening.
CHILDREN’S HOUR – a segment for bringing younger folk closer in to fine music.

“What an abundance of varieties, possibilities and nuances is to be found in the music of the great masters!”