100 episodes

John Banther takes classical music fans behind the scenes with interviews, deep dives, and analysis. Episodes released bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Produced by WETA Classical in Washington, D.C.

Classical Breakdown WETA Classical

    • Music

John Banther takes classical music fans behind the scenes with interviews, deep dives, and analysis. Episodes released bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Produced by WETA Classical in Washington, D.C.

    Recommended listening; 4 new albums to listen to this summer!

    Recommended listening; 4 new albums to listen to this summer!

    Can you believe it that summer is already here? This is the final episode of Season 5 and I have 4 recently released albums you need to listen to wherever the summer takes you!
    Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefm
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 22 min
    What is a cello? Star cellist Amit Peled tells all!

    What is a cello? Star cellist Amit Peled tells all!

    Who doesn't love the cello? But, where and when was it invented, and how did it evolve over the centuries? Amit Peled, cello soloist and professor at Peabody, tells us everything and performs music by Bach and Bloch!
    Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefm
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Elgar's Enigma Variations, a portrait of friends, life, and love!

    Elgar's Enigma Variations, a portrait of friends, life, and love!

    We enjoy a full performance of the Enigma Variations at the end of the episode, but first, we get into the people and places depicted in colorful detail in Elgar's masterpiece. John Banther and Evan Keely uncover hidden clues in the music, the types of people Elgar depicts, and what the Enigma could possibly be (but isn't).
    Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefm
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 19 min
    Robert Schumann's Carnaval: A solo piano brings a masked ball to life!

    Robert Schumann's Carnaval: A solo piano brings a masked ball to life!

    Real and fictional characters come to life in this incredibly challenging work for piano that also includes musical puzzles. John Banther and Linda Carducci explore all the characters and how Schumann depicts them in music, the ciphers, discarded movements, and more. plus we enjoy a full performance of it by Sergei Rachmaninoff!
    Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefm
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    The Life of Nadia Boulanger: A Lasting Impact from Bernstein to Sesame Street

    The Life of Nadia Boulanger: A Lasting Impact from Bernstein to Sesame Street

    She might have been the most influential person in music of the 20th century, and few would argue with you. John Banther and Evan Keely explore her life, music, and incalculable influence, but also some of the criticism her legacy has faced in the 45 years since her passing. 
    Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefm
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 46 min
    Haydn's masterpiece for 4 soloists and orchestra, the Sinfonia Concertante

    Haydn's masterpiece for 4 soloists and orchestra, the Sinfonia Concertante

    We've come to know the concerto as a work showcasing a single soloist with (or sometimes against) an orchestra, but what if a work has not 1... but 4 soloists at the same time? And what if it is also bringing in ideas from the symphony? John Banther and Evan Keely take a look at one of the defining works in the genre, show you what to listen for, and discuss why Haydn might have written it in the first place
    Support Classical Breakdown: https://weta.org/donatefm
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 28 min

Top Podcasts In Music

Juice WRLD death conspiracy theory
Carsen
Amapiano
Teebest Fisha
Songs for Worship
Eric C. Rose
Amapiano Mix
DJTTB
Yo Maps!!! Threat Or Not In The Music Industry?
zeddom media
GOSPEL MIXES
DJ Fred Max

You Might Also Like

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast
Joshua Weilerstein
Aria Code
WQXR & The Metropolitan Opera
Piano Puzzler
American Public Media
The Open Ears Project
WQXR & WNYC Studios
The History of Literature
Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate
The Book Review
The New York Times