Tom Service examines Mozart's final masterpiece - a work shrouded in mystery, rumour and deception. He’s joined by Dr Kathryn Mannix, a specialist in palliative care, who considers the factors of creativity - and music-making in particular - at the end of life.

Join us in this edition of The Truth In This Art as we engage with the remarkable Jonathon Heyward, a musical luminary and the Music Director Designate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. With an impressive trajectory, he's poised to begin his tenure in the 2023-24 season, setting new standards as both conductor and Chief Conductor of Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. Rooted in Charleston, South Carolina, Jonathon's journey from cellist to conductor started at a young age. Having honed his craft at the Boston Conservatory of Music and London's Royal Academy of Music, he solidified his prowess under the mentorship of luminaries like Sir Mark Elder. His passion for education and outreach found a profound platform during his time with the Hallé Orchestra and Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. Notably, his Baltimore Symphony Orchestra debut, featuring groundbreaking performances, reflects his commitment to innovative programming and representation. Join us in exploring his exceptional journey, commitment to education, and transformative impact on the world of classical music and orchestral leadership.

In this edition:

• Delve into the realm of orchestral leadership as we unravel Jonathon Heyward's perspective on the pivotal role of collaboration in a conductor's toolkit. Explore how this trait shapes the symphonic harmony and amplifies the connection between the conductor, musicians, and the audience.
• Join us for a profound exploration of Jonathon Heyward's mission to redefine classical music. Discover how he is devoted to dismantling stereotypes, fostering inclusivity, and making the captivating world of classical music resonate with all, regardless of background.
• Tune in as we embark on a captivating conversation delving into Jonathon Heyward's unique approach to conducting. Explore how he masterfully steps into the role of a storyteller, weaving music into a mesmerizing tapestry that evokes powerful emotions and creates an immersive experience for the audience.

Don't miss this exclusive interview with Jonathon as he shares his journey in music and his vision for the BSO. He talks about how he discovered his passion for music through a school program and his decision to pursue a career in conducting. Heyward discusses the importance of collaboration and storytelling in his role as a conductor. He also expresses his excitement about the opportunity to make systemic change through the BSO and his desire to break down the stereotypes associated with classical music.

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The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). 

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

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In this special live episode, with music by the BBC Concert Orchestra and pianist Ben Dawson, Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Hannah Templeton and comedian David O’Doherty in eighteenth-century Europe to learn all about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart is perhaps the most famous composer of all time, known for his operas, concertos, sonatas and symphonies; his talent is undeniable. But who was the man behind the music? This episode explores Mozart’s life story, following him and his family around Europe as he performed, composed and innovated. It takes in his time as a child prodigy with a controlling father, his doomed love affair, and his life as a working musician struggling to find work at court, as well as his incredible musical talent and the success he found in his own lifetime. Research by: Madeleine Bracey Written by: Madeleine Bracey, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Caitlin Hobbs Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse

Clemmie Burton Hill on the podcast today. I became friends with Clemmie years ago now when she interviewed me at Hay festival about my book and ever since then we spoke about books, work, life and everything in between. Clemmie is a broadcaster, author, novelist, journalist, violinist and a lover of arts and music. On the morning of January the 20th 2020, only weeks before the pandemic turned the world upside dow, Clemmie suffered a catastrophic brain injury. One moment she was in a meeting in New York where she lives with her husband and two children. She is one of the most inspirational and magical people I know. Today we're discussing her brilliant book, Another Year of Wonder, a fantastic book making classical music more accessible to everyone with a song for every day. She's given me a song for every mood and every feeling that I can't really conjure up with words. I hope you enjoy this episode.

• My Substack page, come and say hi: https://thehyphen.substack.com/
• Clemmie’s book: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/153/9781472259370
• My books: https://uk.bookshop.org/contributors/emma-gannon
• Books mentioned on Ctrl Alt Delete podcast: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/books-mentioned-on-ctrl-alt-delete-podcast
• Twitter: Twitter.com/emmagannon
• Instagram: Instagram.com/emmagannonuk
• CHOOSE LOVE: https://chooselove.org/
• Max Richter: https://www.maxrichtermusic.com/

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"I think Mozart just really loved people." - Jan Swafford.

For the Season 8 Finale, I had the great pleasure of welcoming back Jan Swafford, the great writer on music, who has written a spectacular new biography of Mozart. In this conversation, we talked about who Mozart really was as a person, some of the myths that defined him during his lifetime and into the present day, and of course, the incomparable music that Mozart was able to create, sometimes on a whim or in a single afternoon. This is a conversation about a man who understood people perhaps better than almost any composer, and a musician who scraped and struggled during his life while achieving immortality through his creations. Please note that this will be the last episode of Season 8 and Season 9 will begin on September 8!

Everyone knows Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Even if United Airlines hadn't made the piece ubiquitous, it seems like the one piece of classical music almost everyone knows besides the beginning of Beethoven's 5th symphony is Rhapsody in Blue. But did you know that Gershwin wrote a second rhapsody for piano and orchestra?

We know Shostakovich's later works for their intensity, drama, and depth, but did you know that Shostakovich was a completely different composer when he was a young man? That he wrote funny, sarcastic, and wildly experimental music?

How about Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber and his Battalia a 10? Or Ethel Smyth's string quintet? Or the music of Teresa Carreno? Leonard Bernstein used to talk about the infinite variety of classical music because there's simply an endless treasure trove of great and often totally unknown classical music out there. So today, I want to take you on a bit of an archeological expedition, exploring 10 pieces you've (probably) never heard of, but really have to listen to. My list includes some very recognizable names, including Ravel, Gershwin, and Shostakovich, but also some names you might know less well, like Anton Arensky, Milosz Magin, and Teresa Carreno. Join us and discover something new!

History repeats itself this week with an episode from the HISTORY This Week archives: May 7, 1824. One of the great musical icons in history, Ludwig Van Beethoven, steps onto stage at the Kärntnertor Theater in Vienna. The audience is electric, buzzing with anticipation for a brand new symphony from the legendary composer. But there’s a rumor on their minds, something only a few know for certain... that Beethoven is deaf. He is about to conduct the debut of his Ninth Symphony—featuring the now-famous ‘Ode to Joy’—yet Beethoven can barely hear a thing. How was it possible for him to conduct? And more importantly, how could he have composed one of the greatest works in the history of classical music?

Special thanks to Jan Swafford, author of Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph.

Audio from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is provided courtesy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and Riccardo Muti Music.

"Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.3, Op.37 - III. Rondo. Allegro" by Stefano Ligoratti is licensed under CC BY 3.0 (https://bit.ly/35uhbRw).

"Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 - IV. Presto - Allegro Assai (For Recorder Ensemble and Chorus - Papalin)" by Papalin is licensed under CC BY 3.0 (https://bit.ly/2YukIxM).

Widening the repertoire of classical music comes under the spotlight in today's Free Thinking conversation as New Generation Thinker Christienna Fryar speaks to researchers uncovering music that has been left out of the canon. Ahead of concerts featuring their work, she hears about the stories of three composers: the 18th-century French polymath Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the Japanese trailblazer Kikuko Kanai and the prolific African-American composer Julia Perry.

Christopher Dingle, a Professor of Music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, is studying the music of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799). Born in Guadeloupe to an enslaved mother and a French plantation owner father, Boulogne lived an extraordinary life – as well as being one of the first black colonels in the French Army, he was a master fencer, celebrated violinist and conductor, whose concertos rival his contemporary Mozart in their fiendish virtuosity.

Mai Kawabata, from the Royal College of Music, is a musicologist and violinist. She shares the story of Kikuko Kanai (1906-1986), the first female composer in Japan to write a symphony. Kanai made waves in the musical establishment by fusing Japanese melodies with Western-classical influences –her “life mission” was to popularise the folk music of her native Okinawa.

Michael Harper, a vocal tutor from the Royal Northern College of Music, is championing the work of Julia Perry (1924-1979). Perry occupied a unique place as a black American composer – female and upper-middle class, she won Guggenheim fellowships to train in Europe. Despite a life cut short by paralysis and illness, her works include 12 symphonies and 3 operas.

This research, done in collaboration with the AHRC and Radio 3, will result in special recordings and a concert performed by the BBC Philharmonic broadcasting works by Nathaniel Dett, Margaret Bonds and Joseph Bologne in Afternoon Concert on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 2nd February at 2pm and then on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001414g

And listen out for another episode of the Arts & Ideas podcast featuring the research being done into the classical musicians: Nathaniel Dett, Margaret Bonds, Ali Osman and Isaac Hershow and a further concert.

Produced by Amelia Parker

If you want more information about the Diverse Composers project you can find that on the website of UK Research and Innovation https://www.ukri.org/news/celebrating-classical-composers-from-diverse-ethnic-backgrounds-2/

If you enjoyed this – there’s a playlist called New Research on the Free Thinking website where you can find discussions about everything from conserving fashion and putting it on display in museums to recording the accents found around Manchester, so do dip in. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03zws90