Hear more. Feel more. Be more! Come with me and dive into some great classical music. For over 1000 years great musicians have explored what it means to live, love, die and everything in between: asking all our deep and universal questions. Escape the cacophony - the noise of your brain and daily life; tune into the music, your feelings and emotions ‘good’ and ‘bad’ …and find the space, stillness and love that underpins everything. NB: May include loud noise, surprises, challenges, cacophonous racket. May cause shock, comfort, discomfort, smiles, tears, peace, transcendence. www.cacophonyonline.com classical music Home of the Women’s World Cup of Classical Music
Episodes
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Individual, passionate, soulful music rooted in the southern states, Florence Price's Symphony No.1 was the first by a black woman composer to be played by a major US orchestra back in the 1930s. A Moment of History, but those 'twin handicaps' [her words] meant that her music has hardly been played since and we've been missing out on really great music from a distinctive voice - it's time to put that right! (Listening time 47 mins: podcast 8', music 39')
Music here on Spotify or Apple Music in a brand new recording with another of the 'great' US Orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin or on Youtube with the New Black Repertory Ensemble & Leslie B. Dunner, conductor.
What do you think? Let me know with an easy voicemail or comment at Cacophonyonline.com, Facebook or Twitter.
You can buy the Philadelphia recording as a download here.
If you'd like to support Cacophony there are four easy great ways
- share this episode
- share the 100 second trailer
- buy us a cuppa at ko-fi.com
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Thanks for listening!
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
Thrilling, chilling, but still somehow delighting in its brilliance, Dvořák's Noon Witch packs a punch and leaves you stunned. Also in this episode, free parenting advice and some musings on Dr Suess!
Listen to the complete piece here on Apple Music, Youtube, or Spotify, in fab live-in-concert recordings from the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Sir Charles Mackerras.
Unfortunately you can't get these as a download. So if you want to buy it, try this recording from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Rafael Kubelik for only 55p.
If you enjoyed this, check out previous episodes for more excellent Dvorak and if you like Witches head for Musorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain.
Let me know what you think! Ways to get in touch bellow:
Comment at cacophonyonline.com, Facebook or Twitter or now you can leave me a voice message
If you'd like to support Cacophony there are four great ways:
- share this episode
- share the 100 second trailer
- buy us a cuppa at ko-fi.com
- subscribe and keep listening!
Thanks for listening!
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
One of music's ultimate mood improvers, Dvořák's "Slavonic Dances" put a smile on everyone's face. Not merely shallow dance tunes, this is music that shows us the warmest, most generous view of humanity. It's no wonder everyone loves them! Listening time 15-45mins (Podcast is 10.5', total music length is 35')
Listen to the music here on Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube (this is harder to dip in and out of, because it's all one track on Youtube. You get another 8 dances too that he wrote later. Just as good, some say... better!)
They're thrilling performances from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor, Rafael Kubelik, which you can buy as high quality download here.
What do you think? Which dance is your favourite? We'd love to hear from you at cacophonyonline.com, Facebook or Twitter.
If you'd like to support Cacophony there are four great ways:
- share this episode
- share the 100 second trailer
- buy us a cuppa at ko-fi.com
- subscribe and keep listening!
Thanks for listening!
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
A few years back my Mum got me to buy her this for Christmas and I've finally got around to 'discovering' it for myself. It's powerful, intense and profound: Schubert's Fantasy for piano duet. I think you'll love it. [Listening time 25 mins - podcast 6', music 18')
Listen to the complete piece on Youtube, Apple Music or Spotify performed by the wonderful Maria João Pires and Ricardo Castro, which you can also buy as a download here, for a couple of quid. The official title is Fantasy in F minor for piano four hands, D.940
What do you think? We'd love to hear from you at cacophonyonline.com, Facebook or Twitter.
If you'd like to support Cacophony there are four great ways:
- share this episode
- share the 100 second trailer
- buy us a cuppa at ko-fi.com
- subscribe and keep listening!
Thanks for listening!
Thursday Dec 30, 2021
Thursday Dec 30, 2021
One of my favourite things on TV in recent years has been Wolf Hall. Debbie Wiseman's haunting and memorable music captures all the tension, mood and atmosphere.
Music here on Youtube or Spotify both taken from the official soundtrack which you can buy at lots of places.
What do you think? I really want to know, so please tell me with a comment at Cacophonyonline.com.
You can support Cacophony here, by 'buying me a ko-fi'.
Please share the podcast with everyone you know - start by sharing this episode or the 100 second trailer!
Thanks for listening!
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Everyone knows and loves Silent Night, right? But you probably haven't heard it sound quite like this. It probably won't actually give you nightmares, but it will certainly stay with you (Listening time 7mins: podcast 3', music 7').
And despite the bleak music, I do wish you a happy Christmas!
Music here with pictures, played by Starikov Stepan and Nail Mavliudov:
or on Spotify or Apple Music, played by Daniel Hope and Alexei Botvinov, which you can also buy here as a download for less than £1.
Tell me what you think - is this a cacophony, a joke or a thought provoking masterpiece? Comment at cacophonyonline.com
If you'd like to support Cacophony, you can buy me a ko-fi here.
Please share our love of great music by sharing this episode and/or the trailer: www.cacophonyonline.com/trailer
Thanks for listening!
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
If you want a change from Christmas pop, Christmas baroque is the way to go - here's a sparkling little gem from Arcangelo Corelli - a great 15 minute way to reset, reflect and energise - it manages all these things! (17 mins: podcast 3', music 14')
Music here on Spotify or Youtube with pictures.
Officially it's Concerto Grosso in G minor op.6 no.8 "Fatto per la notte di Natale"
Happy Christmas!
What do you think? I really want to know, so please tell me with a comment at Cacophonyonline.com.
You can support Cacophony here, by 'buying me a ko-fi'.
Please share the podcast with everyone you know - start by sharing this episode or the 100 second trailer!
Thanks for listening!
Friday Dec 10, 2021
Friday Dec 10, 2021
A bold statement from composer Carl Nielsen, that music IS life, who demonstrates it with a breathtaking symphony of awesome power and overwhelming optimism. The perfect piece for Cacophony's 100th episode. (50 mins: podcast 15', music 35')
Music here with pictures from the terrific Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk - and check out the lovey smile and wink from the oboe player at 5'50"!
or here on Spotify with the equally terrific Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Michael Schønwandt. You can buy this as a download here.
I think Carl Nielsen looks like John Bercow, what do you think?
Please let me know what you think of Cacophony, this music, and lookalikes with a comment at Cacophonyonline.com
Please share this episode and also the 100 second trailer cacophonyonline.com/trailer
If you're able to support Cacophony financially we're very grateful. You can do that at ko-fi.com
Thanks for listening!
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021
For Cacophony episode 99, I wanted to explore something deeply personal. Mahler's Symphony No.4 is one of the first pieces I discovered for myself and it moves me like very little else. Sometimes pained, sometimes playful, but most often sublime, the third movement takes you all the way to heaven, just by opening your heart. Listening time 33 mins (podcast 11', music 22')
Music here, on Youtube or Spotify with conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen (who conducted the performance I recorded off the radio back in the day) and the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. The solo singer in the last movement if you listen to that is Barbara Hendricks. You can buy a high quality download of the whole piece for the shockingly low price of £1.11 here!
What do you think of this brilliant piece? What do you think of Cacophony? Tell us with a comment at the website, Facebook or Twitter.
Please share this episode and the trailer!
If you'd like to support Cacophony with cash you can click here to 'buy us a Kofi"!
Thanks for listening!
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
It's inexplicable to me, but Anton Bruckner's music has been dividing opinion since he started writing around 140 years ago. He goes in search of the meaning of life and comes back with... Marmite! Personally, I love it. There are few better noises than the transcendental climax of a Bruckner symphony. In this episode, it's the thrilling end of his 3rd. (Podcast 8', Music 13')
Music here with video or sound only on youtube or Spotify.
What do you think? I really want to know, so please tell me with a comment at Cacophonyonline.com.
You can support Cacophony here, by 'buying me a ko-fi'.
Please share the podcast with everyone you know - start by sharing this episode or the 100 second trailer!
Thanks for listening!