GaySA Radio about Music

about Music

about Music: the Art of listening.

Music is supposed to stir the emotions, and if we are hearing it, but it is not moving us in any way, surely that’s inexcusable?

Over a series of chats with musical examples, I would like to introduce you to a different way of listening to music, by exploring how it creates the emotions that it is supposed to in the listener.

I would enjoy being your guide to a deeper listening experience.
Weekly English South Africa Music History · Music Commentary
48 Episodes
1 – 20

Programme 48: about Music- The Art of Listening: Romantic Piano Concertos

Today’s music is again one of those “crank up the volume to maximum” programmes. There are four big Piano Concertos from the Romantic period, which feature in almost every competition, played usually by multiple competitors. These are Tcchaikovsky’s first, Rachmaninov’s second, and the Concertos in A minor by Grieg and…
10 Apr 1 hour

Programme 47: about Music- The Art of Listening: Romantic Orchestral Music

Today’s music is one of those “crank up the volume to maximum” programmes. Big, big stuff today! We start off with the Symphonic Poem "The Moldau," by Bedřich Smetana Next is "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius Thereafter "Les Preludes", a symphonic poem by Franz Liszt Our final item "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry…
2 Apr 59 min

Programme 46: about Music- The Art of Listening: Romantic Lieder

One of my favourite music genres in programme 46! We are starting with fingerprints of the different genres of the 19th century, and first up is Lieder, or German songs. The music is by Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Richard Strauss, Carl Loewe, and Robert Schumann. Some…
26 Mar 59 min

Programme 41: about Music- The Art of Listening: Musical Fingerprints Part 6

In the next programme in the series, we are looking at Musical Fingerprints Part 6. What are these? These are the unique characteristics of individual composers, instruments, periods of music, musical styles and specific compositional types that an observant listener will immediately identify. In today’s programme I am going to…
13 Feb 1 hour

Programme 40: about Music: The Art of Listening: Musical Fingerprints – Part 5

In the next programme in the series, we are looking at Musical Fingerprints Part 5. What are these? These are the unique characteristics of individual composers, instruments, periods of music, musical styles and specific compositional types that an observant listener will immediately identify. Today we look at Keyboard music of…
7 Feb 1 hour

Programme 39: about Music: The Art of Listening: Musical Fingerprints – Part 4

about Music- The Art of Listening: Musical Fingerprints Part 4 In the next programme in the series, we are looking at Musical Fingerprints Part 4. What are these? These are the unique characteristics of individual composers, instruments, periods of music, musical styles and specific compositional types that an observant listener…
31 Jan 59 min

Programme 38: about Music- The Art of Listening: Musical Fingerprints Part 3

In the next programme in the series, we are looking at Musical Fingerprints Part 3. What are these? These are the unique characteristics of individual composers, periods of music, musical styles and specific compositional types that an observant listener will immediately identify. Today we look at four Sonatas for Violin…
24 Jan 59 min

Programme 37: about Music- The Art of Listening: Musical Fingerprints Part 2

In the next programme in the “about Music” series, we are looking at Musical Fingerprints Part 2, following on from Part 1 of last September. What are these? These are the unique characteristics of individual composers, periods of music, musical styles and specific compositional types, that an observant listener will…
17 Jan 59 min

“about Music”, The Art of Listening Programme 36

And so we enter the New Year 2024 and my wish for each one of you is “Happy New Year, and let it be your best one yet!” Our gentle start to our New Year’s listening is with well-known pieces by Dvorak, Bizet, Rachmaninov, Faure, Brahms, Mozart, Wagner and Elgar.
1 Jan 59 min

“about Music“ The Art of Listening. Programme 35

In this programme, I present some well-known music which is both inspirational and motivational, so that we can individually meditate about how our 2023 year has been. The music is by Aaron Copeland, Carl Orff, Gustav Holst, Jules Massenet, Samuel Barber, Stanley Myers, Giuseppe Verdi, Johann Strauss, and Joey Tempest
28 Dec 2023 59 min

Programme 34, The Sacred and Christmas music of John Rutter

The programme this week is the Christmas and Sacred music of John Rutter. There are original compositions and a selection of well-known carols in exquisite arrangements. Please feel free to join me and allow the music to stir the emotions in you in the spirit of the Christmas season!
20 Dec 2023 59 min

Music links for Programme 33: about Music: Breathing in music - Cadences

In the next programme in the series “about Music”, we are going to look at how music breathes – cadences as an essential ingredient in our listening experience. I have lots of musical examples to demonstrate these. AND THEN, be prepared to let your ears tell you stories you have…
13 Dec 2023 59 min

Programme 32: about Music: Melody and Phrases Part 4

In the next programme in the series “about Music”, we are going continue in our investigation of melody, also casually referred to as “tunes”. We go further with Phrases and Phrasing, which refers to the grouping of notes within a melody. The new information for this episode is information about…
6 Dec 2023 59 min

Programme 31. Modulation as a key to Emotional Content

This evening we look at two seasonal works, with the specific intention of understanding how the construction of the music is carefully crafted to produce the desired emotional content. You will love these, and I feel you cannot fail to be as moved as I always am. And then Chopin’s…
29 Nov 2023 59 min

“about Music” - programme 30

In the 30th programme in the series “about Music” today, we are going to look at melody, also casually referred to as “tunes”. Then we go further with Phrases and Phrasing, which refers to the grouping of notes within a melody. We explore in depth the set of Variations from…
23 Nov 2023 59 min
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