logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2021
55m 20s

Schubert Symphony No. 9, "The Great"

JOSHUA WEILERSTEIN
About this episode

The pianist Andras Schiff on Schubert: "There is a folk song like simplicity in Schubert's Music; his music is never crowded. He does not want to impress you or overwhelm you. He tells you a very simple story and invites you by very simple means to come and join him and share his thoughts." It's hard to describe an hour long piece as simple, but Schiff's description applies to this massive, majestic, and yes, simple(in the best way) symphony. This week, we'll talk all about this mesmerizing symphony.

Up next
Oct 27
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 (Live with the Aalborg Symphony)
Rachmaninoff's relationship with the symphony as a genre was famously complicated. The catastrophic premiere of his First Symphony is legendary: a badly prepared orchestra, a possibly drunk conductor, and critics who were ready to plunge a knife into the young composer's self-con ... Show More
1h 5m
Oct 15
Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2 (The One With the Funeral March)
When the great pianist and composer Frederic Chopin decided to write a piano sonata in 1837, fashions had turned against the genre itself. Perhaps it was a feeling that Beethoven had essentially "finished" the genre, or perhaps it was a sense that a non-Germanic composer couldn't ... Show More
53m 4s
Oct 1
Gerald Finzi: Dies Natalis
As I've often said, I love doing Patreon-sponsored episodes in part because they allow me to discover music I might never have encountered otherwise. Today's episode is one of those, because the truth is that before I made it, I had heard of Finzi, but that was about it. I knew n ... Show More
51m 35s
Recommended Episodes
May 2008
Schubert: Serenada
This piece is one of Schubert's vocal pieces arranged for piano solo by Franz Liszt. It has become a very popular piece for voice as well as many other instruments. This recording is dedicated to my dear mother-in-law. This is one of her favorite classical works. This recording w ... Show More
4m 5s
Jun 2012
Chopin: (Cantabile) Cantabile in B-flat major, B.84
A beautiful, short piece by Chopin... his "Cantabile" in B-flat is a well-known work that provides a few subtle challenges wrapped in simple melody and carried by enchanting harmonies. I hope that you enjoy my recording of this work - recorded at home on my 1941 Steinway AIII. 
1m 3s
Jun 2008
Schubert: Impromptu Op. 90 (D. 899) No. 2 in E-flat
This impromptu is one of four in the set (Opus 90). This is the second of the four impromptus. I have previously recorded Impromptu No. 4 and plan to record the remaining two impromptus in the future. This particular impromptu is quite a popular work by Schubert. It is very commo ... Show More
5m 2s
Aug 2013
Robert Schumann
Highlights from the music of composer Robert Schumann, including excerpts from the piano concerto, Kinderszenen, the Piano Quintet, the Symphony #3 and Arabeske. Performers include: Arthur Rubinstein , Arturo Toscanini, Albert Cortot and Myra Hess. 
52m 9s
Dec 2008
Bach: Partita No. 1 in B flat Major Opus 1 - Sarabande
This Sarabande is an excerpt from Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat. I have also recorded the Praeludium previously. I have always loved the serene melody that makes up this Sarabande. I play this piece much slower than is typical in a performance. However, I find it to be so exquis ... Show More
5m 11s
Oct 2015
Symphony No. 1: A Great (But Not Groundbreaking) Start
Ludwig van Beethoven wrote symphonies that introduced new musical ideas, inspired generations of composers and expanded the idea of what a symphony could be. But he started modestly. His First Symphony, written in 1800, pays tribute to his predecessors. 
13m 31s
Dec 2007
Bach: (Ave Maria) Prelude in C Major
I play this one much more slowly than most do... I guess I just like it that way. This piece has been arranged, re-arranged, and arranged again for many instruments and combinations of instruments. It is definitely a "classic" and is often heard at weddings and other significant ... Show More
3m 3s