Host Stephen Peithman explores ideas, themes and people shared by various classical works, Saturday afternoons at 4.
"I've always been intrigued by the connections between different compositions and/or composers," explains host Stephen Peithman, "and on Connections we explore those connections in a way that's both informative and entertaining. We focus on works that display a strong influence of another work or composer, that draw directly from other works or share a common theme or inspiration. There are great stories to be told, both comic and dramatic, and a lot of great music, too."
Stephen has been contributing shows to Capital Public Radio since 1983, first with Musical Stages, and now, Connections. He also is an author, including The Annotated Tales of Edgar Allan Poe and seven theatre-related books. A singer since his early years, he has performed with chamber ensembles, as a soloist, and as a performer in opera and musical theatre.
A celebration of American ideas and ideals by Copland and other composers that gave expression to a sense of national character and purpose during World War II.
Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff in music by Salieri, Verdi, Elgar, Vaughan Williams and more.
Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances--and the original Renaissance lute pieces that inspired him.
Summertime scenarios, from Vivaldi and Haydn to Glazunov and Gershwin.
How nine composers worked out ways to combine a piano with a string quartet -- from Boccherini to Brahms to Shostakovich.
Don Quixote in works by Purcell, Telemann, Mendelssohn, de Falla, Strauss, Rodrigo and more.
Wordless vocals in music by Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Ravel, Nielsen, Holst, Vaughan Williams, and more.
How the Strauss family made the Viennese Waltz as much a feature of the concert hall as the dance floor.
Mistaken composer attributions of the classical music repertoire--some the result of carelessness, others due to honest mistakes—and a few cases of outright fabrication.
Music about birds from medieval and renaissance songs to works by Dvorak, Prokofiev, Saint-Saens, Vaughan Williams, Mozart and many others.
Works by Gottschalk, Joplin, Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein -- inspired by the music of Mexico and Cuba.
