Nacocast: Classical Music Podcast With Sean Rice

For those many faithful listeners of CBC's Ideas, you know producer and host Paul Kennedy to be as entertaining as he is enlightening. And he was every bit of that in his pre-concert talk of September 24th at the NAC. His theme was “Amadeus: Fiction, Art and Truth”. I think you’ll enjoy his debunking the many myths of Mozart’s life, and you just might learn something new about Mr. Mozart as well.

Author and Maclean's magazine columnist Paul Wells was invited to open the NAC Orchestra's Mozart-Haydn Festival on September 22nd on its Musically-Speaking Series of pre-concerts talks.

The show is taken over by some of Christopher's students in this fun and informative edition of the NACOcast

Christopher speaks with the distinguished conductor Leonard Slatkin about the problem of repeats in Schubert. The conversation focuses on his Ninth Symphony, The Great C Major, with a careful examination of the exquisite Andante Con Moto.

Two conductors, twenty questions. In this episode, Christopher puts conductors Andrew Grams and James Gaffigan to the test with some challenging questions for aspiring maestros.

In this episode, Christopher ponders the concept of deep practice and how successful musicians use intelligent repetition to build their skills.

Christopher has been thinking about metronomes. Here he discusses the history of that irritating but essential device, and talks with NACO guest conductor Alexander Shelley about Maelzel, Beethoven and the challenges of the metronome for modern conductors.

Christopher takes you on an hour-long exploration of the NAC Orchestra's recently announced 2009-2010 season, complete with musical excerpts from the NAC Orchestra audio archives and Naxos Canada.

Bringing Onegin to Life. With insights from philosopher Isaiah Berlin and a wide ranging conversation with tenor Richard Troxell and stage manager Joseph Bascetta, this episode explores Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin. Opera Lyra Ottawa's production of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece opens April 4.

In this second in a series of podcasts which will look at the business and administration of symphony orchestras, NACOcast host Christopher Millard talks with Daphne Burt, artistic administrator of the NAC Orchestra.

This week's episode of the NACOcast looks at Beethoven's First Symphony. American conductor James Gaffigan is Christopher's guest. Chris and James analyze the harmonies employed in the introduction of the first movement and continue with a discussion of the sonata form.

Live from Southam Hall at Canada's National Arts Centre, Christopher talks with Pinchas Zukerman and Arianna Zukerman about the voice as instrument, and the instrument as voice.

In this episode, Christopher speaks with Opera Lyra Ottawa's Artistic Director Tyrone Paterson, Conductor Christoph Campestrini and mezzo-soprano Marion Newman about the new production of Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro. The conversation focuses on the personalities of each of the principal characters, their place in the social strata of their time and how Mozart's music so brilliantly captures their individual human experience.

Christopher explores hearing, and the loss thereof, as it relates to orchestral musicians and audiences in general.

Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony is one of the great works of programmatic music in the orchestral repertoire. Christopher examines the thoughtful insights of musicologist Owen Jander in a study of the second movement, Scene by the Brook.

Christopher discusses primates, brontosauri and other musical influences in a wide ranging examination of his favourite orchestral instrument.

Christopher takes you on an hour-long exploration of the NAC Orchestra's recently announced 2008-2009 season, complete with musical excerpts from the NAC Orchestra audio archives and Naxos Canada.

In this first NACOcast of 2008, Christopher focuses on Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto with special guest Charles Hamann, principal oboe, National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Christopher's guest is the ebullient Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker, a virtuoso star who is also known for his outgoing personality and cheerful sense of humour. Jackie and Christopher discuss Beethoven's "Emperor" Piano Concerto No. 5.

By popular demand ... In this very special NACOcast presentation, Christopher takes us on a 30-minute guided tour of that holiday perennial, Handel's Messiah.