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Episodes from Classical Music Happy Hour
Ray Chen - superstar violinist wants you to practice
Violinist and social media guru Ray Chen wraps up this season of Classical Music Happy Hour with an in-studio live performance. He chats with Manny about video games, performance anxiety, and his practice app Tonic. In our game, he joins Manny in our game called Is It a Composer or Is it Cheese? Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Ray Chen performed an excerpt from JS Bach’s Chaconne from Partitat No. 2 for Solo Violin, BWV 1004. Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, MWV...
Paquito D’Rivera -Beef, Beans and Benny (Goodman)
Paquito D’Rivera is composer, saxophonist and clarinetist whose work spans classical, jazz and latin music. Born in Havana, Cuba, D’Rivera started his career playing with the National Theater Orchestra at the age of 10 and has been on stage for seven decades. During their chat, Paquito and Manny discuss what beef and beans have to do with Benny Goodman playing Carnegie Hall, what kind of music teacher his father was, and all things clarinet. He also joins Manny for an in-studio performance of one of his compositions. In our game, Manny and Paquito decide if a sound is made by...
Yefim Bronfman - master of the keyboard
Pianist Yefim Bronfman, “Fima,” chats with Manny about their decades-long friendship, their love of sports, their surprising anxiety around live broadcast performances. They’ll answer listeners’ questions about recovering from injuries and picking repertoire, even the stuff no one heard of! Fima and Manny work together in our Newly Dead game to identify odd ways composers have died. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Piano Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op. 8: II. Adagio Szymanowski Martin Roscoe, piano Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc...
Isabel Hagen - likes a good viola joke
Comedian Isabel Hagen is a classically trained violist, and a filmmaker. As a comedian, she has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was a New Face of Comedy at the Just for Laughs festival in Montréal. She talks to Manny about how the viola can be funny and make people love classical music by making them laugh! Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Harold en Italie, S. 472/R. 138: I. Harold aux montagnes Berlioz Philip Dukes & Piers Lan...
Nicholas Britell - more than that one viral theme song!
The New York Times has called Nicholas Britell: “The composer at the frontier of film music.” Britell has written scores for Hollywood movies including:The Big Short, Moonlight and If Beale Street Could talk. Listeners might best recognize his work from the theme of the HBO series “Succession” for which he’s won the Emmy for the iconic theme song. He’ll talk about writing for the big screen and he’ll play one of his most recognizable pieces live-in studio. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Variati...
David Hyde Pierce - a.k.a. Niles Crane
Actor David Hyde Pierce has had a long career in film, television and the theater. He’s best known to listeners for his portrayal of Niles Crane on the sitcom "Frasier." He joins Manny to talk about his life and love of classical music and listen to some of their favorite recordings. They also play a game called “Animal or Instrument.” Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80 "Choral Fantasy": Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80 Beethoven Leon McCawley, piano ...
Jeanine Tesori - from “Fun Home” to the Met Opera
Composer Jeanine Tesori is a two time Tony Award winner, a two time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and in 2024, she became the first woman composer to open the Metropolitan Opera Opera season in its 139 year history. On this edition of CMHH she tells Manny about her time living in a lighthouse, about her love of Stravinsky, and why she decided not to be a doctor. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. 3 Movements from Petrushka: No. 1, Danse russe Stravinsky Antonii Baryshevskyi, piano...
Yo-Yo Ma - 53 years of friendship and duets
Live from Tanglewood, cellist Yo-Yo Ma chats with Manny about their long musical relationship and friendship. The two treat the live audience to a few musical performances, and they take questions from the audience about their burning musical questions, like “why does a piano have three pedals?” Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music Performed in Today’s Episode: Lieder ohne Worte (Song without Words) Mendelssohn Yo-Yo Ma, Cello Emanuel Ax, Piano Ave Maria Schubert Yo-Yo Ma...
John McWhorter - Lover of Language
Columbia University Professor of Linguistics John McWhorter, chats with Manny about swear words, Broadway, and tackles the conundrums of musical etymology. McWhorter also makes the case for the brilliant first movement of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor. The two then square off in a game about famous classical pieces that bombed at their premieres. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in today’s episode includes: Strike Up the Band: The Man I Love (Arr. For orchestra) George Gershwin Ri...
John Adams - not the President
Renowned American composer John Adams joins Manny to discuss his approach to opera composition, the stories behind his intriguingly titled works, and the time he was once mistaken for John Cage. Adams answers listener questions on the evolution of music and the emotional pull of minor keys. He also shares his love of Stravinsky and Handel. For our game segment, Adams puts his knowledge to the test as Manny quizzes him on outrageous performance directions. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in toda...
Gabriela Ortiz - Composer and Grammy Gal
Composer Gabriela Ortiz joins Manny to talk about her grandfather’s surprising connection to Mahler, her own compositional process, and her enduring love for works by Debussy and Stravinsky. Listeners call in with tricky questions about folk music’s influence on classical works, new developments in orchestral instruments, and the realities of orchestra cliques. In our game segment, Manny puts Gabriela to the test—can she identify which famous composer was panned by critics? Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax. Music used in today’s episode...
Marc-André Hamelin - Rocks Rachmaninoff
Composer and pianist Marc-André Hamelin joins Manny to talk about growing up with a musical father, the mechanics of piano playing, and the influences behind his prolific performing and recording career. He answers listener questions about piano transcriptions and why music is written in so many different keys. In the music segment, Hamelin performs one of his favorite works by Rachmaninoff live in the studio. The piece performed by Marc-André Hamelin is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Etude-Tableau op39/5 in E-flat minor. Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanue...