Skip to main content

Classical

Filter by

Select Topics

Select Air Date

to

Select Segment Types

Segment Types

505 Segments

Sort:

Newest

07:30

Remembering Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

The classical music world lost one of its legendary figures last week. The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau died ten days short of his 87th birthday. He was one of the most recorded classical singers in recording history. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz was one of his admirers.

Obituary
07:39

A Gershwin Biopic That Ain't Necessarily So True

Rhapsody in Blue, a 1945 film version of the life of George Gershwin, is out for the first time on DVD. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says it's a fascinating mixture of real facts, pure invention and memorable musical moments.

Review
08:09

Wilhelm Furtwaengler: A Complex German Conductor.

German conductor Wilhelm Furtwaengler is regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, but his legacy was affected by his decision to stay in Germany during WWII. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz looks at how Furtwangler is seen today.

Note: Wilhelm Furtwangler's last name is typically spelled with an umlaut over the 'a' character. The npr website does not support characters with umlauts over characters. A variation of Furtwangler's name without the umlaut is spelled Furtwaengler.

Review
08:26

New Releases Showcase Lieberson's Vocal Talent

Mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberwson died a little more than five years ago at the height of her career. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that, just when it seemed we weren't going to hear her sing anything new, some fantastic live performances have been released for the first time.

Review
44:46

James Levine: The Man Behind The Met's Baton

Conductor James Levine is known for bringing out the best in musicians and ensembles. Here, he reflects on his 40-year tenure with the Metropolitan Opera, his life in music and back troubles that recently led him to step down as the musical director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Interview
07:51

Celebrating James Levine's 40 Years At The Met

In honor of Levine's 40th anniversary conducting the Metropolitan Opera, the Met has released two box sets of his live performances. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says the new releases prove what a vital figure Levine has been.

Review
07:47

In Berlin, A Musical Tribute To Composer Pierre Boulez

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz recently attended the 2010 Musikfest Berlin's two-week long tribute to 85-year-old French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez. Schwartz says the musical tribute was "sonically ravishing, with endlessly inventive combinations of sound and texture."

Review
07:42

Benita Valente: An Exquisitely Pure, Operatic Voice

Soprano Benita valente has retired from singing, though at 75, she's still remarkably active behind the scenes as an educator, organizer and fundraiser. She may not be the world's most famous singer, but a selection of her recordings leads off a new series on Bridge Records called Great Singers of the 20th Century. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz agrees with the title.

Review
07:24

Composer-Conductor Pierre Boulez At 85

He's been at the forefront of contemporary music and conducting for more than half a century. Marking his 85th birthday this spring, a number of new Boulez CDs and DVDs have been released. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews three of the latest.

Review
07:00

Hilary Hahn: Violin And Voices Entwined In Bach

Bach's cantatas contain some of his greatest music, but their individual sections are seldom performed out of context, least of all by celebrities. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwarz says Hilary Hahn's new CD, Bach: Violin & Voice, provides a welcome exception to this rule.

Review
07:29

City By City, A Night At The Symphony

The San Francisco, Chicago and Boston symphony orchestras have all released new live albums recently; classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz had a listen, and he has a review.

Review
21:38

John McGlinn: Recreating Musical History

Conductor, arranger and musical historian John McGlinn frequently stripped classic musicals to their roots by returning to original orchestrations and reinstating lost songs. McGlinn died on Feb. 14; Fresh Air remembers him with interviews from 1989 and 1992.

Obituary
08:15

Elliott Carter at 100: A Trio of Tributes

American composer Elliott Carter celebrates his 100th birthday this month, and three new CDs have been released in honor of the occasion. Fresh Air's classical music critic has a review.

Review
06:52

'The Construction of Boston,' Caught On Disc

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD of Scott Wheeler's opera, based on a hymn to Boston by the New York poet Kenneth Koch. The disc captures a live performance by the Boston Cecilia choral society.

Review
12:06

Musical Diplomacy: A Concert in North Korea

On February 26, conductor Lorin Maazel led the New York Philharmonic in an unprecedented concert in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was the first time a major American orchestra performed in the communist country. The concert was broadcast nationwide.

Interview
07:21

Glenn Gould Recaptured En Masse

Fresh Air's classical music critic reviews an 80-disc set of recordings by Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. The collection, issued 25 years after Gould's death replicates the look of the original LPs.

Review
15:00

From the 'Fresh Air' Archive: Beverly Sills

She was a home-grown phenomenon, an operatic soprano trained entirely in the U.S. in an era when most singers developed their craft in Europe, and she made a notable second career after her retirement as a formidable arts administrator and advocate. Fresh Air spoke with her in 1985.

Obituary

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Advertisement

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue