Episodes

  • Modest Mussorgsky and the Walking Melody

    Modest Mussorgsky and the Walking Melody

    Mussorgsky composed a musical tour through an art gallery, with a special walking melody that changes mood as listeners move from painting to painting. This episode explores how different instruments paint vivid pictures, from dancing baby chicks to creaking ox carts.

    March 5, 2026

  • Niccolò Paganini and the Devil’s Bargain

    Niccolò Paganini and the Devil’s Bargain

    Audiences whispered that Paganini’s impossible violin skills could only come from a deal with the devil himself. This episode explores the legendary showman who transformed classical concerts into theatrical spectacles that left 19th-century crowds both mesmerized and terrified.

    March 5, 2026

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and the Thousand-Night Secret

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and the Thousand-Night Secret

    A sultan’s heart has turned to stone until a single violin voice begins weaving magical tales through his silent palace. This episode explores how Rimsky-Korsakov used music to tell the enchanting stories of Scheherazade.

    March 5, 2026

  • Philip Glass and the Yellow Cab

    Philip Glass and the Yellow Cab

    A struggling composer drove a yellow taxi through New York City streets, hearing symphonies in the ordinary sounds around him. Philip Glass would transform those rhythmic patterns into a revolutionary new style of music called minimalism.

    March 5, 2026

  • Prokofiev and Peter and the Wolf

    Prokofiev and Peter and the Wolf

    Prokofiev created a musical tale where each character is represented by a different instrument — Peter by strings, the bird by flute, and the wolf by French horns. This famous piece teaches children how orchestral instruments can tell an entire story through music.

    March 5, 2026