Explore every episode of the podcast Braving the Stave
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 13 (Braving The Harp) | 02 Nov 2024 | 00:26:53 | |
When Jon likens harp music to twinkly bedtime stories, Haz champions the instrument, taking it beyond the usual clichés. Together they consider its Celtic history, how much patience you need to tune it, the most-loved harp effects, and why harpists are the best people to ask to unscrew a jar. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 12 (Braving the Sax) | 28 Sep 2024 | 00:32:40 | |
JJ and Haz try to convert each other to the sound of the sax, celebrating its parps, growls and bends. Along the way: why Debussy called the sound 'aquatic', why it reminds JJ of custard, and what it means to be 'Careless Whispered' while at music college. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 3 (Music of Protest) | 28 Nov 2023 | 00:25:32 | |
Haz and JJ bring some pep to your November with the music of protest and revolt, whether it's Obama breaking into song, Chopin feeling heroic or Billy Holiday lamenting a dark past. And what is the opposite of goosebumps? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 2 (Rain and Rainbows) | 28 Oct 2023 | 00:31:36 | |
Given the weather recently, JJ and Haz ponder the different ways rain has been treated in music, including Chopin's disturbing dream, Britten's cheerful storm, Debussy's summer tempest, and John Luther Adams' electronic showers. Bambi gets a look-in too, as do two heart-rending versions of 'Over The Rainbow'. And if you've ever wondered how the Welsh say 'it's raining cats and dogs', look no further! www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 1 (All things autumn. (And some concrete)) | 30 Sep 2023 | 00:28:24 | |
All things autumn. (And some concrete). As autumn beckons and St David's Hall lingers to have its concrete checked, JJ and Haz spend their first podcast back considering music of the moment: seasonal themes of renewal, colourful landscapes and some musique concrète too (the fun bits). The challenge is to avoid autumnal stereotypes along the way. And Haz surveys whether musicians have a favourite version of 'Autumn Leaves', the perennial jazz classic. Wrth i’r hydref agosáu ac wrth i Neuadd Dewi Sant aros i’w goncrit gael ei wirio, yn eu podlediad cyntaf yn ôl mae JJ a Haz yn ystyried cerddoriaeth y cyfnod: themâu tymhorol am adnewyddu, tirweddau lliwgar, ac ychydig o musique concrète hefyd (y rhannau diddorol). Yr her yw osgoi stereoteipiau hydrefol. Ac mae Haz yn holi a oes gan gerddorion hoff fersiwn o ‘Autumn Leaves’, y clasur jazz bythol. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 30 (Fanfares and Finales) | 27 Jun 2023 | 00:32:17 | |
To culminate this season of Braving the Stave, Haz and Jon contemplate what it might be like to kiss a fanfaring trumpeter and uncover a disturbing past to the fanfare genre. They then pick their favourite rousing (or crushing) finales from the music of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Bartok and John Williams. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Bonus Track (JJ interviews Sali-Wyn Ryan) | 27 May 2023 | 00:14:47 | |
Continuing the theme of our May episode, JJ interviews Sali-Wyn Ryan, a proudly Welsh member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and asks her about the perks and pitfalls of orchestral life. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 29 (Braving the Orchestra) | 27 May 2023 | 00:36:49 | |
In this deep-dive into orchestral life, JJ and Haz discover why so many orchestral musicians own a pilot's licence, why a percussionist can feel like a lemon, why basketball-players could make excellent violists and the most important question of them all: which section always arrives late to every rehearsal? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 28 (Braving Minimalism) | 29 Apr 2023 | 00:39:22 | |
Haz sets out to enlighten JJ, a self-confessed harmony junkie, in the joys of Minimalism. Starting with the hippy experiments of La Monte Young, they trace the style's evolution via Glass and Reich to the complex scores of post-minimalist, John Adams. Along the way they discover why Haz salivates at the sound of a gamelan and how every minimalist needs a marimba. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 27 (Female Composers) | 25 Mar 2023 | 00:33:18 | |
Haz takes the lead in this podcast about female composers and women in music. Is there still a 'gender agenda' in the classical music industry, and is there enough female representation at the top table? Expect bold, beautiful music, frank exchanges and a contentious review of the film 'Tár'. Featuring pieces by Rebecca Clarke, Dani Howard, Rebecca Dale, Debbie Wiseman, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Rachel Portman and Florence Price. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 26 (Braving Sibelius and discovering 'The Voice of the North') | 23 Feb 2023 | 00:40:04 | |
What was the story behind Sibelius' French first name and what makes his music so distinct and compelling? Expect brooding mountain spirits, magical string textures, Welsh-sounding hymns and abrupt 'Fininish' endings. Including an interview with a champion and foremost interpreter of Sibelius' music, conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 25 (Braving Brahms) | 28 Jan 2023 | 00:36:23 | |
In this first podcast of the year, JJ and Haz share what they love about Johannes Brahms and his music. It's more raving than 'braving' as they reveal some lesser known stories about when he grew his famous big beard, how he was a prankster, and why his first conducting of the concerto turned out to be the stuff of JJ's nightmares. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 11 (Braving Sinfonia Cymru) | 08 Aug 2024 | 00:26:05 | |
In the new season of Braving the Stave, JJ and Haz give their light-hearted but sharp-eared take on the lunchtime recitals happening every month in Eglwys Dewi Sant. This opening episode ponders whether Patrick Rimes, local folk legend, could play a blancmange, what it would be like to work for an insomniac Count, and the deeper meaning of 'Say a little prayer.' www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Tis the season to be cheesy? | 17 Dec 2022 | 00:24:06 | |
JJ and Haz discuss classical music's Christmas clichés and compete to find the piece with the most sparkle. With new carols from young Welsh composers and a nostalgic glance back to wintry treasure swaps from earlier podcasts. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| The sacred power of the voice | 26 Nov 2022 | 00:39:15 | |
What is it about the human voice and the special sound of a choir that holds such power for people (and makes JJ 'leaky')? Using examples from all genres, Haz and JJ explore issues of the perfect blend, keeping a drone in tune and what it means to have a 'true tone'. With an interview with members from The Sixteen, including their founder-director, Harry Christophers. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 22 (Who's scared of improvisation?) | 29 Oct 2022 | 00:32:29 | |
Mention improvisation and many classical musicians break into a cold sweat. JJ and Haz debunk some common myths and delve into the roots and cures of 'improvophobia' and why every musician should give improv a go. And why it's good to be a 'musical magpie'. With inspiring examples from Messiaen to Mehldau, Fantasias to Flamenco. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 21 (Can Music Still Shock?) | 24 Sep 2022 | 00:40:29 | |
Can classical music still shock? Braving the Stave asks the question to BBC NOW's principal conductor Ryan Bancroft as he launches the autumn season with Stravinsky's infamous 'Rite of Spring'. JJ and Haz explore its continuing hold on audiences and share contemporary music that manages to provoke and tease. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 20 (Summer Music) | 18 Jun 2022 | 00:30:36 | |
JJ and Haz reach for their T-shirts and ponder how music expresses all things summery, whether the heat of Latin America or the poignancy of lost memories by a lake. Haz reveals a surprising summer piece that brings her out in hives. Which family of instruments sounds the warmest? And which version of Gershwin's Summertime would you pick? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 19 (Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony) | 21 May 2022 | 00:34:07 | |
Jon and Haz take on Shostakovich's mighty Tenth symphony, but not before appreciating his lighter side. Expect quick quizzes, a lesser heard gem for the viola and a rather ambiguous Welsh sign-off. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 18 (Vaughan Williams' kaleidoscope of London) | 23 Apr 2022 | 00:30:05 | |
With Haz away, Jon takes a look at the signature sounds of Vaughan Williams, in particular in his 'London Symphony', which takes in all the sights and sounds of the city: from Big Ben to Bloomsbury Square, from drunken jigs to solemn marches. It's a work full of surprises. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 17 (Music to Bridge Cultures) | 02 Apr 2022 | 00:29:25 | |
At a time of so much conflict, Jon and Haz discuss their favourite cross-cultural musical projects and celebrate the power of music to connect. With music from the Silk Road Ensemble, reflections on the past by both Russian and Ukrainian composers (cue stares into the middle distance) and a brief turn from Sir Tom Jones. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 16 (The best of both worlds?) | 19 Feb 2022 | 00:34:24 | |
Do you prefer your apple crumble in a bowl with custard or deconstructed and reinvented like on Masterchef? Jon and Haz put a range of neo-classical and neo-baroque works to the 'crumble' test. Along the way, they consider why Schnittke is a slippery fish, what the collective noun for saxophones might be and consider the art of 'thinking in the box'. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 15 (January Light Music) | 22 Jan 2022 | 00:30:10 | |
Musical allergies and the Jazzical genre What are your musical allergies and pet peeves? Jon and Haz share theirs before quibbling over Gilbert and Sullivan. A brief introduction to the light classical genre follows, with examples of jazzical fusion. Will it be your cup of tea? Or, as the Germans say, your 'collar size'? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 10 (Summer Bangers) | 29 Jun 2024 | 00:28:57 | |
JJ and Haz suggest three categories of summer music to enjoy, 'bubble, deckchair and fiesta', before selecting 6 summer bangers to see the sun in. Includes hip jiggling, graffiti and casting issues in Carmen. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 14 (Christmas Cracker) | 18 Dec 2021 | 00:31:08 | |
In this Christmas Cracker, Jon and Haz ask some essential seasonal questions, including what are today's 'posh pantos', which music sounds Christmassy without even trying, and what their favourite new Christmas carols are. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 13 (Choral Comforts) | 27 Nov 2021 | 00:23:28 | |
In this cosy November edition of Upbeats, JJ and Haz discuss why choral music goes well with hot chocolate, the effect of conductor Harry Christophers' flowing locks, the music of Gjeilo (not J Lo), and the difference between female sopranos and boy trebles. The piece explored this time is Herbert Howells' 'A Spotless Rose', in time for the concert at St David's Hall by The Sixteen. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 12 (What's so 'pathétique' about Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony?) | 23 Oct 2021 | 00:30:10 | |
Jon and Haz ask some important questions about Tchaikovsky's final masterpiece, including the origins of the 'pathétique' moniker and why a Colorado conductor got the movements the wrong way round when he performed it. Is that waltz really as 'limping' as they say? How about the legend about the symphony being Tchaikovsky's 'suicide note'? And do you agree that his music is, as one critic put it, 'a veritable orgy of naked feelings?' www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 11 | 25 Sep 2021 | 00:42:10 | |
Welcome to a new season of Upbeats podcasts, with light-hearted conversations every month about orchestral pieces featured in the St David's Hall programme. This month Jon and Haz talk Sibelius: his 'large, well-shaped sound-receiver' ears, why certain passages make string players' backs ache, 'tapeworm' melodies and how his magnificent second symphony represents a struggle between life and death. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 10 (Music of the Sun) | 10 Jul 2021 | 00:40:09 | |
'In this last instalment of the season, JJ and Haz (despite a bout of Covid) pick a musical sunrise and sunset each, consider how you express light and shade in sound and look forward to the prospect, in the autumn, of doing podcasts while not in pyjamas.' www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 9 (Lockdown Lifters) | 05 Jun 2021 | 00:52:55 | |
JJ and Haz share six pieces that have helped them get through lockdown this past year, following three themes: music to help you grieve, music to aid reflection and music to give you hope. Which would your six pieces be? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 8 (Spring) | 08 May 2021 | 01:02:42 | |
Playlist available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0IujonLl2lB7bfPzz71U0Z?si=OY3AWmbuQwSXwg22frcOsg www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 7 (Can music be humorous?) | 03 Apr 2021 | 00:56:01 | |
Can Music be Humorous? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 6 (All things Welsh) | 06 Mar 2021 | 01:06:43 | |
All things Welsh and Beautiful Recorded just prior to St David's Day, Haz and JJ enjoy a heartening range of Welsh musical traditions, from Bryn Terfel hitting the high notes to delicate harps and ballads of forbidden love. Calan and Cool Cymru rub shoulders with Grace Williams and Mathias, then there's a survey of one of the ever-popular Sir Karl Jenkins. Hiraeth abounds throughout. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 5 (St Dwynwen/Valentine's Special) | 06 Feb 2021 | 01:01:19 | |
In this St Dwynwen/Valentine's Special, JJ and Haz celebrate music as the supreme language of love. Includes a Rachmaninoff-off, comparisons of the sexiest classical pieces and which wind players would have the best six-pack. The 'stave being braved' this time is the balcony scene from Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet'. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 9 (Braving Texture) | 08 Jun 2024 | 00:36:57 | |
In this final part to their survey of different musical elements, Jon and Haz imagine cartwheels in Bach, the weight of silence, whether John Dowland had any party hits, how Mariah Carey would sing Twinkle Twinkle and, rather disturbingly, what Jon would look like in a bikini www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 4 (Christmas Special) | 20 Dec 2020 | 01:05:14 | |
'The sweets left at the bottom of the box' In this bumper Christmas episode, JJ and Haz explore festive pieces that often get overlooked while reflecting on premature descants, Ukranian nationalism, an orchestral musician's essential kit and the perils of pizzicato. The stave to be braved this time is the ballet score to Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker', but expect the unexpected! www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 3 (It's not quite Christmas) | 05 Dec 2020 | 00:45:04 | |
The "It's definitely not Christmas yet" one. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 2 (Halloween Special) | 07 Nov 2020 | 00:28:49 | |
Upbeats goes to the dark side in a Halloween special In this second Upbeats episode, JJ and Haz ask what makes scary music scary, listen to diabolical instruments and marvel at the many versions of 'Night on a Bare Mountain.' And there's even a creepy viola joke! www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Episode 1 (Pilot) | 03 Oct 2020 | 00:38:17 | |
Upbeats Classical musings with JJ and Haz (Jonathan James and Angharad Smith). In this pilot episode, Jonathan James and Angharad Smith get to know each other, try unsuccessfully to avoid viola jokes and, with some trepidation, scale the modernist mountain that is Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Music of Flora and Fauna | 22 Aug 2020 | 00:23:34 | |
Jonathan is joined by conductor Jessica Cottis to discuss the ambitious vision of nature and humanity coming together in Mahler's third symphony, bringing this series of podcasts to a very grand close. Jessica, it turns out, is a real lover of nature and of butterflies in particular. For her this is one of the finest symphonies ever written. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Music of the Sun and Moon | 15 Aug 2020 | 00:17:00 | |
Jonathan James and photographer Molly Hollman chat about the deeply inspiring and romantic worlds of moonlight and sunrise in this week's podcast, comparing how they are treated in visual art and music and dipping into works by Field, Chopin, Debussy and Nielsen as they go. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Music and the Sea | 01 Aug 2020 | 00:18:58 | |
Music and the Sea www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Music and Storms | 25 Jul 2020 | 00:27:48 | |
Music and Storms www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Music and Birdsong | 18 Jul 2020 | 00:19:26 | |
Music and Birdsong In a lighthearted exploration to kick off the series of podcasts examining the connections between music and nature, Jonathan James captures the dawn chorus in his local park before reflecting on four ways composers have captured birdsong in their music, with reflections from Tony Whitehead, Communications Manager from the RSPB. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Birdsong: In conversation with Tony Whitehead | 18 Jul 2020 | 00:20:51 | |
In conversation with Tony Whitehead Tony has been with the RSPB for 31 years and is also a sound technician and curator of concerts that encourage people to listen differently. The perfect conversation partner, in other words, to explore how to listen to birds and appreciate their musicality, including the all-important question: do blackbirds improvise? www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Upbeats: Season 4, Episode 8 (Braving Harmony) | 27 Apr 2024 | 00:29:46 | |
Braving Harmony What has harmony got to do with colouring-in books, killing kittens and how to yearn for something unattainable? How can Rachmaninoff change the weather with a chord? JJ and Haz discuss their favourite harmonists, from early rule-breakers to Radiohead and folk artists. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Fauré's Élégie with Jonathan James | 25 May 2020 | 00:07:24 | |
Fauré's Élégie gives us one of his most memorable, singable melodies. But it offers so much more. Jonathan James explores why this short work packs such an emotional punch, using the version cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was due to play this summer in the hall. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Nicola Benedetti speaks about her cancelled concert with Aurora Orchestra | 22 Apr 2020 | 00:01:39 | |
A message to all patrons and staff at St David's Hall from Nicola Benedetti about her cancelled performance with the Aurora Orchestra due to the COVID19 pandemic. Nicola speaks about why she loves the Mendelssohn violin concerto that she would have performed at St David's Hall (Cardiff) on 18th May 2020. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| In conversation with Nick Collon (Aurora Orchestra Conductor) | 22 Apr 2020 | 00:13:22 | |
Jonathan James talks online to Nick Collon, conductor of the Aurora Orchestra, about their feats of memorisation and about the challenges of Beethoven's epic 'Eroica' symphony. Among other candid insights, Nick reflects on how we don't think twice about other artists memorising their parts - opera singers, for example - and how the Eroica should "hit you around the face', and not be allowed to "turn into sludge". www.artsactive.org.uk | |||
| Aurora Orchestra Podcast with Jonathan James | 22 Apr 2020 | 00:08:25 | |
Jonathan James talks about Beethoven's mighty 'Eroica' symphony, and in particular the challenges the Aurora Orchestra must have faced when they memorised the work's finale, where every instrument has an important voice. This is related to the concert that would have taken place at St David's Hall, Cardiff on the 18th May 2020 with the Aurora Orchestra. www.artsactive.org.uk | |||