Explore the Symphony – Details, episodes & analysis

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Explore the Symphony

Canada's National Arts Centre

Music

Frequency: 1 episode/70d. Total Eps: 71

A classical music podcast. Join the National Arts Centre Orchestra's Marjolaine Fournier and one Canada's foremost music journalists, Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer, as they explore the symphonic form from Haydn to Shostakovich.

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🇨🇦 Canada - musicHistory
20/08/2026
#75
🇨🇦 Canada - musicHistory
19/08/2026
#63
🇨🇦 Canada - musicHistory
18/08/2026
#57
🇨🇦 Canada - musicHistory
17/08/2026
#38

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky
2 shares
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann
2 shares

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Score global : 49%

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Carl Nielsen’s De fire Temperamenter

Saturday, March 7, 2020 • Duration 51:11

Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier study The Four Temperaments, the second symphony by Carl Nielsen. The hosts find this Danish composer a little enigmatic and difficult to reach. They explore the world around him at the time of this composition, and talk about his music in that context. Find out how he lived his life, allowed his wife to pursue a career, and gave orchestral musicians a little something to talk about.

Music Excerpts:

NIELSON Symphony No. 2 The Four Temperaments II. Allegro comodo e flammatico

Danish National Radio Symphony

Nielsen: Commotio, Op. 58, FS 155

Organ Recital: John, Keith

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Mozart and Religion

Wednesday, January 22, 2020 • Duration 57:15

Marjolaine Fournier and Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer discuss the role of religion in Mozart’s life and music. This in depth conversation focuses on Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and its beautiful celebration of universality that lead the way towards 18th-century romanticism.

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Anton Bruckner’s eighth symphony with the TSO

Friday, April 13, 2018 • Duration 40:06

Bruckner scholars seem to focus on psychoanalysis rather than closing their eyes and listening to the music. To listen to Anton Bruckner’s eighth symphony is to listen to the summit of his music. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs this work with conductor Peter Oundjian on May 7, 2018. Listen to Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about Bruckner’s eighth symphony.

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Kaija Saariaho, Violin Concerto Graal théâtre

Thursday, March 22, 2018 • Duration 56:52

Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about Saariaho’s violin concerto which was featured as part of the 2017 Ideas of North festival produced by the NAC Orchestra. Saariaho is seen as a wonderful and intriguing contemporary composer who will stand the test of time, with master works into the turn of the century.

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Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade

Friday, February 16, 2018 • Duration 51:22

This work opens many doors to wonderful and exciting musical study. It is a fine example of Orientalism and our perception of “the other”. Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about who Rimsky-Korsakov was, his 19th-century influences from Mendelssohn to Wagner, and his contributions to the music of the 20th century.

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Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor Op 77

Saturday, December 23, 2017 • Duration 01:14:48

Your hosts Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77, which will be performed by Guy Braunstein with the NAC Orchestra in January 2018. This work in four movements is technically and emotionally challenging for the soloist. It’s been termed “probing” and “sarcastic” – which may be why it spent time on the shelf after being completed in 1947-48, before seeing the light of day after Stalin’s death in 1953.

Jean-Jacques and Marjolaine also talk about Shostakovich’s second piano concerto, which appears in the NAC Orchestra program in March 2018 and sees Russia-born Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg at the keyboard. This work was born after Stalin’s death, and was written for the composer’s 19-year-old son, Maxim, a detail that upholds what some have said was the youthful character of the final movement.

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Sibelius’ Symphonic Poems

Friday, October 27, 2017 • Duration 57:52

Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier present part two of their 2017-2018 podcasts on Sibelius. In this episode, hear them trace the trajectory of Sibelius’ six symphonic poems, all performed by the NAC Orchestra during the 2017 Ideas of North festival. Composed between 1896 and 1927, they delineate the “itinerary of Sibelius, the young composer who wanted to express Finnish worlds.” Drawing from the myths of Northern countries, he “moved from the creation of the world [with the first symphonic poem] to the end of his musical writing.”

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Jean Sibelius' First Symphony

Friday, September 29, 2017 • Duration 01:00:26

Jean Sibelius , born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.

Sibelius started work on his Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39, in 1898 and completed it in early 1899, when he was 33. The work was first performed on 26 April 1899 by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer, in an original, well received version which has not survived. After the premiere, Sibelius made some revisions, resulting in the version performed today. The revision was completed in the spring and summer of 1900, and was first performed in Berlin by the Helsinki Philharmonic, conducted by Robert Kajanus on 18 July 1900. The symphony begins with a highly original, rather forlorn clarinet solo backed by subdued timpani.

- Wikipedia

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Harry Somers - Louis Riel

Friday, June 2, 2017 • Duration 49:50

The story of the polarizing Métis leader and Canada’s westward expansion is told in this landmark work. Composed by Harry Somers for our nation’s centennial in 1967, this uniquely Canadian contribution to the opera world is returning on the work’s 50th anniversary, and will help mark the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation.

The National Arts Centre has joined with the Canadian Opera Company to proudly present this new production of Louis Riel.

Music by Harry Somers

Libretto by Mavor Moore with the collaboration of Jacques Languirand

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Sibelius' Majestic 2nd and 6th Symphonies

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 • Duration 49:43

Jean Sibelius, born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius (8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957), was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.

- Wikipedia

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Explore the Symphony – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Explore the Symphony – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Wikipedia23

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Wikipedia23

Apple Podcasts

Other10

Spotify