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Classical Breakdown

WETA Classical

John Banther takes classical music fans behind the scenes with interviews, deep dives, and analysis. Episodes released bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Produced by WETA Classical in Washington, D.C.

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  • 23 episodes
  • Avg 44 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • January 6 · 57 min

    Giuseppe Verdi: A life of drama, censorship, and even farming!

    This composer wrote operas almost exclusively, and his 19th-century success and popularity are hard to grasp even today. John Banther and Linda Carducci explore his life, his upward rise, the tragedies, and how he provided the sound for Italy's "Risorgimento!"

  • Dec 23, 2025 · 52 min

    Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto, one of the most challenging works for violin!

    This concerto is one of the most daunting in the repertoire, and almost every big soloist aims to lay down their interpretation. But what makes this work so difficult? Is it the written music or is it something else? John Banther and Evan Keely show you what to listen for, how Sibelius does things differently, a moment from a masterclass, and what went wrong in the premiere.

  • Dec 16, 2025 · 28 min

    A performance of Emilie Mayer's Cello Sonata in D minor featuring Grace Mockus

    In the episode on Emilie Mayer's life and music, we briefly discussed her wonderful writing for cello, and we get to experience it firsthand in this bonus episode. Juilliard Graduate student, Grace Mockus, is working on publishing her critical edition of Emilie Mayer's Cello Sonata in D minor! After listening to this, you can find more performances of Grace Mockus on YouTube.

Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes