Capital Public Radio: Conpod

In 1820, a little known composer and violinist named Nicolo Paganini published a collection of virtuoso solo pieces. One of them, the 24th Caprice, had an astonishing impact on the classical music world.

Whether King Arthurs is an historical figure or merely a legend, his story along with that of Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table has had a powerful impact on music.

It’s been called the City of Light and the City of Love. Given the number of composers who found inspiration there, it could just as easily be called the City of Music.

As important as they are, airplanes and automobiles have never loomed as large in classical music as have trains and railways. And what a variety of works they’ve inspired!

It’s usually lively, but can also be slow and tender. In fact the Gavotte has varied widely from place to place over the past 400 years.

The organ has been called the “king of instruments,” and when it’s used in an orchestral work, the challenge is to keep it from overpowering everything else—unless, of course, that’s the point.

"The Wedding March" by Wagner (AKA "Here Comes the Bride") may be the most famous tune connected with the marriage ceremony, but it’s only one of many classical works that celebrate the union of two people in holy (and sometimes unholy) matrimony.

A tour through the musical landscape of the American West, with music by Copland, Falwell, Grofé, Puccini and more.

Cervantes’ great comic novel, Don Quixote, has inspired works of instrumental and vocal music for more than 400 years, composed by the likes of Purcell, Telemann, Mendelssohn, de Falla, Strauss, Rodrigo and others.

Music mistakenly attributed to the wrong composer...and why.