Is classical music just one big remix?

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So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast

Southbank Centre

7 episodes

4 days ago

So, Hear Me Out is a brand new podcast from London’s Southbank Centre, exploring the big questions around classical music — and why it still matters today. Join hosts Linton Stephens (musician, broadcaster and Deputy Artistic Director of Chineke! Orchestra) and Gillian Moore (writer, broadcaster and Artistic Associate at Southbank Centre) as they challenge assumptions, unpick controversies, and share fresh ways of listening to the music you thought you knew. Each episode starts with a question — from “can classical music be laugh-out-loud funny?” to “is it okay to borrow instruments and styles from other cultures?” — and opens the door to two hand-picked pieces of music. Some you’ll recognise instantly, others might be brand new to you, but all will spark new perspectives. Expect surprising connections, plenty of feeling (not just theory), the occasional detour to Gillian’s piano, and a warm invitation into the classical world — no PhD required.

Music Commentary

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Music Commentary

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Is classical music just one big remix? | So, Hear Me Out

So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast

50 minutes 58 seconds

1 week ago

Is classical music just one big remix? | So, Hear Me Out

Expect a whirlwind tour through Luciano Berio’s mashup masterpiece Sinfonia, complete with Mahler, Beckett, and a generous helping of 1960s political angst.

Then it’s off to a galaxy far, far away to explore how Star Wars composer John Williams borrowed from the greats to create some of the most iconic music in film history (spoiler: Holst and Wagner would probably want royalties).

In this episode of So Hear Me Out, your ever-curious hosts Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens dig into how classical music has been sampling, stealing from (sorry, paying homage to), and reinventing itself for centuries.

This episode asks, is anything truly original? Do composers all have a secret sampling habit? And can reworking the past speak to the world today?

In this episode:

08:51 Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia Movement No. 3

13:43 Analyzing Berio's Sinfonia

23:01 Intertextuality in music: Beckett, Mahler, and 1968

23:51 The radical politics of the 1960s in classical music

24:28 Breaking the fourth wall in music

25:28 A memorable performance at the Southbank Centre

26:25 John Williams and the Influence of classical music

29:22 The genius of John Williams: Star Wars and beyond

31:46 Iconic melodies and orchestration techniques

33:53 The familiar sound world of Star Wars

37:19 The influence of classical composers on John Williams

42:04 The brilliance of John Williams' scores

47:29 Remixing and reworking classical music

50:18 Closing thoughts and farewell

Chapters:

00:04 - Introduction

05:35 - Historical context of remixing in classical music

13:48 - Berio's influences: The Beatles, Beckett, Mahler, and 1968

23:19 - Berio’s Resurrection Symphony

26:31 - The Influence of Classical Music on Modern Composers

32:25 - The legacy of John Williams' film music

39:54 - Exploring the classical homages in Star Wars

46:18 - The Impact of John Williams' Music
50:18 - Closing thoughts and farewell

Featured music:

Sinfonia Movement No. 3 (1969) Luciano Berio
Star Wars (1977) John Williams

Get in touch:

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