CACOPHONY: GREAT CLASSICAL MUSIC

In the dramatic final part of our drug-fuelled adventure with composer Hector Berlioz, the dreams turn to nightmare visions of murder, execution, witches and demons. It's loud, exciting, brilliant and I love it. Listening time: 21 mins (into 6'; music 15') Music for part 3 on youtube with pictures (18 mins), or Spotify. or the whole Fantastic Symphony: youtube or Spotify. Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate/review, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening

Composer Hector Berlioz's love-struck young artist - in his drug induced dreams - escapes to the country. In the peaceful atmosphere he dreams of love and happiness - but can it last? Listening time: 22 mins (into 4'; music 18') Music on youtube with pictures (18 mins), or Spotify. Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

Driven to distraction and to drugs by a woman he'd never even spoken to, Hector Berlioz was consumed with passion. His obsession and fevered mind produced the unique, Symphony Fantastique. It's brilliant, dramatic, original and gets three episodes of Cacophony! Listening time: 31 mins (into 9.5'; music 21') Music on youtube with pictures (first 22mins), or Spotify. Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

This is a rarity on two counts - it's a really good French symphony from the 1800s, and it's written by a woman! The brilliant, Symphony No.3 by Louise Farrenc. Listen [and watch] on youtube or Spotify Listening time 43mins (7 'intro, 36' music) I don't really like using old pictures of composers, but when we're playing music by women, who are entirely new to us and aren't just another dead white guy (with or without a wig) it seems appropriate! Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

Some music conjures up a sense of place perfectly and no one has done it better then Benjamin Britten's depiction of the Suffolk coast of England. Bleak, angry, foreboding and special - this is Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes. Music here on youtube or Spotify Listening time: 23 mins [Intro podcast 7', Music 16'] Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

It's great to be able to escape from modern life's concerns. Dvorak's sixth symphony is full of good tunes, and a spirit of generosity and optimism. Also a bit of Nationalism... but in a good way. So forget about everything else for a bit and bask in Dvorak's warmth and positivity. Listening time =24 mins (Intro 5' plus second half of symphony 18') Music here (2nd half of symphony only) on Youtube (sound only) or Spotify or the whole piece of music here on Youtube or Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

It's great to be able to escape from life's concerns. Dvorak's sixth symphony is full of good tunes, and a spirit of generosity and optimism. So forget about everything else for a bit and bask in Dvorak's warmth and positivity! Listening time =35 mins (Intro 7' plus first half of symphony 28') Music here on Youtube (sound only) or Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

They say you never forget your first loves and one of mine was Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff - it's immediate and high impact. Even before I was properly into music I was into this... and you will be too! There's really nothing like the sound of a huge choir and orchestra: it's awesome stuff! Music here on youtube - we're listening to the first 27 minutes - but the whole thing is here if you get swept along. Please do! And on Spotify Listening time: 35mins [Intro podcast 8', Music 27'] Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

This is a journey of discovery for me, exploring some musical detective work and blatant speculation with Songs from the 12/13th Century Carmina Burana - drinking, love and wickedness and all hugely entertaining! New music to me and lots to enjoy. Music on Youtube or Spotify Listening time: 26mins [Intro podcast 5', Music 21'] Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

Visionary, mystic, theologian, scientist, naturalist, medic, nun and more: Hildegard of Bingen, born in 1098, is also one of the very first known composers - and savvy enough to preserve her legacy! Her life was extraordinary in any era and her music is timeless, moving and special. Listening time = 17mins (intro 7', music 10') This episode's music here on Youtube or here on Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

300 years ago JS Bach was writing music at the cutting edge - with the newest instruments and freshest ideas. My friend, conductor and TV presenter, Jason Lai says Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 is an 'unbelievable box of delights' and he's got much more to say too in our conversation about this conversational music, that's both moving and full of life. Listening time = 34mins (intro conversation 14', music 20') Music here, in the live performance we speak about: https://youtu.be/LHjbRMIIhuM or on Spotify Find out more about the guest, my friend, conductor, presenter and coach, Jason Lai. Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

I love the final September burst of summer and this piece - Samuel Barber's Summer Music - is the perfect accompaniment. Languid, hazy and slightly wistful. Music here on Youtube or Spotify. Listening time c16 mins (Intro podcast 4', music 12') Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

My daughter's bed time reading inspires a brief trip to the opera, for some great singing - high drama and high silliness from Mozart's Magic Flute. Listening time = 14 mins (5' podcast, 9' music) Music here, with pictures, from a recent production from London's Royal Opera House. Or here with just music on Spotify Please comment on Facebook or at Cacophonyonline.com Rate, share and subscribe to the podcast Thanks for listening!

One of my very favourite things, Sibelius takes us on an all-encompassing journey from the musical spring to the wide open ocean: it's organic, generous, inevitable and uplifting. Total listen: 35 mins (Intro podcast 7', great music 28') Music here on Youtube, or Spotify Please rate, comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please share and subscribe!

Fully of exuberance and swagger, Roman Carnival is great music from Berlioz, the man who wrote the book on how to write for orchestra in glorious technicolour. Total listen time: c14mins (5 mins intro plus 8/9' music) The music: Live concert performance with video here on Youtube Or music only on Spotify Please rate, comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please subscribe to the podcast and share it too!

George Gershwin spent two hectic weeks on holiday in Cuba and returned with a case full of percussion instruments, latin spirit and musical inspiration. The resulting Cuban Overture became an instant hit. Total listening time c14 mins (3'30" podcast, 10' music) The music: There’s a fab concert performance on Youtube, with the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra - one of Venezuela's top youth orchestras, playing with great style - check out the easy enjoyment of the percussionists. Youth Orchestras and classical music are a big deal in Venezuela, using music as a vehicle for social change in disadvantaged communities, thanks to a system (actually called The System - El Sistema) which has now been copied across the world. My Spotify recommendation is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by AndrewLitton The 1930s Cuban hit, Echale salsita by Septeto Naconal De Ignacio Pineiro is on youtube too. Please comment at www.cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please subscribe to the podcast and share it too! https://youtu.be/kYr17m7mnM8

Erich Korngold was one of the composers who invented the sound of Hollywood - and his music for The Sea Hawk (a 1940 Erol Flynn swashbuckler) is passionate, exhilarating and hugely influences our very ideas of what film music should sound like. Total listen time 36mins [podcast plus music] I talk about all this with my pal, Lev Parikian. Music here: Though the "overture" gets played in concerts, it doesn't really exist as a thing that gets recorded! Mostly people record a suite - giving you more of Korngold's great music... So here are my recommendations: I've selected my favourite bits (all the stuff Lev and I talked about) on Spotify: Top conductor Vladimir Jurowski has made a suite of his favourite bits and it's here on Youtube: complete with clips from the film and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. Please comment at www.cacophonyonline.com or the Cacophony Facebook page. Please subscribe to the podcast and share it too!

Hear more. Feel more. Be... more! Cacophony brings you great music you may or may not know, but we think you'll love. If you've not heard any Cacophony, start with The Trailer! ...and then pick an episode and dive right in! Visit: www.cacophonyonline.com and let me know what you think, or use the Facebook page or Twitter @steve_cacophony Please share the trailer and your favourite episodes! Trailer music from: Richard Strauss's opera: Elektra, Felix Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture, Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances

Vanessa's been humming a bit of Nutcracker, so I thought we should hear how it's meant to go - and there's so much great music to delight and enjoy. And it turns out she knows the storyline better than I did! Music here with pictures or here on Spotify Please rate and share the podcast Please leave a comment on the website or Facebook www.cacophonyonline.com

Fans of Rachmaninov describe his music as lush, passionate, romantic. They're right! His Cello Sonata is a terrific piece, and I love it much more than his famous piano concertos. Music here. or here on Spotify Please rate the podcast at apple podcasts or your provider Please leave a comment at cacophonyonline.com, on Facebook or Twitter [@steve_cacophony] Visit cacophonyonline.com

Maurice Ravel wanted his Piano Concerto to be lighthearted and brilliant, and not aim at profundity or at dramatic effects... and then wrote one of the most beautiful slow movements there is! Listen here or on Spotify Please rate the podcast at: Apple podcasts Please comment at cacophonyonline.com or the Facebook page Please share and visit www.cacophonyonline.com

One of the great pieces of music for children, Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. Vanessa [7] loved this and is demanding repeat hearings, and I'm embarrassed at having resisted it so long... Music here: https://youtu.be/6Kpytem6nX4 or on spotify: https://spoti.fi/2ZrjlPu Listening time 31' total - but won't feel long at all! Please comment, share, subscribe visit cacophonyonline.com

When the organisers of the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889 invited gamelan players from Indonesia they introduced French composers to a whole world of new and exciting possibilities and a new direction in music. Debussy led the way and his piano pieces Pagodas and Gardens in the rain are fabulous pieces of aural picture painting. No separate music on this episode - it's in the podcast, played by François-Joël Thiollier, piano. The gamelan music is Ladrang Wilujeng, slendro manyura specially recorded for Cacophony by Southbank Gamelan Players, with thanks to Southbank Centre. Please comment, share and subscribe to the podcast. Visit cacophonyonline.com

If there's such a thing as an underrated Beethoven Symphony, it's this - his 8th. Short, punchy, joy-filled, playful, brilliant! This is the intro to the 2nd half of the piece. Total listen time - 15 mins Music here: https://youtu.be/9-f3iKeUJm4?t=777 or on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/31exMZA [tracks 3 & 4] Please like, comment, share and subscribe! Visit cacophonyonline.com

If there's such a thing as an underrated Beethoven Symphony, it's this - his 8th. Short, punchy, joy-filled, playful, brilliant! Music here: https://youtu.be/9-f3iKeUJm4 or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/31exMZA Please comment, like, share, subscribe to the podcast. Visit cacophonyonline.com

Fabulous and fun singing from Rossini's Barber of Seville in honour of my first haircut in the hands of a 7 year old (and in tribute to my friends growing magnificent lockdown beards)! Music here, with pictures: https://youtu.be/-ipb9xbXSAY or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2zKSnJH Please like, share, comment, subscribe to the podcast Visit cacophonyonline.com

There are some pieces of music that everyone knows - Wagner's Wedding March is one - and then it turns out to be quite different in its original setting. Music here: https://youtu.be/_7Su2qPT_P0 or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2YF3agY Please comment, like, share, subscribe to the podcast visit cacophonyonline.com

I love this movement from Mozart's 5th - and last - violin concerto, written to play himself, at the age of 19. It's elegant and sophisticated and then wild and free. It's a great piece for a dance around your living room! Music here: https://youtu.be/KtkkD9maPSw?t=5960 Please listen, like, comment and share! Subscribe to the podcast and visit cacophonyonline.com

I'm inspired to play this by the video game TrollFace Quest! ...where a little snippet of fanfare reminds me of Mahler's brilliant first symphony. Intro here, Music here: https://youtu.be/gexnIbK-pJA or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2B5H3Ij Please comment on Facebook.com/cacophonyonline, subscribe to the podcast, share Visit cacophonyonline.com

In music that was ground breaking and influential - especially to modern film composers - Gustav Holst takes us on a spectacular, mischievous and mysterious journey to Uranus and Neptune and asks the question what else is out there... Music here: https://bit.ly/2XPaIi7 or here on Spotify:https://spoti.fi/3cJF35O Please comment at Facebook.com/cacophonyonline, share, subscribe to the podcast Visit cacophonyonline.com

Modern yet timeless, Dynamic yet static, Hypnotic yet energising The brilliant combination of tuned percussion instruments and the genius of Steve Reich in his Mallet Quartet Music here: https://youtu.be/uH9ku-52PUA or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3eZJ4o4 Please like and comment on Facebook.com/cacophonyonline; subscribe to the podcast visit cacophony online.com

Simple pleasures in this episode: One of the most famous pieces of 'early' classical music is Pachelbel's Canon, here in two great versions including one for rubber chicken... Enjoy! Music here: https://youtu.be/CsXLv__jLok and here - a must watch: https://youtu.be/khOfSVULtsU, Courtesy of Twosetviolin Please comment, like, share, subscribe Visit cacophonyonline.com

No haunted house would be complete without the soundtrack of organ music, right? The supreme example is Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, but the films and TV only ever give us 10 seconds... ...crank up the volume so the floor trembles and don't get so scared you have to hide behind the sofa. Music here: https://youtu.be/Nnuq9PXbywA or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3ePncvI Listen, like, comment, share and subscribe! cacophonyonline.com

The film may not have aged well but William Walton's music for Shakespeare's Henry V is a fresh as ever and some of it was written in the 1400s! Music here :https://youtu.be/RI6ChQJSCJI Or here on Spotify: to follow Total listening time 20 mins Please like, comment, share Cacophonyonline.com

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a black mixed race Victorian/Edwardian Londoner. I've not heard his great music for Othello for 30 years, but have now found a brand new concert performance by the fab orchestra, Chineke! Music here: https://youtu.be/84HZ_fEwD9s [First 17mins of the video. Music plus intro podcast is 23 mins] Please like, share, comment at Facebook.com/cacophonyonline Subscribe to the podcast visit cacophony online.com

...Not for Vivaldi His summer is all oppressive heat, flies and sudden storms; brilliantly realised in music that's short, intense and too hot to handle. Music here: https://youtu.be/ZFDrumsjJMk?t=2128 (ending at 46'20" - it's a performance of the complete Four Seasons) or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2zGclFH Please like and share or comment on facebook.com/cacophonyonline/ Subscribe to the podcast. Visit www.cacophonyonline.com

This is perhaps great classical music at its purest - intense, dramatic, invigorating, uplifting - Brahms 'Tragic Overture' Music here: https://bit.ly/2TRBq74 or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3gCT0pq [17 mins intro and music] Please like on Facebook, comment, share! visit cacophony online.com

There's a big party at the palace for the prince and you're invited. So is Cinderella, but she's got a curfew... ...with terrific music from Prokofiev. Music here: https://youtu.be/Xs2Ffdt7e_c Music and intro = 31mins Give us a Facebook like, comment, share. Subscribe to the podcast Visit cacophonyonline.com

Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain is an entirely different piece without the tidying up of his friends - raw, savage, gripping. Make sure you've listened to Episode 28 before this one (https://bit.ly/cil28) Music here: https://youtu.be/tu1no7hOlSs and here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2ZlUiPv Comment to let me know which version you prefer, like, share and please subscribe! cacophonyonline.com

Get swept away on magical adventures, and let Rimsky-Korsakov fire up your imagination with this music from Sheherezade - thrilling and uplifting! Music here: https://youtu.be/sATNiVGgwts and here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2ycsu4K Please listen, like, share! Visit cacophonyonline.com

Give yourself a fright with a witches party on Bald Mountain! Scary stuff: Music here: https://youtu.be/52iOdAVU4C8 or here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Tenwfk Please listen, like, share subscribe on iTunes or your favourite podcast provider! Visit cacophonyonline.com

Hard to play, a lot of fun, a huge noise! John Adams sums up his own music nicely and this is a modern great to leave you uplifted and exhausted. Music here: https://youtu.be/5LoUm_r7It8 and here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Z04UmY Like, share, comment and subscribe Visit cacophonyonline.com

This is punchy music that still swings and sings and sends an energising message of optimism and generosity of spirit... though the composers claims would have been more modest. Music here: https://youtu.be/LXgeRS4i4ME And here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2T1WWWy Please like, share, subscribe, comment Visit cacophonyonline.com

I love the fun and exuberance of this movement from Beethoven's 'first' Piano Concerto. For Beethoven, playing the piano at the first performance would have been the least of his worries. Music here: https://youtu.be/BF7pmimzjBs?t=1580. 3rd Movement starts at 26'20" but the whole thing is fab if you have the time. and here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dInLXN Please listen, like, comment, share and subscribe! visit cacophony online.com

This is a personal discovery for me. The slow movement of this piano sonata by Schubert is so simple, beautiful and moving, I want to share it with everyone. The music's included in the podcast for this one, so don't turn off before it plays! The pianist is Jeno Jando. Please listen, comment, like, share, subscribe. Visit cacophony online.com

This great piece is slightly schizophrenic - is it a serious piece of music over-run by people having fun, or a fun piece that's occasionally trying to be serious? Ligeti was showing his love for Romania, but the Soviet Hungarians weren't impressed.... Music here: https://youtu.be/Y3Q1t9wMgms and on Spotify here: https://spoti.fi/2La29Hr Please listen, like, comment, share and subscribe to the podcast! visit www.cacophonyonline.com

The Soviet authorities banned the last of Ligeti's excellent and entertaining Six Bagatelles for wind quintet - too dangerous and subversive. Were they right? Music here on film - highly recommended: https://youtu.be/txMWXvD8kL4 and here: https://spoti.fi/2WxMx5R Total listen time 17' Please listen, like, comment, share, subscribe Visit cacophony online.com

The composer Handel knew what the people wanted - and it was normally more Handel. Here’s a piece written to go in the interval of a Handel show! Emotional, passionate, invigorating. Music here: https://youtu.be/htDf0bpFIys And here: https://spoti.fi/3fwQkt1 Total listen time 20' Please listen, like, comment, share, subscribe Visit cacophony online.com

I was going to play something quiet... and then came across this Handel's Fireworks Music. It's brilliant - these performances are raw, raucous and exuberant and it's more fun than this great piece has ever been. Music here with pictures (recommended!): https://youtu.be/fNqJ8mED1VE or (noise only) here: https://spoti.fi/2YmPokG Total listen time 20' Please listen, like, comment, share, subscribe Visit cacophony online.com

This actually might be the best thing ever: the end of Beethoven's 7th Symphony. Intro in the pod, music here: https://youtu.be/ikb-2XRcQdk here on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/35tS4OP or here, with pictures: https://youtu.be/-4788Tmz9Zo, 4th movement starting at 34'00 It's a piece so full of relentless energy it almost belongs in a nightclub. You'll either be bouncing around or feel pinned to the spot! 13' total time for intro and music. Please comment, like, share, subscribe to the podcast Visit cacophony online.com