wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

On Demand

Program Schedule

Topics


Soundcheck

Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Previous Episode | Next Episode
  • Tenor Juan Diego Florez
    Juan Diego Flores (www.juandiegoflorez.com)

    Rossinian Romps and Tokyo Jazz

    As the opera world prepares for Luciano Pavarotti's retirement, fans are searching for the next legendary tenor. To some, anointed heir has been found: Juan Diego Florez. The 31-year-old Peruvian joins guest host Anthony DeCurtis to talk about what it’s like to be the new kid on the proverbial opera block, and about the parallels between Donizetti and soccer. We’re also joined by WNYC cultural producer Alicia Zuckerman, who recently spoke with stage director, Julie Taymor, who is perhaps best known for directing Broadway’s The Lion King. Her latest venture takes her down a different road, as the brains behind the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Rounding out the show, we visit with Grammy-nominated jazz piano phenom Brad Mehldau, whose latest album breaks down the walls separating Gershwin, Nick Drake, and Radiohead.

Additional Resources:
» Brad Mehldau’s Web site
» Alicia Zuckerman on Julie Taymor
» Juan Diego Florez’s Web site

audience

Soundcheck Smackdown: When Contemporary Met Classical

Soundcheck

Like vegetables stuck into a delicious meal, contemporary classical music is forced on concert audiences before they are allowed to enjoy their Brahms. So says humorist, critic and author Joe Queenan. Today, Queenan and John Berry, Artistic Director with English National Opera, join us for a Soundcheck Smackdown debate on the merits of contemporary music.

musical clouds

You Are What You Hear

Soundcheck

Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi takes us through some of the most famously botched song lyrics in rock history. We’ll explore why the words we make up are usually more interesting than the real version. Then, listeners confess their favorite and most embarrassing reinvented lyrics.

Leave a comment: Give us your favorite set of misheard lyrics! Were you disappointed when you learned the actual words?

Rosanne Cash and Mark O'Connor

Soundcheck

For her, he was a father. For him, he was a boyhood hero. For the nation, he was an icon. Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash and composer and violinist Mark O'Connor join us to talk about how Johnny Cash has inspired their musical collaboration. And they will play live.

Katy

Soundcheck's Summer Song Poll

Soundcheck

Every year, popular and critical opinion somehow converge to settle on a "summer song." In 2007, it was Rihanna's "Umbrella." The year before, it was "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. The practice stretches back to the very dawn of pop radio. Yet defining the essence of a "summer song" is a bit elusive. We enlist the help of Blender editor at large Lizzy Goodman -- and of our Soundcheck listeners, in an online poll.

Cast your vote: Soundcheck's Summer Song Poll 2008

Can't decide? Check out audio and video clips of the contestants here.

Our blog: John Schaefer asks what makes a good summer song,

  1. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention (08/25/2008)
  2. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from Denver (08/29/2008)
  3. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 4 (08/28/2008)
  4. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 3 (08/27/2008)
  5. The Brian Lehrer Show: Live from the Democratic National Convention: Day 2 (08/26/2008)
  6. The Leonard Lopate Show: 1-2-3 (08/26/2008)
  7. The Leonard Lopate Show: Layered Look (08/27/2008)