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Soundcheck

Monday, October 13, 2008
  • wine guitar

    When Music Makes the Wine Flow Better

    The right bottle of wine makes a good meal even better. But to boost your opinion of the wine, you may want to turn on some Jimi Hendrix. Today we explore the link between music and the taste of Chardonnays and Merlots. Also: robots undertake one of the great curiosities of 20th-century music, "Ballet Mécanique." This is a repeat edition of Soundcheck.

Pop the Cork and Press Play

The style of music we listen to while having a glass of wine dramatically affects our opinion of how it tastes. Test subjects rated the change in taste by up to 60%. Researcher Adrian North of Heriot Watt University in Scotland, made the link between wine and song and he joins us today. Also joining us is Lettie Teague, the executive wine editor of Food & Wine magazine; she’s also the author of several books on wine including Educating Peter.

Our blog: John Schaefer on the days of wine and (Guns 'n') Roses

Music Recommendations (from Montes Premium Wines in Chile)

Cabernet Sauvignon: All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who)

Chardonnay: Atomic (Blondie), Rock DJ (Robbie Williams), What's Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner), Spinning Around (Kylie Minogue)

Syrah: Nessun Dorma (Puccini), Orinoco Flow (Enya), Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis), Canon (Johann Pachelbel)

Merlot: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding), Easy (Lionel Ritchie), Over The Rainbow (Eva Cassidy), Heartbeats (José González)

London Telegraph article on Adrian North's findings

Ballet Mecanique, Performed by... Robots

One of the great curiosities of 20th-century music is "Ballet Mécanique," a 25-minute percussion-and-piano extravaganza featuring 16 player pianos, electric bells, airplane propellers, an alarm clock and a siren, by Trenton-born composer George Antheil. The groundbreaking work is now being staged in a performance...by robots. Charles Amirkhanian, the music executor of Antheil's estate, and Eric Singer, the director of the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, join us with a preview.

League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots web site

The Swell Season in The Greene Space

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Joshua Bell in The Greene Space

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