James Bennett II appears in the following:
Name That Tune (And Its Associated Ethnic Stereotype)
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
James Bennett II talks about the origins of the Neapolitan Tarantalla, the Italian stereotypes it signifies, and other pieces of music that are associated with certain ethnicities.
Five of Your Favorite Operas That People Used to Hate
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Whether it was hate or lack of interest, here are a handful of operas that dominate houses today, but which initially received a chilly reception.
National Cat Day: A ‘Cat’s Fugue’ for Your Feline Friend
Wednesday, August 08, 2018
Whether you’re celebrating International Cat Day or lazing about the house with your pet, here’s a piece to kick off a bonding session.
Every A+ Violin Needs an ‘F’: Why the Instrument Has Those Distinctive Sound Holes
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
Many string instruments have those distinctive f-holes, but how did they get that shape, and are they even necessary?
Meet Clayelle Dalferes… American Pitbull Terrier
Monday, August 06, 2018
Mt. Vernon Animal Shelter took in a dog rescued from a fire and named her after one of WQXR’s own animal-loving hosts.
Here’s A Close-Up Of Vocal Cords In Action, And It’s Not Weird At All
Monday, August 06, 2018
The vast majority of us have vocal chords, so we kind of owe it to ourselves to see them at work at least once, right?
This Acrobat Brings ‘Clair de Lune’ to Life
Thursday, August 02, 2018
Yoann Bourgeois’ delicate dance adds new depth to the Debussy classic.
The ‘Dog Concerto’ Proves the Internet Still Has Some Good Left in It
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
A video of a dog with an unnaturally high wail made his way around the Internet, and it was only a matter of time before someone gave it the musical treatment.
That Italian Song You Know But Can’t Quite Identify? We Name That Tune.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
It’s been used as musical shorthand for all things Italy in countless commercials and television shows. But what’s that song actually called? How did it become a stereotype?
This Composer is Writing Music in Real Time, and We Can’t Look Away
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Nejc Kuhar decided to take a different route when sharing one of his compositions — he shot a video of himself writing the score in time with the music.
Beautiful Music in Gorgeous Places: Six Music Videos that Will Stand in For Your Next Summer Escape
Friday, July 27, 2018
Upcoming camping trip fall through? Struggling to get through work as summer beckons from your window? No worries; make a vicarious escape to the outdoors with these gorgeous videos.
Penguins Like Lots of Things, but Opera is Not One of Them
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Note: Don’t show up on a penguin colony’s doorstep and try to wow them with your vocal skills.
Super Empathetic? It May Affect How You Listen to Music.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
An SMU and UCLA study suggests there’s a strong correlation between how we experience music and how we empathize with those around us.
A Trombonist Got a Job with the Munich Philharmonic. Then She Fought Them in Court for 13 Years.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Blind auditions increase the likelihood that a female musician will be hired by 30%. But fair treatment isn’t always a given.
Watching Heifetz’s Fingers in Slow Motion Makes You Realize How Good He Really Was
Thursday, July 19, 2018
The slow-motion footage was shot during a performance of Wieniawski’s Scherzo Tarantelle … and still looks pretty fast.
Reconstructed: This is the First-Ever Orchestration of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures” might be the most famous, but Mikhail Tushmalov did it first, more than 30 years earlier.
World Cup 2018 Finals, France v. Croatia: Classical Edition
Friday, July 13, 2018
No matter who you’re rooting for on Sunday, we’ve got a short playlist that will capture the drama.
Here’s a Peek Inside an ‘Incredibles 2’ Scoring Session
Friday, July 13, 2018
The Incredibles movies are nothing without their nostalgia-tinted big band scores. Take a look behind the magic with this footage from an Incredibles 2 scoring session.
Bernstein and a Trumpeter Get Just a Little Tense in Rehearsal
Thursday, July 12, 2018
The conductor and a musician don’t see eye-to-eye in this rehearsal of Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.”
Having a Hard Time Understanding Rhythm? These Circles Might Help.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Musicologist and double bassist John Varney has a new way of visualizing rhythm.
