Send us a textDescriptionFaraway Fantasies: Exoticism in Opera in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactWhen Carmen premiered, critics complained it was too scandalous and “vulgar” for the Paris stage. Yet the opera’s Spanish flair and exotic energy soon captivated Europe. Ironically, Bizet never visited Spain—the rhythms and melodies came from French collections of “Spanish” tunes. Authentic or not, it became a timeless hit.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️Support the show
--------
1:00
--------
1:00
Showtime with Strings Attached: The Romantic Concerto
Send us a textDescriptionShowtime with Strings Attached: The Romantic Concerto in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactFranz Liszt’s piano concertos were so demanding that critics sometimes accused him of showing off. He didn’t mind—he once said performing should “transport the listener.” Paganini caused similar uproar: audiences whispered he’d sold his soul to the devil to master the violin. Marketing hype, 19th-century style.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️Support the show
--------
1:00
--------
1:00
Bigger, Louder, Wilder: The Romantic Orchestra Arrives
Send us a textDescriptionBigger, Louder, Wilder: The Romantic Orchestra Arrives in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactWagner was so ambitious he built his own opera house in Bayreuth just to fit the expanded orchestra he envisioned. His pit design hid the musicians from the audience—so all you saw was drama on stage while an enormous, unseen orchestra unleashed waves of sound beneath.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️Support the show
--------
1:00
--------
1:00
Berlioz & the Program Symphony: When Music Told the Whole Story
Send us a textDescriptionBerlioz & the Program Symphony: When Music Told the Whole Story in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactBerlioz claimed Symphonie fantastique was inspired by his infatuation with Irish actress Harriet Smithson, whom he later married—briefly. She didn’t attend the premiere, but when she finally heard it, she was impressed… and a little alarmed. Courtship tip: maybe don’t include a beheading scene when wooing your future spouse.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️Support the show
--------
1:00
--------
1:00
Small Rooms, Big Genius: Mozart’s Chamber Music
Send us a textDescriptionSmall Rooms, Big Genius: Mozart’s Chamber Music in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactMozart’s Clarinet Quintet was written for his friend Anton Stadler, whose extended-range clarinet could play lower notes than normal. Mozart adored the instrument’s warm tone—so much so that he later wrote his famous Clarinet Concerto for Stadler. Friendship goals: writing one of the most beautiful pieces in the repertoire just for you.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.You can FOLLOW ME on Instagram. 👋Please Buy Me A Coffee 🤓☕️Support the show
Ever wonder who were the Florentine Camerata? Where did the conductor’s baton come from? Or the difference between Opera Buffa and Opera Seria? These little nuggets of classical music trivia are what this podcast is all about. Come hop around music history with me, Steven Hobé, as we take a minute to get the scoop!