So, Hear Me Out – the classical music podcast

What does pop owe to classical music? | So, Hear Me Out

In this episode, we find Beethoven in hip-hop and Chopin in pop.  We're diving into how modern music channels the classics, starting with Linton, who unpacks Nas’s hip-hop anthem ‘I Can’ and its iconic 'Für Elise' sample. And then Gillian traces the transformation of Chopin's Prelude No. 20 into Barry Manilow’s soaring pop sensation, 'Could It Be Magic?' Episode highlights: 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Pop music's classical roots 02:33 Personal musical journeys 05:10 Classical inspirations in Pop 06:21 Nas and Beethoven 19:24 Chopin's Influence on Barry Manilow’s ‘Could it be Magic?’ 33:27 Conclusion and final thoughts Featured music: Nas' I Can (2002) Barry Manilow's Could It Be Magic? (1971) Get in touch: 📩 Send your classical questions to ⁠podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk⁠ [podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk] Get updates on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/southbankcentre] Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@southbank.centre] ⁠Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter⁠ [https://secure.southbankcentre.co.uk/account/create/brief/?signup=2894&ReturnURL=https%3a%2f%2fwww.southbankcentre.co.uk%2fnewsletters-success-general%2f&_gl=1*1tbotev*_gcl_au*MTM3ODMyNjM2LjE3NjA3MjA3OTMuNTQwMjI1ODcxLjE3NjIzNTk4MzUuMTc2MjM1OTgzNg..*FPAU*MTU1MjY2NTMwMS4xNzU2MjE3OTI4*_ga*MTAyMDgzOTI5Ny4xNzA1MzE4NzQ5*_ga_0QVG9BX354*czE3NjI1MDgyNTAkbzEyJGcxJHQxNzYyNTMxMTI3JGozMiRsMCRoMTUyNzI1MDgyNg..*_fplc*c0I2UUNJTk5LTEh4ZGtGV3NtQ2hhalk0akpnSDBVTTc4U2E5djFXRzAxNWRoa1d5RkVBbk5wNiUyQmZPY1JkbWM1d05YNVJRN2JmYUZiTExCJTJCOUgwUGR3S2UwVUJSSFU4c0N3VGFXNHJqekxtQ2ozVGtsTWFQT2dRNU5XQ1NIQSUzRCUzRA..&queueittoken=e_myscqueue172~q_bc7693eb-2bbb-458a-9e5d-c4ad7aa569dd~ts_1762531312~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_ddb9bc907c9449b9c9417f07ef44eee7f4f6407df78aa6328527ed21b8c97a7b] for articles, video and audio And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts. Credits Produced by Connor Gani Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith Sound Mix by Solomon King A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre

Are film and game soundtracks proper classical music? | So, Hear Me Out

Using the examples of Mica Levi's score for the 2013 film 'Under the Skin' and the soundtrack from the video game 'Soulcalibur II', Gillian and Linton explore whether film soundtracks and video game scores should be considered true classical music.    Episode highlights: 00:00 Introduction 01:55 Debating the legitimacy of film and video game scores 06:16 Exploring Mica Levi's score for 'Under the Skin' 14:48 The genius of live Instruments and synthesised sounds 23:16 Healing Winds from Soulcaliber II 26:26 The evolution of game music 35:51 The role of orchestras in game music Featured music: Mica Levi's Under the Skin (2014) Junichi Nakatsuru, Yoshihito Yano, Asuka Sakai, Rio Hamamoto, Ryuichi Takada, and Junichi Takagi's Soulcalibur 2 (2002) Get in touch: 📩 Send your classical questions to ⁠podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk⁠ [podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk] Get updates on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/southbankcentre] Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@southbank.centre] ⁠Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter⁠ [https://secure.southbankcentre.co.uk/account/create/brief/?signup=2894&ReturnURL=https%3a%2f%2fwww.southbankcentre.co.uk%2fnewsletters-success-general%2f&_gl=1*1tbotev*_gcl_au*MTM3ODMyNjM2LjE3NjA3MjA3OTMuNTQwMjI1ODcxLjE3NjIzNTk4MzUuMTc2MjM1OTgzNg..*FPAU*MTU1MjY2NTMwMS4xNzU2MjE3OTI4*_ga*MTAyMDgzOTI5Ny4xNzA1MzE4NzQ5*_ga_0QVG9BX354*czE3NjI1MDgyNTAkbzEyJGcxJHQxNzYyNTMxMTI3JGozMiRsMCRoMTUyNzI1MDgyNg..*_fplc*c0I2UUNJTk5LTEh4ZGtGV3NtQ2hhalk0akpnSDBVTTc4U2E5djFXRzAxNWRoa1d5RkVBbk5wNiUyQmZPY1JkbWM1d05YNVJRN2JmYUZiTExCJTJCOUgwUGR3S2UwVUJSSFU4c0N3VGFXNHJqekxtQ2ozVGtsTWFQT2dRNU5XQ1NIQSUzRCUzRA..&queueittoken=e_myscqueue172~q_bc7693eb-2bbb-458a-9e5d-c4ad7aa569dd~ts_1762531312~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_ddb9bc907c9449b9c9417f07ef44eee7f4f6407df78aa6328527ed21b8c97a7b] for articles, video and audio And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts. Credits: Produced by Connor Gani Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith Sound Mix by Solomon King A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre

Can classical music make you happier? | So, Hear Me Out

We deep dive into why and how classical music is able to capture pure joy in sound, featuring joyful pieces by Felix Mendelssohn and Francesca Caccini. Gillian and Linton discuss the innovative and emotional power of Mendelssohn's Octet in E Flat, written by the composer when he was just 16, and the hypnotic, rhythmically alive Chaconne by Cini, one of the first women composers in Europe to earn a living from her music. In this episode: 00:00 Welcome to So Hear Me Out 00:59 Today's Big Question: Why Does Classical Music Make Us Happy? 01:19 Felix Mendelssohn: A Burst of Brilliance 02:15 Nile Rodgers and the Joy of Music 04:19 Mendelssohn's Musical Legacy 08:43 The Joyful Octet in E Flat 15:50 Mendelssohn's Signature Sound 18:54 Mozart's Early Masterpieces 19:42 Felix Mendelssohn's Emotional Journey 21:56 Discovering Francesca Cini 24:20 The Joy of Baroque Music 35:00 The Science of Joy in Music 38:44 Conclusion and Farewell Featured music: Felix Mendelssohn's Octet in E Flat Francesca Caccini’s Chaconne Get in touch: 📩 Send your classical questions to podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk [podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk] Get updates on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/southbankcentre] Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@southbank.centre] Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter [https://secure.southbankcentre.co.uk/account/create/brief/?signup=2894&ReturnURL=https%3a%2f%2fwww.southbankcentre.co.uk%2fnewsletters-success-general%2f&_gl=1*1tbotev*_gcl_au*MTM3ODMyNjM2LjE3NjA3MjA3OTMuNTQwMjI1ODcxLjE3NjIzNTk4MzUuMTc2MjM1OTgzNg..*FPAU*MTU1MjY2NTMwMS4xNzU2MjE3OTI4*_ga*MTAyMDgzOTI5Ny4xNzA1MzE4NzQ5*_ga_0QVG9BX354*czE3NjI1MDgyNTAkbzEyJGcxJHQxNzYyNTMxMTI3JGozMiRsMCRoMTUyNzI1MDgyNg..*_fplc*c0I2UUNJTk5LTEh4ZGtGV3NtQ2hhalk0akpnSDBVTTc4U2E5djFXRzAxNWRoa1d5RkVBbk5wNiUyQmZPY1JkbWM1d05YNVJRN2JmYUZiTExCJTJCOUgwUGR3S2UwVUJSSFU4c0N3VGFXNHJqekxtQ2ozVGtsTWFQT2dRNU5XQ1NIQSUzRCUzRA..&queueittoken=e_myscqueue172~q_bc7693eb-2bbb-458a-9e5d-c4ad7aa569dd~ts_1762531312~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_ddb9bc907c9449b9c9417f07ef44eee7f4f6407df78aa6328527ed21b8c97a7b] for articles, video and audio And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts. Credits Produced by Connor Gani Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith Sound Mix by Solomon King A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre

Can classical provide hope to the imprisoned? | So, Hear Me Out

Can music provide hope when freedom has been taken away? Ethel Smyth’s March of the Women rang out as a rallying cry for imprisoned suffragettes, its rhythms defiant and unifying.  Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, composed and first performed in a Nazi POW camp in 1941, fused faith, birdsong, and dazzling visions of colour into music that offered hope and transcendence to prisoners and guards alike. Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens explore how these works — and many others — testify to the resilience of creativity. Gillian also recalls her own encounters with music behind bars, where moments of song broke down walls both physical and emotional. Episode highlights 00:00 Welcome to So Hear Me Out 02:03 Exploring music's role in prisons 03:42 Personal experiences with music in prisons 08:33 Introducing Ethel Smyth's March of the Women 11:33 The impact and legacy of March of the Women 21:12 More notable music behind bars 22:38 The iconic title and its significance 23:14 Introduction to Olivier Messiaen 24:24 The Quartet for the End of Time: background and composition 24:57 A unique orchestration and instrumentation 27:55 Messiaen's religious and natural inspirations 29:14 The First Movement: Abyss of the Birds 32:27 Synesthesia and Messiaen's colorful music 39:27 The first performance in the prison camp 40:56 The emotional heart of The Quartet… 44:46 Music as emancipation and resistance 46:23 Closing thoughts and farewell Featured music: * Quartet for the End of Time (1941) Olivier Messiaen * March of the Women (1910) Ethel Smyth * * * *

Is classical music just one big remix? | So, Hear Me Out

Expect a whirlwind tour through Luciano Berio’s mashup masterpiece Sinfonia, complete with Mahler, Beckett, and a generous helping of 1960s political angst. Then it’s off to a galaxy far, far away to explore how Star Wars composer John Williams borrowed from the greats to create some of the most iconic music in film history (spoiler: Holst and Wagner would probably want royalties). In this episode of So Hear Me Out, your ever-curious hosts Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens dig into how classical music has been sampling, stealing from (sorry, paying homage to), and reinventing itself for centuries. This episode asks, is anything truly original? Do composers all have a secret sampling habit? And can reworking the past speak to the world today? In this episode: 08:51 Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia Movement No. 3 13:43 Analyzing Berio's Sinfonia 23:01 Intertextuality in music: Beckett, Mahler, and 1968 23:51 The radical politics of the 1960s in classical music 24:28 Breaking the fourth wall in music 25:28 A memorable performance at the Southbank Centre 26:25 John Williams and the Influence of classical music 29:22 The genius of John Williams: Star Wars and beyond 31:46 Iconic melodies and orchestration techniques 33:53 The familiar sound world of Star Wars 37:19 The influence of classical composers on John Williams 42:04 The brilliance of John Williams' scores 47:29 Remixing and reworking classical music 50:18 Closing thoughts and farewell Chapters: * 00:04 - Introduction * 05:35 - Historical context of remixing in classical music * 13:48 - Berio's influences: The Beatles, Beckett, Mahler, and 1968 * 23:19 - Berio’s Resurrection Symphony * 26:31 - The Influence of Classical Music on Modern Composers * 32:25 - The legacy of John Williams' film music * 39:54 - Exploring the classical homages in Star Wars * 46:18 - The Impact of John Williams' Music * 50:18 - Closing thoughts and farewell Featured music: * Sinfonia Movement No. 3 (1969) Luciano Berio * Star Wars (1977) John Williams Get in touch: * 📩 Send your classical questions to podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk * Get updates on Instagram @southbankcentre * Follow us on TikTok @southbank.centre * Subscribe to The Tonic newsletter for articles, video and audio * And don’t forget to subscribe, like and comment, wherever you get your podcasts.