Joanna Lumley and her husband Stephen Barlow invite you into their home for a fascinating, funny journey into their shared love of music. You probably know Joanna Lumley, but you may not be aware that her husband Stephen Barlow is a famed conductor, composer and musician - and the pair of them are passionate about classical music. On this, their new podcast, the pair welcome you into their home for a personal, fascinating and funny journey through a musical world. Joanna is the enthusiastic ...
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This week Joanna and Stephen are joined by a very special guest, Stephen's personal piano tuner, David Widdicombe. From concert grands, upright 'domestics' and honkytonks, David has tuned them all. Having worked with the world's most prestigious piano maker, Steinway, for 3 decades David tells us about his life working alongside the world's most gi…
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The Bohemians: Martinů & Janáček
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This week we’re diving into two bohemian heroes of classical music, Bohuslav Martinů and Leoš Janáček. Stephen remembers encountering the music of Martinů at Cambridge, and being confronted by the "pure simple joy" of it. From the lyricism of Martinů, we work back towards Janáček – another gifted Czech composer – and get to grips with the fairy-tal…
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Women Composers, the "Ol' 55" and the wonders of 'The Trout'
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Which note could the Maestro not live without? Where are all the female composers? And is there a better quintet going than Franz Schubert's Trout? In this mini episode Joanna puts your questions to the Maestro.
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This episode is all about the written language of music, the 'hieroglyphs' or 'blobs on the stave'. Stephen and Joanna discuss the connection between reading music and words, elaborating on symbols, sounds, expression, speed and time signature. Stephen tests the boundaries of Joanna's musical literacy with a test and Wagner offers a 'moderate' inte…
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Earworms, Engravers and Glastonbury
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Which earworm keeps the Stephen from his bedtime reading? What's stopping Joanna from going to Glastonbury? Is the Maestro being clear enough for his engraver? In this mini episode Joanna and Stephen dive into the email inbox once again...
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In today's episode, Stephen and Joanna pour over some of the most passionate music ever performed and conceived - the violin concerto. They explore the mechanics of violin playing, discuss their favourite virtuoso fiddlers and also explore major works by Elgar, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Sibelius.
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Mongolian Throat Singing & The Love For Three Oranges
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In this mini episode, Joanna and Stephen explore the most pressing questions. What is the Maestro's preferred sobriquet? Music that sounds like it's from a different dimension, and how one should conduct music for the love of three oranges?
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Is it a faun? Is it moonlight? Yes, it's Claude Debussy! Over the next 30 minutes, Joanna and Stephen discuss the musical development of French impressionism. We see how three composers, Debussy, Ravel and Boulez, summoned images through sound and set the imagination free.
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Colours, Moods, Shoes and trouble with Transposition
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In this mini episode, Joanna and Stephen field more vital questions from listeners, such as, why does transposition jangle the Maestro's mind? Which musical keys suit certain moods? And most importantly, what not to wear when meeting the President?
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The Glorious British Brass Band
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Is there anything quite so majestic as the British brass band? Joanna and Stephen describe their first encounters with these ensembles, how they evolved and which pieces reach out to the soul. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, brass bands first appeared as a means of fostering community ties among workers. These bands have since become p…
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Bonus Stephen Fry: The Audience, Artificial Intelligence and a very un-Hollywood story
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In this bonus mini episode with the actor, writer and broadcaster Stephen Fry, we discuss why audiences matter, the transcendent force of pianist Ervin Nyiregyházi and what artificial intelligence really means for classical music.
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Anna Lapwood: Bach, Lutosławski & The Ministry of Sound
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The celebrated organist, choir director and presenter Anna Lapwood joins Stephen and Joanna to discuss a case of mistaken identity at a book launch several years ago. We also get in to the wonderful organ music of Lutosławski, Bach, Duruflé and rock out to Faithless when the Ministry of Sound took over the Royal Albert Hall in 2023.…
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Concerts, Carols & All Things Christmas
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When can one acceptably pour a bucks fizz during the Christmas holidays? Did the Holy Trinity (Beethoven, Mozart and Bach) care much for the festive period? Which carol is best for crooning? And which book does Joanna read every year at Christmas? Joanna and Stephen have opened the email inbox and answer your yuletide queries and concerns.…
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Merry Christmas From Joanna & the Maestro
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Christmas has landed and The Music Room is in full reverberation. From carols to ditties, oratorios and Wham! the Maestro and Joanna leave no stone unturned in this Christmas special.
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Did you think we'd forgotten to get you a Christmas present? Far from it! Joanna was Ken Bruce's special guest on Greatest Hits Radio, so we thought we'd slip a little extra episode under your tree in the shape of their brilliant interview. If you want to hear the whole show - and listen to the music Joanna chose - go to https://planetradio.co.uk/g…
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Child Prodigies, The Jocundity of Rossini and The Big Snare Drum
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Joanna and Stephen fire up the email inbox in the week's mini episode, diving into listeners' questions on everything from how conductors convey depth and complex emotions; how to coax a child prodigy and how not behave in the opera halls of 1870.
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Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan on the making of 'Maestro'
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This week, Joanna and the Stephen are joined by Hollywood royalty. On the eve Netflix's worldwide release of 'Maestro' - a new biopic about the world renown conductor Leonard Bernstein - Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan drop into the Music Room to discuss the making of a Hollywood love story like no other. Furthermore, Bradley tells us how he meti…
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Great Conductors, Musical Signatures and Whizz Kids
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How do great conductors like Furtwängler and Haitink command an orchestra? Do some conductors have a signature sound? And how did meeting the driver of The Flying Scotsman in Woolworths almost derail Stephen's musical destiny? In this mini episode, Joanna and Stephen reveal all.
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Stephen Fry and the Virtuosity of Classical Music
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Today, Joanna and the Maestro are joined by the actor, writer and national treasure, Stephen Fry. The trio discuss Stephen’s deep love for classical music, which began in childhood with the soft sounds of Schubert, Brahms and Chopin emanating from his father's practice room. They discuss the deeply emotional music of composers like Bach through to …
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Unsung Heroes: Lili Boulanger, Prodigy meets Tragedy
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This week's mini episode continues our theme of 'unsung heroes'. And today we're diving into the works of another prodigious French composer, Lili Boulanger, celebrating the flourish, colour and romance of her music.
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Aled Jones: Teenage Choirs, Richard Branston and the Music of Everything
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One of the UK's most loved vocalists and broadcasters, Aled Jones, sits down with Joanna and Stephen to discuss the moment he unearthed a trove of unreleased music from his childhood. In this candid conversation, Aled reveals what it was like meeting Richard Branston at Virgin Records as a teenager, recording 16 albums in 4 years before his voice b…
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Unsung Heroes: Charles Koechlin and Magic of The Jungle Book
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This week's mini episode comes to you as a pair. Stephen and Joanna discuss their favourite 'unsung heroes' - this time focusing on the strange and absorbing late works of Charles Koechlin. 'Les Bandar-Log' is part of a cycle of symphonic poems based on Kipling's Jungle Book, completed in 1940. The score touches on a range of early 20th-century sty…
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Rule Breakers: Gesualdo, Beethoven and Stravinsky
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Which three composers tore up the rule book and changed music forever? Joanna and Stephen begin this episode with the cold-blooded murderer, Carlo Gesualdo - a dreadful man who composed sacred music. Known for plundering the depths of emotion in his madrigals, Gesualdo's 'word-paintings' broke the 16th century Venosan equivalent of the internet. We…
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Bonus Brydon: Mashups, Richard Burton and 'The Swinging Doors'
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We enjoyed speaking to Rob Brydon so much that we kept the tape rolling after the interview finished – much to our joy. In this extra mini-episode, Rob runs through the 'schlocky' teen movie he’ll never forget and how to start a conversation in the style of Richard Burton.
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Rob Brydon: Springsteen, Miles Davis and paying homage to The King
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We're back! Starting a new series with comedian, actor and Welsh icon Rob Brydon who discusses the poetry of Bruce Springsteen, his life on stage and a burgeoning love for jazz. Sharing stories about early life in Porthcawl, Swansea and the wonderfully flamboyant 'Mr Crute', Rob tells us how his life took a turn towards musicals later in his career…
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Welcome back to Joanna Lumley & The Maestro Season 3
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Joanna & The Maestro are overjoyed to be back, and this time they're bringing some friends with them. In a brand new series Joanna Lumley and composer and conductor Stephen Barlow once again invite listeners into their home for more fascinating, funny journeys into their lifelong shared passion; classical music. Joining them for the ride are comedi…
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Getting THE FEAR & The First Ever Opera
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This mini episode sees Stephen having flashbacks to the most challenging piece of music he’s ever had to play, Joanna asks about composers who've been lost in time, and we investigate the first ever real opera...Got questions for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com
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It’s hard work talking about classical music all day. Perhaps we need an interval - no - not that kind of interval! In this episode Stephen explains how intervals are the building blocks of music, and Joanna reveals what stage performers really get up to in the interval break.
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Dogs Riding Horses & Music For Your Funeral
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Do all classical pieces have to be long? Apparently not. Are there some brief classical hits? Yes indeed. Stephen and Joanna also discuss whether composers ever write music for their own funerals. Plus, a listener is distracted by a dog riding a horse. Seriously. Got questions for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com…
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They were the most complex machines ever constructed (before the industrial revolution). The best are said to have “bite” and the biggest has over 33,000 pipes. We’re talking about the organ - aka “The King of Instruments”. Both Mozart and Bach adored these kaleidoscopes of sound, so when and why did they fall out of fashion? And what debt do we ow…
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Joanna and Stephen return to your questions about the King’s coronation. They discuss the old and new compositions and commissions from the day and the breathtaking conductorship of Andrew Nethsingha and Sir Antonio Pappano.
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In this episode we dive into the life and works of Richard Strauss, one of Stephen’s favourite composers. Joanna and Stephen take a tour through his ‘ultra-modern’ operas Elektra and Salome and also chat about his enduring legacy of work along the way.If there are other composers you’d like Joanna and Stephen to do a deep dive on let them know at h…
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Joanna and Stephen spill the beans on the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. As favoured guests, they tell us about their favourite moments from inside Westminster Abbey on the special day.
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Have you ever wondered how musical styles become synonymous with certain countries, regions and places? What is it about the Italian school that defines it from, say, the Nordic or the French school? In this episode Joanna and Stephen take a whistle stop tour through 2 centuries of ‘The English School’, exploring everyone from Elgar to Goehr, Sulli…
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Modern Classical Music - Just For ‘Smarty Pants’?
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This week Joanna and Stephen dive into the inbox to tackle your questions, like: What music makes them cry? Is modern classical too ‘clever’? And what does the maestro hear when he listens to music?Got a question for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com
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Mark Kermode: Scores, Cinema and The Sound of The Exorcist…
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Mark Kermode, Britain’s most loved film critic, is Joanna and Stephen's special guest, discussing his favourite soundtracks, composers and we go on a deep dive into the music of ‘The Exorcist’ - Mark's ‘gateway drug’ for discovering countless classical delights.
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Another round of your brilliant questions. Joanna and Stephen tackle a big one, is opera just for the upper class? (Spoiler alert: It isn’t). Plus, if you could be any composer in the world, who would you be? And what’s the greatest James Bond theme?Got a question for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com…
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Sean Rafferty: Celidhs, Studio Emergencies and the Musical Sublime
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Joanna and Stephen invite another guest into their home. Classical music aficionado Sean Rafferty discusses his lifelong love of music, and our trio discuss learning to play music, the culture of arts in Ireland and what happens when a bomb goes off while you’re broadcasting.
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This week our intrepid classical crusaders tackle questions like; if Joanna and Stephen were pieces of music, what would they be? Where should you start when it comes to collecting CDs or vinyl? And is Beethoven's 5th Symphony really the GOAT?Got questions for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com…
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The Art of the Possible: Musicals, Shows and Operas…
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We need to talk about musicals. The most popular ones tour up and down the country and play to packed out theatres 8 times a week. No need for state-backing here! So why can’t opera do the same? In this episode, Joanna and Stephen discuss how musicals and opera differ from one another, and how directors push ‘the art of the possible’ to achieve suc…
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What happens when it all goes wrong? What’s the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a conductor? Conducting with your flies down? And have Joanna or Stephen ever dozed off during a show?Got questions for Joanna and Stephen? Drop them a line hello@joannaandthemaestro.com
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Arnold Schoenberg: The Man who Changed Music
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Captain, We Hit A Schoenberg! Did Arnold Schoenberg break Classical music? Widely considered the greatest composer of the 20th century, Schoenburg’s innovations in ‘atonality’ (a term he detested throughout his life) changed the trajectory of music forever. In this episode, Joanna and Stephen explore the ripples of Schoenberg’s (much preferred) ‘em…
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Virgins, Nicknames & How To Train Your Maestro…
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Its question time again! This week Joanna and Stephen discuss your questions on nicknames for operas and where to start with listening to them. Stephen also reveals how one becomes a Maestro…
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Turning the Tables: Joanna’s Life as a ‘Moving Target’
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In this episode the Maestro turns the tables on Joanna and asks her questions about her life, her career as an actress and how she became a diarist for the Times. Joanna talks about why she wanted to become an actress, how being a model held her back and why she’ll keep wearing make up till the day she dies. We also hear why her favourite ever part…
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Stick Or No Stick, Deadly Composers & Interpreting The Score
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What drove 16th century composer, Carlo Gesualdo, to commit homicide? To baton or not to baton? And how do composers really interpret a score?
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Have you ever wondered how a conductor deciphers the individual musical parts and melodies from a whole opera score? In this episode, Stephen and Joanna deconstruct Richard Strauss’ monumental opera, Salome - a score which contains the so-called “most sickening chord in all opera”.
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What did Joanna and Stephen play at their wedding? Why does everyone die in opera? And what the heck does Pythagoras have to do with music?
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Love them or hate them, everyone has one. In this episode, we’re discussing National Anthems. In Japan they sing of generations reigning eight thousand years. The French sing of slaughtering enemies until their ‘blood should water our fields’ and in New Zealand they celebrate ‘the hairy man who summons the sun and makes it shine’. Joanna and Stephe…
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Your Questions: Patsy, Broken Batons & The Future Of Conductors
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We’ve turned the tables! Welcome to a mini episode where you get to ask Joanna & The Maestro your absolutely fabulous musical questions.
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Ade Edmondson: Learning Lines, The A303 and Being Forced to Listen to Classical Music
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Ade Edmondson joins Joanna and Stephen to kick off season two! The actor, comedian and musician discusses his own complicated relationship with classical music, his jack-of-all-trades mentality to learning instruments and why his Dad never approved of Led Zeppelin. We also hear about Ade’s own experience making music and reveal Jennifer Saunders’ t…
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