Uploaded May 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
(Worry not; regularly scheduled Classical Nerd content resumes next Thursday.)
On Requests: 0:15
On Q&As: 3:19
On Patreons (and other funding options): 3:56
The current request queue and request pool: lentovivace.com/requestqueue.html
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(Worry not; regularly scheduled Classical Nerd content resumes next Thursday.)
On Requests: 0:15
On Q&As: 3:19
On Patreons (and other funding options): 3:56
The current request queue and request pool: lentovivace.com/requestqueue.html
My Bandcamp page: lentovivace.bandcamp.com
![Great Composers: Edgard Varèse
A look at the stratospheric colossus of sound.
This was a request from Tyson Davis. See all current requests at http://www.lentovivace.com/requestqueue.html
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Edgard Varèse: Amériques, performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly [original upload: 8zXaEwWFbnA]
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Great Composers: Edgard Varèse](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WnJNTNg9IF0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Why Viola Jokes?
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Why one instrument gets a bad rap.
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Thomas Little: Gossamer Limerence, Op. 9b, performed by Wooram Kwon and Thomas Little
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
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Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Why Viola Jokes?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WtmlybCRplY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Modest Mussorgsky: The Troubled Dramatist [The Mighty Handful, Pt. 5/6]
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This was requested by parker, Josh Tebben, torram28, Sean Ramsdell, Jose Vega, and Peasants Rondo. See all requests at http://lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html
📚 Sources/further reading:
“Musorgsky: His Life and Works” by David Brown
“Pianistic Mastery of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition: Developing Associative Thinking through Analysis of Musical Texture” by Ana Cristea (DMA Dissertation, University of Miami, 2016): https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2637&context=oa_dissertations
“Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition: Identifying the Expressive Narrative through Comparisons with Vocal Literature” by Matthew Quick (DMA Dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2014): https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=ucin1406819727&disposition=inline
“Correcting the Record: A Comparison of Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Urtext-Based Edition of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ with Orchestration by Ravel and Stokowski” by Hoon Choi (DMA Dissertation, University of North Texas, 2012): https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc149572/m2/1/high_res_d/dissertation.pdf
“A Stylistic Analysis of the Early and Late Songs of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1836–1881)” by Daniel Johnson (MM Thesis, Texas Tech University, 1976): https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/2346/15681/31295015502858.pdf?sequence=1
Classical Nerd is a video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (1874), performed by Chiara Bertoglio and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/PixatanExhibition
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
- Modest Mussorgsky: Night on [the] Bald[/Bare] Mountain (1867), performed by the London Philharmonic conducted by David Lloyd-Jones [original upload: zR2P-5J-2MA]
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
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Tumblr:
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Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/classicalnerd/
Instagram:
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Modest Mussorgsky: The Troubled Dramatist [The Mighty Handful, Pt. 5/6]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XXXycC1h1ko/mqdefault.jpg)
![Do Different Keys Mean Different Things?
🎶 Support the channel: http://www.patreon.com/classicalnerd
📚 Sources/further reading:
A History of Key Characteristics in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries, 2nd Ed., by Rita Steblin (University of Rochester Press, 2002)
Interview: Jacob Collier (Part 1) by June Lee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnBr070vcNE
Music:
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/classicalnerd/
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Do Different Keys Mean Different Things?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YJMb0Uv5aZI/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Dean of Afro-American Composers: William Grant Still’s Life and Work (with Celeste Headlee)
This work was sponsored by a Humanities New York Public Humanities Grant.
🎶 Support the channel and watch hours of bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/classicalnerd
0:00 Introduction
0:36 I: Arkansas
7:53 II: Wilberforce
9:58 III: Grace
16:03 IV: Shuffling Along
22:17 V: Black Music
29:34 VI: The Commercial World
44:56 VII: Verna
50:56 VIII: The Still Sound
58:56 IX: Opera
1:07:07 X: The Dean’s Legacy
📚 Sources/further reading:
William Grant Still and the Fusion of Cultures in American Music, ed. Robert Bartlett Haas (Black Sparrow Press, 1972)
My Life, My Words: The Autobiography of William Grant Still, American Master Composer by William Grant Still and Judith Anne Still (The Master-Player Library, 2011)
William Grant Still: An Oral History, ed. Judith Anne Still, Dominique-René de Lerma, and Lance Bowling (The Master-Player Library, 1998)
In One Lifetime by Verna Arvey (University of Arkansas Press, 1984)
Music:
- William Grant Still: Symphony No. 3 “Sunday,” performed by the Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Jeter
- John A. Gregg, Charles Henri Woode, and Henry A. Garcia: WU alma mater, performers unknown
- William Grant Still: “Darker America” performed by the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
- William Grant Still: Symphony No. 1 Afro-American,” performed by the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sarah Ioannides
-William Grant Still: Levee Land, performed by Celeste Headlee, accompanied by Michael Sullivan, Paul Balch, Wildy Zumwalt, Ivan Ochsner, Nancy Sullivan, Charles Way, Peter Vivona, Steve Hemphill, Ted Goddard, Karin Hallberg, Kathleen Nourie, and Richard Wright, conducted by Patricia J. Hoy
- William Grant Still: Kaintuck’, performed by Ben Dawson and the Ulster Orchestra conducted by Michael Seal
- William Grant Still: Troubled Island, performed by the New York City Opera conducted by Laszlo Halasz
- William Grant Still: And They Lynched Him On A Tree, performed by the Harry T. Burleigh Society and Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra conducted by Thomas Cunningham
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
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Instagram:
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. The Dean of Afro-American Composers: William Grant Still’s Life and Work (with Celeste Headlee)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YJr7BDA36AA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Carlo Gesualdo: Composer & Murderer
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Putting the mad back in madrigal.
This was requested by YouTubers Eric Rakestraw, Kris Mariasy, and Polo Lala, and by Bobby Thomas. See all requests at http://www.lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html.
Further reading:
http://riviste.paviauniversitypress.it/index.php/phi/article/viewFile/1617/pdf
http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10127/9/Volume%20I.pdf
http://elevenpitchclassanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Order-and-Balance-in-Gesualdo’s-“Moro-lasso”.pdf
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Carlo Gesualdo: O vos omnes for 5 voices, arranged for Renaissance recorder ensemble by Denis Carpenter and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/ycmz87uw
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
- Tom Lehrer: “The Masochism Tango” [original upload: TytGOeiW0aE]
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
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classical-nerd.tumblr.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/classicalnerd/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_classical_nerd/
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Carlo Gesualdo: Composer & Murderer](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YOWyONTcC60/mqdefault.jpg)
![Great Composers: Ralph Vaughan Williams
A look at a preeminent English symphonist.
This was requested by YouTubers Jeremy Jones, Logan Campbell, gabrieru1983, Anthony Pagan, and Emily Rowland-Rawson. See all requests at http://www.lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html.
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 1 “A Sea Symphony,” performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Proms Youth Choir, Sally Matthews, and Roderick Williams, conducted by Sakari Oramo [original upload: Lp4G5vtdSWc]
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
- Unknown Artist: [Vaporwave] - MACINTOSH PLUS - リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー [original upload: _wcURnFRp9A]
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Great Composers: Ralph Vaughan Williams](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z8-vAx0YepE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Great Composers: Franz Schubert
A look at Viennas Little Mushroom.
This was requested by YouTubers Mr. DSCH, Sean Ramsdell, Ross Williams, Danilo Buenante, and Popo Lala. See all requests at http://www.lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html.
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor “Death and the Maiden,” performed by the Borromeo String Quartet and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/yclfjjdu
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/classicalnerd/
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Great Composers: Franz Schubert](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZAS8BRTr-MI/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Diatonic Scale is Unique, and Heres Why
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https://www.paypal.me/classicalnerd
Music:
- Thomas Little: some short lil Max piece, idk
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/classicalnerd/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_classical_nerd/
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. The Diatonic Scale is Unique, and Heres Why](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zik4AULVhfI/mqdefault.jpg)
![What is a Canzona?
How one Venetian redefined a genre.
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon in double echo, Canzon duodecimitoni a 10, and Canzon a 12, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra [original upload: Wos-OBxOsyE]
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. What is a Canzona?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ag0zAa-65M0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Augmented Sixths: The Chords that Broke Theory
🎶 Support the channel:
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0:00 Introduction
0:42 What is an Augmented Sixth?
2:28 International Chords
6:30 Musica Ficta and the Phrygian Cadence
12:00 In Search of a Root
16:12 The Diminished Gambit
19:44 A Cog in the Sonata Machine
26:37 Towards Tristan, and Beyond
29:52 DIY Chords
31:51 The Tritone Substitution
33:39 Conclusion
📚 Sources/further reading:
“A Chord in Time: The Evolution of the Augmented Sixth from Monteverdi to Mahler” by Mark Ellis (Ashgate, 2010)
“Theory of Harmony” by Arnold Schoenberg, trans. Roy Carter (University of California Press, 1978)
“Harmony and Voice Leading” by Edward Aldwell, Carl Schachter, and Allen Cadwallader (4th Edition, Cengage, 2011)
“Harmonic Practice in Tonal Music” by Robert Gauldin (1st Edition, Norton, 1997)
“Harmonic Materials and Treatment of Dissonance in the Pianoforte Music of Frederic Chopin” by Betty Jean Thomas (PhD dissertation, Eastman School of Music, 1963): http://hdl.handle.net/1802/5429
Classical Nerd is a video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
Music:
- Richard Wagner: Prelude to Tristan und Isolde, performed by the Fulda Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Simon Schindler and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/k7dk35af
- William Byrd: Ne Irascaris Domine and Civitas Sancti Tui (double motet), performed by Ensemble Plus Ultra [original upload: 3vBCSPHZnnA]
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier: “O sors! sors infelix et acerb” from Mors Saülis et Jonathae, H. 403, performed by Il Seminario Musicale conducted by Gérard Lesne [original upload: p_kYMqWbOYM]
- Johann Sebastian Bach: “Et Incarnatus Est” from the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, performed by the English Concert conducted by Harry Bicket [original upload: QNGzJnqdCnY]
- Robert Schumann: Novelletten, Op. 21 No. 4, performed by Dino Ciani [original upload: Zfe-UbT6G58]
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 39, K. 543, Mvt. 1, performers unknown [original upload: H0x_dCrKd4w]
- Joseph Haydn: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 2, Mvt. 2, performed by the Danish String Quartet [original upload: dGgmFFMFICc]
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 24 “à Thérèse,” Op. 78, Mvt. 2, performed by Peter Bradley-Fulgoni and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/uddakysj
- Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C# minor, Op. 131, Mvt. 1, performed by the Orion String Quartet and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/3pjmnw3y
- Robert Schumann: “Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen” from Dichterliebe, Op. 48, performed by Anton Belov and Lydia Brown and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/45r9dm3w
- Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in B Major, Op. 63 No. 1, performed by Christoph Zbinden and available on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/yxujsp95
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
The other background music consists of procedurally generated chains of augmented sixth chords, representing each of the 12 transpositions of the three major varieties of augmented sixth equally.
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/classicalnerd/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_classical_nerd/
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information. Augmented Sixths: The Chords that Broke Theory](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bN8CqWeM9Ck/mqdefault.jpg)