"Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". (Wikipedia) Haydn's creative life spanned the latter half of the eighteenth century and more than any other musician of his period, he was responsible for the evolution of the Viennese classical style. He was a humble man, largely self-taught, who in his later years became the doyen of the English musical scene. This fascinating biodrama is a listening must for lovers of the Viennese style. Credits: Haydn: John Ringham. Other parts: Michael Kilgarriff, Gary Hope. Hatdn portrait Wiki Commons."
"George Frideric Handel was a German/British Baroque composer who in 1737, addressed the English middle class and made a transition to English choral works. After his success with Messiah (1742), he never composed an Italian opera again. His orchestral Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks remain steadfastly popular. One of his four coronation anthems, Zadok the Priest, has been performed at every British coronation since 1727. Almost blind, he died in 1759, a respected and rich man, and was given a state funeral at Westminster Abbey. (Wikipedia). This biodrama is a portrait in words and music of one of the world's truly great composers. A man who gained fame in a land far from his birthplace. Handel was rewarded with glory and honour in his lifetime, and his music lives on in opera house, church and concert hall. His famous 'Largo' is generally accepted as being one of the best loved melodies in the world...Credits: Handel: Michael Kilgarriff. Other parts: Nigel Lambert. Handel portrait Wiki Commons."
"Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron. Copiously illustrated by excerpts from Verdi's music, this biodrama tells how the composer rose from humble origins to become the unrivalled master of Italian opera. Living in the time of Italian unification, his music and his life became entwined with politics and patriotism and his melodies were taken up as battle cries in the Italian fight against foreign domination. This Chiron full cast and music audiobook explores the fertility of Verdi's musical imagination and his deep but unconventional religious faith. His operas remain extremely popular, especially the three peaks of his 'middle period': Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata. The bicentenary of his birth in 2013 was widely celebrated in broadcasts and performances."
"In his lifetime Johann Strauss theYounger was known as 'The Waltz King', and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna during the 19th century. Some of Johann Strauss's most famous works include The Blue Danube (Famously used in '2001: A Space Odyssey'), The Emperor Waltz, Tales from the Vienna Woods and the Tritsch-Tratsch-polka. The opening bars of The Blue Danube Waltz can bring a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. It is at once the most romantic and sentimental melody ever written. For more than 60 years Strauss captivated audiences with his evocations of Viennese joi de vivre; yet his own life was often sad. This biodrama makes use of fascinating contemporary writings as well as the wonderful music itself. Credits: Johann Strauss: Steve Hodson. Other parts: Trader Faulkner. Strauss portrait Wiki Commons."
"Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, violin Concerto, the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy and the opera Eugene Onegin. "An artist should not be troubled by the indifference of his contemporaries. He should go on working and say all that he is predestined to say. He should know that posterity alone can deliver a true and just verdict". So said Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - and posterity has delivered its verdict. His music is glorious, uplifting, soulful, humourous and wonderfullymelodic. Thchaikovsky regarded music as something to be savoured and shared, and he worked hard and long to that end. This Chiron biodrama reveals much of his troubled life and times - and presents many extracts from his marvellous music. Credits: Tchaikovsky: Trader Faulkner. Other parts: Marcia Warren, Steve Hodson. Tchaikovsky portrait Wiki Commons."
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austrian composer, widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. With Haydn and Beethoven he brought to its height the achievement of the Viennese Classical school. Unlike any other composer in musical history, he wrote in all the musical genres of his day and excelled in every one. His taste, his command of form, and his range of expression have made him seem the most universal of all composers; yet, it may also be said that his music was written to accommodate the specific tastes of particular audiences. (Britannica). Mozart is without doubt also the most famous of all musical child prodigies. At the age of 6 he enthralled the Austrian Court with his unbelievable virtuosity. Yet he died friendless and in poverty at the age of 36, a victim of jealousy, and vicious intrigue. Mozart's story is a tragedy, but one filled with superb music; for he brought new colour, passion and power to opera, symphony and concerto. Credits: Mozart: Robert Rietty. Young Mozart: Nikolaj Berg. Other parts: Edmund Pegge. 'The Boy Mozart' portrait Wiki Commons."
"Are we stuck with our memories – or can we fix them? Pia is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on changing the way we process traumatic experiences. Will Pia’s emotionally distant mother - who survived the Khmer Rouge in 1970’s Cambodia – benefit from her daughter’s work? Or are some things just too terrible to remember?
Includes a conversation with Dr. Daniela Schiller, a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
“What You Are Now” is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays. Lead funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world.
Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in November 2022
Directed by Anna Lyse Erikson
Producing Director: Susan Albert Loewenberg
An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast recording starring:
Carie Kawa as Pia
Tess Lina as Chantrea
Joe Ngo as Darany
Samantha Quan as Siobhan
Mark Jude Sullivan as Evan
Greg Watanabe as the Narrator
Senior Producer: Anna Lyse Erikson
Prepared for Audio by Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood
Recording Engineer, Editor and Mixer: Charles Carroll
Sound Design by Charles Carroll and David Wilson
Senior Radio Producer: Ronn Lipkin
Foley Artist: Jeff Gardner
The original song “What You Are Now” is by Him Sophy, founder of the Him Sophy School of Music in Pnomh Penh.
Special thanks to Professor Craig Woodson and Dr. Terry Miller for their recording of “The Sorrowful King” from “Roots of Rhythm.net.”"
"On the last night of his life, Henry Jekyll records the harrowing story of his years-long struggle to maintain his reputation as a physician and philanthropist - while secretly suppressing the voracious beast he had long felt lurking within. Playwright David Rambo drew on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson for inspiration to create this original L.A. Theatre Works commission.
Includes a conversation with playwright David Rambo and horror expert Leslie S. Klinger.
Recorded before an audience at the UCLA James Bridges Theater in April 2023.
Directed by Anna Lyse Erikson
Producing Director: Susan Albert Loewenberg
An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production starring:
Laila Ayad as Iris Bravo and others
Edita Brychta as Dr. Semerenko and others
Seamus Dever as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Robert Hyde
Matthew Hancock as Nick Underwood
Venk Potula as Tyler Poole and others
André Sogliuzzo as the Priest, Bouncer, Rookie Cop and others
Senior Producer: Anna Lyse Erikson
Prepared for Audio by Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood
Recording Engineer and Sound Designer: Mark Holden
Editor and Mixing Engineer: Charles Carroll
Senior Radio Producer: Ronn Lipkin
Foley Artist: Brian Wallace"
