• Introducing Decomposed with Jade Simmons
    Apr 2 2019

    Coming April 16, Decomposed breaks down the stories that have shaped classical music. Hosted by pianist Jade Simmons, this new podcast will change the way you hear the notes.

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    2 mins
  • “A fallen, abominable, wicked girl”
    Apr 16 2019

    Clara Schumann was a child prodigy turned international sensation — when she never should have been on stage at all. This is the story of a woman who was born to play, and refused to stop.

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    41 mins
  • Oil, meet fire
    Apr 23 2019

    Richard Strauss and his wife Pauline de Ahna are often described as artist and muse. But you’ve never met a muse like Pauline. One of Strauss’ greatest musical masterpieces was ripped straight from the most scandalous moment of their marriage.


    For a complete list of the music in this episode, as well as recommended reading, visit decomposedshow.org

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    32 mins
  • “Why did you betray me?”
    Apr 30 2019

    This is the story of two letters Tchaikovsky received in the mail. One would lead to his greatest mistake; the other to the most intimate relationship of his life.

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    38 mins
  • Symphony for a starving city
    May 7 2019

    Making music under Stalin was a dangerous undertaking — it could end with applause or in a prison camp. In the brutal grip of World War II, Shostakovich composed a symphony so powerful, it was smuggled halfway around the world in order to be played.

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    33 mins
  • “There is only one Beethoven”
    May 14 2019

    Everybody knows the Beethoven story: He’s a brilliant composer who faced hearing loss; a genius who couldn’t listen to his own masterpieces. But there’s a different way to consider the story we think we know.

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    36 mins
  • A Cold War secret weapon
    May 21 2019

    George Gershwin visited African-American churches and nightclubs in South Carolina to craft the music for “Porgy & Bess.” Years after his death, the opera and its all-star cast played an unexpected role in Cold War relations.

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    37 mins