A classic for the unmistakable: You should know these seven classic terms

From “My Voice” to “Original Sound”: a small conversational lexicon for classical music newcomers who want a say.

When people talk about classical music, they often use their own vocabulary – which is not always easy for newcomers to understand. In a new episode of “Classic for the Tactless,” Katrin Neusmeyer and Wilhelm Senkowicz come to the end of some jargon and ask: What exactly does all this mean?

Does the gin and tonic help in involuntary music? How excited is Bohemian Rhapsody for the Queen? What on earth is a cantellina, and what does the word “bel canto”, so often used in a classical context, mean? All this is not only explained here, but also made audible with numerous musical examples.

Excerpts from the following recordings can be heard:

Anton Webern’s piece for strings from Ref 5
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

Joseph Haydn: Andante Beginning of the Symphony in G major Hob I/94
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugene Jochum

Donizetti: The finale of “La sonnambula”
Maria Callas – La Scala Choir and Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein (Warner)

Verdi: Song of Lady Macbeth from Act Two of “Macbeth”
Mara Zamperi – German Opera Orchestra in Berlin

G. Puccini: Scene from Act Two of “Tosca”
Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tito Gobbi – La Scala Orchestra, F. de Sabata

WA Mozart: Symphony Beginning in D major KV 385 (“Haffner”)
1. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Carl Bohm
2. Concentus musicus Vienna – Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Warner)

WA Mozart: “Deh vieni” from Act IV of “Le nozze di Figaro”
Lucia Pope – London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti

Queen: “Bohemian Rhapsody” (EMI)

All labels, unless otherwise noted: Universal

“Classic for the Tactless” It is part of the “Musiksalon” podcast and appears every four weeks.