I am a subscriber to a series of concerts at Lincoln Center in New York entitled “What Makes It Great?” The concerts are presented and hosted by Rob Kapilow, a conductor/composer/commentator who regularly appears on NPR radio. The idea behind the concerts is to educate the audience about a specific piece of classical music. Mr. Kapilow presents the piece on conjunction with professional musicians who play parts of the work that Rob Kapilow speaks about. Mr. Kapilow illustrates what makes the composition great by using his engaging enthusiasm along with musical examples, aimed at as wide an audience as possible. While a basic knowledge of music helps, nothing more musically complex than the difference between the major and minor mode is generally spoken about in the presentation. Mr. Kapilow instead lets the music do the talking (so to speak) to illustrate such concepts as modulation or thematic variations. For example, at a recent concert presenting Beethoven’s last string quartet (No.16 in F Major, Op. 135), the audience was asked to identify in what measure the key changes as the Pacifica Quartet emphasizes the change while playing the passage.

These concerts are a fantastic way to enrich the knowledge and appreciation of classical music to both newcomers and seasoned veterans alike. I have one of the two CDs that Rob Kapilow has released that he models after his concerts. Amazon.com has his CD of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachmusik. (full disclosure, I get no money from Amazon. Maybe I should look into that.)