Throwing shade, tossing zingers, lobbing jabs. It’s always entertaining to hear about a superbly-delivered insult. Especially when we aren’t at the brunt of it! Everyone is everyone’s worst critic, right? Isn’t that how the saying goes? Here are 10 truly delightful classical music insults and music by the composers that inspired them: 1. “Listening to…

Did you know? The band Phoenix wrote Lisztomania in honor of composer Franz Liszt‘s stud factor. But Lisztomania was a real thing! The term “Lisztomania” was first coined by German critic/poet/journalist Heinrich Heine as he discussed the fanaticism and fandom surrounding virtuosic pianist and composer Franz Liszt. He was a bona fide chick magnet. And…

The year is 1998. Filmmaker Spike Lee is ten movies into his career but things have hit a snag. The writer/director’s last three movies have all been adapted from other people’s material and have done so-so with both audiences and critics. The harsher among them say that Lee—successful, admired, and a long way from earlier films…

Here at Salon97, we love to see classical music as bigger and grander than it tends to present itself. And, quite frankly, classical music does a lousy job talking about talented composers and musicians who aren’t dead, white, and male. The African American contribution to classical music is substantial and real. In honor of Black…

Yes, it’s true! Martin Luther King Jr. studied classical music as a child and had a special place in his heart for the genre. We uncover the details in this podcast and also highlight a famous classical work that played a prominent role in King’s life. Do you know which piece it is? Tune into…

As we wander through a season of darker days and longer, colder nights, we look for ways to warm ourselves from within. Add some wintertime joviality to your season with this classical playlist! It’s perfect for an evening curled up by the fire or a weekend afternoon with a good book and a warm cup…