Smithsonian Associates: Fairy Tales in Classical Music, Lecture 2 – Grimm, Perrault, and Andersen: Masters of Enchantment

Ever since early humans began to gather, they attempted to understand the inexplicable universe by telling tales. While composers have frequently enjoyed exploring the macabre and Gothic horror, classical repertory is equally graced with gentler stories, some of which end happily ever after.

In the perfect follow-up to Halloween, speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin revisits her seasonal tour through the most mysterious corners of classical music as well as illustrates how fantasy and folklore have inspired some of history’s greatest composers.

British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.

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The magical tales told by Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm have provided the inspiration for many classical masterpieces. Franklin compares the varied approaches taken in such beloved works as Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty ballet, very different versions of the Cinderella story by Rossini and Prokofiev, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, The Mermaid by Zemlinsky, and The Fairy’s Kiss by Stravinsky.