Colors in Classical Music: Saturday, May 16 | 10pm

“Color” is a word that gets thrown around a lot in conversations about classical music—and it can be a slippery thing to describe.

Just like in painting, composers can create different colors in music by mixing together different instruments, harmonies, or even rhythms to evoke a certain mood or energy. They might blend all the colors of the orchestra together or create sharp color contrasts in their music. Sometimes, composers even write with a very specific color in mind.

On this week’s episode of Second Inversion, we’ll explore pieces that take a more literal approach to color. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple—we’ll hear music inspired by every color in the rainbow. Plus, one piece that mixes them all together.