Classical Music Happy Hour: John McWhorter – Lover of Language
Podcast: Classical Music Happy Hour
Host: Emanuel (Manny) Ax
Guest: John McWhorter
Date: April 1, 2026
Episode Overview
Emanuel Ax welcomes linguist, author, and music enthusiast John McWhorter for a lively hour exploring the intersections of language, music, and personal passion. The conversation covers McWhorter’s musical upbringing, his affection for musical theater, thoughts on classical music’s accessibility, listener questions, favorite works, and a fun round of “Bad Reviews of Famous Composers.” The tone is relaxed, witty, and inclusive—aimed at demystifying classical music while celebrating its joys.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. John McWhorter’s Musical Upbringing
[01:31 – 03:32]
- Grew up in a musical household with a wide array of instruments always around.
- “There was a cello, just because… several harmonicas... a little xylophone... It was just around and so that was part of it.” — John McWhorter [01:48]
- Family listened to jazz, classical, funk, and soul.
- Self-taught pianist; reached Beethoven’s ‘Sonata Pathétique,’ “but I was never taught anything. My runs are terrible and my scales are non existent, but I do my best.” — John McWhorter [02:43]
2. Musical Theater as American Opera
[03:53 – 06:42]
- McWhorter did not grow up with Broadway, discovered it in college via Sondheim.
- Became obsessed with learning about and collecting musicals, focusing on scores more than storylines:
- “What I’m really interested in is what’s going on down there in the pit and what the album is gonna sound like.” — John McWhorter [05:05]
- Sees excellent musicals as artistically equivalent to opera:
- “The excellent musicals are, quote, unquote, as good as the excellent [operas]. I truly believe that.” — John McWhorter [05:25]
- Praises works like Most Happy Fella, Showboat, and Kiss Me Kate as deserving of preservation.
3. Accessibility and Labeling of Classical Music
[06:42 – 10:23]
- Listener question: Why is “classical” music called that?
- McWhorter reflects that the term is both historical and a marker of perceived “highbrow” art, but even he doesn’t know when it originated:
- “When did people start calling Mozart classical music? And I don’t know.” — John McWhorter [07:25]
- Discusses the perception of classical music as requiring more effort or a specific kind of instruction to deeply enjoy.
- Ax offers a sports analogy: one can enjoy football casually but appreciation grows with understanding.
- “But the more you know, the more you appreciate and the more you enjoy.” — Maniacs [09:08]
- Mutual agreement that classical music can be enjoyed “from nothing,” but immersion deepens the joy.
4. Favorite Pieces and Deep Listening
[11:06 – 13:33]
- McWhorter’s pick for underappreciated work: Brahms Clarinet Quintet.
- Vivid description of the music’s narrative power:
- “That part, to me, sounds either like going to hell or it just sounds like really, really good pot roast. … And then you come out… in a canoe on the water.” — John McWhorter [12:08]
- Vivid description of the music’s narrative power:
- Personal connections—playing cello as a child—inflect his appreciation.
5. Is Music a Universal Language?
[13:33 – 15:10]
- “People say that music is an international language. Do you feel that’s true? First of all, no.” — Maniacs [13:33]
- McWhorter isn’t convinced—notes that musical perception (like savoring chord changes) varies with genetics and environment.
- “What you and I probably think of as, oh, listen to that chord... that’s about as meaningful to a great many people as for me, the brushstrokes in some painting…” — John McWhorter [14:25]
- Points out that even tonal associations (“major is happy”) are taught, not universal.
6. The Language Game: Swearing, Difficult Languages, and Cataloging
[17:05 – 19:02]
- On favorite swear word: “Well, the four letter word that begins with F is a lot of fun. It’s just amazingly versatile.” — John McWhorter [17:05]
- Least favorite swears: dislikes euphemisms; finds “friggin” unsatisfying.
- Most difficult language he’s tried to learn: Russian.
- “I don’t believe that any human being genuinely speaks Russian or Polish. Not to get too personal, because the Slavic languages are really some of the hundred most difficult in the world.” — John McWhorter [17:38]
- Fun confusion over Beethoven’s sonata numbers demonstrates musician banter.
7. Emotional Narratives: Beethoven’s Sonata, Pedal Point
[18:31 – 22:32]
- McWhorter’s favorite: Beethoven Sonata Op. 31, No. 3 (“The Hunt”).
- Describes the opening as “a little conversation…so sweet. Nothing bombastic.”
- Pedal point moments “always sound timeless. It’s like somebody reflecting on their life. It’s unchanging on the bottom and changing on the top. Whenever there’s a pedal point, I’m transported.” — John McWhorter [20:12]
- Ax and McWhorter enjoy differing interpretations, demonstrating the openness of wordless music.
8. Musical Dissonance and Taboo
[22:32 – 24:09]
- Comparing challenging “taboo” music to challenging language.
- Schoenberg, Bartok, and Boulez as shockers in their time—acidity, dissonance was once genuinely off-putting.
- “I think people were genuinely put off by dissonance…We’re more used to dissonance now, and I think a lot of people prefer it.” — John McWhorter [22:40]
- Amusing tidbits: Schoenberg played tennis with Gershwin.
9. Catalog Numbers Demystified
[24:22 – 27:21]
- Listener asks what all those letters/numbers (K, BWV, opus) mean.
- Catalog systems explained: Köchel for Mozart, BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis) for Bach, opus (meaning “work”) often by composers themselves.
- “Those labels are part of what makes the music seem a little forbidding to many people.” — John McWhorter [27:21]
- But at heart, they’re no different than library codes!
10. “Bad Review” Game
[27:47 – 32:22]
- Segment host: Jeff Spurgeon.
- Players guess which famous musician or critic wrote outlandishly negative reviews of well-loved works.
- E.g., Tchaikovsky dismissed Wagner as “a whole ocean of boredom.” [28:58]
- Aaron Copland compared the experience of Vaughan Williams’s 5th Symphony to “staring at a cow for 45 minutes.” [29:38]
- Clara Schumann called Liszt’s B Minor Sonata “just meaningless noise.” [30:36]
- Yousef Joachim told Dvorak that his violin concerto clearly showed he hadn’t played violin in a while. [32:00]
- Laughter ensues over the surprises and historical quirks of criticism.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On family musical life:
“There were several harmonicas, you know, in different keys. There were recorders, there was a little xylophone, There were little wooden flutes. It was just around and so that was part of it.”
— John McWhorter [01:44] -
On being self-taught at piano:
“My runs are terrible and my scales are non existent, but I do my best.”
— John McWhorter [02:43] -
On the greatness of musical theater:
“The excellent musicals are, quote, unquote, as good as the excellent [opera]. I truly believe that.”
— John McWhorter [05:25] -
On ‘classical’ as a label:
“Classical, of course, is a synonym for us, for what used to be called highbrow or oddly enough, long hair music… when Beethoven started being called classical music instead of just music. I genuinely don't know.”
— John McWhorter [07:25] -
On Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet:
“That part, to me sounds either like going to hell or it just sounds like really, really good pot roast.”
— John McWhorter [12:08] -
On musical “universality”:
“The idea that major is happy and minor, I would say for somebody under 35 these days, increasingly less is that Obvious. Which means that this is not a universal language, it's just what we're taught.”
— John McWhorter [14:25] -
On the beauty of pedal point:
“Whenever there’s a pedal point, I’m transported.”
— John McWhorter [20:12] -
On catalog numbers:
“Those labels are part of what makes the music seem a little forbidding to many people.”
— John McWhorter [27:21] -
On negative musical criticism:
“Listening to the fifth Symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams is like staring at a cow for 45 minutes.”
— (Aaron Copland) [29:38]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- McWhorter’s musical family & self-teaching: [01:31 – 03:32]
- Broadway and musical theater: [03:53 – 06:42]
- Classical music’s label and accessibility: [06:42 – 10:23]
- Brahms Clarinet Quintet discussion: [11:06 – 13:33]
- Is music a “universal language”?: [13:33 – 15:10]
- Swearing, languages, Beethoven banter: [17:05 – 19:02]
- Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 31, No. 3 (“The Hunt”): [18:31 – 22:32]
- Music as a vehicle for taboo/dissonance: [22:32 – 24:09]
- Composer catalog numbers explained: [24:22 – 27:21]
- Bad review game: [27:47 – 32:22]
Tone and Final Thoughts
The episode is both erudite and playful, weaving accessible explanations, deeply personal reflections, and generous musings from both host and guest. McWhorter’s insights connect music and language with humor and humility, inviting listeners—regardless of expertise—to relax, enjoy, and explore the rich world of classical music with curiosity and camaraderie.