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This is the first of what I hope to be a series of 25 podcast episodes regarding some of the most influential and creative musicians prior to the 1900s - all ranked chronologically - then the following month, I will deal to some of the most influential musicians after the 1900s. It somehow didn't seem right to have Beethoven and the Beatles compete with each other in a list of the greats. Both Bach and Beyoncé are extremely influential in their own ways, but how can you possibly compare the two?

Each episode is a conversation across time: we’ll explore their lives, their work, and their personalities, with anecdotes, playful commentary, and yes—sometimes a little mischief. You’ll hear the human side of genius, the struggles, the bold choices, and the moments of brilliance that made them unforgettable And we begin our journey with the man who changed the very sound of music: Claudio Monteverdi.

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Well, I checked my stats for Celebrate Creativity and I am now just 7 downloads 25,000 downloads in 100 countries and territories - something I could have never envisioned five years ago when I started this podcast as Celebrate Poe. And I will soon be starting a new series of podcasts where I talk to the ghosts - or if you will - spirits of various musicians. Therefore before I start that series, volume brimming with the knowledge of the ages snuggled into a big company chair I thought it would be interesting to go back to when I first encountered the ghost of a very talented creator - that this would be a great time to go back five years ago to the very first episode of Celebrate Poe and introduce the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe.

In this reprise of one of the most downloaded episodes of Celebrate Poe, you’ll hear how I first “met” the ghost — or spirit — of Edgar Allan Poe.

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Spring intro

“Welcome, my friends, to The Microphone Episode. Yes, this is the one where the. greatest composers of all time—individuals who shuffled off their mortal coil long ago—are handed a microphone for the very first time.

Now you might also think of this episode as a promo or the introduction to the majority of the episodes in October where I take a deep dive into the life and music of approximately 25 noted classical musicians prior to 1900. Before I actually start, I wanna talk a little bit about the challenges involved in doing such a program.

First, was the actual writing of the transcript for each podcast episode. I would read about and do research regarding each musician. Then I would know what questions to ask ChatGPT to give me a more interesting answer. For example, if I just asked ChatGPT to tell me about Beethoven - it really wouldn't have that much to go on - but if I specifically asked if Beethoven wrote any letters regarding his hearing loss, then it could give me some very useful answers. In fact, in one of the most moving documents in all of music history, Beethoven wrote in a letter to his brothers Carl and Johann in October 1802. He was only 31 at the time, but his hearing loss was advancing, and he poured out his despair, frustration, and longing for life and art. He never sent the letter—it was found among his papers after his death in 1827.

[Closing music – Spring from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, Performed by John Harrison,. Source: Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vivaldi_ _Four_Seasons_1_Spring_mvt_1_Allegro_-_John_Harrison_violin.oga>,License: Public Domain (composition) / Creative Commons (recording)

Ghost Entrance: Source: https://www.zapsplat.com/page/6/?s=ghost&post_type=music&sound-effect-category-id

https://zapsplat.net/zapsplat-sounds/download.php?fileName=sound_design_texture_ghostly_pass.mp3&expiry=1601608139,LLicense: Creative Commons.

“Vespro Della Beata Vergine/ Deus In Adiutorium - Domine Ad Adiuvandum”, by Claudio Monteverdi, Performed by Schwäbischer Singkreis; Hans Grischkat, Source: https://dn721902.ca.archive.org/0/items/lp_vespro-della-beata-vergine_claudio-monteverdi-schwabischer-singkredisc1/01.01.%20Vespro%20Della%20Beata%20Vergine%3A%20Deus%20In%20Adiutorium%20-%20Domine%20Ad%20Adiuvandum.mp3. License: Public Domain (composition) / Creative Commons (recording) 0:00-00:30.

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