The Necessary Show

Ryan Turner, top choral conductor and proud Texan, trains his discerning ear on the world of country music and points out some of the best male voices: Charley Pride, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Jimmie Allen, and more. Links and credits for this episode are at TheNecessary.net.

It's just a little song about a fishing girl, but "Das Fischermädchen" contains hidden depths. As with any Schubert song, there are many plausible ways to perform it. The musicologist Susan Youens considers the lovely possibilities. (Links and credits for this episode are at TheNecessary.net.)

Can listening to Bach make you a better person? The Nobel Prize-winning biologist Bruce Beutler believes his obsession with the German master makes him a better scientist, at least. (Links and credits for this episode are at TheNecessary.net.)

If you think you don't like opera, Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, with its rambunctious servants, sexual intrigue, and beautiful tunes, could change your mind. It got Myra Durkin hooked on classical music for life. Listen to her tips on how to approach this famous work. (Links and credits for this episode are at TheNecessary.net.)