Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media:

Logo image

Find Us on Social Media:

Download Our Mobile App:

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersAnnual EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

Visit Help CenterContact UsHow to Listen

©2025 Classical California

Sweepstakes RulesFCC ComplianceLocal Public FilesCPB ComplianceAnnual EEO ReportPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

articles / Pop Culture

Guess What I Dreamed Up!

Pop Culture

At least two well-known composers wrote pieces that they said started with a dream.

Around 1750 the great violinist Giuseppe Tartini dreamed that he made a deal with the devil for his soul. He handed the devil his violin. “Imagine my astonishment when I heard a sonata so unusual and so beautiful, performed with such mastery and intelligence, on a level I had never before conceived was possible. I was so overcome that I stopped breathing and woke up gasping.” Tartini attempted to reproduce the music in his dream and wrote the virtuosic violin sonata that’s known as “The Devil’s Trill.”

Igor Stravinsky told a similar story about his Octet (1923). “The Octet began with a dream. I found myself in a small room surrounded by a small group of instrumentalists who were playing some very agreeable music. I did not recognize the music they played, and I could not recall any of it the next day, but I do remember my curiosity – in the dream – to know how many musicians there were. I remember, too, that after I had counted them to the number eight, I looked again and saw that they were playing bassoons, trombones, trumpets, a flute, and a clarinet. I awoke from this little dream concert in a state of delight and the next morning I began to compose the Octet.”

Pop Culture
Written by:
Alan Chapman
Alan Chapman
Published on 12.11.2017
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

KDFC Hosts Reflect on 25 Years of MTT

KDFC Hosts Reflect on 25 Years of MTT

Celebrating Michael Tilson Thomas' 25-year tenure as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, KDFC hosts share their personal memories and experiences with MTT.

04/15/2020
An Observation as I Move On

An Observation as I Move On

Reflecting on his retirement, the author describes his final weeks on air as "weird and wonderful", appreciating the listener's support and his journey with classical music on KDFC.

05/11/2018
A World War I Setting for ‘Boheme’

A World War I Setting for ‘Boheme’

Opera San José presents La Bohème, set post-WWI, directed by Michael Shell. The production, running until April 30th, connects to Shell's previous work, Silent Night.

09/19/2017
Why Do You Play That?

Why Do You Play That?

This article explores the musical journeys of renowned musicians Emmanuel Pahud, James Galway, Andrew Manze, and Sergei Nakariakov, highlighting their initial interests and eventual specialties.

07/13/2017
The London Symphony Brings New-Fangled Tech to the Concert Hall

The London Symphony Brings New-Fangled Tech to the Concert Hall

Visual artist Tobias Gremmler uses motion capture technology to animate a sequence from Disney's Fantasia, led by Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony.

03/22/2017
Special Music for Special Friends

Special Music for Special Friends

This article explores how different animals react to music, from dogs enjoying classical tunes to cats responding to specific frequencies, and birds' brains reacting similarly to humans.

11/18/2016