Once upon a time, classical music was pop, so today it's worth stepping back and asking: where does one genre stop and the other begin? Can classical ever be popular again? And why do only some classical tracks makes for good samples? Luckily James Bennett II of classical station WQXR is on hand to break down these and other musical conundrums, including but not limited to: killer opera clowns, Bach hip hop hybrids, and the namesake album of this very podcast.Songs discussed:Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra - ChaconneEnrico Caruso - Vesti la GiubbiaMario Lanza - Because You’re MineWendy Carlos - Prelude and Fugue in C MinorJackie Evancho - Nessun DormaJackie Evancho - BurnLindsay Stirling - UndergroundVitamin String Quartet - ShallowFlorence Price - Symphony 1Nas - I CanBlack Eyed Peas - Back 2 Hip HopVictoria - ImpropreiaKanye West - GoneCheck out more of James's writing here: https://www.wqxr.org/people/james-bennett-ii/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices