What makes a great melody great? PT commentator and composer Robert Kapilow says it�s the element of surprise and hidden treasures that make melodies special: �Melodies are really like journeys�filled with passages where you know where you�re going, and then stunning surprises, where the world looks completely different from anything you ever expected.� On this edition of Milestones of the Millennium, PT host Lisa Simeone is joined by Kapilow and other composers, musicians and music fans who give their insights on the power and allure of a great melody.

Dictionary definitions of the word �melody� just don�t seem to get the real message across. But Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart shuns the need for a technical definition. He says that the very essence of a good melody is intangible; sure it�s a series of tones, but really it�s something emotionally compelling that�s �gotta have heart.� As PT learned through an informal poll of musicians, people are more inclined to cite examples of great melodies than to define the concept. Giacomo Puccini was one composer whose works came up repeatedly. We listen to Luciano Pavarotti sing the aria �Nessun Dorma� from Puccini�s opera �Turandot.�

Composer and author Alice Parker finds the source of melody in simple words, but still finds it difficult to list her own favorites--each one is special in its own way. She highlights the importance of the phrase, an element of a melody that can be sung in one human breath. There is also an enduring quality in great melodies, and she feels that many works by Brahms, Gershwin and Cole Porter offer great examples.

Aren�t great melodies memorable and easy to sing along to? To test this question we let concert goers at Wolf Trap Farm Park in Vienna, VA weigh in, while belting out their own favorite tunes. We also hear how composers have continued on the constant quest for great melodies during the 20th century, including three songs from the Gershwin songbook performed by pianist William Bolcom.

Sitting at a piano in PT�s Studio 4A, Kapilow demonstrates what makes a great Romantic melody by deconstructing �The Swan� from "Carnival of the Animals" by Camille Saint-Saens. Later, we hear the full piece performed by cellist Mischa Maisky and pianists Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire. Throughout the hour we hear many other examples, including great melodies by composers from Mozart to Rachmaninoff, and from Bach to the Beatles.

Listen as Lisa, composers, musicians and everyday music fans discuss, play and sing their favorite melodies on Milestones of the Millenium. Note: Some music parts have been edited from the commentary due to internet rights issues. (This audio segment requires the free RealPlayer 5.0 or higher. You can also listen with a 14.4 connection)