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Verdi trumps Shakespeare by inserting a hauntingly beautiful "Ave Maria" into his operatic version of Othello.

Listen Verdi's Brilliantly Inauthentic 'Ave Maria'

December 4, 2008 – Hear how Verdi's remarkably beautiful "Ave Maria" transforms his opera Otello.

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A bread line forms outside of the Rescue Society in New York City in 1929. "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" directly confronted the hardship of the Great Depression.

Listen A Depression-Era Anthem For Our Times

November 15, 2008 – "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" rings true in a modern climate of financial uncertainty.

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America's amber waves of grain inspired teacher Katharine Lee Bates to write the poem later used in the song "America the Beautiful."

Listen The Power Behind 'America The Beautiful'

November 4, 2008 – Election Day is a fine time to explore this anthem's timeless pull on America's heartstrings.

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American composer George Gershwin in 1925.

Listen A Languid Look Back To Gershwin's 'Summertime'

October 23, 2008 – Revisit the summer of 2008 by reveling in George Gershwin's languid, gently rocking "Summertime."

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Actress and singer Judy Garland wearing as Dorothy from director Victor Fleming's film, The Wizard of Oz.

Listen 'Over The Rainbow,' From Kansas To Oz

October 15, 2008 – Rob Kapilow reveals the emotional narrative in Harold Arlen's song, based on two simple notes.

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Czech Composer Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904).

Read From The Heartland: Dvorak's 'American' Quartet

July 5, 2004 – Commentator Rob Kapilow offers a guide through the "American" Quartet by Antonin Dvorak.

50 GREAT VOICES

Caballé could be imposing at full voice, but she showed her real greatness when singing intimately.

Montserrat Caballé: A Voice Of Passionate Grandeur

Caballé could be imposing at full voice, but she showed her real greatness when singing intimately.

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