Rob Kapilow's What Makes It Great?
Igal Kesselman, piano
Lecture on Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata, Episode 1

For over 25 years, Rob Kapilow has performed his “What Makes It Great?” Series bringing the joy and wonder of classical music—and unraveling some of its mysteries—to audiences around the world, performing with the greatest orchestras and soloists alive today. Now for the first time, these Lecture/Concerts are available as digital media. The first to be released is Kapilow's lecture on Beethoven's seminal Appassionata Sonata performed by internationally renowned pianist Igal Kesselman. “What Makes It Great?” has sold out regular subscription series in places as diverse as Kansas City and Cerritos, as well as New York’s Lincoln Center, the Celebrity Series of Boston, the Smithsonian Institution and all over Canada plus performances on PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center.
What Makes It Great? Intro



Rob Kapilow
Igal Kesselman
Beethoven
Rob Kapilow's What Makes It Great?
“It’s a cheering thought that this kind
of missionary enterprise did not pass from this earth
with Leonard Bernstein. We need him.
The Boston Globe
“Mr. Kapilow is a born educator. An enthusiastic and diminutive fellow,
he is especially adept at physically following the music, making it
instantly intelligible for the un-initiated. He is also able to discuss music
on two simultaneous levels, thus satisfying neophytes and
sophisticates alike.
The New York Times
Kansas City Star
“If you think you don’t like classical music, you haven’t met Rob
Kapilow…He’s as lively as a top-flight sports announcer and as
entertaining as a stand-up comedian.
But he’s also got substance in spades.”
Appassionata Movement 1