First Movement

Classical music for people starting from zero

Lena Hartwig2 episodes2 min of audio71 playsEpisodic

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S1 · E2Aug 4, 20260:4842 plays Preview

A string quartet, and why four people can sound like an argument

Lena introduces the string quartet with a piece you may not know, explaining how four instruments talk, interrupt and agree, and what to listen for the second time.

S1 · E1Jul 20, 20260:5129 plays Members

What is a symphony, and why does it have four parts

Lena starts from zero with a famous symphony, explaining what a movement is, why there are four, what a theme sounds like and when it is fine to clap.

About the show

First Movement is a classical music show for complete beginners, made by someone who remembers being one. Lena Hartwig, a violist who spent fifteen years in German orchestras, takes one piece per episode and listens through it with you, pausing to explain what a movement is, why the orchestra suddenly goes quiet, what a theme sounds like when it comes back changed, and what to listen for the second time. There is no assumption of knowledge and no snobbery about where you start. Each episode runs about 35 minutes and alternates between a famous piece and something you have probably never heard. Lena also answers listener questions, such as when to clap, what a conductor actually does and whether it is fine to listen on cheap headphones. New episodes every Sunday. It is for anyone who has felt classical music was a closed door and wanted somebody to open it gently.

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