What makes something great? When it comes to music, well, that's a complex question. I'll leave that to Robert Kapilow, who has built a career on defining the precise elements that distinguish a masterwork. Dubbed “the Pied Piper of Music” and “classical music's greatest evangelist,” composer/conductor/pianist/commentator Kapilow is known throughout the country for his jolly discussion series, What Makes It Great, which with humor and daring initiates the clueless into the mysteries of famous classical compositions. His philosophy is simple: Involve the listener. “Music is not a passive thing,” he insists. “It should be like an engaged conversation.” With his bubbly rapid-fire, standup-comedy approach, one can't help but enter into the fun. This week, Kapilow explores one of the most popular of all classical works, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, with violinist Chee-Yun and the Riverside County Philharmonic.

Wed., Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m., 2010

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