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Host Bob Edwards talks with Jon Pareles, music critic for the New York Times. Pareles has logged year after year reviewing holiday releases, and says the Christmas music genre does a good job of representing the wide array of American attitudes toward the holiday. And, while there's a plethora of recordings out there, Pareles says a few notable ones do stand out.

Ben Affleck directs a movie that tries (and fails) to squeeze dramatic tension out of the origins of the Air Jordan. Matt Damon and Viola Davis star in this soulless dramatization.

The Brazilian singer Flora Purim helped create the sound of jazz fusion. Now, as she releases what she says will be her final album, it's time to give her artistic legacy its due.

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with Adrian Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn, members of the band Bandits on the Run and stand-out entrants in this year's Tiny Desk Contest.

The Fourth Symphony is too often overshadowed by Beethoven’s more dynamic Third and Fifth symphonies. Following the monumental "Eroica" in chronology but not in style, the Fourth was closer to the more classical first two symphonies in the estimation of contemporaries.

A contentious labor dispute between the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and its musicians has reached a breaking point.

The Polish composer enjoyed enormous success after a 1992 recording of his haunting Symphony No. 3 became a surprise hit around the world. Hear an interview with Gorecki and excerpts of his music.

Kwamé Ryan is the orchestra's first Black conductor.

Beethoven's Third Symphony is regarded as a turning point in musical history, and it marks the beginning of his career's second period. The "Eroica" was long, technically challenging and aimed at more than entertainment — components that initially confused critics.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts all nine symphonies this year. He spoke about the surprisingly political side of Beethoven's music with All Things Considered.