John McWhorter - Lover of Language
From Classical Music Happy Hour by WNYC, WQXR
April 1, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 5
About this episode
John McWhorter discusses language, music, and the nuances of classical pieces with Manny.
Columbia University Professor of Linguistics John McWhorter, chats with Manny about swear words, Broadway, and tackles the conundrums of musical etymology. McWhorter also makes the case for the brilliant first movement of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor. The two then square off in a game about famous classical pieces that bombed at their premieres.
People in this episode
Host: Manny
Guest: John McWhorter
Topics covered
- linguistics
- classical music
- swear words
- musical etymology
- Broadway
- game
Keywords
- linguistics
- Brahms
- Clarinet Quintet
- swear words
- musical etymology
- Broadway
- classical music
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Columbia University
Books & works: Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor
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