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Leos Janacek's personal and powerful String Quartet No. 2 was inspired by the unrequited love he held for a much younger, married woman — and by the 700 letters he wrote to her.

Legendary pianist Hank Jones was one of Marian McPartland's first guests when she began Piano Jazz more than 30 years ago. Jones died earlier this year, but in this 2009 session, McPartland asked another of her favorite pianists, Bill Charlap, to take a turn on the host's bench to catch up with Jones.

With its German text and emphasis on consoling the living, Brahms' decidedly non-Latin Requiem was unlike anything that had come before it. Hear conductor Otto Klemperer's soulful rendering of Brahms' personal and rapturous music.

Bach's Goldberg Variations function not only as a brilliant investigation of a sublime theme, but also as a masterly compendium of style and a study in how to write idiomatically for the keyboard. Murray Perahia's recording combines energetic rhythms with seasoned musicality.

NPR's Melissa Block has been asking musicians about songs that conjure up memories of summer. For legendary New Orleans singer Aaron Neville, that song is "Ting-a-Ling," by the rhythm-and-blues group The Clovers.

Wye Oak build songs around simple ideas that can seem opaque, but always pack an unexpected kick. Take It In could be about a fight between two people who know each other very well — in addition to being bandmates, Stack and Wasner are a couple — and bash at each other with everything they have in an effort to keep the relationship alive.

The singer and songwriter's new double album, High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, is a tribute to the old-time country banjo player who died in 1931.

Mike Disfarmer snapped portraits of anyone and everyone in the small town of Heber Springs, Ark. The photos spanned a period from the Great Depression through World War II. Guitarist Bill Frisell composed a series of musical vignettes based for Disfarmer's work on a new album appropriately called Disfarmer.

Few groups get to achieve a 50th anniversary, but the pioneering American folk trio the got to do just that this year. The release of a three-disc commemorative set by the New Lost City Ramblers was darkened, though, but the death of co-founder Mike Seeger.

"Afropean" singer Marie Daulne is Zap Mama. She formed the group as an a cappella quintet in the late '80s, influenced by Central Asian pygmy music. But over the years, Daulne took on more members and transformed Zap Mama into a pan-global dance group. In a session from KEXP, the group performs new songs.