20th Century Radicals

For the first episode of the series we are in mid-50s Europe, in a Germany searching for a new identity, amongst composers who were looking for a new artistic way forward amidst the dominant cultural influence and reorientation policies of America. In the midst of this environment, one particular composer - himself scarred by the immediate impact of the war - is making waves. His name is Karlheinz Stockhausen, and this is the story of his pioneering work for three orchestras: Gruppen.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century, beginning with Stockhausen's landmark work for three orchestras, Gruppen.

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In this second episode we are in America at the end of the 1910s. A French composer in his early 30s arrives in New York. As he steps off the boat and begins to find his feet in this unfamiliar land, his ears meet an array of novel sounds and his mind is full with groundbreaking music he has carried with him from Europe. The New World would prove to be a place of transformation for Varèse. Surrounded by a circle of new artistic acquaintances as well as the sheer noise of the traffic, building work and sirens of the city, he would go on to reinvent the sound of the orchestra, starting with the first work he composed in the USA: Amériques.

Gillian Moore shines new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. In this episode, Gillian's focus is on Edgard Varèse's Amériques.

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In this third episode, Kate explores the quietly revolutionary world of Pauline Oliveros, focusing in on the American composer's protest work 'To Valerie Solanas And Marilyn Monroe in Recognition of their Desperation' (1970). Hugely affected by the social upheaval and political crises of the time, and inspired by the beginnings of the radical feminist movement in 1960s America, Oliveros would rebel, not through violence, but through the art of listening and what she called 'Sonic Meditation'. This would culminate in a work which paid tribute to two women driven by the times to desperation - Valerie Solanas, author of the SCUM manifesto, and Marilyn Monroe.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the quietly revolutionary world of Pauline Oliveros.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This is a story about a hundred years of change. Of war. Of oppression. Of steps towards equality. Of censorship. Of rapid, inescapable technological advancement. Of machines. Of transport. Of science... And it's the story of how art and music responded, the story of the composers who defined the 20th century, who created 'modern' musical art which would shock, appal and fascinate in equal measure, changing the way we listen for ever.

In this episode, Gillian explores the crystalline musical world of Japanese composer Tŀ?ru Takemitsu, centring on his work 'From me flows what you call time' from 1990. The composer's mind had been opened to the power and possibility of music during the Second World War, when an officer played the fourteen year old child soldier Takemitsu a French song. This was the beginning of an artistic journey, one that would initially see the composer reject the Japanese musical culture of his upbringing before later learning to cherish it thanks to the unlikely impact of the American iconoclast composer John Cage. Takemitsu's musical heritage, the inspiration he took from the natural world, and his personal theories on music, spirituality and eternity would all make their way into his work ‘From me flows what you call time', written to celebrate the centenary of the Carnegie Hall.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals ?.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the crystalline musical world of Tŀ?ru Takemitsu.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This is a story about a hundred years of change. Of war. Of oppression. Of steps towards equality. Of censorship. Of rapid, inescapable technological advancement. Of machines. Of transport. Of science... And it's the story of how art and music responded, the story of the composers who defined the 20th century, who created 'modern' musical art which would shock, appall and fascinate in equal measure, changing the way we listen for ever.

In this episode, Kate explores one of the largest musical happenings in the history of music – José Maceda's ‘Ugnayan' of 1974. With potentially millions of performers and listeners involved, the piece took over an entire megalopolis in the Philippines, as twenty distinct musical tracks were played out on different radio frequencies simultaneously. In telling its remarkable story, Kate traces the history of modern art in the Philippines, examining Maceda's connections with some of the leading composers of the avant-garde and his commitment to the emerging world of ethnomusicology. We'll also hear about the controversial political collusion which made ‘Ugnayan' possible in the first place, and listen to a large part of this epic work alongside music by Iannis Xenakis, Isang Yun and Midori Takada.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals ?

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on 'modern' music. This week, Kate explores one of the largest ever avant-garde musical happenings: José Maceda's 'Ugnayan'.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This is a story about a hundred years of change. Of war. Of oppression. Of steps towards equality. Of censorship. Of rapid, inescapable technological advancement. Of machines. Of transport. Of science... And it's the story of how art and music responded, the story of the composers who defined the 20th century, who created 'modern' musical art which would shock, appall and fascinate in equal measure, changing the way we listen for ever.

In this episode, Gillian explores the theatrical, satirical world of the Buenos Aires-born composer Mauricio Kagel, concentrating on his 1964 work 'Match'. Kagel was influenced by both the magic realism of his teacher, the author Jorge Luis Borges, and his own rebellions against both the regime of Juan Perón and what he saw as the bourgeois history of classical music. In the 1950s, he joined the Argentinian artistic avant-garde in fleeing to Europe where greater freedom allowed him to experiment with instrumental techniques, compositional forms and performance traditions, leading to 'Match' in 1964, and piece written for two competing cellists, separated on stage by a percussionist umpire!

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the theatrical, satirical world of Mauricio Kagel's 'Match'.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This is a story about a hundred years of change. Of war. Of oppression. Of steps towards equality. Of censorship. Of rapid, inescapable technological advancement. Of machines. Of transport. Of science... And it's the story of how art and music responded, the story of the composers who defined the 20th century, who created 'modern' musical art which would shock, appall and fascinate in equal measure, changing the way we listen for ever.

In this episode, Kate explores the violent, architectural music of Iannis Xenakis, leading to a full performance of his “abstract ballet ? ‘Antikthon'. In doing so, we travel from the war-torn streets of Greece in the 1940s, to the heart of a '50s Paris riding The New Wave. Along the way, we enter the heat and ritual of ancient Greece and Pythagorean theory, and pay visits to the studios of the architect Le Corbusier and the musique concrète pioneer Pierre Schaeffer.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the violent, architectural music of Iannis Xenakis.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore explore the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This is a story about a hundred years of change. Of war. Of oppression. Of steps towards equality. Of censorship. Of rapid, inescapable technological advancement. Of machines. Of transport. Of science... And it's the story of how art and music responded, the story of the composers who defined the 20th century, who created 'modern' musical art which would shock, appall and fascinate in equal measure, changing the way we listen for ever.

This week, Gillian explores the spiritually-charged music of Sofia Gubaidulina (1931-2025), including a full performance of the work which led to her recognition outside of the Soviet Union: the Violin Concerto 'Offertorium'. The score of this piece had to be smuggled out of the Soviet Union for performance in Europe by it's dedicatee Gidon Kremer, who was in exile, having refused to return to the country after a two-year period of permission to perform worldwide. Gillian discovers how the composer reconnected with her nationality through folk music, and explores how Gubaidulina's incorporation of the music of her devout faith into her work represented a major act of rebellion.

I am a religious Russian Orthodox person and I understand ‘religion' in the literal meaning of the word, as ‘re-ligio', that is to say the restoration of connections, the restoration of the ‘legato' of life. There is no more serious task for music than this.' — Sofia Gubaidulina

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the spiritual music of the Soviet-born Sofia Gubaidulina.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the sensuous, textural music of American composer Morton Feldman, leading to a full performance of one of his late masterpieces, 'Coptic Light' from 1985. Along the way, we'll discover the concert that led to Feldman and John Cage becoming lifelong friends, visit a hippy haven in London for a lesson in listening and “anti-composition ?, and encounter the painters who inspired Feldman to create his long-form and extremely quiet texturally-obsessed late works.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the sensuous, textural music of Morton Feldman.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores Arnold Schoenberg's expressionist masterpiece Pierrot Lunaire of 1912 and examines why early 20th Century Vienna was the perfect environment to push the limits of the harmonic language which had been forged there centuries earlier by Mozart and Haydn.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week Gillian explores Arnold Schoenberg's expressionist masterpiece Pierrot Lunaire.

This programme features an extract from 'Serial Offender: Arnold Schoenberg's Twelve Tone Adventure', produced by Andrew McGibbon, a Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast: 3rd September 2024)

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the highly-charged political music of English experimental composer Cornelius Cardew, leading to full performance of his work The Great Learning: Paragraph 7. We will dip into Hungarian performance art, the niche Hillbilly free minimalism movement, and an Italian improvisation tribe. Plus Kate finds out how Cardew abandoned the avant-garde and turned on his previous mentor Stockhausen.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the highly-charged political music of Cornelius Cardew.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the controversial and visionary musical world of Julius Eastman, leading to full performance of his work Evil N****r from 1979. Along the way, we visit a mad English king via the Manchester School and dive headlong into the hedonistic New York scene of the late 1970s, when queer identity and Black culture were finding their voices, disco was queen and hip hop emerging, and minimalism represented a scandalous new art form.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the powerful and delicate musical worlds of Julius Eastman.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the subtle, slowing-morphing music of Eliane Radigue, leading to full performance of her early synthesizer masterpiece Geelriandre. On the way, we'll pay a visit to the artistic worlds of Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein, and Agnes Martin, find a pianist who left his own blood splattered on the keyboard, and discover the “love at first sight ? which would define Radigue's life.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the subtle, slowing-morphing music of Eliane Radigue.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the sparkling, magical, crystalline music of Oliver Knussen, leading to a full performance of his landmark third Symphony, first heard at the BBC Proms in 1979. We'll delve into fairytale worlds of Hans Werne Henze, examine the the compositions of Kaija Saariaho and encounter the multiple layers of sound within the music of Elliot Carter.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week Gillian explores the magical crystalline music of Oliver Knussen.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode Kate explores the violent, primordial music of Harrison Birtwistle, leading to full performance of one of his greatest works - Secret Theatre. We'll hear about the extraordinary party which shaped Birtwistle's style, traverse the ancient traditions of England's distant past and discover how Birtwistle channeled a sense of deep mythic time into his knotty, visceral music.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week Kate explores the violent, primordial music of Harrison Birtwistle.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the beautiful, fractious musical world of the Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, leading to a full performance of his 3rd Symphony. We will explore the underground radical art of Poland created during a period of martial law in the 1980s, chance upon an out-of-tune masterpiece born from the loft scene in 1960s Manhattan, and travel back to the revolutionary music of Beethoven via the lens of a 20th-century Hungarian visionary.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the musical world of Lutoslawski's 3rd Symphony.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series about major 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them.

In this episode, Kate uncovers the creative journey which led to John Cage's 1951 Concerto for prepared piano and orchestra. By way of introduction to this piece, we will hear part of a radical work by one of Cage's own musical heroes Erik Satie, discover the influence of an unlikely early musical ally, and discover how a gift from a student revolutionised Cage's art and led to instrumental techniques which influenced a generation of avant-garde musicians.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the music of a pivotal figure in 20th Century music: John Cage.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the highly charged left wing politics of Luigi Nono's early pieces and finds a contrast with the quiet works which he composed in the later years of his life. On the way to a full performance of his final work 'Hay que caminar' soñando KOE 20A (premiered in Berlin in October, 1989), we explore the approaches of political composers in Italy who laid the groundwork for Nono's music, find ourselves wandering without destination with Morton Feldman, and discover how to listen truly deeply with Pauline Oliveros.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian delves into the quiet, late work of Luigi Nono.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the intense, short-form musical shadows created by György Kurtág, leading to full performance of his setting of Samuel Beckett's What is the Word – a work in which language itself is broken down into tiny parts. On the way, we'll find out what Béla Bartók referred to as his “mother tongue”, explore the tragedy inherent in the works of László Vidovszky, and discover a Hungarian visual artist whose paintings often feature tombstone motifs, a mirroring of the frequent musical memorials Kurtág himself makes for lost friends and colleagues.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the intense, shadow-forms created in the music of György Kurtág.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. Following on from Kate's exploration of the music of György Kurtág in last week's programme, here we travel through a sliding door as Gillian looks at the music of Kurtág's friend and contemporary and, in some ways, complete opposite: György Ligeti. While Kurtág spent the majority of his life behind the curtain in Hungary, Ligeti fled to the West and created works of flamboyant terror, violence and dark humour. In this programme, we'll meet the work which caused the famously straight Pierre Boulez to get the giggles, discover the element in Liegti's music that he likened to Brownian motion, and listen to a symphony scored for just four players. Our featured work is Ligeti's Requiem, first performed in Stockholm in 1965, an extraordinary choral work which features the composer's pioneering use of 'micropolyphony'.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. In this episode, Gillian finds tangled webs, humour and terror in music by György Ligeti.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the homemade instruments and microtonal experimentation of the boho American radical Harry Partch, leading to a performance of his piece And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma. Along the way, we'll stumble upon a forgotten Australian modernist who was working with the alternative tuning systems as early as the 1920s, discover how Partch's ultra modern music was inspired by Ancient Greece, and learn what the more modern popular maverick Tom Waits had to say about Partch's music.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the homemade instruments and microtonal sounds of Harry Partch.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian celebrates the life and music of Luciano Berio, a century on from the composer's birth on October 24th, 1925, in Liguria, Italy. At the heart of the programme is the chance to hear a full performance of A-Ronne, described as a “radiophonic documentary” and here realised by Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart with Peter Rundel at the helm. Along the way, we'll encounter an American singer giving voice to her internal world, learn how Berio's work in Paris had an important impact on '80s pop music, hear the work his key collaborator Bruno Maderna wrote to launch a satellite, and appreciate the overwhelming influence that Berio's first wife, Cathy Berberian, had on his music.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores Luciano Berio's “radiophonic documentary” A-Ronne.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them.

In this episode, Kate explores the history of Serialism - that terrifier of music theory students - and one of the key methods through which radical composers tried to break from the past during the 20th century. We'll pay a visit to both the Viennese master Arnold Schönberg and the Parisian author of an article entitled “Schönberg is Dead”; we'll find out which composer was nicknamed '12-Note Lizzie'; and we'll hear what happened when this controversial compositional technique crossed over into jazz culture. At the heart of the programme, the chance to listen to Milton Babbitt's landmark work Philomel (1964), which features scored parts for both live and pre-recorded soprano voice, and is one of the very first compositions for the synthesizer.

Born in Philadelphia in 1916, Babbitt was an American composer and academic whose interests included mathematical research and experiments with new electronic instruments. He was a founding member of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the history of Serialism through Milton Babbitt's work Philomel.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them.

This week, Gillian explores the role of the two Pierres - Schaeffer and Henry, and their Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète - in the development of electronic music. We'll track the influence of artists like Wassily Kandinsky on this revolution in music-making; travel to Britain, Japan and Egypt to see how a German invention propelled composers all across the globe down the path of manipulating recorded sound; and enjoy the whole of Schaeffer and Henry's mid-century masterpiece ‘Symphonie pour un homme seul' (1949–1950).

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

New light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. Gillian Moore explores the role of the two Pierres - Schaeffer and Henry - in the development of electronic music.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the philosophical musical world of Talib Rasul Hakim, leading to full performance of his work Placements (1970), scored for piano and percussion. Along the way, we visit the radical Dance Theatre of Harlem and marvel at the beauty of Chinese calligraphic brushstrokes.

We should try to come to the realisation that the process of creativity is a religious act. It is an act affirming life ...' ~ Talib Rasul Hakim in 'The Black Composer Speaks' (1978)

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the philosophical musical world of Talib Rasul Hakim.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This week, Gillian explores the brutal, austere musical world of Galina Ustvolskaya, a composer who seems to have revelled in the sense of loneliness; and leading up to a full performance of her Composition No. 2 'Dies irae' of 1973, we pay a visit to the huge theatre foyer panels painted by artist Yves Klein and explore another composer's failed attempt to avoid censorship in the Soviet Union.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the brutal musical world of Galina Ustvolskaya.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the underground, complex, brilliant musical works of Anthony Braxton, focusing in on one of his pieces of Ghost Trance Music which emerged in the 1990s. In Braxton's scores and his approach to performance we encounter nuanced compositional systems, visually-arresting graphic notation, and the search for ritualistic, meditative modes of being.

I would talk of Ghost Trance Musics as a way to move towards the supernatural, towards processes that transcend mental plane decision-making [...]' ~ Anthony Braxton in conversation with Graham Lock

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the underground, complex, systematic music of Anthony Braxton.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the music of Tristan Murail, including a full listen to his piece Désintégrations. We will pay a visit to the studios at IRCAM in the 1980s, find out how French artists in the 1970s led to the development of a new modernist musical genre, and revel in the life cycle of a sound.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, 'ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the world of spectralism and the music of Tristan Murail.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. This week, Kate explores the visionary music of Daphne Oram, electronic composer and co-founder of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, leading to a full listen to her 1972 work Bird of Parallax. En route, we'll visit the Brussels World Fair of 1958, consider the merging of nature and machine, and explore how Oram and other composers sought to intertwine sound and vision.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Radio 3's series shining new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate Molleson studies composer and co-founder of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Daphne Oram.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian celebrates the organic aliveness encountered in the music of the French-American composer Betsy Jolas, who was born in Paris in 1926. On the way to a full performance of her 1977 trumpet concerto Onze Lieder, we'll be pacified by lullabies, skirt the literary worlds of Joyce and Baudelaire, and discover the important role that languages - both real and invented - played for some of the 20th century's finest composers.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the organic aliveness of the music of Betsy Jolas.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, as Radio 3 embarks upon an American Roadtrip, Kate explores the revolutionary music of an early US maverick composer: Henry Cowell.

On our way to performances of his pieces Dynamic Motion (1916) and Five Encores to Dynamic Motion (1917) we'll meet the band of rebel musicians who gathered around Cowell; explore how, as a young man, the composer used cross-dressing to push against American machismo; and discover the scandal which led Charles Ives to give his fellow composer the silent treatment.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, 'ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the revolutionary compositions of US maverick, Henry Cowell.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the remarkable musical aesthetics of the Stuttgart-born composer Helmut Lachenmann, who celebrated his 90th birthday in November 2025.

On our way to a full performance of his piece Mouvement (– vor der Erstarrung) which was first performed in 1984, we'll encounter the composer's personal brand of 'instrumental musique concrète' and discover the transformational impact on Lachenmann of his private studies with Luigi Nono. 'This music embodies a life of setting up and breaking down,' the composer writes of our featured work, 'it is a music of dead movements, practically the last convulsions [...]

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the remarkable musical aesthetics of Helmut Lachenmann.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate enters the world of the pioneering Egyptian composer Halim El-Dabh, leading to his piece Leiyla and the Poet [1959]. Along the way, we'll delve into the ethnomusicology of fellow 20th-century composers, join the New York scene of the 1950s just off Broadway with Cage, Cowell and Martha Graham, and discover the American composer with whom El-Dabh shared a deep affinity.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the world of the pioneering Egyptian composer Halim El-Dabh.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the worlds of colour, ecstasy and birdsong to be found in the music of Olivier Messiaen, leading to a full listen to one of his most radicals pieces: 1960's Chronochromie. We will find out how Messiaen passed on his belief in the importance of light and colour to his students; discover a world of complexity which gave birth to a new musical movement; and meet the 'greatest of all organists' sitting at the keys of the organ of La Madeleine, Paris.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week: worlds of colour, ecstasy and birdsong in the music of a French master.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the microtonal music of the Czech radical Alois Hába, leading to a performance of his String Quartet No. 5 from 1923. Along the way, we'll find a Russian composer leaving his country because of his belief in the importance of abandoning equal temperament; discover why microtones might qualify as anti-bourgeois; and find a model for modern music in the Czech language itself.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the microtonal music of Czech radical Alois Hába.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the

groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the East-meets-West music of Maki Ishii, leading to a full listen to his work for gagaku and orchestra, So-Gu II of 1971. Setting Ishii's music in context, Gillian examines how other composers from Japan and the West sought to merge the disparate styles of these two musical worlds. 'Harmony' was not always the answer...

To listen on most smart speakers just say, 'ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the East-meets-West music of Maki Ishii.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the experimental sound environments of Alvin Lucier. Born in 1931, Lucier blurred the lines between music, sound, science and life in his role as a professor of music at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

We'll throw ourselves into Lucier's immersive musical world, traversing heavy avant-garde experiences of Europe to discover an artist experimenting with electrical walks and pondering the phenomenon of physical sound. At the heart of the programme is Lucier's iconic 1969 work “I am Sitting in a Room”, in which the composer speaks a text into a microphone, repeating the same paragraph 32 times: 'I am sitting in a room different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed...

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

This episode features an extract from an interview with Alvin Lucier recorded for Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone in 2013. For more playlists from creators of underground and experimental music search for Freak Zone Playlist in BBC Sounds.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the experimental sound environments of Alvin Lucier.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the music of the Dutch radical Louis Andriessen, leading to a full listen to his work De Staat or The Republic of 1976. To get there, Gillian traverses the thorny issue of Stravinsky vs Schoenberg, finds a noisy disruption at a Concertgebouw concert, and tries to get to the bottom of what “Unpolite Minimalism” might encompass...

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the music of the Dutch radical Louis Andriessen.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate journeys into the unique musical universe of Lucia Dlugoszewski, leading to a full performance of her work for brass and an orchestra of invented percussion instruments 'Tender Theatre Flight Nageire' from the 1970s. We'll rub shoulders with the avant-garde crowd of New York's experimental art scene in the 1950s; visit the dance companies of Erick Hawkins and Merce Cunningham; and discover which work John Cage got Dlugoszewski to play to Arnold Schoenberg. Plus, Kate explores Dlugoszewski's philosophy of musical immediacy.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the unique musical universe of Lucia Dlugoszewski.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the music of Finland's Kaija Saariaho, leading to a full listen to her 1987 work Io, composed for the 10th anniversary cele­brations of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Along the way, we'll pay another visit to that city's famous basement bunker at IRCAM, discover music from Korea inspired by the natural world, and find out why Io made use of a particular technology that was in the process of becoming defunct -

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Gillian explores the music of Finland's Kaija Saariaho.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Kate explores the many imaginary worlds of Claude Vivier, leading to a full performance of his work Zipangu from 1980. We'll enter the musical universe of sound poetry, find out who it was who got to extended techniques before John Cage, and embark upon journeys to Japan, Iran and Bali.

To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate explores the sonic realms conjured by Canadian composer Claude Vivier.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore conclude their landmark series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th Century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this final show, they share highlights from the series and pay tribute to some of the composers who they haven't had the chance to feature. Their primary work for this last dive into the radical sounds of the previous century is one of its landmark works, the piece which placed Pierre Boulez at the vanguard of mid-century modernism: Le marteau sans maître.

Produced by Sam Phillips

A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3

To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th Century.

For the final show in the series, Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore explore a piece which placed its composer at the vanguard of mid-century modernism: Le marteau sans maître.

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Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore host BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In a special seasonal episode, and with prepared sleigh bells at the ready, Kate and Gillian present the radio equivalent of a radical advent calendar, unveiling the various ways in which adventurous composers of the 20th century have explored the themes of Christmas and the festive season in their work. Featuring music from Sun Ra, Robert Ashley and Olivier Messiaen, and leading to a full performance of Jonathan Harvey's 1986 composition honouring the Virgin Mary, ‘Madonna of Winter and Spring'.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore shine new light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. This week, Kate and Gillian explore radical music for the festive season.

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