Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Making Of Music | 20070917 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 36/60. Exotic Paris In 1890s France, Claude Debussy was looking for a sound that would move music into the new century. He produced music that was original, daring but immediately accepted by audiences. Including L'apres midi d'un faune, Pelleas et Melisande and Pagodes. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070918 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 37/60. Fakes and Mystics The fashion for mysticism at the beginning of the 20th century played a part in musical history. Scriabin, a Russian composer, spent his career trying to depict the mystical in his work, such as in Prometheus, the Poem of Fire. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070919 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 38/60. Pre-War Vienna At the turn of the century, Vienna was one of the most exciting cities in the world. Alongside the ideas of Freud and the paintings of Klimt, composer Schoenberg was exploring new musical forms that he would eventually make his own. Music includes his Transfigured Night. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070920 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 39/60. Elgar Elgar's music has become emblematic of England. But does his music merely express jingoistic nationalism, or is there a deeper understanding of English values? Music includes Falstaff. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070921 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 40/60. A Riot In May 1913, the first night of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring caused a riot in Paris. Why did it create such an uproar and how did it become an iconic piece of the age? Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070924 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 41/60. The End of the Hapsburgs As the Austro-Hungarian Empire was disintegrating, the Czech composer Janacek became a poet of his times and his people by drawing on the culture of the new Czech lands that were forming. Including music by Janacek and Bartok. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070925 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 42/60. The Path to War Many composers' lives were shaped by the horrors of World War I. Some, like Ralph Vaughan Williams and Arnold Schoenberg, were drafted themselves. Including music by Gurney, Debussy and Berg. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070926 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 43/60. Out of Fashion After World War I, some composers were looking for a radical shift in classical music, while others, such as Strauss and Rachmaninov, carried on writing in old 19th century styles and went out of fashion. Music includes excerpts from Strauss's Elektra, songs by Rachmaninov, and The Tempest by Sibelius. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070927 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 44/60. Revolution in Russia The Russian Revolution had a huge impact on music. For some composers, it symbolised freedom, but for many others it meant being under suspicion. Including music by Roslavets, Miaskovsky and Prokofiev. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20070928 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 44/60. Jazz It bubbled up from the streets, drawing on the singing of spirituals and the early blues. But how did jazz influence classical composers like Stravinsky, Debussy and Satie? Music includes Stravinsky's Ragtime, Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand and Lambert's The Rio Grande. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071001 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 46/60. Into the Past In the 1920s, Stravinsky, Poulenc and Prokofiev looked to the past to give a new dimension to their music, and neo-classicism became the vogue. Music includes Stravinsky's Pulcinella and Prokofiev's Classical Symphony. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071002 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 47/60. Music for the Masses A new democracy started to rise in music as composers like Vaughan Williams and Carl Orff encouraged participation from their audiences, who were able to buy vinyl discs for the first time. Plus music by Weill and Hindemith. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071003 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 48/60. Cinema The film industry became the great patron of music in the 20th century. Including music by Max Steiner, who wrote scores for Casablanca and Gone with the Wind, and said film music 'should be felt and not heard'. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071004 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 49/60. Stalin When Stalin came to power, he wanted music that expressed socialist realism. How did composers like Shostakovich and Prokofiev fare under the Stalinist regime? Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071005 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 50/60. The Depression Despite the Wall Street Crash and falling record sales, music was booming. Radio was reaching millions, swing bands entertained at speakeasies and Porgy and Bess had its premiere. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071008 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 51/60. Second World War: Those Who Stayed Put Focusing on Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Tippett's A Child of Our Time and Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony, which was largely written during the 900-day siege of the city. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071009 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 52/60. Those Who Got Away The story of what happened to the musicians who were exiles from Hitler's Europe. Bartok and Schoenberg fled to America, while others, like Goldschmidt, came to England. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071010 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 53/60. Britain Victorious British composers responded to the war and its aftermath. Britten's Peter Grimes, first performed in June 1945, spoke to an audience that had been shaped by the experience of war. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071011 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 54/60. The Modernists A new generation of post-war composers, John Cage, Olivier Messiaen and Pierre Boulez, wanted to sweep away the past and make music speak for a new world. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071012 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, which connects historical events and their effect on the course of classical music. 55/60. Leonard Bernstein Bernstein embraced the classical and the popular and pulled them together. His West Side Story in 1957 filled concert halls and theatres the world over. Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071015 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, connecting historical events and their effect on classical music. 56/60. The Sixties Modern composers were trying to make their voices heard above the noise of pop culture. What were Stockhausen, John Tavener and Peter Maxwell Davies writing in the 1960s? Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071017 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, connecting historical events and their effect on classical music. 58/60. The Impact of Technology How have composers experimented with electronic technology to push the boundaries of what sounds are possible? And how have they used music to create the sounds of machines? Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071018 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, connecting historical events and their effect on classical music. 59/60. A Time of Plenty John Tavener's Song for Athene was played at Princess Diana's funeral. But what is the importance and impact of modern British composers? Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| The Making Of Music | 20071019 | Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series, connecting historical events and their effect on classical music. 60/60. The Making of Music Looking back at a journey from the early monasteries through the Renaissance, to the present day. Where have we come to and what is the current state of classical music? Performances of the music James Naughtie mentions in his Radio 4 series. | |||
| 01 | 01 | Origins | 20070604 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped classical music. The origins of this music begin in the churches and monasteries of the Christian world, from Constantinople in the East to Iona in Scotland. The building blocks of classical music were formed.
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey, Lucy Lunt
James Naughtie looks at classical music origins in churches and monasteries. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 01 | Origins | 20070604 | 20110627 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped classical music. The origins of this music begin in the churches and monasteries of the Christian world, from Constantinople in the East to Iona in Scotland. The building blocks of classical music were formed.
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey, Lucy Lunt
James Naughtie looks at classical music origins in churches and monasteries. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 02 | Notre Dame | 20070605 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Notre Dame in Paris was consecrated in 1163. Paris was the centre of intellecual life in Europe. As Notre Dame was being built, two men were writing the music that would fill it. Perotin and Leonin are the first named composers that come down to us through history.
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey , Lucy Lunt
As Notre Dame was built, composers Perotin and Leonin wrote music to fill it. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 02 | Notre Dame | 20070605 | 20110628 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Notre Dame in Paris was consecrated in 1163. Paris was the centre of intellecual life in Europe. As Notre Dame was being built, two men were writing the music that would fill it. Perotin and Leonin are the first named composers that come down to us through history.
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey , Lucy Lunt
As Notre Dame was built, composers Perotin and Leonin wrote music to fill it. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 03 | Troubadours | 20070606 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Across Europe in courts and great houses, music was beginning to celebrate the human as well as the divine. The Troubadours wrote songs of love, jealousy and betrayal.
Reader: Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC Birmingham.
In courts and great houses, the troubadours wrote secular songs of love and jealousy. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 03 | Troubadours | 20070606 | 20110629 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Across Europe in courts and great houses, music was beginning to celebrate the human as well as the divine. The Troubadours wrote songs of love, jealousy and betrayal.
Reader: Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC Birmingham.
In courts and great houses, the troubadours wrote secular songs of love and jealousy. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 04 | Burgundy | 20070607 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Philip The Good, the Duke of Burgundy funded great musicians Dufay and Binchois. They in turn were influenced by an English composer, John Dunstable. His style was imitated in the Burgundy court and gave music there ' an English countenance.'
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey and Lucy Lunt.
The Burgundy Court was influenced by the musical style of England's John Dunstable. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 04 | Burgundy | 20070607 | 20110630 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Philip The Good, the Duke of Burgundy funded great musicians Dufay and Binchois. They in turn were influenced by an English composer, John Dunstable. His style was imitated in the Burgundy court and gave music there ' an English countenance.'
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey and Lucy Lunt.
The Burgundy Court was influenced by the musical style of England's John Dunstable. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 05 | The Renaissance | 20070608 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music.The world was changing: in the Renaissance, man was well as God was celebrated in music and the arts. In Ferrara, Italy, Josquin Desprez wrote as mass that immortalised his patron, the Duke Ecole d'Este I. Missa Hercules dux Ferrariae was based on the syllables of the Dukes name.
Reader: Simon Russell Beale
Music and the arts were beginning to celebrate man as well as God. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 05 | The Renaissance | 20070608 | 20110701 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music.The world was changing: in the Renaissance, man was well as God was celebrated in music and the arts. In Ferrara, Italy, Josquin Desprez wrote as mass that immortalised his patron, the Duke Ecole d'Este I. Missa Hercules dux Ferrariae was based on the syllables of the Dukes name.
Reader: Simon Russell Beale
Music and the arts were beginning to celebrate man as well as God. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 06 | The Reformation | 20070611 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music.Why should the Devil ahve all the best tunes? Luther changed religion and religious music forever. He harnessed secular songs for sacred purposes and introduced congregational singing.
Reader: Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC Birmingham.
During the Reformation, Martin Luther harnessed secular songs for religious music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 06 | The Reformation | 20070611 | 20110704 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music.Why should the Devil ahve all the best tunes? Luther changed religion and religious music forever. He harnessed secular songs for sacred purposes and introduced congregational singing.
Reader: Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC Birmingham.
During the Reformation, Martin Luther harnessed secular songs for religious music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 07 | The Counter Reformation | 20070612 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Luther's hymns were accessible - and popular. The Counter Reformation responded to Luther's musical revolution by giving an edict that the words of church music had to be clear and understood. This is the story of the composer Palestrina who became embroiled in the politics of the high church.
Reader : Simon Russell Beale
The composer Palestrina became accidentally embroiled in the politics of the high church. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 07 | The Counter Reformation | 20070612 | 20110705 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Luther's hymns were accessible - and popular. The Counter Reformation responded to Luther's musical revolution by giving an edict that the words of church music had to be clear and understood. This is the story of the composer Palestrina who became embroiled in the politics of the high church.
Reader : Simon Russell Beale
The composer Palestrina became accidentally embroiled in the politics of the high church. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 08 | Venice | 20070613 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. An uncle and nephew, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli wrote music that filled St Marks Basilica, using the space as a stage for many voices. The music inspired travellers who passed through the Serene City, then the crossroads of the known world.
Reader: Laurence Fox.
Uncle and nephew Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli wrote music that filled St Mark's Basilica. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 08 | Venice | 20070613 | 20110706 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. An uncle and nephew, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli wrote music that filled St Marks Basilica, using the space as a stage for many voices. The music inspired travellers who passed through the Serene City, then the crossroads of the known world.
Reader: Laurence Fox.
Uncle and nephew Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli wrote music that filled St Mark's Basilica. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 09 | Elizabeth I | 20070614 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Two composers, William Byrd and Thomas Tallis, turned the end of the sixteenth century into a golden age for English music, despite being on the wrong side of the political and religious divide.
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey and Lucy Lunt
In the Elizabethan age, composers Byrd and Tallis revealed the religious divide. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 09 | Elizabeth I | 20070614 | 20110707 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Two composers, William Byrd and Thomas Tallis, turned the end of the sixteenth century into a golden age for English music, despite being on the wrong side of the political and religious divide.
Produced by Rosie Boulton, Sara Conkey and Lucy Lunt
In the Elizabethan age, composers Byrd and Tallis revealed the religious divide. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 10 | The Birth of Opera | 20070615 | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Opera was invented by a group of Italian intellectuals called the Camerata in Florence around 1600. They stumbled across something extraordinary - why not tell a story in music? It took off and soon theatres were springing up all over Italy - forty in Venice alone.
Reader Benedict Cumberbatch
The idea of telling a story in music proved immediately successful across Italy. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 10 | The Birth of Opera | 20070615 | 20110708 (R4) | James Naughtie discovers how history has shaped the development of classical music. Opera was invented by a group of Italian intellectuals called the Camerata in Florence around 1600. They stumbled across something extraordinary - why not tell a story in music? It took off and soon theatres were springing up all over Italy - forty in Venice alone.
Reader Benedict Cumberbatch
The idea of telling a story in music proved immediately successful across Italy. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |
| 01 | 11 | The Sun King | 20070618 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
11/30. The Sun King
Jean-Baptiste Lully, despite his reputation as a notorious libertine, became the composer to Louis XIV. His music, used in extravagant court dances and spectacles, helped to establish the Sun King's image as a divine monarch.
Read by Laurence Fox and Benedict Cumberbatch.
How English composer John Dunstable's music travelled to the Burgundy court. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 12 | The Violin | 20070619 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
12/30. The Violin.
The design and production of the violin were perfected in Cremona around 1700. The music of Antonio Vivaldi established the instrument's popularity.
Read by Laurence Fox.
The design of the violin was perfected in Cremona around 1700. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 13 | The Puritans | 20070620 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
13/30. The Puritans. Despite destroying church organs across the land, Oliver Cromwell privately not only appreciated music but also employed composers who used to work for the king to write for him and his new regime.
Oliver Cromwell not only appreciated music but also employed former royal composers. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 14 | The Restoration | 20070621 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
14/30. The Restoration
The return of Charles II from exile heralded a revival in English music. Among several composers to emerge was Henry Purcell, who wrote a song for the king's birthday when he was only 11.
Read by Simon Russell Beale.
The return of Charles II from exile heralded a revival in English music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 15 | Bach in Leipzig | 20070622 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
15/30. Bach in Leipzig
From a bustling town in Germany, a civic employee produced some of the most sublime church music ever written. Despite being frequently at loggerheads with his employers, Johann Sebastian Bach continued to compose at a prolific rate.
Johann Sebastian Bach produced some of the most sublime church music ever written. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 16 | Bach's St Matthew Passion | 20070625 | Johann Sebastian's recurring choral theme had a profound effect on the history of music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 17 | Handel | 20070626 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
17/30. Handel
German-born composer George Frideric Handel made English music great. He invented English oratorio and his Messiah became one of the foundation stones of the English choral tradition.
German-born composer George Frideric made English music great. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 18 | Rameau and the Philosophes | 20070627 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
17/30. Rameau and the Philosophes.
Paris during the 1750s was the centre of a clash of cultural ideas, with music at the forefront. The Paris Opera House was the centre of the Battle of the Fools, where arguments raged about absolutism and enlightenment.
Paris during the 1750s was the centre of a clash of cultural ideas. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 19 | Music and Society | 20070628 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
19/30. Music and Society
By the late 1700s, music was becoming part of the social fabric. Concerts and dances were regularly held in cities such as Bath and Oxford, and playing the piano was the accomplishment of every young lady.
By the late 1700s, music was becoming part of the social fabric. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 20 | Haydn and the Esterhazys | 20070629 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
20/30. Haydn and the Esterhazys
Employed by the hugely wealthy Esterhazy family, Joseph Haydn lived mainly in their isolated palace and produced music on demand. Of his prolific output, Haydn himself admitted that he was cut off from the outside world and forced to become original.
Joseph Haydn lived mainly in his patrons' isolated palace and produced music on demand. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 21 | Mozart | 20070702 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music. 21/30. Mozart In the middle of the 18th century composers needed patrons, but by the end of Mozart's life the world had changed. The composer as servant was becoming a thing of the past, and Mozart both benefited and suffered because of it. In the middle of the 18th century composers needed patrons, but this was soon to change. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 22 | Mozart's The Marriage Of Figaro | 20070703 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music. 22/30. Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro As France teetered towards revolution, the play on which Mozart's masterpiece was based was banned in its original form by Louis XVI. The story of a count being exposed and humiliated by his servant was described by Napoleon as the revolution in action. The play on which Mozart's opera was based was banned in its original form by Louis XVI. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 23 | The French Revolution | 20070704 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music. 23/30. The French Revolution One night in April 1792, a young French captain spent the night writing a marching tune. La Marseillaise became a national anthem, and music inspired by the revolution was everywhere. Read by Laurence Fox. La Marseillaise became a national anthem, and music inspired by revolution was everywhere. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 24 | Beethoven | 20070705 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
24/30. Beethoven
The great German composer worked at a time of seismic change in Europe. He was 19 at the start of the French Revolution and at his peak when Napoleon's empire was at its zenith. His music matches the ferment of the times.
Read by Simon Russell Beale.
The great German composer worked at a time of seismic change in Europe. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 25 | Beethoven's Eroica | 20070706 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music. 25/30. Beethoven's Eroica The original dedication to Napoleon was removed from the manuscript of Beethoven's Symphony No 3, allegedly by the composer's own hand, when Napoleon declared himself Emperor in 1804. Read by Simon Russell Beale. The composer allegedly removed his original dedication to Napoleon from the manuscript. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 26 | Schubert and the Piano | 20070709 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
26/30. Schubert and the Piano
Vienna in the 1820s. The piano became mass manufactured and improved in quality. Schubert gave the piano personality, and his pieces were the lifeblood of a new kind of music making.
Schubert used improving piano quality to make it an instrument for the voice. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 27 | Weber and German Romanticism | 20070710 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
27/30. Weber and German Romanticism
Carl Maria Von Weber gave audiences what they wanted - storms and disasters, wild beasts and blood. Although German unification was a generation away, by drawing on folk tales, Weber wanted to create a German sensibility.
Read by Simon Russell Beale and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Weber gave German audiences what they wanted - storms and disasters. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 28 | Virtuosi | 20070711 | In the 1820s and 30s, audiences craved virtuosi performances. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 29 | Grand Opera | 20070712 | James Naughtie presents a series chronicling the historical influences that affected the course of classical music.
29/30. Grand Opera
In the first half of the 19th Century, Italy consummated its love affair with opera. Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini's new operas were greeted with frenzy on the streets.
Read by Simon Russell Beale.
In the first half of the 19th century, Italy consummated its love affair with opera. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 01 | 30 | Albertopolis | 20070713 | The Royal Albert Hall opened in 1871 with a prince championing culture. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 01 | The Shock of The Future | 20070910 | As nationalism swept across Europe, composers looked to both the past and the future. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 02 | Mother Russia | 20070911 | Glinka wanted Russian music to reflect the distinctiveness of his own country. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 03 | Viva Verdi | 20070912 | Giuseppe Verdi's work is inseparable from politics. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 04 | My Country | 20070913 | In the late 19th century, European music began to express the desire for nation states. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 05 | Wagner | 20070914 | The theatre established by Wagner at Bayreuth came to be a cultural magnet. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 06 | Exotic Paris | 20070917 | Claude Debussy produced music that was original and daring but immediately accepted. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 07 | Fakes and Mystics | 20070918 | Mysticism was in fashion at the beginning of the twentieth century. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 08 | Pre-War Vienna | 20070919 | The Austrian capital was one of the most culturally important cities in the world. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 09 | Elgar | 20070920 | Does the music of the great English composer merely express jingoistic nationalism? A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 10 | A Riot | 20070921 | Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring caused a riot in Paris on its premiere in May 1913. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 11 | The End of the Hapsburgs | 20070924 | With the Austro-Hungarian empire in its last years, Janacek became a poet of his time. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 12 | The Path to War | 20070925 | Many composers were shaped by the horrors of World War One. Some were drafted themselves. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 13 | Out of Fashion | 20070926 | After World War I, some composers were looking for a radical shift in classical music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 14 | Revolution in Russia | 20070927 | The Russian Revolution had a huge impact on music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 15 | Jazz | 20070928 | A new musical form emerged, drawing on the singing of spirituals and early blues forms. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 16 | Into the Past | 20071001 | In the 1920s, French composers such as Poulenc and Ravel looked back to yesteryear. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 17 | Music for the Masses | 20071002 | Audiences were able to buy vinyl discs for the first time. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 18 | Cinema | 20071003 | The film industry became the great patron of music in the 20th century. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 19 | Stalin | 20071004 | How did composers such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev fare under the Stalinist regime? A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 20 | The Depression | 20071005 | Despite the Wall Street crash and falling record sales, music was booming. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 21 | World War II: Those Who Stayed Put | 20071008 | The war inspired many masterpieces, including Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 22 | Those Who Got Away | 20071009 | How many musicians escaped the jackbooted shadow of Hitler's Europe. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 23 | Britain Victorious | 20071010 | British composers such as Benjamin Britten responded to the war and its aftermath. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 24 | The Modernists | 20071011 | A new generation of postwar composers wanted to sweep away the past. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 25 | Leonard Bernstein | 20071012 | The great American composer's music embraced the classical and the popular. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 26 | The Sixties | 20071015 | Modern composers tried to make their voices heard above the noise of pop culture. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 27 | Dissent | 20071016 | Composers in the 1960s and 70s expressed their rage against the system. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 28 | The Impact of Technology | 20071017 | Composers experimented with electronics to extend musical boundaries. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 29 | A Time of Plenty | 20071018 | British composers play a significant part in contemporary music. A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music | |
| 02 | 30 | The Making of Music | 20071019 | Where have we come to and what is the current state of classical music? A series chronicling the influences that affected the course of classical music |