The Paul Sacher Man Who Made 20th Century Music

Richard Morrison profiles one of the most powerful names in music in the last century.

Paul Sacher was named the third richest man in the world in the 1990s having married the heiress of the pharmaceutical company, Hoffmann-La Roche.

He used his wealth to commission over 300 pieces from composers and conduct many of the premieres - including Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste.

Sacher's passion for new music led him to found an orchestra in his native Basle and transform musical life there so that it became a magnet for leading musicians and composers.

In the centenary of Sacher's birth, Richard Morrison travels to Basle to explore the many sides of Sacher - as a conductor, patron, businessman and lover - and delves into the Sacher Foundation where manuscripts of the leading composers keep his legacy alive.

With contributions from PIERRE BOULEZ, Ann Sophie Mutter, Heinz Holliger, Elliot Carter, HARRISON BIRTWISTLE, Sacher's biographers Lesley Stephenson and HARRY HALBREICH and musicians from the Basle Chamber Orchestra.