Fine Arts

1.   Rhapsody in Blue (16:26)
       Columbia Symphony Orchestra
       Leonard Bernstein, Piano

2.   An American in Paris (18:22)
       New York Philharmonic

Explore the early domination of Gregorian chant, the flowering of love poetry in France, and much more. The liberal use of musical examples helps to convey the extrovert boldness and excitement of Medieval music. Hosted by Dr. Christopher Page, the founder and director of Gothic Voices, the first professional vocal ensemble to specialize in Medieval secular music.

Music Credits

Follow the musical renaissance in Europe and England, tracing the spread of the Flemish School through France to Italy. Hosted by Anthony Rooley, Director of the Consort of Musicke and founder of the Early Music Centre in London.

PART ONE:

The complex period known as Baroque embraced many different types of music and covered a large geographic area. An examination of opera, considered the great dramatic spectacle of Baroque entertainment, is also included. Hosted by Michael Oliver of the BBC Radio program Music Weekly; and Christopher Hogwood, Musicologist, broadcaster, and Director of the Academy of Ancient Music.

PART ONE:

The principle and importance of classical Sonata Form is aided with keyboard examples on an eighteenth-century traveling square piano. We move to Vienna for a discussion of opera and the reforms of Gluck, before looking ahead to the Romantic period through the music of Schubert and Weber. Hosted by Alan Hacker, lecturer of Music at the University of York. The recordings are performed by Peter Wilson, Associate Director of London's Lyric Theatre Hammersmith.

PART ONE:

The speakers examine the meaning of romanticism in music, while exploring the rise of Nationalism within the period and tracing the development of the orchestra. Hosted by conductor Norman Del Mar and broadcaster/musician John Amis.

PART ONE:

Post-war music has seen a wealth of innovations—many of then strikingly original, some exceedingly complex. This illuminating appraisal features illustrations from the music of such composers as Stockhausen and Peter Maxwell Davies. Hosted by Hugh Wood, composer, lecturer, and Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge.

PART ONE:

This invigorating discussion focuses on popular music considered as culture, and the influence of its aesthetics, from rhythm to lyrics. Hosted by Edward Lee, senior lecturer in English at Thames Polytechnic, London; and Graham Vulliamy, lecturer in Sociology at the University of York.

The remarkable history of percussion instruments is traced through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the Classical Period. Hosted by James Blades, consultant Professor of Percussion at the University of Surrey.

Folk songs have served as an illustration and illumination of social history. Here, these songs explore love, marriage, and affairs. Hosted by Roy Palmer, co-editor of Folk Music in Schools. He has compiled numerous anthologies of folk songs and street ballads.

Learn about the progression of music in the Caribbean from Rhythm and Blues to Reggae. Also included here is a demonstration of how a simple calypso tune can be composed and performed. Hosted by Felix Cross, composer, performer, and playwright who has written extensively about Caribbean music.

From Wagner to Schoenberg, this enlightening discussion focuses on the change in musical language around 1900. You will also hear some of the less radical elements of twentieth century music, finishing with the place of jazz in the period. Hosted by Dr. Wilfrid Mellers, composer, author, and formerly Professor of Music at the University of York.

This is truly world music—an international collection of musical instruments, including the koto (a Japanese zither), the duda (a Hungarian bagpipe), mbira (a linguaphone from Zimbabwe), and hardanger fiddle (a folk violin from Norway). Author and composer Andy Jackson talks to Jim Smith, editor of the Sussex Tapes Music series and Director of Music at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, U.K.

Journey around the world on a musical exploration of geography, culture, and history through a variety of regions. Covering details of 14 countries, each chapter of the book describes the musical history, influences, instruments, and performance details. The descriptive analysis of each musical piece includes information from regions as diverse as the Andes, Spain, India, Tibet, Egypt, and others.

1. Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 (6'08)
     Tchaikovsky Chamber Orchestra/Lazar Gosman

2. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
     III. Allegro scherzando (11'40)
     Yefim Bronfman, Piano
     Philharmonia Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen

3. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
     18th Variation (2'40)
     Vladimir Feltsman, Piano
     Israel Philharmonic/Zubin Mehta