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The Sound and the Fury: A Century of Music

Ian MacMillan

Roy Ackerman

The Sound and the Fury: A Century of Music: Episode 3: Easy Listening?

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Music: Classical: Experimental & New

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

Easy Listening?

Episode 3

Episode 3: Easy Listening?

BBC Four - The Sound and the Fury: A Century of Music, Easy Listening?

How post-war composers began to bring back elements of rhythm, metre and harmony.

Series about 20th century music shows how American composers re-invented the sound of classical music into a more simple form, bringing back harmonies and rhythms.

The series concludes with the focus shifting to the United States in the post-war years of the 1950s and beyond. Beginning with arguably the most notorious work of 20th century classical music, John Cage's 'silent' composition 4'33", it looks at how a series of maverick Americans re-invented the sound of classical music into a more simple form, bringing back harmonies and rhythms that made it increasingly popular with audiences across the world. It also examines how this music found its way into a spiritual realm, with the strain of pared-down religious composition that came to be known as 'holy minimalism'. 

From the Maverick concert hall in Woodstock, New York to an Orthodox cathedral in Estonia to a car park in Peckham, south London, the story is told by a stellar line-up of contributors including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams, Arvo Pärt and John Tavener.

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Three-part series on the revolution in 20th century music.

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The Sound and the Fury: A Century of Music

Episode 3: Easy Listening?

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