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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.

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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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