Howard Goodall's "Story of Music"

[bob_32_116]

This was brought to my attention by someone on another music site. It was apparently featured on BBC2 but the video seems to be no longer directly available from the BBC site; however, the episodes all appear to be on YouTube (SHOCK!).

The first episode is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APhtn_Zp7V4

I am only partway through episode 1 so far, but it's fascinating.

[progmatist]

I enjoyed his "Big Bangs" series a decade or two ago. Will definitely have to catch the new series, when I have more time.

[bob_32_116]

I enjoyed his "Big Bangs" series a decade or two ago. Will definitely have to catch the new series, when I have more time.

"Newer", maybe, but not quite "new"; it appears to have been produced in 2013.

[bob_32_116]

Listening now to episode 2. I can't believe this thread has not generated more responses.Vivaldi, Corelli, Purcell, Procol Harum, the Moody Blues and Keane all feature in this episode.

[mogrooves]

There's a book, as well.

[syncopatico]

I was hoping it was John Goodsall's "Story of Music": that would be total kick-ass!

[hippypants]

Thanks Bob, I've never seen it.

[Vic2012]

Good documentary. Always looking for stuff like this on youtube. Saw the first epi.

[bob_32_116]

Just watched/listened to episode 4. (I am intentionally spacing it out to perhaps one per fortnight to let each one sink in.)

In this episode he talks a lot about Wagner. It's really quite sad. It's impossible to escape the fact that Wagner was an anti-Semite, believing in the "purity of the German race", and while I don't think he ever advocated sending Jews to the gas chamber, it's easy to understand why he was an icon to Hitler. The sad thing is that this feature of his character has made it hard for some people to appreciate his music. Is it still the case that Wagner's work has never been performed in Israel?

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In his spiel at the start of each programme he points out that in centuries gone by, you could perhaps go weeks without hearing any music at all, and even as recently as the 19th century you might hear your favourite symphony 4 or 5 times in your lifetime. How different that is from 2016, when there is so much music available to buy or to download for free, and to play back almost any time we wish, that for most of us the issue is how to filter out what we don't want to listen to. Yet, I wonder just how much this has enhanced our enjoyment of music. Does someone who listens all day to music on their iPod, even really good music (whatever that means) find the listening as profound an experience as someone in 1875 whose listening was limited to whatever was playing at the concert hall once a week or whatever? Who knows. We are spoiled for choice - but do we use that choice in the best way possible?

[Vic2012]

I saw about 15 minutes of episode 2 and lost interest. I think it was Goodall himself that grated on my nerves. The first episode was very good though. All that history is fascinating, how charts, notes, etc. all started.