'The Sound and the Fury' squeezed 20th century composition into the straitjacket of a unidimensional tale: the move away from tonality and rhythm to Darmstadt and the return via the USA and minimalism, ignoring composers who incorporated the alternative tonalities of other cultures, such as Asia and Latin America. The contributors spoke as if tonality had gone away, while it was alive and well, but sidelined by one story of musical evolution. The series included Shostakovich, but only because he fitted the theme of reactions to totalitarianism. His friend Britten, the other giant of 20th century music, is not even mentioned. The series could have looked at how some composers pursued their 'difficult' music while helping musicians and audiences to open up to new musical languages, through works that educate and engage young people and through festivals that involve the local community: Britten, Henze and Maxwell Davies all have this in common. To exclude Britten (and indeed Tippett) from the game of connections between 20th century composers makes the exercise ridiculous.
OU on the BBC: The Sound And The Fury
In this 3-part documentary series, BBC Four explores a century of modern...
The Sound and the Fury is a three-part series on the revolution in 20th century music.
The series features contributions from 20th century music experts, historians and composers, including Alex Ross, Gillian Moore, Head of Contemporary Culture at the Southbank Centre, as well as composers, conductors and performers including: Pierre Boulez, John Adams, Arvo Part, Steve Reich, Peter Maxwell Davies, Mark Anthony Turnage, Harrison Birtwistle, Philip Glass, John Tavener, George Benjamin, Julian Lloyd Webber and Michael Tilson Thomas.
The Sound and the Fury was originally broadcast on BBC Four in February 2013. Use the episode guide below for more information.
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The Sound and the Fury: Episode guide
OU on the BBC: The Sound and the Fury: Wrecking Ball
The first in a new music series: How the early 20th century saw a fragmented, abstract, discordant sound come to the fore. Read more : OU on the BBC: The Sound and the Fury: Wrecking Ball
OU on the BBC: The Sound and the Fury: Free for All
The second episode looks at how music came under state control in the 1930s and serialism took over after the war. Read more : OU on the BBC: The Sound and the Fury: Free for All
OU on the BBC: The Sound and the Fury: Easy Listening?
Episode three reveals how post-war composers began to bring back elements of rhythm, metre and harmony. Read more : OU on the BBC: The Sound and the Fury: Easy Listening?
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