The Birth of British Music: Haydn - the Celebrity

In this program, Charles Hazlewood looks at the fascinating two-way relationship the great composer Joseph Haydn had with Britain. Haydn was an astute businessman, so it was no coincidence that he chose London as the place to make his personal fortune, taking advantage of the increasing demand for subscription concerts and the lucrative domestic market.

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Books and Films - Joseph Haydn
Howard Goodall's Story of Music

The Story of Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated at the beginning of the 20th Century, arguably earlier, within the African-American communities of the Southern United States. Its roots lie in the combining by African-Americans of certain European harmony and form elements, with their existing African-based music. Its African musical basis is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swung note. From its early development until the present day, jazz has also incorporated elements from popular music especially, in its early days, from American popular music. (from wikipedia.org)

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How Music Works

My Music Brain

From punk to pop, hip-hop to classical, music has the power to stir up powerful emotions, memories and passions. But it is only now, thanks to cutting-edge experiments, that scientists are starting to understand how our brains process and react to music. My Music Brain combines the cutting-edge experiments of top neuroscientists and the experiences of top musicians such as Sting, Michael Buble, Feist and Wyclef Jean to reveal why music is so important in our lives. It explores our collective passion for music and illuminates how the brain uses music to create human experience.

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How Music Works
The Music Instinct: Science and Song

The Music Instinct: Science and Song

The Music Instinct: Science and Song provides a ground-breaking exploration into how and why the human organism and the whole ebb and flow of the cosmos is moved by the undeniable effect of music. This film follows visionary researchers and accomplished musicians to the crossroads of science and culture in search of answers to music’s deep mysteries. Researchers and scientists from a variety of fields are using groundbreaking techniques that reveal startling new connections between music and the human mind, the body and the universe. Together with an array of musicians from rock and rap to jazz and classical, they are putting music under the microscope. (from pbs.org)

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How Music Works
My Music Brain

The Joy of Easy Listening

In-depth documentary investigation into the story of a popular music that is often said to be made to be heard, but not listened to. The film looks at easy listening's architects and practitioners, its dangers and delights, and the mark it has left on modern life.

From its emergence in the 50s to its heyday in the 60s, through its survival in the 70s and 80s and its revival in the 90s and beyond, the film traces the hidden history of a music that has reflected society every bit as much as pop and rock - just in a more relaxed way.

Invented at the dawn of rock 'n' roll, easy listening has shadowed pop music and the emerging teenage market since the mid-50s. It is a genre that equally soundtracks our modern age, but perhaps for a rather more 'mature' generation and therefore with its own distinct purpose and aesthetic. (from bbc.co.uk)

Related Links
How Music Works
Easy Listening Hits at the BBC