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Genesis and Genius

Episode 1 of 4

Simon Russell Beale's series looking at the history of the symphony begins with Haydn's arrival in England in 1791 and continues with Mozart and Beethoven.

Simon Russell Beale presents a radical reappraisal of the place of the symphony in the modern world and explores the surprising way in which it has shaped our history and identity.

The first episode begins amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution with the arrival in England of Joseph Haydn, dubbed the 'Father of the Symphony'. It continues with Mozart, the genius who wrote his first symphony at the age of eight, and Beethoven, the revolutionary who created the idea of the artist as hero and whose Eroica Symphony changed music for ever.

The music is performed by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Sir Mark Elder.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 30 Jan 2015 20:00
BBC Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven - Symphony No 1 - 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven - Symphony No 9 - Choral - Finale

    Performer: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Performer: BBC Singers. Performer: Janice Watson. Conductor: Leonard Slatkin.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven - Symphony No 2 - Scherzo from 3rd Mvt

    Performer: Harmonieband. Conductor: Charles Hazlewood.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven-Symphony No 3 'Eroica' 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven-Symphony No 3 'Eroica' 2nd Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven-Symphony No 3 'Eroica' 4th Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn CD Symphony No 1, 3rd Movement

    Performer: Philharmonia Hungarica. Conductor: Antal Doráti.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn CD Symphony No 100 'Military' 3rd Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Conductor: Frans Brüggen.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn CD Symphony No 12, 3rd Movement

    Performer: Philharmonia Hungarica. Conductor: Antal Doráti.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn CD Symphony No 45 'Farewell' 4th Mvt

    Performer: The English Concert. Conductor: Trevor Pinnock.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn CD Symphony No 83 Finale

    Performer: Tafelmusik. Conductor: Bruno Weil.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn Symphony No 88

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Performer: Kuiijen.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn CD Symphony No 95

    Performer: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Georg Solti.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn Symphony No 98, 4th Movement

    Performer: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Colin Davis.

  • Joseph Haydn

    The Creation Part 1 Chaos

    Performer: Balthasar‐Neumann‐Chor. Conductor: Thomas Hengelbrock.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn Piano - Symphony No 98, 4th Movement

    Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symohony No 22 'Philospher' 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symohony No 22 'Philospher' 2nd Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 100 'Military' 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 100 'Military' 2nd Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 104 'London' 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 104 'London', 4th Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 40, 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 41'Jupiter' 4th Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 6 'Le Matin' 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 98, 2nd Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Haydn - Symphony No 98, 4th Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Franz Liszt

    Liszt/Beethoven Symphony No 3'Eroica' 1st Mvt

    Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Cyprien Katsaris.

  • Franz Liszt

    Liszt/Beethoven Symphony No 3'Eroica' 4th Mvt

    Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven. Performer: Cyprien Katsaris.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Mozart - Symphony No 1, 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Mozart - Symphony No 31, 'Paris' 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Mozart - Symphony No 40, 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Alessandro Poglietti

    Poglietti CD Ave Regina Coelorum

    Performer: Niederaltaicher Scholaren.

  • Johann Stamitz

    Stamitz - Sym in D Major. Op3. No 2, 1st Movement

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

  • Johann Stamitz

    Stamitz workshop-Sym in D Major.Op3.No2. 1st Mvt

    Performer: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.

Learn more with The Open University

Learn more with The Open University

Go deeper into the music and unravel the secrets of the Symphony with The Open University.


Go to The Open University's Symphony site

Andy King-Dabbs on Symphony: The fireworks of Johann Stamitz

Find out why composer Johann Stamitz and the Mannheim Palace were revelations to the maker of classical music documentary Symphony.

Read Andy's post on the BBC TV blog

Credits

Presenter Simon Russell Beale
Producer Andy King-Dabbs
Director Andy King-Dabbs
Series Producer Helen Mansfield
Conductor Sir Mark Elder
Orchestra OAE

Broadcasts