The Unheard Musician

Available for 29 days

“Arranging the Air” - that’s how Bernard Haitink described the role of the conductor to Martin Handley – about as ephemeral as it gets! In this four-part series, Martin aims to demystify, explain, and enter a world of musical magic with the help of some of today’s great protagonists: Jakub Hrusa, Dalia Stasevska, Mark Wigglesworth, Sofi Jeannin, Harry Christophers, Sian Edwards, Trevor Pinnock, and the 99-year old (and still working) Herbert Blomstedt. There’ll also be archive material from the late, great Bernard Haitink. In this first episode, Martin will ask the existential question that’s often on people’s lips… what does a conductor actually do? Are they really necessary, and how did the role evolve? He also explores the methods of different conductors, from dictators to collaborators – the carrot and the stick, if you will… and indeed whether you actually need a stick at all! Including top recordings of music by Felix Mendelssohn, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi, Wilhelm Stenhammar, Betty Jackson King Claude Debussy and Gustav Mahler. To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Matters".