1772: The Symphony Laboratory

1772, Esterháza. In a remote palace deep in the Hungarian marshes, Joseph Haydn works under the patronage of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Cut off from the wider musical world, he writes at speed for a resident orchestra, shaping and testing ideas in real time.

Historian Simon Schama joins Gillian Moore to explore how Haydn expands the possibilities of a developing orchestral form: the symphony. And how his career moves from court isolation to international recognition on the commercial concert stage.

Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new BBC Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For Episodes 17 - 24, Gillian welcomes Simon Schama to help her explore the fascinating stories and rich sound worlds of the Classical and early Romantic eras.

Producer: Zerlina Vulliamy
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for BBC Audio: Emma Harding
Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.

MUSIC DETAILS

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 45 “Farewell” – Finale

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 6 “Le matin” – I. Allegro

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 94 “Surprise” – II. Andante

Sergei Prokofiev: Classical Symphony – I. Allegro

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 20 No. 5 – Adagio

Marianna Martines: Dixit Dominus

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 101 “Clock” – Finale

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 104 “London” – Finale

To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Key Changes."