1794: Les enfants de la patrie

1794, Paris. At the height of the Reign of Terror, the pianist and composer Hélène de Montgeroult stands accused before the revolutionary authorities. According to a story that has become part of musical legend, she escapes the guillotine by improvising on La Marseillaise, transforming a patriotic song into a demonstration of artistic brilliance.

As France is reshaped by revolution, musicians find themselves navigating a rapidly changing world. Aristocratic salons give way to public festivals, revolutionary songs fill the streets, and figures such as Hélène de Montgeroult and Joseph de Bologne must adapt to new political realities. Amid upheaval, violence and uncertainty, music becomes a powerful tool for expressing collective identity, civic ideals and national belonging.

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 the next eight programmes, historian Simon Schama is in the chair, as together they explore the rich musical world of the Classical era.

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.

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