LEAVING HOME: Orchestral Music in the 20th Century, Vol. 4: 3 Journeys Through Dark Landscapes (NTSC

LEAVING HOME
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC IN THE 20TH CENTURY

Volume 4 – Three Journeys Through Dark Landscapes:
A Conducted Tour by Sir Simon Rattle
and The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

With musical excerpts from: BARTÓK: Bluebeard’s Castle, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Concerto for Orchestra; SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 14; LUTOSŁAWSKI: Concerto for Orchestra, Venetian Games; Symphony No. 3

Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Picture Format: 4:3
Languages: D, GB
Menu Languages: D, F, GB
Subtitle Languages: F, IT, JP, SP
Region Code: 0 worldwide
Running Time: 50 mins (+ audio tracks)
DVD5 / NTSC

Cat. No: 102 039

Written and presented by Sir Simon Rattle, the foremost British conductor of our day, this series forms a fascinating introduction to, and overview of, the music of the 20th century. Each of the seven programmes features over thirty minutes of specially-shot music in performance, with Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Simon Rattle leads viewers on an exhilarating journey through the music of our time, explaining the chief musical developments from Mahler to the present day. Each programme is illustrated with evocative imagery, archive film and photographs and the featured music is set within the broader context of artistic and social change.

Why “Leaving Home”? The story of twentieth-century music is one of leave-takings in many ways. As a wealth of talented composers searched for new creative responses to the world around them, many made departures from the solid ‘home’ foundations of 18th- and 19th-century music – tonal harmony, melody, regular rhythm and metre. A remarkable diversity of expression developed – not all of the difficult or discordant variety commonly associated with modern music. The range is wide and this series samples the work of over thirty composers, discovering new and challenging sounds as well as some unexpectedly familiar music.

Volume 4: Three Journeys Through Dark Landscapes examines the effect of fundamental political upheaval on the music of Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich and Witold Lutoslawski. All three composers actively embraced the climate of change in Eastern Europe and, despite adverse pressures, found a way to develop their own musical language in works of triumphant originality and power.

Unfortunately not available in China