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Parody, Homage and Pastiche

Writer and satirist Chris Addison explores how composers have used music as a tool for satire and parody for centuries.

In the final episode of this six-part series, writer and satirist Chris Addison (The Thick Of It, Veep) explores how music has long been used as a tool for satire and parody.

Chris has chosen tracks spanning centuries, which have parody and pastiche at their very heart. This programme features music by PDQ Bach, Gustav Mahler, Camille Saint-Sa毛ns, Teresa Carre帽o, Joseph Haydn and more.

In this series, Chris Addison - himself a classical music devotee, keen amateur choral singer and opera buff - takes listeners on a tour of how composers have used their music to question, parody, and challenge power and ideas over the years. Classical music can amplify power, but it can also undermine it - satirising and thumbing the nose at the status quo. Composers have used classical music to critique, undermine and even lampoon - often in cleverly nuanced, surprising ways that reconnect us to the flawed humans - and shared humanity - beneath the pomposity. Each episode in this series takes a big idea, and illustrates it with a playlist of entertaining and diverse music spanning the entire history of Western classical music.

Josquin des Prez: Missa L鈥橦omme Arm茅 - Kyrie
Oxford Camerata
Jeremy Summerly (director)

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in E flat, Op. 33 No. 2 (The Joke) - 4. Presto
Lindsay String Quartet

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 鈥 3: Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
New York Philharmonic
Leonard Bernstein (conductor)

PDQ Bach (Schickele): The Short-Tempered Clavier - I. C major
Christopher O鈥橰eily (piano)

Bela Bart贸k: Concerto For Orchestra 鈥 4: Intermezzo interrotto
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Boulez (conductor)

Teresa Carre帽o: Gottschalk Waltz, Op. 1
Alexandra Oehler (piano)

Ernst von Dohn谩nyi: Variations on a Nursery Tune, Op 25 (extract)
Sofja G眉lbadamova (piano)
Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz
Modestas Pitr臈nas (conductor)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Ein musikalischer Spass 鈥 4: Presto
The English Concert
Andrew Manze (conductor)

Camille Saint-Sa毛ns: Carnival of the Animals - 14. Finale. Molto allegro
Claude Frank, Lilian Kallir (pianos)
Philadelphia Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy (conductor)

Produced by James C Taylor
An Overcoat Media Production for 91热爆 Radio 3

19 days left to listen

56 minutes

Last on

Sat 1 Feb 2025 13:00

Music Played

  • Josquin des Prez

    Kyrie (Missa L'Homme Arme)

    Choir: Oxford Camerata. Conductor: Jeremy Summerly.
  • Joseph Haydn

    String Quartet in E flat (The Joke) (4th mvt: Presto)

    Ensemble: Lindsay String Quartet.
  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No.1 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: New York Philharmonic. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.
  • P.D.Q. Bach

    The Short-Tempered Clavier - I. C major

    Performer: Christopher O鈥橰iley.
  • B茅la Bart贸k

    Concerto For Orchestra - 4: Intermezzo interrotto

    Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
  • Teresa Carre帽o

    Gottschalk Waltz, Op. 1

    Performer: Alexandra Oehler.
  • Erno Dohnanyi

    Variations on a Nursery Tune, Op 25

    Performer: Sofia Gulbadamova. Orchestra: Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland鈥怭falz. Conductor: Modestas Pitr臈nas.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    A Musical Joke (4th mvt: Presto)

    Orchestra: The English Concert. Conductor: Andrew Manze.
  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Carnival of the Animals (Finale: Molto allegro)

    Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Eugene Ormandy.
  • Anonymous

    Madame Trifes Liri e Dans

    Ensemble: The Curious Bards.
    • Sublimation: Songs and dances from 18th-century Scandinavia.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 106.

Broadcast

  • Sat 1 Feb 2025 13:00

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