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The Two Pierres: War as creator, machine as musician

New light on the 'modern' music of the 20th century. Gillian Moore explores the role of the two Pierres - Schaeffer and Henry - in the development of electronic music.

Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore introduce 麻豆社 Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them.

This week, Gillian explores the role of the two Pierres - Schaeffer and Henry, and their Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concr猫te - in the development of electronic music. We鈥檒l track the influence of artists like Wassily Kandinsky on this revolution in music-making; travel to Britain, Japan and Egypt to see how a German invention propelled composers all across the globe down the path of manipulating recorded sound; and enjoy the whole of Schaeffer and Henry鈥檚 mid-century masterpiece 鈥楽ymphonie pour un homme seul鈥� (1949鈥�1950).

Produced by Sam Phillips
A Reduced Listening production for 麻豆社 Radio 3

To listen on most smart speakers just say, 鈥渁sk 麻豆社 Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals鈥�

59 minutes

Last on

Sun 9 Nov 2025 21:00
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Milton Babbitt: Strictly systematic structuring of sounds

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Music Played

  • Pierre Schaeffer

    Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul

    Composer: Pierre Henry. Performer: Pierre Schaeffer. Performer: Pierre Henry.
    • Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul / Concerto Des Ambigu茂t茅s.
    • Philips.

  • 脡dith Piaf

    Hymne a l'amour

    Composer: Marguerite Monnot. Performer: 脡dith Piaf.
    • Edith Piaf - The Best Of.
    • Parlophone.

  • Pierre Schaeffer

    Etude aux allures

    Performer: Pierre Schaeffer.
    • Electronic Music - It Started Here....
    • Not Now Music.

  • Pierre Schaeffer

    Etude aux Chemins de fer

    Performer: Pierre Schaeffer.
    • High Voltage! - Giant Steps & Flashpoints In 20th-Century Experimental & Electro.
    • Fantastic Voyage.

  • Luigi Russolo

    Intonarumori: ululatore (hooter)

    Performer: Luigi Russolo.
    • Musica Futurista: The Art of Noises.
    • Salon Recordings.

  • Edgard Var猫se

    Ionisation

    Performer: Robert Craft.
    • Var猫se: The Complete Works.
    • Decca.

  • Johanna Beyer

    Music of the Spheres (1938)

    Ensemble: Electric Weasel Ensemble.
    • New Music For Electronic & Recorded Media: Women In Electronic Music.
    • New World Records.

  • Halim El鈥怐abh

    Wire Recorder Piece

    Performer: Halim El鈥怐abh.
    • Wire Recorder Piece.

  • Toshiro Mayuzumi

    X

    Performer: Toshiro Mayuzumi.
    • Early Japanese Electronic Music.
    • Earlabs.

  • Daphne Oram

    Four Aspects (Extract)

    Performer: Daphne Oram.
    • Electronic Landscapes.
    • Sinetone AMR.

  • Pierre Schaeffer

    Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul

    Composer: Pierre Henry. Performer: Pierre Schaeffer. Performer: Pierre Henry.
    • Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul / Concerto Des Ambigu茂t茅s.
    • Philips.

  • Matmos

    Music or Noise

    • Return to Archive.
    • Smithsonian Folkways.

Broadcast

  • Sun 9 Nov 2025 21:00
    麻豆社 Radio 3