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The Living Planet

Music Matters In the Beginning

Composer James MacMillan explores music inspired by the biblical story of creation

James MacMillan and guests explore how composers celebrate nature鈥檚 diversity, creatures, and divine creation. Through works like Cantus Arcticus, Symphony of Psalms, and The Carnival of the Animals, they discuss how music captures Earth鈥檚 beauty, interconnectedness, and humanity鈥檚 responsibility toward the environment.

56 minutes

Last on

Sat 3 Jan 2026 13:00
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • James McMillan

    Composed in August

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Choir: Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus. Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Le carnaval des animaux: XIV. Final

    Orchestra: Les Si猫cles. Conductor: Fran莽ois鈥怷avier Roth.
    • Saint-Sa毛ns: Symphonic Poems - Le Carnaval des Animaux - l'Assassinat du Duc de.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 19.

  • Hildegard von Bingen

    Symphoniae: O quam mirabilis

    Ensemble: Sequentia.
    • Hildegard von Bingen/Ordo Virtutum.
    • Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.
    • 3.

  • Manuel de Zumaya

    Albricias, Mortales

    Orchestra: Ex Cathedra. Conductor: Jeffrey Skidmore.
    • Moon, Sun & All Things.
    • Hyperion.

  • William Bolcom

    The Eternal Feminine

    Performer: Marc鈥怉ndr茅 Hamelin.
    • The Garden of Eden.
    • 2.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    The Isle of the Dead - Symphonic Poem, Op. 29

    Orchestra: Russian National Orchestra. Conductor: Mikhail Pletnev.
    • Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1 & The Isle of the Dead.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.

  • Jay Capperauld

    Endlings

    Performer: Danny Driver. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Geoffrey Areesorn-Paterson.

  • Olivier Messiaen

    Quatuor pour la fin du temps: VIII. Louange 脿 l'immortalit茅 de J茅sus

    Performer: Janine Jansen. Performer: Lucas Debargue.
    • Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps.
    • Sony.
    • 8.

Broadcast

  • Sat 3 Jan 2026 13:00
    麻豆社 Radio 3

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Try our psychoacoustic experiment to see how tempo can affect your timekeeping abilities.

Podcast

  • Music Matters

    The stories that matter, the people that matter, the music that matters