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1875, Paris. A weary Georges Bizet walks home after the premiere of his opera, Carmen. The audience seemed uncertain, some critics are appalled, and the composer is devastated, believing his new work is a total failure. Within months he will be dead, never knowing that his opera - with its combination of gritty realism, shocking drama and Spanish-infused tunes - will become one of the most beloved pieces in all classical music.

Meanwhile, over the border in Germany, another composer is pursuing an altogether different vision for the operatic artform. In the Bavarian town of Bayreuth, Richard Wagner is preparing the first complete performance of The Ring of the Nibelung, a vast 15-hour cycle of mythical music dramas to be staged in a brand new theatre built specifically for this monumental event. Premiered just 18 months apart, Carmen and The Ring are two totally contrasting works that wrench opera out of its conventional Romantic form and send it hurtling towards musical modernity.

From the Franco-Prussian War and the unification of Germany to debates about nationalism, identity and modernity, these operas emerge from a rapidly changing Europe. Their influence extends far beyond the 19th century, shaping how composers think about drama, harmony, orchestration and the possibilities of musical storytelling.

Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new 麻豆社 Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For the next eight programmes, historian Kate Williams is in the chair, as together they explore the rich musical world of the nineteenth century.

Producer: David Fay
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for 麻豆社 Audio: Emma Harding

Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the 麻豆社 National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.

MUSIC DETAILS

Georges Bizet: Toreador Song (Carmen)
Bryn Terfel (baritone)
Choir of Radio France
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Myung-Whun Chung (conductor)

Georges Bizet: Carmen (Prelude)
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski (conductor)

Gaetano Donizetti: Salut 脿 la France (La Fille du R茅giment)
Natalie Dessay (soprano)
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Ch艙ur Les 脡l茅ments
Michel Plasson (conductor)

Georges Bizet: Habanera (Carmen)
Leontyne Price (soprano)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Herbert von Karajan (conductor)

Georges Bizet: Les voici! Voici la quadrille! (Carmen)
German State Opera Chorus and Children's Chorus
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Simon Rattle (conductor)

Richard Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries (Die Walk眉re)
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Daniel Barenboim (conductor)

Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold (Prelude)
Hall茅 Orchestra
Mark Elder (conductor)

Richard Wagner: Die Walk眉re (end of Act 3)
Albert Dohmen (bass-baritone)
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Christian Thielemann (conductor)

Richard Wagner: Tristan and Isolde (Prelude)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Daniel Barenboim (conductor)

Gabriel Faur茅: Souvenirs de Bayreuth
Kathryn Stott (piano)
Martin Roscoe (piano)

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

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