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The Listening Service Episodes

  1.

    What makes the organ so mighty?

    Tom Service on the majesty of the organ.

  2. Musical Highs

    Toms Service explores the way composers engineer musical crescendos and climaxes.

  3. Is Classical music fashionable?

    Is classical music in fashion? Who's listening and what are they actually listening to?

  4. HIPP to Be Square

    Historically Informed Performance Practice, or HIPP: what is it and why?

  5. Is it canon?

    The classical music canon - who decides what's in and what's out? And can it change?

  6. The Goldberg Variations

    Tom Service unlocks mysteries of Bach's towering keyboard work The Goldberg Variations.

  7. Going Slow

    Tom Service on what happens when our music goes slow.

  8. Music and breathing

    How is the rhythm and physicality of our breathing reflected in music?

  9. The Musical Universe of Maurice Ravel

    Tom Service scopes the musical world of one of his favourite composers, Maurice Ravel.

  10. Wagner鈥檚 Ring Cycle: The Ultimate Box Set Binge

    Tom Service explores classical music鈥檚 ultimate binge-listening box set - The Ring.

  11. English Music

    What makes English music sound English?

  12. Talking in music

    Tom Service explores talking in music - from 'sprechgesang' to rap.

  13. Lisztomania

    Tom Service explores the music of Franz Liszt, with help from pianist Mariam Batsashvili.

  14. Close Harmony

    Tom Service explores the world of close harmony and barbershop singing.

  15. The music of Kaija Saariaho

    Tom Service takes a journey through the music of the Finnish-born, Paris-based composer.

  16. More Than the Score

    Why are there so many ways to perform the same piece of music? What is interpretation?

  17. Sad songs say so much

    In times of trouble, is sad music what we need?

  18. The String Quartet

    Tom Service explores the most celebrated of chamber ensembles, the string quartet.

  19. Beethoven Unleashed: Getting to grips with Beethoven

    He's the most famous composer in western music, but what makes Beethoven Beethoven?

  20. Texture

    Tom Service considers an often overlooked but vital element of music: its texture.

  21. How to love new music

    All noise and no good tunes? Tom Service bangs the drum for contemporary classical music.

  22. Parapapampam

    It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas. Why is there so much cheesy yuletide music?

  23. Why backing vocals matter

    Backing singers and opera choruses - so much more than eye candy and human scenery!

  24. The Great Highland Bagpipe

    Tom Service goes in search of the Great Highland bagpipe.

  25. How to Compose Music

    Where do you start? How do you carry on? What do you need to know?

  26. The Real Red Priest

    Tom Service goes beyond the cliches to explore the music of Antonio Vivaldi.

  27. Turn up the Volume, Dial up the Drama

    Dynamics are crucial to the dramatic effect of music. Tom Service adjusts the volume.

  28. The Simple Truth

    When is less more, and less less? How hard is it to achieve meaningful musical simplicity?

  29. Prog Rock - apotheosis or nadir?

    Tom Service looks at Prog Rock, and asks: apotheosis of rock music, or vapid pomposity?

  30. Al-Andalus: What makes music sound Spanish?

    Tom Service looks for the essence of Spain in the music of later centuries.

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