A series of podcasts with Peter Quantrill and guests discussing the social issues and themes in “Harmony Beyond Music”, a series of concerts presented by Reiko Fujisawa.
In a fascinating and wide ranging discussion, Peter Quantrill and Andy Pratt explore the theme of “Outsiders” in relation to the composers featured in the concert on 20 June and in the context of creators, the creative industry and society more widely.
30 Nov 2023
Voices of Protest
In the second podcast in the series Harmony Beyond Music, Peter Quantrill and Andy Pratt discuss the musical and social themes explored in Voices of Protest.
19 Nov 2023
What is Harmony Beyond Music?
Harmony Beyond Music is a series of concerts and podcasts exploring themes of equality and diversity. The concerts are performed by internationally recognised musicians brought together by Reiko Fujisawa. The podcasts are presented by Peter Quantrill and Andy Pratt.
Music has never been written, performed or appreciated in a bubble. It engages with the time and place of its composition and performance. Social and political themes are expressed through the music of the day. Racial and social justice, political and gender oppression, the struggle for freedom and recognition of the individual: music illuminates these themes as a mirror of its time.
Harmony Beyond Music features composers such as Joseph de Boulogne and Louise Farrenc, whose work is only now emerging from obscurity caused by their social status and the privileges of the white, male or wealthy. The series also includes masterpieces by the great names of the classical canon, which take on new significance in an unfamiliar context.
Music by J.S. Bach and Anton Webern is paired to show how harmonic language has mirrored political progress towards democracy and equality. Pablo Casals maintained self-imposed exile from his native Spain in protest against dictatorship, whilst the piano quintets of Shostakovich and Grazyna Bacewicz are shouts of joy in the teeth of oppression. Their music expresses the experiences, fears and hopes of generations past and present with a timeless power.
Perhaps the most celebrated freedom fighter in classical music was Beethoven. He makes several appearances in the series, as a friend to the black violinist George Bridgetower, as an inspiration to others, and simply as himself, a fiercely independent individual who resisted conformity with the norms and protocols of Vienna in the early 19th century.
Harmony Beyond Music takes themes of conflict, exclusion and prejudice into the concert hall, bringing us face to face with shadows from the past and giving us hope for the future.
Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100
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