With intriguing anecdotes and witty humour, composer Howard Goodall presents five innovations in European musical history, which have overwhelmingly changed its course:

NOTATION: the journey from plain chant in medieval times to symphonic works and improvisation

EQUAL TEMPERAMENT (a universal tuning, scale and key system): from the discoveries of Pythagoras to J.S. Bach

OPERA: where music interfaces with real life with love, death and politics

THE PIANO: this versatile instrument is unique to European culture.

RECORDED SOUND: from Caruso to world music and sampling

'It's fascinating stuff, brilliantly presented.' THE AUSTRALIAN
'This is the very best thing on television. It is utterly brilliant.' THE SUNDAY TIMES

Written and Presented by Howard Goodall

Featuring:
Courtney Pine
John Mark Ainsley
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford
Salisbury Cathedral Choir
Students Of London College Of Music
Pupils Of Marlborough College
Julian Light Operatic Society
Bournemouth Symphony Chorus

NOTATION

Chapter 1: Plain chant
Chapter 2: Numes
Chapter 3: Guido Monaco
Chapter 4: Composers
Chapter 5: Improvisation
Chapter 6: Sibelius

EQUAL TEMPERAMENT

Chapter 1: Pythagoras, mathematician
Chapter 2: Pythagoras, mystic
Chapter 3: John Dunstable
Chapter 4: Renaissance
Chapter 5: J. S. Bach
Chapter 6: Accordion
Chapter 7: Chinese music

OPERA

Chapter 1: Camerata
Chapter 2: Orfeo ed Euridice
Chapter 3: The Marriage of Figaro
Chapter 4: Liberation
Chapter 5: Nationalistic pride
Chapter 6: Modern opera
Chapter 7: China

PIANO

Chapter 1: Early keyboards
Chapter 2: Bartolomeo Cristofori
Chapter 3: Johann Andreas Stein
Chapter 4: Franz Schubert
Chapter 5: Development
Chapter 6: Claude Debussy
Chapter 7: 20th century

RECORDED SOUND