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19 May 1182. The consecration of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. This architectural wonder sparks a musical revolution, both within its walls and in the city beyond.

19 May 1182. The High Altar of the new Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is consecrated. Within the walls of this architectural wonder, a musical revolution takes place. Responding to the cathedral's awesome acoustics, musicians working and worshipping there develop the most complicated and elaborate music yet: Notre-Dame polyphony.

Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new BBC Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For the first eight programmes, historian Michael Wood is in the chair, as together they explore the bold new sound worlds of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Producer: David Fay
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for BBC Audio: Emma Harding
With thanks to Professor Emma Dillon (King's College London).

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

MUSIC DETAILS

Leonin: Viderunt omnes
Tonus Peregrinus
Anthony Pitts (conductor)

Perotin: Viderunt omnes
The Hilliard Ensemble

Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine (Deus in adjutorium)
Venice Monteverdi Academy Choir
Ensemble Lorenzo da Ponte
Roberto Zarpellon (conductor)

Herbert Howells: The Winchester Service (Magnificat)
Winchester Cathedral Choir
Andrew Lumsden (conductor)
Simon Bell (organ)

Cecilia McDowall: Alma redemptoris mater
The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge
Stephen Layton (conductor)

Charles-Marie Widor: Toccata (Symphony No. 5)
Olivier Latry (organ of Notre-Dame de Paris)

Anonymous: Estampie Fragment (Robertsbridge Codex)
Guy Bovet (organ of Valere Basilica, Sion, Switzerland)

Perotin: Viderunt omnes
BBC Singers
Owain Park (conductor)

Steve Reich: Music for 18 musicians
Steve Reich and musicians

Anonymous: Ce que je teing / Certes Mouts / Bone compagnie / Manere (Montpellier Codex)
Anonymous 4

Anonymous: On parole / A Paris / Frese nouvele (Montpellier Codex)
Clemencic Consort

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

12 days left to listen

56 minutes

Music Played

  • Léonin

    Viderunt omnes

    Ensemble: Tonus Peregrinus. Conductor: Antony Pitts.
    • NAXOS.
  • Pérotin

    Viderunt omnes

    Ensemble: The Hilliard Ensemble.
    • ECM.
  • Claudio Monteverdi

    Vespro della Beata Vergine (Deus in adjutorium)

    Choir: Venice Monteverdi Academy Choir. Ensemble: Ensemble Lorenzo da Ponte. Conductor: Roberto Zarpellon.
    • Fra Bernardo.
  • Herbert Howells

    The Winchester Service (Magnificat)

    Performer: Simon Bell. Choir: Winchester Cathedral Choir. Conductor: Andrew Lumsden.
    • HYPERION.
  • Cecilia McDowall

    Alma redemptoris mater

    Choir: Trinity College Cambridge Choir. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • HYPERION.
  • Charles‐Marie Widor

    Toccata (Symphony No. 5)

    Performer: Olivier Latry.
    • BNL.
  • Anonymous

    Estampie (Robertsbridge Codex)

    Performer: Guy Bovet.
    • VDE-Gallo.
  • Pérotin

    Viderunt omnes (Notum fecit)

    Choir: BBC Singers. Conductor: Owain Park.
  • Steve Reich

    Music for 18 Musicians: Section IX & X

    Music Arranger: Erik Hall. Performer: Erik Hall.
    • NONESUCH.
  • Anonymous

    Ce que je teing - Certes mout - Bone compaignie (Mo 33)

    Ensemble: Anonymous 4.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Anonymous

    On parole - A Paris - Frese nouvele

    Ensemble: Clemencic Consort.
    • STRADIVARIUS.
  • Anon.

    Sumer is icumen in

    Ensemble: Huelgas Ensemble. Conductor: Paul Van Nevel.
    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI.

Broadcast

  • Sat 18 Apr 202613:00