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James Galway takes us backward through time to demonstrate how ageless and universal the human impulse is to make music. Working chronologically backward from Ligeti to Gregorian chant, Galway outlines the development of Western music. The impishness in his smile and tone are quickly submerged in the depth of his commitment to music and his enthusiastic conviction that knowledge of musical history is a prerequisite to understanding and that understanding precedes appreciation. Contents include excerpts from: Ligeti's Melodien, Messiaen's Messe de la Pentecote, Britten's War Requiem, Gershwin's An American in Paris, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Mahler's Symphony No. 10, Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, back through Wagner, Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Bach, past Monteverdi and Dufay, to Anonymous. Most of these extracts appear in fuller form in subsequent units. (60 minutes)
