« Tuning in and Tuning out » New Paths to Classical Music: Paula & the Wolf and Prokofiev

In this episode we tell the story of PAULA AND THE WOLF, a retelling of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. Eschewing the singular voice of one narrator, this classic musical fairytale is told by ten different women. We also think about the different animals that feature in the story and how they are represented in music and words. Thinking about the orchestral music that accompanies the story, we take a closer look at the world of professional classical musicians through an audio piece which features a professional flautist. A show for everyone who enjoys good stories and great music!

This show not only thinks about who, how and why we can or should listen to classical music today but also who speaks about it and performs it and how this can be challenged and understood. What perspectives or histories are forgotten from the canon? It looks at the broader context of a composer's work and looks around at what was happening at the time it was written, what has happened since and how we could listen and interpret it today. Where did this music emerge from, what was it doing musically and why could that be interesting ? It eschews traditional ways of talking and educating about classical music and looks for a subversive way round the side door and into the concert hall.