The Architects of Music

Strauss' most stunning (and compact) tone poem, a veritable thrill-ride of orchestral pyrotechnics, thematic wizardry, and vivid story-telling. Here's how it was done....

French composer Vincent D'Indy's brilliant programmatic Variations, a meticulously designed masterpiece that parallels the exotic Babylonian legend of the goddess Istar and the 7 mystical portals. Follow her journey through the underworld as she is gradually revealed----in all her musical glory. {Complete playthrough begins at 59:06}

This long-anticipated series begins with an overview of the legendary era from which the classic symphonic forms developed. Follow the step-by-step construction of great musical masterpieces and the geniuses that created them!