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Stars and Strads

Tom Service talks to violinist Ray Chen, to Stuart Clark about the ancient Greek theory that linked music with the stars, and marks the centenary of the death of Max Bruch.

Tom Service hears from Ray Chen about the online videos he鈥檚 created during lockdown, which have attracted hundreds of thousands of followers, and Ray compares his ten million dollar Stradivarius with a $69 violin. We speak to the writer Stuart Clark about the ancient Greek theory that linked music with the stars, and his new book, Beneath the Night: How the Stars Have Shaped the History of Humankind. And, ahead of his performance as part of this autumn鈥檚 鈥淟ive from the Barbican鈥 series, Orkney composer Erland Cooper reflects on the influence, in his music, of the islands' landscape and people. We also mark the centenary of the death of composer Max Bruch, with contributions from critic Wendy Thompson and violinists Tasmin Little, Elena Urioste and Jack Liebeck.

Available now

44 minutes

Last on

Mon 5 Oct 2020 22:00

Broadcasts

  • Sat 3 Oct 2020 11:45
  • Mon 5 Oct 2020 22:00

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