Main content

Talking in music

Tom Service explores talking in music - from Gilbert and Sullivan's patter songs to high-art 'sprechgesang' by Schoenberg, from Mozart's recitative to the rap of present-day LA.

Tom Service explores talking in music - from Gilbert & Sullivan's patter songs to high-art "Sprechgesang" by Schoenberg, from Mozart's recitative to the rap of present-day LA. Anyway, who's to say what is talking and what is singing? Archive recordings of WB Yeats reveal him intoning his poetry melodically, while Ken Nordine devised what he called "Word Jazz".

This edition was first broadcast in 2020: the poet named there as Kate Tempest identified as non binary later that year, changing their name to Kae

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Fri 29 Sep 2023 16:30

Broadcasts

  • Sun 3 May 2020 17:00
  • Sun 29 May 2022 17:00
  • Fri 3 Jun 2022 16:30
  • Sun 24 Sep 2023 17:00
  • Fri 29 Sep 2023 16:30

Why do we call it 'classical' music?

Tom Service poses a very simple question (with a not-so-simple answer).

Six of the world's most extreme voices

From babies to Mongolian throat singers: whose voice is the most extreme of all?

How did the number 12 revolutionise music?

How did the number 12 revolutionise music?

How Schoenberg opened a new cosmos for composers and listeners to explore.

Why are we all addicted to bass?

Why are we all addicted to bass?

Bass is everywhere, but why do we enjoy it? Join Tom Service on a journey of discovery.

Watch the animations

Join Tom Service on a musical journey through beginnings, repetition and bass lines.

When does noise become music?

We like to think we can separate β€œnoise” from β€œmusic”, but is it that simple?

Podcast