Notes From The Underground: Radical Music of the Twentieth Century

Notes From The Underground showcases landmark recordings which shaped the musical and cultural landscape of the 20th century. Including major works like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Déserts by Edgard Varèse, Edith Sitwell’s Façade, Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and John Cage’s 1940s compositions for prepared piano, which were absolutely revolutionary.

Unveiled to the public, these works created a scandal that polarised audiences and sparked furious debate, bordering on serious public disorder. Other works, including Allen Ginsberg’s epic poem "Howl", Miles Davis’ Third Stream interpretation of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, and ballet music for Parade, composed by Erik Satie, even entered dangerous legal territory.

Despite initial opposition, all cleared the prevailing air and proved to be universal in their influence. Some, among them, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Coltrane, Pierre Boulez, Bill Evans, Ravi Shankar, Pierre Schaeffer, Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, and Charles Ives, were real crusaders; innovators whose concerted musical explorations enabled them to acquire a deeper understanding of their art that would enable them to attain hitherto unknown creative heights.

This presentation also includes music from four radical cinematic productions; Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s incendiary 1929 surrealist short, Un Chien Andalou, from Lindsay Anderson’s savage attack on the establishment, if Music from Electra by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis and from Patrick McGoohan’s fantastical, highly provocative era-defining political allegory, The Prisoner.