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The Music of Man

The Music of Man

An exploration of the world's music. Yehudi Menuhin has created this expansive survey of musical traditions from five continents. With panoramic vision and infectious enthusiasm, he takes us from primeval rhythms of Africa to the symphonies of Beethoven, from plainsong to jazz, from Swiss yodeling to Irish jig, from steel drum to electronic synthesizer.

The Music of Man was a series of eight hour-long specials with host Yehudi Menuhin, following the development of music from its beginnings at the dawn of history to the electronic experiments, jazz and rock of our own time. Menuhin, the renowned violinist, conductor and humanist, participated both as violin soloist and conductor throughout the series, and was also co-writer.

Created By
StatusReturning Series
Original NameThe Music of Man
First Air DateNovember 10, 1978
Last Air DateDecember 29, 1978
Seasons1
Episodes8
Episode Runtime 0min
Language
Original LanguageEnglish
Production CountriesCanada
Production CompaniesCBC
NetworksCBC Television
S01E08

Sound or Unsound

The post-war exploration of music, impelled by the LP, the transistor radio and the television, has taken Western music beyond early jazz into folk, rock and electronic music. Yet as old rules are questioned, man clings to the forms of music that will always remain rooted in the deepest instincts of his nature. Yehudi Menuhin examines the divergent trends in music following World War II: Bela Bartok's arrangements of traditional folk tunes; Oscar Peterson's jazz improvisations; John Cage's exploration of random sound; and the Beatles' impact as "pop idols" on an entire generation.

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