All the Russias

Season 1 - All the Russias

• Season 1 Episode 5: Looking East, Looking West (2003) Exploration of Russia's volatile relationship with its neighbours, revealing how feelings ranging from fear and loathing to envy have often manifested themselves through the medium of music, enabling the creation of vast, colourful and searing pieces. With performances by the Kirov Orchestra, Chorus, Soloists and Ballet. Last in series
• Season 1 Episode 4: Once Upon a Time (2003) Examination of the fairy tale, and how it has been absorbed into Russian culture, becoming an integral part of major musical works by composers such as Mussorgsky, Balakirev, Glinka and Stravinsky
• Season 1 Episode 3: Devils (2003) Valery Gergiev explores the dark side of Russia's past, revealing how decades of bloodshed and tyranny are reflected in the country's culture. The pursuit of power, which often led to violence, proved a popular theme with many composers, including Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky, all of whom created music combining beauty with brutality
• Season 1 Episode 2: Holy Mother Russia (2003) Valery Gergiev and Mariinsky Opera explore the influence of faith and religion in Russian music. Visiting Moscow, Kiev, St Petersburg and the holy sites of Sergevev Pasad and Bogolyubovo, they reveal how the preoccupation with all things spiritual has shaped great works by composers including Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev and Gubaidulina
• Season 1 Episode 1: The Little Birch Tree (2003) The history of Russian music, assessing the influence of rural melodies over the centuries. Conductor Valery Gergiev reveals how elements of folk culture can be found in classical music by composers including Glinka, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, signifying the strength and importance of Russia's traditional heart