Richard Fawkes

Richard Fawkes tells the fascinating story of over a thousand years of Western classical music and it's composers. From Gregorian chant to Stravinsky and Henryk Gorecki - the first living classical composer to get into the pop album charts - performances from some of the most highly praised recordings of recent years illustrate the narrative.

Since its origins in the sixteenth century, opera has been an extravagant, costly affair, arousing great passions. It has also produced some of the most sublime works of art, from Monteverdi to Wagner. Here Richard Fawkes traces the history of opera up to the present day, featuring more than seventy-five musical examples.