The magic and the mayhem

Available for 29 days

Martin Handley concludes his four-part series aiming to demystify the role of the conductor - an activity that the late, great Bernard Haitink described as "arranging the air". In this final episode, with the help of conductors Jakub Hrusa, Dalia Stasevska, Mark Wigglesworth, Harry Christophers, Sofi Jeannin and Trevor Pinnock, Martin explores the end product - the performance itself. What makes some live performances particularly electric, and how do conductors get the best out of an orchestral, choral or opera performance to make an audience leave feeling they've been involved in something magical? Though, of course, there are times when it doesn't go completely to plan... Including top recordings of music by Richard Strauss, George Frederick Handel, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Sergei Prokofiev, Samuel Barber, Caroline Shaw, Carl Maria von Weber and Jean Sibelius. To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Matters".