Do you sometimes find some of the pieces of classical music written in the last 100 years strange or baffling?

In this series of eight weekly talks, John Mercer and Robert Stein attempt to explain why contemporary ‘classical’ music sounds like it does – what it’s trying to do, how it is put together, how it relates to other contemporary arts and why much of it is so incredibly good, given half a chance.

Starting with the sonic and technological innovations of the late 19th century, this series of 90-minute talks will be illustrated with plenty of musical and other examples. Who wrote the interesting stuff and how and why? Come along and find out.