Radio Times: Review by:; Patrick Mulkern

Fresh from playing the cuddly home secretary in Spooks, Simon Russell Beale takes another plunge into the classical music world. (You may recall his soul-soothing BBC4 series Sacred Music.) With the air of an authoritative but charismatic schoolmaster, he explores the evolution and power of the symphony, flitting between London, Paris, Mannheim and the Esterházy Palace in Austria to nose around the haunts of the early masters: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

Haydn is dubbed the “Father of the Symphony” — he composed more than 100 of them — and takes the lion’s share of this programme. If you feel shortchanged on the Beethoven front, his story continues next week.

About this programme

1/4. Simon Russell Beale charts the history of classical symphonies, beginning with the works of three of the most renowned composers of all time - Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. He explores how the Austrian-born Haydn's work was influenced by his time in England, examines how the prodigious talent of Mozart caused a sensation in the 18th century, and explains why Beethoven's Eroica is still regarded as one of the greatest symphonies ever created - more than 200 years after it was written.