River of Music

CRAFTING A LONGFORM RADIO SHOW CELEBRATING STRAVINSKY

Client: BBC Radio 3 / BBC Sounds

Brief: To experience a seamless flow of 50 pieces of music from Igor Stravinsky on the 50th anniversary of his death. From Firebird to Fireworks, Rite to Ragtime and many surprising sounds in between.

Tandem process: Devised and created a one off radio programme to mark a significant anniversary combining multiple guest bookings, studio and remote recordings, commissioning a bespoke animation and associated imagery, edit master and deliver over five and half hours of content.

Project

This was a unique chance to create a longform radio show that submerged listeners in Stravinsky’s dramatic musical world in pieces written between 1904 and 1965. Drawing on Tandem’s deep knowledge of classical music, we devised a special programme that flowed for over five and half hours featuring a rich and surprising mix of 50 pieces, expertly curated and sprinkled with the insights of eminent Stravinsky performers. 

Alongside the carefully curated list of music, Tandem collated a vast range of performers, from Stravinsky himself to the current generation, and along the course of the river, ten leading musicians gave insights into how they interpreted music by this amazing composer. 

We also created a bespoke animation to promote the show across social media platforms and to provide the BBC with further branding opportunities.

The result was a programme that generated significant press interest and a lot of listener reaction, and is a demonstration of how Tandem can deliver a full end-to-end service covering audio and video.