Examining controversial works of art which have influenced culture. Critic Andrew Graham-Dixon reflects on the emergence of modernism, concentrating on the work of Monet, whose impressionist paintings were disliked at first, but went on to win widespread acclaim.
Soprano Barbara Bonney examines Mozart's celebrated opera The Marriage of Figaro, based on a banned play by Beaumarchais. The programme investigates how the work reached unprecedented levels of emotional expression and wit, and continues to appeal to new generations even though its politics are only relevant to a particular era. With contributions by directors Jonathan Miller and Richard Eyre.
Germaine Greer takes a look at the often ignored but rather gigantic influence of the Psalms on wildly diverse cultures, from Jewish through Catholic and American Evangelism to Rastafarianism.
Michael Portillo explores his passion for Richard Wagner's Ring cycle, a monumental : and controversial : operatic masterpiece in four parts which took the composer 26 years to complete. The Bavarian State Opera rehearse their roles in Rheingold, the first in the sequence, and conductors Zubin Mehta and Pierre Boulez discuss the difficulties faced by orchestra and singers alike as they perform the epic music drama, and assess the themes embraced in Wagner's work.
Mark Lamarr explores the impact of the Beach Boys' influential album Pet Sounds, asking why Brian Wilson the man behind the music all but disappeared soon after its release. Hailed as an instant classic by contemporaries, including Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney, the programme assesses the appeal of the innovative songs, and the price Wilson had to pay to bring his harmonic vision to fruition.
Author Jeanette Winterson takes a retrospective look at Virginia Woolf's influential novel Orlando, a ground-breaking study of women and gender roles in English society. Dramatised excerpts from the book are played out by Joely Richardson and Saffron Burrows, exploring the characters, and examining the controversial nature of its content which could easily have led to prosecution and persecution on its release in the late 1920s, shortly after a similarly themed novel led to the publishing house being put on trial.
Playwright Girish Karnad explores the influence of Indian poem the Bhagavad Gita, known as the 'Bible of Hinduism' and hailed as a guiding force behind the subcontinent's history for the past 3,000 years. Interpreted in many ways, the words of wisdom within have inspired people across the world, from Mahatma Gandhi to the Beatles. The programme includes footage of life in modern India and dramatic reconstructions of the great battles which inspired the opening lines of the poem.