Main content

Stravinsky Goes Pop

Five startling, counterfactual histories of the lives of composers Chopin, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Beethoven and Satie from the imagination of Spanish writer Martín Llade.

“Uchronia” - noun - neologism. An alternative history or genre of speculative fiction that reimagines historical events or characters in a new light.

Five startling, counterfactual stories featuring Chopin, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Beethoven and Satie. These stories were originally created for classical music magazine Scherzo from the imagination of Spanish writer and radio presenter Martín Llade, with hints of Borges and Marcel Schwob.

Uchronias straddles the gap between fact and fiction, creating hypothetical, “what if” scenarios around 19th and 20th century composers and their lives.

Stories by Martín Llade
Read by Blake Ritson

With thanks to Juan Lucas and David Johnston.

Stories originally published as "El horizonte quimérico" by Scherzo Editorial S.L.

Executive producer, Sara Davies
Sound mix, Adam Woodhams
Translated, produced and presented by Nicolas Jackson

An Afonica production for ѿý Radio 3

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Wed 16 Jul 2025 21:45

Broadcast

  • Wed 16 Jul 2025 21:45

Death in Trieste

Death in Trieste

A 1760s murder still informs ideas about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex, and death.

Watch: My Deaf World

Watch: My Deaf World

Five compelling experiences of what it is like to be deaf in 21st-century Britain.

The Book that Changed Me

Five figures from the arts and science introduce books that changed their lives and work.

Download The Essay

Download The Essay

Download all the episodes from the series and listen at your leisure.

Podcast