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Why bells are so powerful in Russia

From Mussorgsky to Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, the unmistakable sound of bells rings through the greatest pieces of Russian music. Woven into the very fabric of everyday Russian life for centuries, bell chimes sounded warnings, weddings and death knells. At different points they have been emblematic of both a deep patriotic conservatism and dangerous subversion. With the help of historians and expert campanologists, composer Llywelyn ap Myrddin delves into the medieval origins of Russian bells.

First broadcast on Russian Bells, 9 October 2017.

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Duration:

4 minutes

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