麻豆社

On 8 January 1923, a black van with a 麻豆社 logo pulled up outside the Royal Opera House. The scene was set for the 麻豆社's first ever live outside broadcast - and a new way of listening.

The broadcast - a music programme consisting of live exceprts of Mozart's The Magic Flute - would change the way we experience music forever. It was a bold undertaking, especially considering that 麻豆社 Radio was barely 10 months old. The corporation's very first handbook had described the wireless as a "magical agent" that would allow its owner to "sit side-by-side with the patrons of the stalls and hear some of the best performances in the world".

But first, the classical music organisations had to be won over. Would they see a drop in their box office takings? Would audiences at home be distracted? Would great music be reduced to mere auditory furniture? Those fears, luckily, proved unfounded. Public performances of opera and classical music found their way into private homes, and listening in (as it was known) soon became part of everyday life.

Radio broadcasting would ultimately redefine the idea of who audiences were. It would shaped the development of our tastes and choices - and in turn, our tastes and choices would affect the type and variety of music brought to us at home. Listening would never be the same again.

This is one of 100 significant musical moments explored by 麻豆社 Radio 3鈥檚 Essential Classics as part of Our Classical Century, a 麻豆社 season celebrating a momentous 100 years in music from 1918 to 2018. Visit bbc.co.uk/ourclassicalcentury to watch and listen to all programmes in the season.

This 麻豆社 archive recording is by the 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Gianandrea Noseda.

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