Sunday Feature: Beautiful Death

Paul McCartney, Jean-Michel Jarre and Lee Renaldo on their debt to classical music. 

In a remarkable moment after WWII New York became the centre of the art world, simultaneously seeing the development of new ways of hearing music, and new ways of seeing art. It was here that the American experimental composer Morton Feldman said, “What was great about the fiftie ... Show More

"For the next hour, I need your ears". It's 1974 and someone is trying to recruit you for a listening experiment on public radio in Canada. Pioneering Canadian composer and soundscape maestro, R Murray Schafer really wants you to commit: "if you're just listening to this programm ... Show More

How Mozart's Requiem, written when he was dying, has touched and changed people's lives. Crime writer Val McDermid recalls how this music helped her after the loss of her father. Hypnotist Athanasios Komianos recounts how the piece took him to the darker side of the spirit world. ... Show More

What consists of a good death? According to Caitlin Doughty, It is staring down your death fears—whether it be your own death, the death of those you love, the pain of dying, the afterlife (or lack thereof), grief, corpses, bodily decomposition, or all of the above. Accepting tha ... Show More

<p>At the end of 1893, Mahler could not find a way to end his 2nd Symphony. But the funeral of Hans Von Bulow, a conductor who Mahler worshipped even though Von Bulow hated Mahler's music, gave Mahler what he called "the flash that all creative artists wait for." In one of the mo ... Show More

This episode contains stories about the loss of pets and family.Have you been present for the moment when someone transitioned from life to death? What did it look or feel like? Today's episode is about the many ways the moment of death appears to us, whether peaceful or horrifyi ... Show More

<p>Friend of the show Joanna Ebenstein tells us about her enduring fascination with death, how it led her to create the Morbid Anatomy Museum and, after some setbacks, why she eventually settled on her new home of Mexico City.</p><p><strong>READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:</strong> If you ... Show More

A former funeral director explains why she quit during the pandemic. She also talks to Geth about the surprising similarities between the funeral industry and her previous gig working at Disneyland. 

THE GRAVE AND MEMORIAL BENCHES: Laurie Taylor talks to Allison C. Meier, New York based researcher, about how burial sites have transformed over time. Whilst the grave may be a final destination, it is not the great leveller, and permanency is always a privilege with the indigent ... Show More

<p>Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in December of 1791, bringing his profound career to an untimely end. But how exactly did he die? Join Katie and Sarah as they examine the life of Mozart -- and the questions surrounding his death -- in this podcast.</p><p> </p> Learn more about yo ... Show More