Francis Poulenc, Igor Stravinsky, and Ralph Vaughan Williams didn't start the break from 19th century Romanticism.
But they certainly helped push musical development along in the modern era -- even when they sometimes had to reach back into their historic national idioms to do it.
We'll look at some French, Russian, and English influences on 20th-century music this week.
The cycle of Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues continues. We'll toss in some others by the master, J.S. Bach, and conclude with a trio from contemporary American composer Jennifer Higdon
