Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, it's a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that at some level of genius. It also helps

that it's a long time ago, right? It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream

van plays music when it's out of ice cream. Listen to evil genius on BBC sounds.

This is a download from the BBC. For more information and our terms of use, go to BBC.co.uk slash radio three.

It's a bewildering world, isn't it?

Tonight's edition of Nightwaves will attempt to clear up a little of the confusion.

We'll hear about the diplomatic minefield, traversed by the poet chosen to read at Obama's inauguration.

We'll be told that our culture needs to straighten out its ideas about rape.

Ian Christie is here to give us the facts about the Japanese film director Nagisa Oshima,

the man who took the world into the realm of the senses and whose death was announced today.

First, though, let's examine a phenomenon shaped by violence, sex, war, politics and death.

20th century music.

Music, The Vienna Philharmonic, performing Salome by Riccourt Stras,

premiered in 1905 and due to be heard in part this weekend

when the South Bank Centre hurls itself back to the dawn of the 20th century, like some

vast concrete thing from an HG Wells story. It's the opening event of a year-long chronological voyage

through the culture and ideas of the century that gave us chaplain, Wolfe, Dietrich and Hitler,

and it's been plotted by the South Bank Centre with the BBC as a partner.

There will be screenings, lectures and shows.

Music, though, is at the heart of its project.

Concerts from the festival will be broadcast over the year by Radio 3 and BBC 4,

and the umbrella title, The Rest Is Noise,

...