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Richard Wagner: Transformations and Transfigurations

Juliet Stevenson and Michael Pennington are the readers in a sequence of poetry, prose and music evoking the spirit and art of Richard Wagner.

The much loved actors Juliet Stevenson and Michael Pennington present a selection of prose and poetry combined with music, evoking the spirit and art of Richard Wagner.

As part of 蜜芽传媒 Radio 3's bicentennial celebrations of the birth of Richard Wagner, this edition of Words and Music does homage to one of the most outstanding of all Romantic composers - the man, it is claimed, who stands alongside Jesus Christ and Napoleon Bonaparte as having inspired more printed words than anyone else.

Transformations and transfigurations; music , memory and myth emerge through the poetry and prose of the "Nibelungenlied"; the works of Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire, Stephane Mallarm茅, and Gabriele D'Annunzio; the programme finds the "Wagnerian" in the writings of TS Eliot, DH Lawrence and Oscar Wilde; and gathers homages, portraits and reposts to the "Master" in the words of those who knew him, including Wagner's "Parsifal muse", Judith Gautier; the philosopher Freiderich Nietzsche; and Wagner's wife, Cosima. Each verbal leitmotif is sheathed in the Wagnerian glories that are Tristan, Parsifal, Lohengrin, The Mastersingers and The Ring.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sun 8 Dec 2013 17:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    Richard Wagner

    G枚tterdammerung: Prologue - Siegfried's Rheinfahrt

    Performer: Vienna Philharmonic Performer: Georg Solti

    • DECCA 455 569-2.

  • The Nibelungenlied鈥� Stanzas 482-485, Trans. Cyril Edwards

    Michael Pennington

  • The Nibelungenlied鈥� Stanzas 482-485, Trans. Cyril Edwards

    Juliet Stevenson

  • 00:05

    Richard Wagner

    G枚tterdammerung: Act 3 - Siegfried's Trauermusik

    Performer: Vienna Philharmonic Performer: Georg Solti

    • DECCA 455 569-2.

  • 鈥淭he Nibelungenlied鈥� Stanzas 976-997 Trans. Cyril Edwards

    Michael Pennington

  • 00:07

    Wagner

    Piano Sonata in Bb (1831) Op 1 鈥� IV mvt

    Performer: Stephen M枚ller (piano)

    • KOCH SCHWANN 3-1361-2.

  • Wagner at 蜜芽传媒鈥� - Judith Gautier 鈥� Chapter 1 Translated by Effie Dunreith Massie

    Juliet Stevenson

  • 00:08

    Richard Wagner

    Liebesmahl der Apostel 鈥� Part 3

    Performer: M盲nnerch枚re des Singvereins der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Performer: Wien Wiener Kammerchor Performer: Philharmonischer Chor und Jugendchor Dresden Performer: Dresden Philharmonie Performer: Michel Plasson

    • EMI 7 05514-2.

  • Richard Wagner: 鈥淭he Art Work of the Future鈥�. Trans. William Ashton Ellis

    Michael Pennington

  • 00:13

    Richard Wagner

    Das Rhinegold: Vorspiel, "Weia! Waga!"

    Performer: Oda Balsborg (Woglinde) Performer: Hetty Pl眉macher (Wellgune) Performer: Ira Malaniuk (Fl枚sshilde) Performer: Vienna Philharmonic Performer: Georg Solti

    • DECCA 455 556-2.

  • TS Eliot: 鈥淭he Waste Land 鈥� Fire Sermon鈥�

    Archive Recording of TS Eliot

  • DH Lawrence: 鈥淲omen in Love鈥� Chapter 4

    Juliet Stevenson

  • 00:21

    Richard Wagner

    Das Rhinegold: Prologue - "Garstig glatter"

    Performer: Gustav Neidlinger (Alberich) Performer: Vienna Philharmonic Performer: Georg Solti

    • DECCA 455 556-2.
  • 00:21

    Richard Wagner

    Albumblatt: 'Ankunft bei den schwarzen Schw盲nen'

    Performer: Mikhail Rudy (piano)

    • EMI 7 05514-2.
  • 00:26

    Richard Wagner

    Lohengrin: Act 3 "Mein lieber Schwann!"

    Performer: Nicolai Gedda (tenor) Performer: Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Fran莽aise Performer: Georges Pr锚tre

    • EMI CDM7695502.

  • Judith Gautier: 鈥淲agner at 蜜芽传媒鈥� - Chapter 3 Translated by Effie Dunreith Massie

    Michael Pennington and Juliet Stevenson

  • Oscar Wilde: 鈥淧ortrait of Dorian Gray鈥� - Chapter 4

    Michael Pennington

  • 00:31

    Richard Wagner

    Siegfried - (Waldweben) "Forest Murmers"

    Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Performer: Klaus Tennstedt

    • EMI CDM7470072.

  • Elizabeth Forster-Nietzsche: 鈥淭he Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence 1867鈥�

    Juliet Stevenson

  • Baudelaire: 鈥淐orrespondances鈥� trans. Geoffrey Wagner

    Michael Pennington

  • 00:33

    Richard Wagner

    Wesendock Lieder - Im Treibhaus

    Performer: Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto) Performer: Daniel Blumenthal (piano)

    • CYPRES CYP9611.

  • TS Eliot: 鈥淭he Waste Land 鈥� Burial of the Dead鈥�

    Archive Recording of TS Eliot

  • 00:39

    Richard Wagner

    Tristan und Isolde 鈥� Liebestod (orchestral version).

    Performer: Philharmonia Orchestra Performer: Otto Klemperer

    • EMI 7 636172.

  • Gabriele D鈥橝nnunzio: 鈥淭he Triumph of Death鈥� - From Part VI: 鈥淭he Invincible鈥�

    Juliet Stevenson

  • 00:43

    Richard Wagner

    Tristan und Isolde 鈥� Act 3 "Mild und Leise"

    Performer: Helga Dernesch (Isolde) Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Performer: Herbert von Karajan

    • EMI CMS 7 69319-2.
  • 00:44

    Wagner

    Symphony in C major (1832) 鈥� 1st mvt

    Performer: Norwegian Radio Orchestra Performer: Ari Rasilainen

    • FINLANDIA 3984 23400-2.

  • Friederich Nietzsche: 鈥淭he Case of Wagner: A Musician鈥檚 Problem鈥�.

    Michael Pennington

  • 00:47

    Paul Hindemith

    "Overture of 'The Flying Dutchman' as played at sight by a bad 鈥�"

    Performer: Kocian Quartet

    • PRAGA PRD250113115.
  • 00:47

    Wagner

    "The Ring of the Nibelung (An Analysis)"

    Performer: Anna Russell (reciter and pianist) Performer: John Coveart (pianist)

    • PHILIPS BBL 7033.
  • 00:49

    Faure/Messager

    "Souvenirs de Bayreuth"

    Performer: Kathryn Stott (piano) Performer: Martin Roscoe (piano)

    • HYPERION CDA669114.

  • John Ruskin: Letter to Lady Byrne-Jones 1882

    Michael Pennington

  • 00:53

    Richard Wagner

    Siegfried Idyll

    Performer: Academy of St Martin in the Fields鈥� Chamber Ensemble

    • PHILIPS 4262982.

  • Cosima Wagner: 鈥淒iaries鈥�

    Juliet Stevenson

  • 01:00

    Richard Wagner

    Parsifal - Act 3 conclusion

    Performer: Siegfried Jerusalem (Parsifal) Performer: John Tomlinson (Titurel) Performer: Jos茅 van Dam (Amfortas) Performer: G眉nter von Kannen (Klingsor) Performer: Waltraud Meier (Kundry) Performer: Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Performer: Daniel Barenboim

    • TELDEC 9031-74448-2.

  • St茅phane Mallarm茅: 鈥淗omage鈥� Trans. Henry Weinfield

    Michael Pennington

  • AC Swinburne: 鈥淭he Death of Richard Wagner鈥�

    Juliet Stevenson

  • 01:09

    Richard Wagner

    Parsifal - Act 3 conclusion

    Performer: Siegfried Jerusalem (Parsifal) Performer: John Tomlinson (Titurel) Performer: Jos茅 van Dam (Amfortas) Performer: G眉nter von Kannen (Klingsor) Performer: Waltraud Meier (Kundry) Performer: Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Performer: Daniel Barenboim

    • TELDEC 9031-74448-2.

  • Paul Verlaine: 鈥淧arsifal鈥� Trans. John Turner

    Michael Pennington

Broadcasts

  • Sun 19 May 2013 18:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3
  • Sun 8 Dec 2013 17:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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