 
                
                        Butterflies and Moths
From the Ugly Bug Ball and Alice's caterpillar to Madame Butterfly, Kaija Saariaho's Sept Papillons, John Fowles's collector of specimens and Tennessee Williams's plague of moths.
From the hookah-smoking caterpillar in Alice and Joby Talbot's ballet score, to John Fowles's collector of specimens and Poppy Adams exploration of the behaviour of moths, Shakespeare's King Lear laughing at "gilded butterflies" and WG Sebald's tracking of silkworms to Dickens' Mr Skimpole "free as a butterfly": today's programme weaves together examples of moths and butterflies in prose and poetry, set alongside music which ranges from operas by Bellini and Puccini to Harrison Birtwistle's Moth Requiem, Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road journeys, Dolly Parton's observation that "love is like a butterfly", a Hopi butterfly dance and music from film, including Silence of the Lambs. Our readers are Erin Shanagher and Rupert Hill.
Producer: Chris Wines
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Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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    ![]() 00:01 00:01OrisonThe Butterfly 
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    William WordsworthTo A Butterfly read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:03 00:03Vincenzo BelliniLa Farfalletta Performer: Cecilia Bartoli. Performer: James Levine.- Decca 4555132.
- Tr 15.
 ![]() 00:05 00:05Gabriel FauréPapillon Op.77 for cello and piano Performer: François Salque. Performer: Eric Le Sage.- Alpha ALPHA600.
- Tr 1.
 Charles DickensBleak House read by Erin Shanager ![]() 00:07 00:07Edward ElgarWand of Youth Suite No 2 - III. Moths & Butterflies Performer: Halle (orchestra), Mark Elder (conductor).- HALLE CDHLL7548.
- Tr 10.
 Emily DickinsonTwo Butterflies Went Out at Noon read by Erin Shanager ![]() 00:10 00:10David ArkenstoneOn the Wings of A Butterfly Performer: David Arkenstone.- Narada ND-64003.
- Tr 1.
 Henri Charrière trans. Patrick O’BrianPapillon read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:11 00:11Robert SchumannPapillons Op.2 for piano mvt 1 Performer: Leon McCawley.- AVIE AV0029.
- Tr 1.
 Rabindranath TagorePoems of Time read by Erin Shanager ![]() 00:12 00:12Robert SchumannPapillons Op.2 for piano mvt XI & XII Performer: Leon McCawley.- AVIE AV0029.
- Tr 1.
 John KeatsTo Fanny Brawne, Newport, 3 July 1819 read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:16 00:16Dolly PartonLove is Like a Butterfly Performer: Dolly Parton.- RCA Records G010003118226I.
- Tr 1.
 ![]() 00:19 00:19Ralph Vaughan WilliamsSymphony No. 3 "A Pastoral Symphony" IV Mvt Singer: Andrew Staples. Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.- ONYX ONYX-4161.
- Tr 4.
 Erich Maria RemarqueAll Quiet on the Western Front read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:29 00:29Antonio VivaldiLa Farfalletta s'aggira RV.660 for soprano and continuo Singer: Arianna Vendittelli. Ensemble: Abchordis Ensemble. Conductor: Andrea Buccarella.- NAIVE OP7257.
- Tr 15.
 ![]() 00:34 00:34Harrison BirtwistleThe Moth Requiem Choir: ѿý Singers. Ensemble: Nash Ensemble. Conductor: Nicholas Kok.- SIGNUM SIGCD368.
- Tr 8.
 Walter de la Mere“The Moth” read by Erin Shanger Sean BorrowdaleDrinker Moth read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:36 00:36Maurice RavelMiroirs - I Noctuelles Performer: Beatrice Rana.- WARNER CLASSICS 9029541109.
- Tr 1.
 Poppy AdamsThe Behaviour of Moths read by Erin Shanager ![]() 00:41 00:41Howard ShoreSilence of the Lambs – “Finale” Performer: Münchner Symphoniker.- MCA MCD-10194.
- Tr 13.
 John FowlesThe Collector read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:44 00:44Serge GainsbourgLes Papillons Noirs Performer: Michèle Arnaud.- Parlophone (France) 5099909657854.
- Tr 12.
 ![]() 00:47 00:47Giorgio MainerioSchiarazula marazula Ensemble: Ulsamer Collegium. Conductor: Josef Ulsamer.- DG 4696412.
- Tr 1.
 William ShakespeareKing Lear read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:48 00:48Trad.Mido Mountain Performer: Yo‐Yo Ma. Ensemble: Silk Road Ensemble.- SONY SK 89782.
- Tr 4.
 WG SeabaldThe Rings of Saturn by Erin Shanager Li Po trans.“Chung Chou in Dream” read by Erin Shanager Vladimir Nabokov‘Speak, Memory’ 1948 read by Rupert Hill ![]() 00:52 00:52Joby TalbotAlice In Wonderland' - "The Prologue" Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christopher Austin.- HYPERION SIGCD327.
- Tr 1.
 Lewis CarrollAlice in Wonderland read by Erin Shanager ![]() 00:56 00:56Roger GloverButterfly Ball - Love Is All - Universal Music 00600753874448.
- Tr 2.
 ![]() 00:59 00:59Roger Mase, The Singers From 2nd MesaHopi Butterfly Dance - Music Of The World CTD-126.
- Tr 4.
 Gerald DawavendewaHopi Butterfly Dance’ read by Erin Shanager ![]() 01:01 01:01Giacomo PucciniMadame Butterfly. Act 2 "Humming Chorus" Orchestra: The Vienna State Orchestra & Choir. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.- DECCA 433067-2.
 David Henry HwangM-BUTTERFLY read by Rupert Hill Ray BredburyThe Sound of Thunder read by Rupert Hill ![]() 01:04 01:04David BuckleyGreenland - “Butterfly Effect” Performer: Studio Orchestra.- Varese Sarabande 00888072198395.
- Tr 2.
 Robert FrostBlue Butterflies read by Erin Shanager ![]() 01:07 01:07Kaija SaariahoSept papillons - Nos 1 & 6 Performer: Anssi Karttunen.- ONDINE ODE10472.
- Tr 1.
 Tennessee Williams“A plague has stricken the moths” read by Rupert Hill ![]() 01:10 01:10The Frail OpheliasXerces Blue - Tr 4.
 Broadcasts- Sun 28 Aug 2022 17:30ѿý Radio 3
- Sun 26 May 2024 18:00ѿý Radio 3
 
 
            