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Twenty Minutes Episodes

  1.

    An Interview with Neil Tennant

    Singer Neil Tennant, who grew up in North Shields, talks to Philip Dodd about his career.

  2. The Last Days of Summer

    Claire Messud's new story about a mother and daughter also marks the end of summer.

  3. Sound and Fury

    Trevor Cox on how soundscapes and sound effects are used to create emotion in the cinema.

  5. The Poem of the End

    Imogen Stubbs and David Seddon read Marina Tsvetaeva's The Poem of the End.

  6. Feeding the Bears

    Writer and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen explores the world of bears.

  7. Friedrich Nietzsche's Horrible Music

    Tom Service finds out about the music composed by philosopher Friedrich Nietszche.

  8. The Music of Radio Times

    As Radio Times reaches 90, Simon Elmes explores the musical world celebrated in its pages.

  9. The Albertopolis of the South

    Lesley Chamberlain on Prince Albert's German recreation of Britain in the Great Exhibition

  10. The Conductor

    Excerpt from Sarah Quigley's novel about Shostakovich writing The English Poets project.

  11. Elgar and Bantock in Birmingham

    Fiona Clampin tells the story of two Birmingham professors of music: Elgar and Bantock.

  12. I Will Wear the Green Willow

    Fay Hield explores how the willow as a badge of forsaken love appears in traditional song.

  13. What Visions Have I Seen

    Folklorist Steve Roud surveys the summer customs of Britain.

  14. This Country Called Russia

    Lesley Chamberlain tells the story of the Red Princess, Sofka Skipworth.

  15. The Planets

    Music journalist Paul Morley describes finally seeing the future in Holst's The Planets.

  16. A Postilion Struck by Lightning

    Ian Sansom and Belfast's Wireless Mystery Theatre reflect on writing and inspiration.

  17. The Reef

    Evie Wyld's short story about a couple looking for answers in the Great Barrier Reef.

  18. Wagner in France

    Wagner's relationship with French music and ideas. Tim Blanning and Sarah Hibberd discuss.

  19. The Rise of the Cossacks

    Alexander Kan investigates how Cossacks have been portrayed in art, literature, and music.

  20. Cosmic Scotland

    Janice Forsyth, AL Kennedy and Maureen Beattie discuss the universe from a Scottish view.

  21. British Wagnerism

    Simon Russell Beale explores the impact of Wagner on fin-de-siecle British culture.

  22. This Dreaming Sea

    A new sequence of poems by Lavinia Greenlaw, inspired by Wagner's Tristan and Isolde.

  23. When Tolkien Stole Wagner's Ring

    Susan Hitch explores connections between Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Wagner's Ring.

  24. Ravel's Bolero

    Ravel's Bolero: an early sign of dementia or a musical genius working under pressure?

  25. The Soviet Valkyrie

    Historian Philip Bullock explores the staging of Die Walkure at the Bolshoi in 1940.

  26. 20/07/2013

    Roger Parker, Flora Willson and Semyon Bychkov explore Verdi's attitude to religion.

  27. Stormy Weather

    Suzy Klein explores composers' orchestral depictions of weather.

  28. The Trials of the Chorus Master

    Chorus masters reveal how the unsung heroes feel when a star conductor receives the glory.

  29. Going Underground

    Petroc Trelawny experiences the compelling sounds of the London Underground.

  30. The Ospreys of Loch Garten

    Writer Rob Cowen travels to the Abernethy Forest in Scotland in search of rare ospreys.

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