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Temptation

Emma Fielding and Tom Goodman-Hill read poetry and prose on the theme of Temptation including Marlowe, Christina Rossetti, Yeats, Tony Harrison and Margaret Atwood, with music by Gounod, Penderecki, William Bolcom, Humperdinck and Stravinsky.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 23 Jun 2013 18:30
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

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

  • 00:00

    John Metcalf

    Paradise Haunts

    Performer: Lontano, Richard McMahon ( piano), Angell Piano Trio

    • LORELT LNT111.
    • 1.

  • The Mysteries by Tony Harrison

    Emma Fielding and Tom Goodman-Hill

  • 00:03

    William Bolcom

    The Serpent's Kiss, from Music For Two Pianos

    Performer: Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann, pianos

    • NAXOS 8559244.
    • 8.

  • Apples by Paulus Silentiarius, trans Edmund Keeley

    Tom Goodman-Hill

  • 00:08

    Jerome Kern

    She Didn't Say Yes (from CD Kern Goes To Hollywood)

    Performer: Elizabeth Welch

    • FIRST NIGHT OCRCD6014.
    • 9.
  • 00:10

    Igor Stravinsky

    The Soldier's Tale, Airs By A Stream

    Performer: Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Cond. Lionel Friend

    • NIMBUS NIM5063.
    • 3.

  • Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

    Emma Fielding

  • 00:13

    Igor Stravinsky

    The Soldier's Tale, Pastorale

    Performer: Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Cond. Lionel Friend

    • NIMBUS NIM5063.
    • 7.
  • 00:16

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Don Giovanni,Recitativo, Alfin siam liberati

    Performer: Simon Keenlyside, Patrizia Pace

    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4576012.
    • 14.
  • 00:16

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Don Giovanni, L脿 ci darem la mano

    Performer: Simon Keenlyside, Patrizia Pace

    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4576012.
    • 15.
  • 00:20

    Irving Berlin

    Get Thee Behind Me Satan, from Ella Fitzgerald: The Irving Berlin Songbook

    Performer: Irving Berlin

    • VERVE 8295342.
    • 7.

  • This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

    Tom Goodman-Hill

  • 00:24

    Engelbert Humperdinck

    Hansel and Gretel, The Gingerbread House

    Performer: A Moffo, H Donath,) M Rundfunkorchester

    • RCA 74321252812.

  • Krzysztof Penderecki

    Adagietto from Paradise Lost

    Performer: Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra

    • MUZA PNCD020.

  • The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by C Marlowe

    Tom Goodman-Hill

  • 00:33

    Charles Gounod

    Faust (The Faust Waltz)

    Performer: London Symphony Orchestra + Ambrosian Opera Chorus

    • DECCA 4212402.
  • 00:35

    Heaven 17

    Temptation

    Performer: Heaven 17

    • VIRGIN CDV2253.
    • 5.

  • All Things Can Tempt Me by W B Yeats

    Tom Goodman-Hill

  • 00:39

    William Bolcom

    Through Heaven's Gates, a Cakewalk

    Performer:

    • NAXOS 8559244.
    • 9.

  • Siren Song by Margaret Atwood

    Emma Fielding

  • 00:45

    Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Samson and Dalila (from CD Maria Callas Arias)

    Performer: Maria Callas

    • EMI CDC7490592.
    • 4.

  • The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen

    Emma Fielding

  • 00:50

    Dmitry Shostakovich

    Waltz No. 2 from Jazz Suite

    Performer: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Cond. Riccardo Chailly

    • DECCA 4337022.
  • 00:54

    Igor Stravinsky

    The Soldier's Tale, Little Pastorale

    Performer: Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Cond. Lionel Friend

    • NIMBUS NIM5063.
    • 9.

  • The Tragical History of Dr Faustus by C Marlowe

    Tom Goodman-Hill

  • 00:55

    Gounod, Intermezzo

    Faust

    Performer: Orchestra and Choir of the National Opera Theatre Paris

    • EMI CDC7474938.
    • 11.

Tom Goodman-Hill

Tom Goodman-Hill
Tom Goodman-Hill

Emma Fielding

Emma Fielding
Emma Fielding

Producer's Note

As Oscar Wilde said 鈥楾he only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it鈥� and this edition of Words and Music features an array of characters who did exactly that.聽 Most of them came to a sticky end eventually, but they had a good deal of fun on the way and as I compiled the programme I couldn鈥檛 help feeling the poets and composers had greatly enjoyed the process of depicting the particulars of each temptation 鈥� goblin fruits, shiny red shoes, juicy plums, beautiful women, magical powers, knowledge and gold.


We start in the Garden of Eden where poor Eve is no match for a charming and seductive Satan, dramatized by Tony Harrison, who drew on the York and Wakefield Mystery Cycles.聽 The music is taken from John Metacalf鈥檚 rhapsody Paradise Haunts and was inspired partly by Derek Jarman鈥檚 garden on the Kent coast and partly by Metcalf鈥檚 own wild garden in West Wales.聽


During the programme you will also hear music from William Bolcom鈥檚 piano suite telling the story of The Fall in ragtime, Penderecki鈥檚 opera Paradise Lost, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Stravinsky鈥檚 L鈥橦istoire du Soldat, based on a Russian folk tale about a soldier鈥檚 encounter with the devil who persuades him to sell his violin in return for unlimited wealth.聽 It proves to be a bad idea.


Perhaps the most famous victim of temptation is Faust and I have included several extracts from Christopher Marlowe鈥檚 famous play Doctor Faustus.聽 It was published in 1592 and between 1594 and 1597 it was performed twenty five times.聽 At the time the play was highly controversial聽 because of Marlowe鈥檚 alleged atheism and the play鈥檚 diabolical theme.聽聽 Contemporary audiences thrilled to the fear that Faustus鈥檚 onstage spells might call up real demons.聽 When I recorded Tom Goodman-Hill鈥檚 spine tingling rendition of the incantation I admit I couldn鈥檛 help feeling Mephistopheles might appear in a puff of smoke in the studio. But I lived to tell the tale and I hope you enjoy the results.

Broadcast

  • Sun 23 Jun 2013 18:30
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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