Boredom, Restlessness, Killing Time
An exploration of boredom, as a spur to action of an opportunity for contemplation, in Madame Bovary, Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim, Jane Austen's Emma and the songs of Cole Porter.
An exploration of the experience of boredom. Whether it's an idle moment or a life sentence, a spur to action or opportunity for contemplation, it's provided writers and musicians with a rich area to explore: Flaubert's Madame Bovary is driven to a disastrous affair, Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim resorts to pulling grotesque faces, Jane Austen's Emma scorns a boring acquaintance, and Beckett's The Unnameable contrives a complex inner life of invention from doing absolutely nothing. In music, the Prince in Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges is dying of boredom, which provokes the courtiers to elaborate entertainments to revive him; for Cole Porter, "practically everything leaves me totally cold"; and the Buzzcocks are "waiting for the phone to ring"....
With readings by Pip Carter and Skye Hallam.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
![]()
00:00Neil Innes & Vivian Stanshall
I聮m Bored
Performer: The Bonzo Dog Band.- EMI 0946 3 87889 2.
- 14.
-
Saul Bellow
thoughts on boredom from Humboldt聮s Gift, read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:00Philip Glass
Contrary Motion
Performer: Philip Glass (organ).- Elektra Nonesuch 7559793262.
- 2.
John Cage
a zen view of boredom, read by Skye Hallam
![]()
00:00Buzzcocks
Boredom
- Mute/The Grey Area scratch1cd.
- 3.
William Shakespeare
Macbeth is bored with life, read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:00Neil Innes & Vivian Stanshall
I聮m Bored
Performer: The Bonzo Dog Band.- EMI 0946 3 87889 2.
- 14.
Wendy Cope
Mr Strugnell 聳 a poem satirising Philip Larkin聮s verse and life, read by Skye Hallam
![]()
00:00Cole Porter
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Anything Goes)
Performer: Ella Fitzgerald. Ensemble: Unnamed band. Conductor: Buddy Bregman.- Essential Jazz Classics EJC554454.
- 6.
![]()
00:00Julius Fucik
The Grouchy Old Bear (Der alte Brummbar)
Performer: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vaclav Neumann.- Teldec 8.42337.
- 5.
H.G. Wells
Mr Polly is feeling obscurely irritated with his life 聳 or perhaps he is bored聟(from The History of Mr Polly), read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:00Julius Fucik
The Grouchy Old Bear (Der alte Brummbar)
Performer: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vaclav Neumann.- Teldec 8.42337.
- 5.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Becky Sharp is initially delighted to be moving in fashionable 18th C circles, but then after a while she finds that it聮s all rather tedious 聳 she聮d rather be performing at a fair (from Vanity Fair), read by Skye Hallam
![]()
00:00Igor Stravinsky
The Shrovetide Fair (from Petrushka)
Performer: The Philharmonia conducted by Eliahu Inbal.- Teldec 229246327-2.
Charles Dickens
Lord and Lady Dedlock visit Paris, but despite the many attractions and distractions of the city, Lady Dedlock is bored to death (from Bleak House), read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:00Claude Debussy
Recueillement
Performer: Felicity Lott (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano).- Harmonia Mundi HM901219.
- 14.
Margaret Atwood
in this poem called Bored, a girl remembers how bored she was, living with her father, read by Skye Hallam
![]()
00:00Scott Joplin
Real Slow Drag
Performer: Philip Dyson (piano).- ASV CDWHL2120.
- 12.
Friedrich Engels
a description of the stupefying effects of factory work (from the Condition of Working Class in England), read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:00Mosolov
The Iron Foundry
Performer: Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink.- Decca 4366402.
- 1.
Saul Bellow
the power of totalitarianism explained as boredom combined with terror (from the novel, Humboldt聮s Gift), read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:00Dmitry Shostakovich
String Quartet no.8, 2nd movement
Performer: Borodin Quartet.- Decca 425541-2.
![]()
00:00Aaron Copland
Quiet City
Performer: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.- DG 4273352.
- 5.
Leroi Jones
Epistrophe for Yoda, read by Pip Carter (a Beat Poet stares out of his window in New York, wishing for something to happen)
![]()
00:00Boyce
Gavotte from Symphony no.4
Performer: Brandenburg Consort conducted by Roy Goodman.- Hyperion CDA66600.
- 8.
Jane Austen
a picnic at Box Hill and Emma makes fun of Miss Bates for being a bore. From the novel Emma, read by Skye Hallam
![]()
00:00William Walton
Scapino (Comedy Overture)
Performer: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Groves.- EMI 7 63369 2.
- 2.
![]()
00:00Arthur Honegger
Pastorale d聮Ete
Performer: Lausanne Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos.- Virgin Classics VC 791486-2.
- 1.
Gustave Flaubert
Emma Bovary is desperately bored with her life as the wife of a country doctor (from the novel Madame Bovary), read by Skye Hallam
![]()
00:01Arthur Honegger
Pastorale d聮Ete
Performer: Lausanne Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos.- Virgin Classics VC 791486-2.
- 1.
Fernando Pessoa
a Portuguese man compares his boss with life 聳 monotonous and banal, but necessary (from The Book Of Disquiet), read by Pip Carter
![]()
00:01Procol Harum
Boredom
Performer: Procol Harum.- Dojo EARLD6.
- 4.
Words And Music: Boredom. Producer鈥檚 Note
An exploration of the varied experiences of boredom. Whether it's an idle moment or a life sentence, a spur to action or opportunity for contemplation, it's provided writers and musicians with a rich area to explore.
聽In four contrasting 19th Century novels, we hear how differently boredom strikes certain women. Flaubert鈥檚 Madame Bovary is desperately bored by her life as the wife of a country doctor, and feels as though nothing ever happens; Jane Austen's Emma is much happier with her life, but on a picnic at Box Hill she finds her companions so dull that she is tempted into making a cruel remark.
Becky Sharp, the irrepressible heroine of Thackeray鈥檚 Vanity Fair, is also inclined to enjoy life, especially when she finds herself moving among the fashionable and wealthy social strata of London - so she is surprised to find that this whirl of activity is actually rather a bore.聽 聽As for Lady Dedlock (in Dickens鈥� Bleak House), she visits Paris with her husband, but what should be an exciting excursion to a glamorous foreign capital, leaves her 鈥渂ored to death鈥�.
In contrast to these social boredoms, we find existential weariness and lassitude afflicting Mr Polly (in HG Wells鈥� The History of Mr Polly). He is so bored that his digestion is ruined, and he can鈥檛 see a way out of his 鈥渉ole鈥�. (His grumpiness is matched with Fucik鈥檚 orchestral depiction of a grumbling Brown Bear). Fernando Pessoa and Leroi Jones on the other hand, seem to rather enjoy their experiences of idleness. Pessoa (in the Book Of Disquiet) waxing philosophical about his boring boss; while Leroi Jones rather hopes that 鈥渟ome weird-looking animal鈥� might come along to distract him.聽 Wendy Cope satirises that great poet of the mundane, Philip Larkin, in her poem Mr Strugnell, who has to move to Hull because he finds his quiet life in a bedsit in Tulse Hill 鈥渢oo stimulating鈥�.
On a more serious note, the philosopher Friedrich Engels writes indignantly about the stupefying effect of 19th Century industrial work (in The Condition of the Working Class in England) - this is followed by Mosolov鈥檚 orchestral depiction of an Iron Foundry; and Saul Bellow, in his novel Humboldt鈥檚 Gift, looks at how dictators use boredom 鈥渟easoned with terror鈥� as an instrument of social control. We then hear music by Shostakovich, who was very familiar with the boredom and fear of living under Stalin in Russia - his 8th string quartet evokes the nervous agitation of this climate of fear.
Other music in this sequence includes a Debussy setting of Baudelaire, the great poet of ennui; Ella Fitzgerald sings Cole Porter鈥檚 I Get A Kick Out of You, (鈥減ractically everything leaves me totally cold鈥�); and two British pop bands who have written witty songs on the subject: the Buzzcocks (鈥渓ife just seems very humdrum鈥�) and Procol Harum, who bring the sequence to a close singing
鈥渁ll in all, it鈥檚 all the same - but call me if there鈥檚 any change鈥�.
Philip Tagney (producer)
Broadcast
- Sun 1 Jul 2018 17:30大象传媒 Radio 3
The hidden history of plant-based diets
![The hidden history of plant-based diets]()
Forget social media influencers - the meat-free movement started with the Victorians.
Books website
Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.
Related Content
