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Entering the World of Books

From Roald Dahl's Matilda to Flaubert's Madame Bovary and an 1835 guide to George Eliot's Silly Novels by Silly Lady Novelists. Music includes The Beatles, Haydn and Thomas Ades.

Stephen Mangan and Helen Monks explore attitudes to reading from Roald Dahl's Matilda to Flaubert's Madame Bovary to 鈥淭he Reading of Young Ladies鈥� (from the American Magazine of Useful Knowledge, December 1836) 鈥淓very-one must rejoice that the education of females is considered more important than formerly 鈥� But鈥�.too much time is spent on novels, few of which are calculated to instruct or to improve鈥�. Starting off a series this week of Words and Music focusing on writing by some key names in literature, today's programmes takes us into the world of books.

The birth of the novel in the early 18th century and their growing popularity with female readers lead to many a male moralist worrying about what these romantic literary adventures were doing to women's expectations. Some of Emma's struggles with marriage in Flaubert's Madame Bovary are traced back to the books she reads and Jane Austen satirised the prim James Fordyce, whose Sermons for Young Women we'll hear from. Fordyce warns about books that commit: 'rank treason against the royalty of Virtue'. There's also a passage from Jilly Cooper's Riders.

Musically we'll journey from Haydn at the fortepiano, a combination Jane Austen would likely have been familiar with, to Thomas Ad猫s's haunting take on Shakespeare's The Tempest and Dire Straits' tribute to a Lady Writer. There are also hymns to reading and writers by the 16th-century composer Robert Jones and The Beatles.

'I could never have dreamt that there were such goings-on in the world between the covers of books' said Dylan Thomas in his Notes on the Art of Poetry.

You can find a playlist of discussions about Prose and Poetry on the Free Thinking programme website which includes a discussion of attitudes to women writers and readers /programmes/p047v6vh

Producer Georgia Mann

Readings:
Emily Dickinson - There is no Frigate like a Book
Roald Dahl - Matilda
Mimi Khalvati - Childhood Books
C.K Williams - Prose
Robert Louis Stevenson - The Land of Story-books
James Fordyce - Sermons to Young Women, extract From Sermon IV: On Female Virtue
Flaubert - Madame Bovary
Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
George Eliot - Silly Novels by Silly Lady Novelists
Jilly Cooper - Riders
Shakespeare - The Tempest
Author Unknown - Extract from Devouring Books, from the American Annals of Education, January 1835
Robert William Service - Bookshelf
Andrea Levy - The Long Song
Katie Ward - Girl Reading
Dylan Thomas - Notes on the Art of Poetry

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Mon 21 Dec 2020 18:15
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

    Philip Glass

    Etude no.14

    Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson.
    • DG 479 6918.

  • Emily Dickinson

    There is no Frigate like a Book, read by Helen Monks

  • Roald Dahl

    Extract from Matilda read by Stephen Mangan

  • 00:03

    Lorenz Hart

    I could Write a Book

    Performer: Dinah Washington (vocals), Clark Terry, (trumpet), Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone), Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone), Jimmy Cleveland (trombone), Wynton Kelly (piano), Barry Galbraith (guitar), Keter Betts (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums).
    • EmArcy Records, 7717622.

  • Mimi Khalvati

    Extract from Childhood Books, read by Helen Monks

  • 00:08

    Debussy arr. Bella Fleck

    Dr Gradus ad Parnassum [from Children's Corner], arr. for banjo, cello & violin

    Performer: Bella Fleck (banj), Gary Hoffman (cello), Joshua Bell (violin).
    • SONY, SK89610.
  • 00:11

    Charles Mingus

    Boogie, Stop, Shuffle

    Performer: John Handy (a lot saxophone), Shafi Hadi (alto saxophone), Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone), Willie Dennis (trombone), Horace Parlan (piano), Dannie Richmond (drums), Charles Mingus (double bass).
    • COLUMBIA, CK 65512.

  • C.K Williams

    Extract from Prose, read by Stephen Mangan

  • Robert Louis Stevenson

    The Land of Story-books, read by Helen Monks

  • 00:14

    Kreisler

    Toy soldier's march arr. for trumpet and piano [orig. for violin and piano]

    Performer: Tine Thing Helseth (trumpet), Kathryn Stott (piano).
    • EMI, 416471 2.

  • James Fordyce

    Sermons to Young Women, extract From Sermon IV: On Female Virtue, read by Stephen Mangan

  • 00:17

    Tom Waits

    Christmas Card from a Hooker in Menneapolis

    Performer: Tom Waits.
    • Asylum Records, P-10604Y.
  • 00:22

    贵补耻谤茅

    Fantaisie for flute and orchestra (Op.79) orch. Albert

    Performer: Edward Beckett (flute), London Festival Orchestra, Ross Pople (conductor).
    • BLACKBOX, BBM1049.

  • Flaubert

    Extract from Madame Bovary, read by Helen Monks

  • 00:26

    Robert Jones

    When I sit reading [1609]

    Performer: Emma Kirkby (soprano), Anthoiny Rooley (lute).
    • VIRGIN, VC7 91212-2.
  • 00:30

    Joseph Haydn

    Sonata for piano (H.16.24) in D major, 1st movement; Allegro

    Performer: Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano).
    • BIS, BISCD1163.

  • Jane Austen

    Extract from Pride and Prejudice, read by Stephen Mangan

  • George Eliot

    Extract from Silly Novels by Silly Lady Novelists, read by Helen Monks

  • 00:38

    Dire Straits

    Lady Writer

    Performer: Dire Straits.
    • Vertigo Records, 6360170.
  • 00:42

    Leroy Anderson

    The Typewriter for orchestra and typewriter

    Performer: 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra, Alasdair Malloy, Leonard Slatkin (conductor).
    • NAXOS, 8559357.

  • Jilly Cooper

    Extract from Riders, read by Stephen Mangan

  • 00:45

    The Beatles

    Paperback Writer

    Performer: The Beatles.
    • Parlophone, PCS 7016.
  • 00:47

    Sibelius

    The Tempest: Prelude, Op.109,No.1

    Performer: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi (conductor).
    • BIS, BIS-CD-448.

  • Shakespeare

    Extract from The Tempest, read by Stephen Mangan

  • 00:49

    Thomas Ad猫s

    Miranda You are my Care from The Tempest

    Performer: Simon Keenlyside (baritone), The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Thomas Ades (conductor).
    • EMI, 6952342.
  • 00:52

    Gluck

    Trio sonata for 2 violins and continuo no. 4 in B flat major; 1st mvt; Andante

    Performer: Aura Musicale, Balazs Mate (director).
    • Hungaroton Classic, HCD32158.

  • Author Unknown

    'Devouring Books' (extract) from the American Annals of Education, read by Helen Monks

  • Robert William Service

    Extract from Bookshelf, read by Stephen Mangan

  • 00:56

    Butterworth

    6 Songs from 'A Shropshire lad'..., no.6; Is my team ploughing?

    Performer: Roderick Williams (baritone), Iain Burnside (piano).
    • NAXOS, 8572426.

  • Andrea Levy

    Extract from The Long Song, read by Stephen Mangan

  • 01:00

    Traditional, arr. Moses Hogan

    Wade in the Water

    Performer: Derek Lee Ragin (countertenor), Bridget Bazile (vocals), Moses Hogan (piano), Moses Hogan Singers.
    • ERATO, 3633052.
  • 01:03

    John Dowland

    La Mia Barbara

    Performer: Paul O鈥橠ette.
    • Harmonia Mundi, HMU907515.

  • Katie Ward

    Extract from Girl Reading, read by Helen Monks

  • 01:04

    Ildebrando Pizzetti

    De Profundis

    Performer: East Carolina University Chamber Singers, Daniel Bara (conductor).
    • GOTHIC, G49272.
  • 01:10

    David Lang

    Light Moving

    Performer: Hilary Hahn (violin), Cory Smythe (piano).
    • DG, 4791725.

  • Dylan Thomas

    Extract from Notes on the Art of Poetry, read by Helen Monks

Broadcasts

  • Sun 1 Dec 2019 17:30
    大象传媒 Radio 3
  • Mon 21 Dec 2020 18:15
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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