Mushrooms
What Emily Dickinson calls "the elf of plants" provides the topic for today's playlist of readings alongside music by Bernard Hermann, Sun Ra, Ravel, Tchaikovsky and Gesualdo.
A foraging trip is the scene of a failed marriage proposal in Anna Karenina, wild mushrooms form the key ingredient in a Meera Sodha meal, they inform the psychedelic experiments of Timothy Leary. Alice in Wonderland encountered the caterpillar, composer John Cage became interested in them, musing on the idea of playing Beethoven making a mushroom more edible. These are some of the readings in today's programme exploring fungi, with music from a range of composers including Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, which Disney used for a scene with dancing mushrooms in Fantasia; Anna von Hausswolff's Theatre of Nature; a pygmy song for gathering mushrooms from the Bayaka people and Dvorak's evocation of a Bohemian forest. Our readers are Youssef Kerkour and Verity Henry.
Producer: Ewa Norman
READINGS:
The mushroom is the Elf of Plants Emily Dickinson
Mushrooms Roger Phillips
Surfacing Margaret Attwood
Mycelium Kathie Fiveash
Anna Karenina Tolstoy
Fresh India mushroom and pea kheema Meera Sodha
Journey to the Centre of the Earth Jules Verne
The Tempest William Shakespeare
Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario's head or is he wearing a hat? Keza MacDonald
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
L S D Timothy Leary
Entangled Life Merlin Sheldrake
When is a mushroom not a mushroom? Rodney Bennett
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District Nikolai Leskov
The Sensitive Plant Percy Bysshe Shelley
Music Lovers' Field Companion John Cage
Mushrooms Sylvia Plath
You can find a Free Thinking discussion called Fungi: An Alien Encounter hearing from Merlin Sheldrake, in which Matthew Sweet cooks up some mushrooms for his guests available to download as an Arts and Ideas podcast
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
00:00
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker: Tea (Chinese dance)
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich.- Signum Classics SIGCD441.
- CD2 Tr6.
-
00:00
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker - ballet Op.71
Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich. Performer: Berliner Philharmoniker.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 4779191.
-
Emily Dickinson
The mushroom is the Elf of Plants 聳 Upstart, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Emily Dickinson: The mushroom is the Elf of Plants
00:02Terry Noland
There was a fungus among us
Performer: Terry Noland & The Anita Kerr Singers.- Coral 62274.
- Tr1.
00:02Terry Noland
There Was A Fungus Among Us
Performer: Terry Noland And The Anita Kerr Singers.- Not Now Music.
- not listed.
Roger Phillips
Mushrooms, read by Youssef Kerkour
Speech: Roger Phillips: Mushrooms
00:04Anna von Hausswolff
Theatre of Nature
Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.- SOUTHERN LORD: LORD280.
- Tr1.
00:05Anna von Hausswolff
Theatre of Nature
Performer: Anna von Hausswolff.- SOUTHERN LORD.
- LORD280.
Margaret Attwood
Surfacing, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Margaret Attwood: Surfacing
00:10Bayaka Pygmies
Song for gathering mushrooms
Performer: Bayaka Pygmies.- Wild Sanctuary.
- Tr1.
00:12Bayaka Pygmies
Song for Gathering Mushrooms
- WILD SANCTUARY.
- NFI.
Kathie Fiveash
Mycelium, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Kathie Fiveash: Mycelium
00:15Maurice Ravel
Lever du jour (Daphnis et Chloe)
Performer: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Performer: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.00:16Maurice Ravel
Daphnis et Chloe - suite no. 2
Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin. Performer: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.- EMI CLASSICS.
- 50999 966342 2 6.
Tolstoy
Anna Karenina, read by Youssef Kerkour
Speech: Tolstoy: Anna Karenina
00:21Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k
Silent woods B.173
Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Performer: Anna Polonsky.- DECCA 4785705.
- Tr8.
00:24Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k
Silent woods B.173 for cello and piano, arr. from no.5 of 'From the Bohemian forest' [orig. pf duet]
Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Performer: Anna Polonsky.- Decca.
- 4785705.
00:28Tjinder Singh
England is a garden
Ensemble: Cornershop.00:29Tjinder Singh
England is a garden
Performer: Cornershop.- Ample Play.
- AMP129CD.
Meera Sodha
Fresh India mushroom and pea kheema, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Meera Sodha: Fresh India 鈥 mushroom and pea kheema
Speech: William Shakespeare: The Tempest - Ye elves of hills
00:30Bernard Herrmann
The Mushroom Forest (Journey to the Center of the Earth)
Orchestra: 20th Century鈥怓ox Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Herrmann.00:32Unknown
The Mushroom Forest
- VARESE SARABANDE.
- VSD-5849.
Jules Verne
Journey to the centre of the earth, read by Youssef Kerkour
Speech: Jules Verne: Journey to the centre of the earth
00:33Michael Nyman
Prospero's Magic (Prospero's Books)
Ensemble: Michael Nyman Band.00:35Michael Nyman
Prospero's books - music for the film
Performer: Michael Nyman Band.- DECCA.
- 4252242.
William Shakespeare
The Tempest Ye elves of hills, read by Yousseff Kerkour
00:37Koji Kondo
Mario Theme
Performer: OST - Original Soundtrack.- Nintendo RVL-SVMP-UKV.
- Tr1.
00:41Koji Kondo
Super Mario Bros: Ground Theme
Performer: Unknown.- NINTENDO.
- RVL-SVMP-UKV.
Keza MacDonald
Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario聮s head or is he wearing a hat?, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Keza MacDonald: Fun guy: is that Toad from Mario鈥檚 head or is he wearing a hat?
00:40Walter Slaughter
Alice in Wonderland
Lyricist: Henry Savile Clarke. Conductor: Clifford Greenwood.00:44Henry Savile Clarke
Alice in Wonderland: Introduction And Scene With The Caterpillar
Conductor: Clifford Greenwood. Performer: Ann Stephens. Performer: Lewis Carroll. Performer: RICHARD GOOLDEN.- His Master's Voice.
- C.3243.
Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland, read by Ann Stephens and Richard Goolden
Speech: Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland
00:40Jefferson Airplane
White Rabbit
Performer: Jefferson Airplane.- RCA VICTOR SF 7889.
- Tr10.
00:45SLICK
White Rabbit
Performer: Jefferson Airplane.- RCA.
- PD-83766.
00:42Pink Floyd
Alan's psychedelic breakfast
Performer: Pink Floyd.- EMI CDEMD 1072.
- Tr5.
00:47Pink Floyd
Alans Psychedelic Breakfast
- EMI Records.
- EMI-Records.
Timothy Leary
L S D, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Timothy Leary: L S D
Merlin Sheldrake
Entangled Life, read by Youssef Kerkour
Speech: Merlin Sheldrake: Entangled Life
00:46Sun Ra
Enlightenment
Performer: The Sun Ra Arkestra.- Gambit: Gambit-69309.
- Tr1.
00:52Hobart Dotson
Enlightenment
Composer: Sun Ra. Performer: Hobart Dotson. Performer: John Gilmore. Performer: Marshall Allen. Performer: Pat Patrick. Performer: Sun Ra.- Gambit.
- Gambit-69309.
Rodney Bennett
When is a mushroom not a mushroom?, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Rodney Bennett: When is a mushroom not a mushroom?
00:52Dmitry Shostakovich
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district: Act 2 Entr'acte
Orchestra: Bastille Opera Orchestra. Choir: Ch艙urs de l鈥橭p茅ra Bastille. Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung.- DG 4779118.
- Tr1.
00:59Dmitry Shostakovich
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district - opera in 4 acts Op.29
Conductor: 鞝曤獏頇. Performer: Bastille Opera Orchestra.- DG.
- 4779118.
Nikolai Leskov
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, read by Youssef Kerkour
Speech: Nikolai Leskov: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District
00:56Johann Sebastian Bach
... and at the hour of death
Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson. Music Arranger: Christian Badzura.01:02Christian Badzura
...and at the hour of death
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson.- Deustche Grammophon.
- 483 7766.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
The Sensitive Plant, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Sensitive Plant
01:00Carlo Gesualdo
Peccantem me quotidie
Ensemble: Marian Consort.01:06Carlo Gesualdo
Peccantem me quotidie for 5 voices [1603a]
Performer: Marian Consort.- Delphian.
- DCD34176.
John Cage
Music lovers聮 field companion, read by Youssef Kerkour
Speech: John Cage: Music lovers鈥 field companion
01:05Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet in C major, Op.59 no.3 (4th mvt: Allegro molto)
Ensemble: Belcea Quartet.01:12Ludwig van Beethoven
Quartet in C major Op.59 No.3 (Rasumovsky) for strings
Performer: Belcea Quartet.- Zig Zag Territories.
- ZZT344.
Sylvia Plath
Mushrooms, read by Verity Henry
Speech: Sylvia Plath: Mushrooms
01:12Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Tea (Chinese Dance) (The Nutcracker)
Performer: Alexandra Dariescu. Music Arranger: Mikhail Pletnev.01:19Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker - ballet Op.71
Performer: Alexandra Dariescu.- SIGNUM CLASSICS.
- SIGCD441.
Broadcasts
- Sun 17 Oct 2021 17:30大象传媒 Radio 3
- Sun 24 Nov 2024 18:00大象传媒 Radio 3