Mountains
Take a trek up literary and musical mountains. Readings include Annie Proulx, HP Lovecraft and Nan Shepherd. Music from Grieg, Miriam Makeba, Laurel & Hardy and John Coltrane.
Grab your sensible shoes, lightweight layers and a flask of hot tea, for a trek up and down literary and musical mountains across the world. Siobhan Redmond and Tachia Newall are our readers.
We begin our hike In the Tatra Mountains, inspired by composer VÃtÄ›zslav Novák’s own journeys in Eastern Europe, then try to find the way to Cold Mountain with mysterious Chinese poet Han Shan, traverse the light-struck plateau of the Cairngorms beside Nan Shepherd, and haiku master Basho chuckles at foggy rain hiding Mount Fuji.
We also take in Cape Town’s Table Mountain with Miriam Makeba, yodelling from Fritz Liechti and his family, bass-baritone Paul Robeson sings of England’s pleasant pastures and mountains green, and hear a Himalayan trekking song accompanied by the Pahari folk tale ‘A Monkey Objects to Criticism.’
We also explore the romance of craggy summits and stars with Keats, plus Annie Proulx’s tragic love story of Brokeback Mountain alongside the film’s soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla, Laurel and Hardy are pining for the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Bjork’s Hyperballad arranged for string quartet hurls belongings off the top of a mountain, and Erica Jong’s poem ‘Climbing You’ details a sour relationship akin to a doomed expedition.
Faced with falling talus from above, Robert Macfarlane’s ‘Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination’ takes us to risky rambles up glaciers accompanied by Ferde Grofe’s Death Valley Suite, we also hear Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King alongside HP Lovecraft’s ‘Mountains of Madness’, and head to Middle-earth as hobbits Samwise and Frodo come face-to-face with the ominous Mount Doom.
Metaphorical mountains include Naomi Long Madgett’s powerful poem ‘Midway’ representing the racism she fought to overcome in the United States, heard alongside John Coltrane’s Alabama, widely believed to be a response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15th 1963. The nostalgic and unsettled quietude of Over the Hills and Far Away by Frederick Delius is interwoven with Elizabeth Bishop’s poem ‘The Mountain’, a reflection of the confusion and turmoil during the aging process as the world seems to change around you.
Producer: Nancy Bennie
READINGS:
Emily Dickinson – The Mountain Sat Upon the Plain
Han Shan – Cold Mountain translated by Gary Snyder
Nan Shepherd – The Living Mountain
Basho - The Narrow Road to Deep North and Other Travel Sketches translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa
Helen Mort - A Line Above the Sky: A story of mountains and motherhood
John Keats - Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art
Annie Proulx - Brokeback Mountain
Erica Jong – Climbing You
Robert Macfarlane - Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination
HP Lovecraft – Mountains of Madness
JRR Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Alice Elizabeth Dracott – Simla Village Tales, or Folk Tales from the Himalayas
Naomi Long Madgett – Midway
Elizabeth Bishop – The Mountain
Emily Bronte – Loud Without the Wind was Roaring
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
00:00
VÃtezslav Novák
V Tatrách (In the Tatra Mountains), Op.26
Orchestra: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: JoAnn Falletta.- Novák: In the Tatra Mountains, Lady Godiva & Eternal Longing.
- Naxos.
- 1.
-
00:00
VÃtezslav Novák
V Tatrách (In the Tatra Mountains), Op.26
Performer: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta (conductor).- Naxos 8573683.
- Tr1.
-
Emily Dickinson
The Mountain Sat Upon the Plain
00:05Guang Ren
Coloured Clouds Chasing the Moon
Performer: Lang Lang.- Dreams of China.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 7.
00:05Ren Guang
Coloured Clouds Chasing The Moon
Performer: Lang Lang.- Deutsche Grammophon 477 7979.
- Tr7.
Han Shan translated by Gary Snyder
Cold Mountain
Nan Shepherd
The Living Mountain
00:08Trad.
A Highland Lamentation
Performer: Lauren MacColl. Performer: Calum Stewart.- Wooden Flute and Fiddle.
- Make Believe Records.
- 9.
00:08Trad.
A Highland Lamentation
Performer: Lauren MacColl. Performer: Calum Stewart.- Make Believe Records MBR3CD.
- Tr9.
00:11Alison Stephens
Mount Fuji
Performer: Alison Stephens.- Souvenirs For Mandolin And Guitar.
- Chandos.
- 13.
00:11Alison Stephens
Mount Fuji
- Chandos CHAN10563.
- Tr13.
Basho translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa
The Narrow Road to Deep North and Other Travel Sketches
Helen Mort
A Line Above the Sky: A story of mountains and motherhood
00:12AntonÃn Dvořák
In Nature's Realm (V PÅ™ÃrodÄ›), Op. 91 - Concert Overture
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: István Kertész.- Complete Symphonies.
- Decca Music Group Ltd..
- 6.
00:12AntonÃn Dvořák
In Nature's Realm (V PÅ™ÃrodÄ›), Op. 91 - Concert Overture
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: István Kertész.- Decca 478 6459.
- Tr6.
00:18°Õ°ùä»å
Dert Anet dem Bargli (There Over the Mountain in the Valley)
Ensemble: Fritz Liechti.- Mountain Songs and Yodeling of the Alps.
- Folkways Records.
- 3.
00:18Trad.
Dert Anet dem Bargli (There Over the Mountain in the Valley)
Performer: Fritz Liechti.- Folkways Records FW8807.
- Tr3.
00:20Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Souvenir d'un lieu cher - 3 pieces Op.42 for violin and piano, No.3 Melodie
Performer: Berl Senofsky. Performer: Won Me Cho.- The Art Of Violin Volume One: Concert Favorites.
- Cembal d'amour CD 106.
- 18.
00:20Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Souvenir d'un lieu cher - 3 pieces Op.42 for violin and piano, No.3 Melodie
Performer: Berl Senofsky (violin), Won Me Cho (piano).- Cembal D'Amour Historic Series CD106.
- Tr18.
John Keats
Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art
00:23Trad.
Table Mountain
Ensemble: Miriam Makeba. Performer: The Skylarks.- The Sweet Sound of Africa.
- Not Now Music.
- 4.
00:23°Õ°ùä»å
Table Mountain
Performer: Miriam Makeba.- Not Now Music NOT2CD 413.
- Tr4.
Annie Proulx
Brokeback Mountain
00:26Gustavo Santaolalla
Brokeback Mountain 3
Performer: Gustavo Santaolalla. Performer: Studio Orchestra.- Brokeback Mountain (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
- Verve Forecast.
- 15.
00:26Gustavo Santaolalla
Brokeback Mountain 3
Performer: Gustavo Santaolalla. Performer: Studio Orchestra.- Verve Forecast 0602498865859.
- Tr15.
00:28Robert B. Sherman
Hushabye Mountain
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
- Varèse Sarabande.
- 4.
00:28Robert B. Sherman
Hushabye Mountain
Performer: Dick Van Dyke.- Varèse Sarabande VSCD6542.
- Tr4.
00:30Ballard MacDonald
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
Composer: Harry Carroll. Performer: Stan Laurel. Performer: Oliver Hardy. Performer: The Avalon Boys.- The Very Best Of.
- Stardust.
- 1.
00:30Laurel & Hardy
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
- Stardust 884385232603.
- Tr1.
Erica Jong
Climbing You
00:32Francis Poulenc
Improvisations No.13 in A minor
Performer: Pascal Rogé.- Decca 475042-2.
- Tr27.
00:32Francis Poulenc
Improvisations No.13 in A minor
Performer: Pascal Rogé.- Poulenc: Piano Works.
- Decca.
- 27.
00:34µþÂáö°ù°ì
Hyperballad (Brodsky Quartet Version)
Ensemble: Brodsky Quartet. Singer: µþÂáö°ù°ì.- Post Extra.
- Polydor.
- 3.
00:34µþÂáö°ù°ì & Brodsky Quartet
Hyperballad (Brodsky Quartet Version)
- Polydor 5277332.
- Tr3.
Robert Macfarlane
Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination
00:39Ferde Grofé
Death Valley Suite: Funeral Mountains
Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: William T. Stromberg.- Grofe: Death Valley Suite / Hudson River Suite / Hollywood Suite.
- Naxos.
- 12.
00:39Ferde Grofé
Death Valley Suite: Funeral Mountains
Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: William T. Stromberg.- Naxos 8559017.
- Tr12.
H.P Lovecraft
Mountains of Madness
00:43Edvard Grieg
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - 4. In the Hall of the Mountain King
Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony. Conductor: Herbert Blomstedt.- Decca 478 3356.
- Tr4.
00:43Edvard Grieg
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - 4. In the Hall of the Mountain King
Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony. Conductor: Herbert Blomstedt.- Grieg: Piano Concerto; Peer Gynt.
- Decca.
- 4.
00:46Orlande de Lassus
Motet: In Monte Oliveti (6vv 1568)
Performer: Collegium Regale. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.- Lassus: Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae.
- Signum Records.
- 4.
00:46Orlande de Lassus
Motet: In Monte Oliveti (6vv 1568)
Performer: Collegium Regale. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.- Signum Records SIGCD 076.
- Tr4.
00:50Howard Shore
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King "Hope Fails"
Conductor: Howard Shore. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Choir: London Voices.- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrac.
- Reprise.
- 14.
00:50Howard Shore
Motet: Hope Fails
Performer: London Philharmonic Orchestra, Howard Shore (conductor).- Reprise Records 9362-48521-2.
- Tr14.
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
00:52Ludwig van Beethoven
Die Geschöpfe Des Prometheus, Op.43 - Overture
Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.- Die Geschöpfe Des Prometheus.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 1.
00:52Ludwig van Beethoven
Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, Op. 43 - Overture
Performer: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.- Deutsche Grammophon 419 608-2.
- Tr1.
00:57°Õ°ùä»å
Resamm Phiriry (Trekking Song)
Performer: Bharat Nepali Party.- BCD/3RDP 8712177034277.
- Tr1.
00:57Trad.
Resamm Phiriry (Trekking Song)
Ensemble: Bharat Nepali Party.- Himalayan Trekking Songs.
- BCD/3RDP.
- 1.
Alice Elizabeth Dracott
Simla Village Tales, or Folk Tales From the Himalayas
01:01John Coltrane
Alabama
Performer: John Coltrane.- The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane.
- Impulse.
- 8.
01:01John Coltrane
Alabama
Performer: John Coltrane.- Impulse GRP 11072.
- Tr8.
Naomi Long Madgett
Midway
01:03Frederick Delius
Over the Hills and Far Away
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.- Decca 443 171-2.
- Tr13.
Elizabeth Bishop
The Mountain
01:08Hubert Parry
Jerusalem
Singer: Paul Robeson.- The Very Best of Paul Robeson, Pt. 2.
- Fantastic Voyage.
- 8.
01:08Hubert Parry
Jerusalem
Performer: Paul Robeson.- Fantastic Voyage FVDD033.
- Tr8.
01:10Jonny Greenwood
Sandalwood II
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Robert Ziegler.- Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
- Nonesuch.
- 14.
01:10Jonny Greenwood
Sandalwood II
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Performer: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Robert Ziegler (conductor). Conductor: Robert Ziegler.- Nonesuch 7559-79333-9.
- Tr14.
Emily Bronte
Loud Without the Wind was Roaring
Broadcast
- Sun 3 Nov 2024 18:00´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3