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Brahms' Piano Concerto no.2
Joanna MacGregor's picks her top recording of Brahms' Piano Concerto no.2.
Dark nights of the Soul, Brian Bilston, JH Prynne, Daljit Nagra, William Blake and Martha Sprackland
The comedy of corporate language, why a 16th century 'dark night of the soul' poem could help you through your own dark night, the experiments of J.H.Prynne, and the tenderness of boys' friendships - with Ian McMillan and guests Brian Bilston, Martha Sprackland, Daljit Nagra and Ira Lightman.Brian Bilston's very funny books include 'You Took the Last Bus Home', and 'Alexa, what is there to know about love'? He reads from his new guide to reading and writing poetry: 'How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside'. Martha Sprackland is a poet, essayist and poetry editor as well as a translator. She explores a poem called 'Dark Night' by the 16th century Spanish mystic St John of the Cross. It comes from her new book of translations, also called 'Dark Night'.Daljit Nagra, poet, professor of poetry and radio presenter for BBC Radio 4 Extra reads from his new collection 'Yiewsley' (the 'Venice of West London' ) and illuminates this week's 'Neon Line' - a remarkable line in a remarkable poem.Ira Lightman is a Verb regular, a poet and an artist. He dives into the words and ideas of J.H. Prynne, one of our most celebrated experimental poets who died in April.
Margaret Busby, publisher and editor
Margaret Busby is a publisher and editor who's helped change our literary landscape. She's been lauded by the writer Zadie Smith as the cheerleader, instigator, organiser, defender and celebrator of black arts, something she's done for nearly 60 years. She started young - she was just 23 years old when she co-founded the publishers Allison and Busby with Clive Allison in 1967. Free from the usual industry rules and with little money or experience, they began with five shilling poetry paperbacks and went on to champion new work as well as established writers from all backgrounds. Margaret's drive to showcase often overlooked or neglected talent led to two groundbreaking anthologies of women writers, Daughters of Africa and New Daughters of Africa. Margaret's music includes Bach and Chevalier de Saint-Georges, along with jazz greats Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Radio 3 is celebrating the centenary of Miles Davis' birth in the coming week across numerous programmes including Composer of the Week, Round Midnight and The Essay.
Thinking with Food
The links between food and philosophy, ideas about experimentation, taste and how food and traditions become part of our identity are explored by Matthew Sweet in Radio 4's round-table discussion programme. His guests are:Author John Lanchester, who writes restaurant reviews and whose latest novel is called Look What You Made Me DoFood writer Felicity Cloake, who writes a Cook the Perfect column for The Guardian newspaper and has published books called Red Sauce, Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey, Peach Street to Lobster Lane: Coast to Coast in Search of Real American Cuisine and now her debut novel The Underdog.Professor Barry Smith, director of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London's School of Advanced StudyPhilosopher Suki Finn, whose book What's in a Donut Hole? uses food to explore classic philosophical puzzlesAuthor Samantha Ellis, whose book Chopping Onions on My Heart is a memoir about Iraqi Jewish food, language and cultureProducer: Eliane Glaser
Fauré's Requiem
Samir Savant surveys recordings of Fauré's Requiem and makes a top recommendation.
Liszt's Transcendental Studies
Pianist Keelan Carew picks his favourite recording of Liszt's Transcendental Studies.
Michael Wood, historian
The historian Michael Wood has shared his enthusiasms and expertise with television viewers and readers around the world for almost five decades.He’s brought us complex individuals such as Alexander the Great, pivotal conflicts such as the Trojan War, and national histories, including the Story of India, the Story of China and a people’s history of Britain.And here on Radio 3, he’s one of the distinguished historians joining Gillian Moore for Key Changes, a year-long series charting one thousand years of musical history, on air on Saturdays and on BBC Sounds.Michael's musical choices include Monteverdi, Bach, Messiaen and Chopin.
Technologies of the Self
‘Technologies of the self’ is a phrase from the French philosopher Michel Foucault to describe things people might do to shape the people they are, like dieting, exercise, journaling, or in an earlier age perhaps like prayer, or confession. Shahidha Bari hosts Radio 4's roundtable discussion programme asking how this idea might help us make sense of the age of social media influencers and lifestyle trends.Her guests are:Elizabeth Oldfield, host of The Sacred podcast, author of Fully Alive: Tending The Soul In Turbulent TimesAnouchka Grose, psychotherapist and author of The Revolution Will Be InternalisedTiffany Watt Smith, historian of emotions whose most recent book is Bad Friend: On Joyous Imperfect loveHeather Widows, philosopher and author of Perfect Me: Beauty As An Ethical IdealandDaniele Lorenzini, philosopher and Foucault scholarProducer: Luke MulhallShow less
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Kate Molleson explores the life and music of Florence Price, joined by pianist and scholar Samantha Ege. From her childhood in Little Rock, where family, education and the realities of racial segregation shaped her early ambitions, Price’s story unfolds through persistence, reinvention and growing recognition. Moving through her years of study and early career, we hear how she drew on African American musical traditions while navigating the social and political pressures around her. In Chicago, she found a vibrant artistic community and new opportunities, leading to orchestral success and national visibility. In her later years, recognition remained uneven, and her music continued to evolve in the face of resistance and neglect, with works still coming to light long after her death.Music featured includes:Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint: No. 4 Shortnin’ BreadViolin Concerto No. 2Symphony No. 4 in D minor (extract)Scenes in Tin Can Alley: Children at PlayFantasie Nègre No. 1 in E minorFantasie Nègre No. 2 in G minorString Quartet No. 2 in A minor – FinaleConcert Overture No. 2AdorationFantasie No. 2 in F sharp minorA Day in the Life of a WasherwomanFantasie No. 1 in G minorThe Goblin and the MosquitoSongs to the Dark VirginEthiopia’s Shadow in America (extracts)Symphony No. 1 in E minor (extract)Symphony No. 1 in E minor – Juba DancePiano Concerto in One Movement (extract)SympathyMy Soul’s Been Anchored in the LordThe OakResignationViolin Concerto No. 1 in D major – AllegroThe Mississippi River (extracts)Fantasie Nègre No. 3 in F minorPresented by Kate MollesonProduced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales and WestFor full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Florence Price (1887-1953) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002vw41.And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
The Middle
From taking the middle ground to the mid-life crisis, Middle England to middle managers, to being a middle child - is occupying a position in the middle out of fashion?Anne McElvoy hosts Radio 4's ideas discussion programme and her guests this week for a middling conversation are:Journalist Catherine Carr. Her new book Who's the Favourite?: The Loving, Messy Realities of Sibling Relationships explores being a middle child and the relevance of birth orderWriter and broadcaster Mark Lawson, who has written novels set in middle EnglandSymeon Brown, home affairs correspondent at Channel 4 news, whose forthcoming book is The Good, the Black and the Boujee: The Story of Britain's New Black Middle ClassAdrian Wooldridge, journalist, author and Global Business Columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. His recent book is entitled Centrists of the World Unite! The Lost Genius of Liberalism.andClaire Ainsley, former adviser to Keir Starmer, now at the Progressive Policy Institute.Producer: Eliane Glaser
Program schedule of BBC Radio 3