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The Art of Friendship

Poetry, prose and music exploring the art of friendship, with readings by Robert Lindsay and Diana Quick. Including texts from Plutarch, Bacon, Ogden Nash, Auden and TS Eliot.

Readers Robert Lindsay and Diana Quick.

An exploration of the art of friendship as celebrated through the ages in poetry, prose and music. For all the thousands of poems on love, there are distinctly fewer on what could be seen as love's neglected cousin, friendship. And yet friendship is as common to the human experience as love, and probably just as necessary.
How should we make friends, keep friends, lose them...? What happens to friendships as we get older? Do men and women see friendship in the same way? What is the true nature of friendship - and is it all it's sometimes cracked up to be?

Words from Plutarch, Sir Francis Bacon, Ogden Nash, Auden, T.S.Eliot, Dorothy L. Sayers, Edward Thomas and others, with music to complement the readings.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 Mar 2011 22:15
麻豆约拍 Radio 3

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • Emily Dickinson

    Nature assigns the Sun read by Diana Quick

  • 00:00

    Maurice Ravel

    Rigaudon from Le Tombeau de Couperin

    Performers: Artur Pizarro (piano)

    • LINN CKD315.

  • Sir Francis Bacon

    鈥淥f Friendship鈥� 1597 (Extract) read by Robert Lindsay

  • 00:03

    None

    Deleted Record

    • CBS CD 32343.

  • George Herbert

    The Church Porch (extract) read by Robert Lindsay

  • 00:07

    Thomas Weelkes

    O Jonathan, woe is me

    Performers: Winchester Cathedral Choir, David Hill (conductor)

    • Hyperion CDA 66477.

  • Plutarch, translated John Dryden

    On Theseus and Pirithous read by Diana Quick

  • 00:11

    Georges Bizet

    Duet from the Pearl Fishers "Au fond du temple saint"

    Performers: Gregory Cross (Nadir), Gino Quilico (Zurga), Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, Charles Dutoit (conductor)

    • Decca 455 661-2.

  • John Ruskin

    From 鈥淧raeterita鈥� 1885 read by Robert Lindsay

  • Thoreau

    鈥淥f friendship : an essay from A Week on the Concord and Merrimack rivers鈥� (Extract) read by Diana Quick

  • 00:19

    Johannes Brahms

    Scherzo in C minor

    Performers: Leila Josefoqicz (violin), John Novacek (piano)

    • Warner 2564 61948 2.

  • Ogden Nash

    A friend in need will be around in five minutes鈥� read by Robert Lindsay

  • 00:27

    Cole Porter

    "Friendship" from "Du Barry was a Lady"

    Performers: Judy Garland and Johnny Mercer, Orchestra directed by Victor Young

    • Music Club MCCD101.
  • 00:29

    John Ireland

    Love and Friendship (Setting of words by Emily Bronte)

    Performers: Lisa Milne (soprano), Graham Johnson (piano)

    • Hyperion CDA 672612.
  • 00:34

    Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Symphony no 4, 2nd movt

    Performers: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado (conductor)

    • Song 8 2876-88807-2.

  • Nadhezda von Meck

    Taken from a letter to Tchaikovsky, March 1877. (Trans David Brown) read by Diana Quick

  • Tchaikovsky

    Taken from a letter to Nadhezda von Meck , March 1877 (Trans David Brown) read by Robert Lindsay

  • D H Lawrence

    Compari read by Robert Lindsay

  • Dorothy L. Sayers

    From 鈥淯nnatural Death鈥� (Lord Peter Wimsey) read by Diana Quick

  • D H Lawrence

    Refused Friendship read by Robert Lindsay

  • 00:40

    Joe Cocker

    With a little help from my friends

    Composer: Lennon and McCartney

    • EMI 4977192.
  • 00:46

    Johannes Brahms

    Concerto for Violin and Cello, op 102 (Andante)

    Performers: Gidon Kremer (violin), Mischa Maisky (cello), Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein (conductor)

    • DG 410 031-2.

  • W H Auden

    For Friends Only From 鈥淭hanksgiving for a Habitat鈥� read by Diana Quick

  • 00:55

    Trad

    Grey Daylight / The Hawk / The Ten Pound Fiddle

    Arranger: Swarbrick Performers: Dave Swarbrick (mandolin), Simon Nicol (guitar)

    • It Suits Me Well: The Transatlantic Anthology CD1.
    • Castle Music 2004.

  • John Clare

    Evening Schoolboys read by Robert Lindsay

  • Benjamin Disraeli

    鈥淥f Eton鈥�, Coningsby read by Diana Quick

  • 00:59

    Algernon Drummond

    The Eton Boating Song

    Arranger: Tapp Performers: The Song and Supper Club, Andrew Philips (director)

    • JUSCD001.

  • Stevie Smith

    The Pleasures of Friendship read by Diana Quick

  • Edward Thomas

    The Sun used to Shine read by Robert Lindsay

  • 01:05

    Maurice Ravel

    Menuet from Le Tombeau de Couperin

    Performers: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seija Ozawa (conductor)

    • DG 439 342 2.

  • Robert Graves

    Two Fusiliers read by Diana Quick

  • 01:11

    Gabriel Faur茅

    Huit pieces breves, op 84 (No 5 :Improvisation)

    Performers: Patrick de Hooge (piano), Pierre-Alain Volondat (piano)

    • Naxos 8.553638.

  • Derek Walcott

    Sea Canes read by Robert Lindsay

Broadcasts

  • Sun 16 May 2010 22:15
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3
  • Sun 20 Mar 2011 22:15
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3

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