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In Disguise

Texts and music on the theme of disguise, with readings by Susan Jameson and Tom Durham. Including 麻豆约拍r, Yeats and Kenneth Grahame, plus Mozart, Saint-Saens and Charlie Parker.

Men, women, gods and a toad all don disguise in this edition of Words and Music, in pursuit of sex, riches, revenge and freedom.

Susan Jameson and Tom Durham read poems and prose from 麻豆约拍r, the Bible and Shakespeare; and WB Yeats, Michael Donaghy and Kenneth Grahame.

Emotions are hidden, but find expression in music by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Saint Sa毛ns, Charlie Parker, Martin Carthy and Elvis Presley.

Producer: Julian May.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sun 6 Sep 2015 18:15
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

  • 00:00

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Swan Lake

    Performer: The Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ondrej Len谩rd.
    • NAXOS 8.557174.
    • Tr13.

  • W. B. Yeats

    Leda and the Swan read by Susan Jameson

  • 00:04

    Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye

    You're the Devil In Disguise

    Performer: Elvis Presley.
    • RCA USRC10202041.
    • Tr1.

  • Charles Boyle

    The Disguise read by Tom Durham

  • 00:08

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Cosi Fan Tutte

    Performer: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nan Merriman and Sesto Bruscantini with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
    • EMI 7243 5 67064 2 2.
    • Tr17.

  • William Shakespeare

    Twelfth Night Act II Sc II: Malvolio 聳 Tom Durham; Olivia 聳 Susan Jameson

  • 00:14

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Fidelio

    Performer: Juliane Banse, Angela Denoke, L谩szl贸 Polg谩r, Rainer Trost with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
    • EMI 5575552 (2).
    • Tr6.
  • 00:17

    Lucy Ward; James Findlay; Brian Peters; Bella Hardy

    The Female Highwayman from The Liberty to Choose, a selection of songs from The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs

    • Fellside FECD257.
    • Tr8.

  • Jackie Kay

    The Adoption Papers; Chapter 3, The Waiting Lists read by Susan Jameson

  • 00:23

    Edward Elgar

    Romanza *** the 13th of Variations on an Original Theme, Op.36 聯Enigma聰

    Performer: Julian Lloyd Webber with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Yehudi Menuhin.
    • Philips 416 354-2.
    • Tr18.
  • 00:27

    Peter Warlock

    Balulalow, Bethlehem Down

    Performer: Finchley Childrens Music Group.
    • Naxos.
    • 8557581.
    • Tr4.

  • Charles Causley

    Conducting a Children聮s Choir read by Susan Jameson

  • 00:29

    Peter Warlock

    Balulalow from Bethlehem Down

    Performer: Finchley Childrens Music Group.
    • Naxos.
    • 8557581.
    • Tr4.

  • The King James Version of The Holy Bible

    Genesis 27 vs 1-35 Isaac, Esau and Jacob read by Tom Durham

  • 00:37

    Traditional, Arranged by Martin Carthy

    The Famous Flower of Serving Men from the album Shearwater

    Performer: Martin Carthy.
    • Peg Records.
    • Tr3.
  • 00:46

    Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    The Carnival of the Animals - Tortoises

    Performer: London Symphony Orchestra.
    • London Symphony Orchestra.
    • Tr4.

  • Kenneth Grahame

    The Wind in the Willows, Toad escapes from prison dressed as a washerwoman

  • 00:53

    Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke

    Salt Peanuts from Jazz at Massey Hall

    Performer: Charlie Chan (Charlie Parker in disguise); Dizzy Gillespie; Bud Powell; Max Roach; Charlie Mingus.
    • Spotlite.
    • Tr1.

  • Michael Donaghy

    Shibboleth read by Tom Durham

  • 00:57

    Henry Cosby; William Robinson (Jun); Stevie Wonder

    The Tears of a Clown

    Performer: The Miracles.
    • Britannia Music.
    • Tr1.
  • 01:00

    Franz Schubert

    贰谤濒办枚苍颈驳

    Performer: Matthias Goerne, baritone; Andraes Haefliger, piano.
    • Harmonia Mundi HMC902141 (1).
    • Tr9.
  • 01:04

    Ralph Vaughan Williams

    5 Variants of 聭Dives and Lazarus聮

    Performer: London Philharmoic Orchestra; Skaila Kanga, harp, conducted by Bryden Thomson.
    • Chandos CHAN8502 (1).
    • Tr 4.

  • 麻豆约拍r

    The Odyssey, The Return of Odysseus, translated by E. V. Rieu and read by Tom Durham

  • 01:09

    Heinrich von Herzogenberg

    Odysseus, Symphony for large Orchestra

    Performer: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie.
    • SWR 7772802 (1).
    • Tr4.

  • 麻豆约拍r

    The Odyssey, The Return of Odysseus, translated by E. V. Rieu and read by Tom Durham

  • 01:11

    Heinrich von Herzogenberg

    Odysseus, Symphony for large Orchestra

    Performer: Deutsche Radio Philharmonie.
    • SWR 7772802 (1).
    • Tr4.

Producer Note

Sometimes a strange serendipity is at work in the making of radio programmes. On Saturday the Minister for Civil Society, Brooks Newmark, resigned. He had sent a revealing picture of himself in his pyjamas to Sophie Wittams, a Tory PR girl, hoping they might meet late one evening at the Conservative Party conference. But Sophie Wittams was actually a male freelance journalist, hiding his identity. The theme of this week鈥檚 鈥榃ords and Music鈥� 鈥� In Disguise 鈥� became suddenly topical and pertinent.

听

From the earliest myths to the latest computer games, the assuming of another form runs through cultures throughout the world. Disguise is a staple device in literature, theatre, opera, traditional song and even music without words at all. Often the false identity is donned as a test, of fidelity or, as with Sophie Wittams and Brooks Newman, to manoeuvre someone into a revelation of their true nature, their real identity. There are, though, myriad motivations for adopting disguise 鈥� power, revenge, escape, love and, not least, fun. Nor is it always a person who is in disguise; it might be a home, even a tune. In this edition of Words and Music I explore many of these with the actors Susan Jameson and Tom Durham.

听

The programme opens with Tchaikovsky鈥檚 鈥楽wan Lake鈥�, the scene in Act III when Odile, disguised as Odette, dances with Prince Siegfried so enticingly he pledges himself to her. Odette appears, frantic, at the window and Siegfried realises, too late, his mistake. The frenzy of the music and the startling devastation of the Prince suggested to me the W. B. Yeats poem 鈥楲eda and the Swan鈥�, which begins: 鈥淎 sudden blow: the great wings beating still鈥�. Zeus, in the form of a swan rapes Leda, an act of violence that, as this union produces Helen, eventually leads to the atrocities of the Trojan War, 鈥淎nd Agamemnon dead鈥�. Zeus is, as Elvis Presley asserts (though, admittedly, not of the king of the gods) the Devil 鈥� in disguise.

听

In 鈥楾he Disguise鈥� by Charles Boyle, who was born in 1951, the narrator is consumed by love. This is sadly unrequited and he disguises himself so the object of his passion won鈥檛 recognise him. Once he has assumed his disguise it seems to him that everyone is hiding their true identity. Reality unravels. At last he has to reveal himself, thus risking everything.

听

In 鈥楥osi Fan Tutte鈥�, 鈥楾welfth Night鈥� and Fidelio鈥� Mozart, Shakespeare and Beethoven create games of disguise. From these they weave work of astonishing beauty; the 鈥楽oave sia il vento鈥� farewell trio; the 鈥渢hriftless sighs鈥� of 鈥減oor Olivia鈥�; the sublime contemplation of love in the 鈥楳ir is so wunderbar鈥� quartet.听 These subterfuges work on deep emotions; they can be damaging; they are dangerous. Malvolio is a pompous figure of fun in Act II scene II, as he returns Olivia鈥檚 ring. Later, he makes his final exit with the words, 鈥淚鈥檒l be revenged on the whole pack of you.鈥� And he means it. 听

听

The canon of 听traditional song is rich with women dressing up as men, often so they can join their lovers at sea or in the army. The Female Highwayman tests her lover, to see if he is worthy of such devotion. She robs him at gunpoint, but he steadfastly refuses to give up the ring she has given him鈥nd so they live happily ever after. There is another version in which the song ends: 鈥淚f you had given me that ring,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 have pulled the trigger, and shot you dead.鈥�

听

Jackie Kay鈥檚 first poetry collection, 鈥楾he Adoption Papers鈥� tells her story through the voices of her birth and adoptive mothers, and the poet herself. In this excerpt the woman longing for a child strives to make the home of a communist, radical activist couple blandly bourgeois before a visit from a social worker. When it comes to the crunch she cannot bring herself to deny her true beliefs. The suggestion is that it is the honest assertion of these convictions that assures her and her adoptive daughter鈥檚 futures. This is, though, somewhat enigmatic, as is the Elgar variation that follows. The 14th of the 鈥楨nigma Variations鈥� was assigned asterisks instead of the initials that helped identify his other subjects. There is a theory, too, that the variations are accompaniments to a theme that is not stated. Jackie Kay鈥檚 mother disguises by hiding, Elgar, perhaps, by omitting entirely.

听

The great Cornish poet, Charles Causley, spent most of his working life teaching. He knew from years of close contact that children can be - are - devious and cruel, that the angelic aspect of the choristers he is conducting disguises this, and it scares him. Benjamin Britten鈥檚 鈥楤alualow鈥� is beautiful but, to my ears, sinister, too.

听

The story of Jacob hoodwinking his blind father and robbing his brother Esau (for the second time) is one of the most powerful stories of disguise and its consequences. In the rhythms and repetitions of the language of the King James Bible it astonishes, and mesmerises. The machinations of Rebekah bring about Esau鈥檚 dereliction, and the evil workings of the mother lie behind all Eleanor鈥檚 woes in the monumental ballad that follows, 鈥楾he Famous Flower of Serving Men鈥�. It is a vivid piece of magical realism in which not only fair Eleanor is in disguise, as sweet William, but her slaughtered babe appears (perhaps) as an other-worldly hind and her murdered husband as a dove that speaks.

听

The Tortoises鈥� tune听 in 鈥楾he Carnival of the Animals鈥� by Saint Saens is at once strange and familiar. Yes, that is the Can Can, slowed to the pace of those sedate reptiles. Mr Toad is another animal of some gravitas, yet Toad鈥檚 escape from the prison disguised as the washerwoman is, simply, one of the great deliverances by disguise in all literature. Kenneth Grahame鈥檚 English is pitched as perfectly as the King James Bible.

听

As Toad emerges from the castle鈥檚 fastness appropriate 鈥榟urry up鈥� music is provided by Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Charlie Mingus and Charlie Chan, playing 鈥楽alt Peanuts鈥�. Charlie Chan? Well, Charlie Parker was signed to a competing label so it seemed that the night this jazz super-combo recorded 鈥楯azz at Massey Hall鈥� a fictional Chinese detective was sitting in on sax.

听

鈥楽hibboleth鈥� is a tiny poem by Michael Donaghy that says something huge about language, and identity in a reference to popular culture. In 鈥楾he Tears of a Clown鈥�, that follows, there is a desperation to its disguising exuberance. Franz Schubert captures the enigmatic malevolence at the heart of Goethe鈥檚 鈥樂“舭烀恫跃辈碘��, and in the 鈥�5 Variants of 鈥楧ives and Lazarus鈥欌�� Ralph Vaughan Williams disguises in his orchestration for strings and harp the tune of a folk song, 鈥楾he Murder of Maria Monk in the Red Barn鈥�, that he collected in Norfolk.听

听

When Odysseus returns to Ithica at the end of 鈥楾he Odyssey鈥� he is disguised as what, in a way, he really is, a weary traveller, a tramp who has spent years wandering. Only his faithful dog, Argos, recognises his master the king 鈥� and he dies of joy. Odysseus appears feeble. But he reveals his true self, the only man strong enough to string his mighty bow, and takes his revenge. Heinrich von Herzgenberg boldly renders this triumph in his Symphony for Large Orchestra, 鈥極dysseus鈥�.

听

Producer: Julian May听听听听听听听听听

Broadcasts

  • Sun 5 Oct 2014 17:30
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3
  • Sun 6 Sep 2015 18:15
    麻豆约拍 Radio 3

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