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Do Keep in Touch

We hear from letters by F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, from Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Carol Ann Duffy's poem about texting. With music by Gershwin, Fauré and JanÑček.

From a texting poem to a novel written in letters and intimate letters for strings composed by JanÑček. This edition of Words and Music is about an increasingly frenzied international obsession: communication.

Of course, communicating is nothing new and as we approach World Letter Writing Day on September 1st, we begin with readings from good, old-fashioned letters such as those exchanged by F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway in the 1920s; Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath in the 50s; and fictional, archly manipulative letters between the Viscount de Malmont and Marchioness de Merteuil in Laclos's Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

Getting more up to date, the poet Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Text" highlights text messaging, today's most used, misused and disposable way to keep in touch. Jonathan Franzen's Purity highlights the tendency of texting to lead to unfortunate, emotional gameplay. We also have literature by JRR Martin, Keats, Hardy, Margaret Atwood and others. Music is by Gershwin, JanÑček, Roy Harris, Laurie Anderson, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tom Waits and Fauré.

The words are read by the actors Emily Bruni and Paterson Joseph,

Producer: Paul Frankl

Readings:
Ernest Hemingway: Letter to F Scott Fitzgerald
F Scott Fitzgerald: Letter to Ernest Hemingway September 7 1922
PG Wodehouse - Right Ho, Jeeves!
Thomas Hardy: Moonlight
JRR Martin Song of Ice and Fire
LP Hartley The Go Between
John Keats: Letter
Ted Hughes: Letter to Sylvia Plath 5th October 1956
Sylvia Plath: Letter to Ted Hughes 6th October 1956
Carol Ann Duffy: Text
Jonathan Franzen: Purity
Laclos: Les Liaisons Dangereuses Letters 33 and 34
Margaret Atwood: Postcards
Ernest Hemingway: Letter to Charles Scribener Jr.

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 29 Aug 2021 17:30
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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Music Played

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

  • Ernest Hemingway: Letter to F Scott Fitzgerald

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • 00:00

    FERRY

    DO THE STRAND

    Music Arranger: N/A. Performer: The Bryan Ferry Orchestra.
    • BMG.
    • 538007592.

  • F Scott Fitzgerald: Letter to Ernest Hemingway September 7 1922

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • PG Wodehouse - Right Ho, Jeeves!

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • 00:05

    FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE

    FUNNY FACE

    Music Arranger: N/A.
    • Columbia.
    • β€ŽCK 87141.
  • 00:08

    Brian Eno

    An Ending

    Performer: Brian Eno.
    • Virgin.
    • 10.

  • Thomas Hardy: Moonlight (Poem)

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • JRR Martin Song of Ice and Fire (Novel)

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • 00:12

    Ramin Djawadi

    Main Theme (Game of Thrones)

    Performer: Ramin Djawadi. Performer: Studio Orchestra.
    • VARESE SARABANDE.
    • VSD-7097.
  • 00:14

    Traditional

    Lata Gjalla Lett Og Hat

    Performer: Arve Henriksen. Performer: Trio Mediæval.
    • ECM.
    • 4814742.

  • LP Hartley The Go Between (Novel)

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • 00:18

    Michel Legrand

    THE GO BETWEEN

    Performer: Michel Legrand.
    • Columbia.
    • 2C 006-92.676 M.

  • John Keats Letter

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • 00:24

    Michael Brook

    My Heart, My Life

    Composer: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Performer: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
    • Real World Records.
    • CDRW 50.
  • 00:29

    Leos JanÑček

    Quartet no. 2 (Intimate letters) for strings

    Performer: Smetana String Quartet.
    • SUPRAPHONCO.
    • 1130.

  • Ted Hughes: Letter to Sylvia Plath 5th October 1956

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • Sylvia Plath: Letter to Ted Hughes 6th October 1956

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • 00:32

    David Bowie

    Letter To Hermione

    Music Arranger: N/A. Performer: David Bowie.
    • Parlophone.
    • 218988-PRL2.

  • Carol Ann Duffy: Text (Poem)

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • Jonathan Franzen: Purity (novel)

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • 00:38

    Tom Waits

    Blue Valentines

    Performer: Tom Waits.
    • Elektra.
    • 7559-60533-2.

  • Laclos (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) (Novel) (Gutenberg Free Press) Letter 33

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • 00:47

    Gabriel FaurΓ©

    Les Djinns Op.12 vers. for chorus and orchestra

    Performer: Alix Bourbon Vocal Ensemble.
    • EMI.
    • 7243 5 86564 2 8.

  • Laclos (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) (Novel) (Gutenberg Free Press) Letter 34

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • 00:54

    John Barry

    The Lion in winter - music from the film

    Conductor: John Barry. Performer: Voices of The Accademia Monteverdiana.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • CD66133.
  • 00:57

    Laurie Anderson

    Gongs and Bells Sing

    Performer: Kronos Quartet.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 7559793389.

  • Margaret Atwood: Postcards (Poem)

    Read by EMILY BRUNI

  • Ernest Hemingway: Letter to Charles Scribener Jr.

    Read by PATERSON JOSEPH

  • 01:03

    Roy Harris

    Symphony no. 3

    Conductor: Leonard Bernstein. Performer: New York Philharmonic.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 419 780-2.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 28 Apr 2019 17:30
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
  • Sun 29 Aug 2021 17:30
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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