The Window
Adjoa Andoh and John Rowe with readings about being pushed out of windows, the sparkling of glass, the opportunities an open window suggests and the feeling of being watched.
From David Bowie's Breaking Glass to Mozart's serenade from his opera Don Juan, from the religious inspiration behind Respighi's Church Windows to the diner scene conjured by Suzanne Vega - today's Words and Music weaves together music and poetry which takes us both sides of the glass as we look at literal and metaphorical windows with readings from Adjoa Andoh and John Rowe. They squint, stare and dream glassy-eyed with Baudelaire, who was born 200 years ago this week; glance over their shoulders with Robert Frost, muse on escaping a mother's rage in the poem by Mary Jean Chan and today's programme contains one piece of strong language in a Philip Larkin poem. We look at the idea of our eyes as windows, our souls as windows, the words of a poem framing a view of the world and get a sense of windows opening and closing with some of the musical tracks being more transparent than others.
READINGS:
Baudelaire: Les Fenêtres translated by Arthur Symons, read by John Rowe in four extracts.
Emily Dickinson: The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man
Marcel Proust: The Way by Swann translated by Lydia Davis
George Herbert: The Windows
J. L. Carr: A Month in the Country
Jules Verne: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Robert Frost: After Apple Picking
Seamus Heaney: Glanmore Sonnet IX from Field Work
Howard Nemerov: Storm Windows
Philip Larkin: High Windows
Mary Jean Chan: The Window
RP Lister: Defenestration
Baudelaire: Les Fenêtres translated by Arthur Symons
Producer: Zahid Warley
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Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:00Boards of Canada
Magic Window
- Warp Records, WARPCD 101.
- Tr23.
-
Baudelaire translated by Arthur Symons
Les Fenêtres, read by John Rowe
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00:01Franz Waxman
Prelude from Suite from Rear Window
Orchestra: San Diego Symphony. Conductor: Lalo Schifrin.- Pro Arte CDS524.
- Tr7.
Baudelaire
Les Fenêtres translated by Arthur Symons, read by Adjoa Andoh
Baudelaire
Les Fenêtres translated by Arthur Symons, read by John Rowe
Baudelaire
Les Fenêtres translated by Arthur Symons, read by Adjoa Andoh
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00:04Jimmy Yancey
At the Window
Performer: Jimmy Yancey.- Vogue LDE166.
- Tr5.
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00:05Jimmy Yancey
At the Window
Emily Dickinson
The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man, read by John Rowe
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00:08Suzanne Vega
TomÂ’s Diner
Performer: Suzanne Vega.- A&M SUZCD2.
- Tr1.
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00:09Suzanne Vega
Tom's Diner
Marcel Proust
From The Way by Swann translated by Lydia Davis, read by Adjoa Andoh
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00:12Olivier Messiaen
La Dame de Shalott
Performer: Olivier Messiaen.- Erato OME1.
- CD4, Tr1.
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00:12Olivier Messiaen
La Dame de Shallott
Performer: Olivier Messiaen.George Herbert
The Windows, read by John Rowe
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00:17Ottorino Respighi
Church Windows, La fuga in Egitto
Orchestra: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: JoAnn Falletta.- Naxos 855771.
- Tr1.
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00:17Ottorino Respighi
The Flight to Egypt (Church Windows)
Orchestra: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: JoAnn Falletta.J. L. Carr
Extract from A Month in the Country, read by John Rowe
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00:24Claude Debussy
La Cathedrale Engloutie
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leopold Stokowski.- London 4551522.
- Tr5.
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00:25Claude Debussy
La Cathedrale Engloutie
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leopold Stokowski.Jules Verne
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, read by Adjoa Andoh
![]()
00:34Cheryl Frances-Hoad
Telescope
Singer: Sophie Daneman. Singer: Mark Stone. Performer: Sholto Kynoch.- Champs Hill Records CHRCD146.
- Tr12.
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00:34Cheryl Frances-Hoad
Telescope
Singer: Sophie Daneman. Singer: Mark Stone. Performer: Sholto Kynoch.Robert Frost
After Apple Picking, read by Adjoa Andoh
![]()
00:40The Necks
See Through
Performer: The Necks.- RER LC-02677.
- Tr1.
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00:40The Necks
See Through
Seamus Heaney
Glanmore Sonnet IX from Field Work, read by Adjoa Andohi
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00:52Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Deh vieni alla Finestra (Don Giovanni)
Singer: Eberhard Wächter. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Roberto Benaglio.Howard Nemerov
Storm Windows, read by John Rowe
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00:55عبد العزيز المبارك
Ya Marri Bebaitna
Performer: عبد العزيز المبارك.- World Circuit WCD018.
- Tr6.
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00:55عبد العزيز المبارك
Ya Marri Bebaitna
Philip Larkin
High Windows, read by John Rowe
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01:04Bob Dylan
It AinÂ’t Me Babe
Performer: Bob Dylan.- Columbia CK8993.
- Tr11.
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01:04Bob Dylan
It Ain't Me Babe
Mary Jean Chan
The Window, read by Adjoa Andoh
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01:08David Bowie
Breaking Glass
Performer: David Bowie.- RCA, Victor PL12030.
- Tr2.
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01:09David Bowie
Breaking Glass
R. P. Lister
Defenestration, read by Adjoa Andoh
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01:11Nick Lowe
I love the sound of Breaking Glass extract
Performer: Nick Lowe.- Radar RAD1.
- Tr2.
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01:12Nick Lowe
I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass
Baudelaire
Les Fenêtres translated by Arthur Symons, read by Adjoa Andoh
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01:14Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor, K 466
Performer: Daniel Barenboim. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Director: Daniel Barenboim.- Mozart The Collectors Edition 50 CDs The Masterpieces The Greatest Artists.
- EMI Classics.
- 1.
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- Sun 6 Oct 2019 17:30Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3
- Sun 11 Apr 2021 17:30Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3
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