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The Curse of Narcissus

Nancy Carroll & Matthew Gent read on the subject of vanity, with excerpts from "Snow White", "Gone with the Wind" and "Persuasion" alongside music by Britten, Lully & Carly Simon.

Vanity and self examination inspired this week's selection of readings from literature that mirror the Ancient Greek myth of Narcissus, who fell hopelessly in love with his own reflection.

There's Snow White's wicked step-mother and her magic mirror, Dorian Gray's painting in the attic, and excerpts from "The Great Gatsby", "Gone with the Wind", "Persuasion" and Janet Fitch's 1999 exploration of narcissism - "White Oleander", alongside poems by Shakespeare, Linda Pastan, Philip Freneau, Thomas Hardy and Sylvia Plath.

Featured music includes Mozart's "Don Giovanni", Lully's "Bourgeois Gentilhomme", and evocations of Narcissus by Mel Bonis, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Karol Szymanowski, James Oswald & Eleanor Alberga, as well as explorations of vanity from Carly Simon and Right Said Fred.

Readers: Nancy Carroll and Matthew Gent

Producer in Salford: Les Pratt

Readings:
Echo & Narcissus [Tales from Ovid] by Ted Hughes
Narcissus by Guy Whetmore Carryl
Narcissus at 60 by Linda Pastan
Among the Narcissi by Sylvia Plath
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Sonnet No.62 by William Shakespeare
On Earth we're briefly gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Snow White by The Brothers Grimm
In Church by Thomas Hardy
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
The Vanity of Existence by Philip Freneau

1 hour, 14 minutes

Last on

Sun 17 Mar 2024 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

  • 00:01

    Ethelbert Nevin

    Narcissus [Water Scenes, Op.13]

    Music Arranger: William H. Myddleton. Orchestra: The New London Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • American Light Music Classics.
    • HYPERION CDA67067.
    • Tr17.

  • Ted Hughes - Echo & Narcissus [Tales from Ovid] (excerpt), read by Nancy Carroll

  • 00:05

    Benjamin Britten

    Narcissus [6 Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op.49]

    Performer: Gordon Hunt.
    • Soliloquy.
    • BIS BISCD769.
    • Tr5.

  • Guy Wetmore Carryl - Narcissus, read by Matthew Gent

  • 00:11

    George Butterworth

    Look not in my eyes [6 Songs from "A Shropshire Lad"]

    Performer: Roderick Williams. Performer: Iain Burnside.
    • The English Song Series - 20.
    • NAXOS 8.572426.
    • Tr3.

  • Linda Pastan - Narcissus at 60, read by Nancy Carroll

  • 00:13

    Einojuhani Rautavaara

    Narcissus

    Performer: Irene Cantos (piano).
    • Jeux.
    • NOVUS PROMUSICA.
    • Tr5.

  • Sylvia Plath - Among the Narcissi, read by Nancy Carroll

  • 00:18

    James Oswald

    The Narcissus [Airs for the Seasons]

    Performer: Concerto Caledonia.
    • ColinΒ’s Kisses Β– The Music of James Oswald.
    • LINN CKD101.
    • Tr31-32.

  • Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray (excerpt), read by Matthew Gent

  • 00:23

    Carly Simon

    You're So Vain

    Performer: Carly Simon.
    • The Very Best of Carly Simon.
    • POLYGRAM RADCD103.
    • Tr1.
  • 00:27

    Max Steiner

    Scarlett prepares for the barbecue [Gone with the Wind soundtrack] (excerpt)

    Performer: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
    • Gone with the Wind Β– Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
    • SONY CLASSICAL 88697638242.
    • Tr4.

  • Margaret Mitchell - Gone with the Wind (excerpt), read by Nancy Carroll

  • 00:30

    Max Steiner

    Scarlett in Shantytown [Gone with the Wind soundtrack]

    Performer: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
    • Gone with the Wind Β– Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
    • SONY CLASSICAL 88697638242.
    • Tr17.
  • 00:33

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Overture: Don Giovanni, K.527

    Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: RenΓ© Jacobs.
    • Don Giovanni.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI HMC901964/66.
    • Tr1.

  • William Shakespeare - Sonnet No.62, read by Matthew Gent

  • 00:39

    Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Echo's Lament for Narcissus

    Performer: National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Suzzie Vango (conductor).
    • Echo's Lament for Narcissus.
    • NYCGB 197187061518.
    • Tr5.

  • Ocean Vuong - On Earth we're briefly gorgeous (excerpt), read by Matthew Gent

  • 00:45

    Mel Bonis

    Narcisse, Op.90

    Performer: Claudine Simon.
    • Le Songe de Cleopatra.
    • LIGIA LIGIA 107521.
    • Tr15.
  • 00:48

    Eleanor Alberga

    Mirror's Dance [Snow-White & the Seven Dwarves] (excerpt)

    Performer: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Dahl Β– Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs.
    • ORCHID CLASSICS ORC100019.
    • Tr6.

  • The Brothers Grimm, translated by D.L. Ashliman - Snow White (excerpt), read by Nancy Carroll

  • 00:51

    Eleanor Alberga

    Violin Concerto No.2 'Narcissus' (3rd movement)

    Performer: Thomas Bowes. Orchestra: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Joseph Swensen.
    • Eleanor Alberga Β– Violin Concertos.
    • LYRITA SRCD405.
    • Tr3.

  • Thomas Hardy - In Church, read by Matthew Gent

  • 00:57

    Richard Fairbrass, Fred Fairbrass, Robert Manzoli

    I'm too sexy

    Performer: Right Said Fred.
    • Up.
    • TUG RECORDS SNOGCD1.
    • Tr6.

  • Jane Austen - Persuasion (excerpt), read by Nancy Carroll

  • 01:00

    Jean‐Baptiste Lully

    Overture - Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

    Ensemble: La Petite Bande. Conductor: Gustav Leonhardt.
    • Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.
    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI GD77059.
    • Tr1.

  • F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby (excerpt), read by Matthew Gent

  • 01:04

    Carl Davis, arr. Chris Egan & Jen Green

    Mr Nobody from Nowhere: Paso Doble [The Great Gatsby: ballet]

    Performer: Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Carl Davis (conductor).
    • The Great Gatsby Ballet.
    • CARL DAVIS COLLECTION CDC032.
    • Tr17.
  • 01:07

    Thomas Newman

    White Oleander [White Oleander soundtrack]

    Performer: Hollywood Studio Symphony.
    • White Oleander.
    • VARESE SARABANDE 3020664172.
    • Tr19.

  • Janet Fitch - White Oleander (excerpt), read by Nancy Carroll

  • 01:10

    Karol Szymanowski

    Narcissus [Mythes, Op.30 No.2] (excerpt)

    Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Performer: CΓ©dric Tiberghien.
    • Szymanowski Β– complete music for violin & piano.
    • HYPERION CDA67703.
    • Tr4.

  • Philip Freneau - The Vanity of Existence, read by Matthew Gent

Broadcast

  • Sun 17 Mar 2024 17:30
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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