Solitude
Paul McGann and Kirsty Besterman read works on the theme of solitude by Wordsworth, Larkin, Whitman and Emily Dickinson. With music by Delius, Scriabin and Thelonius Monk.
We shut out the hustle and bustle of the outside world and explore the emotion and experience of solitude through a sequence of poetry, prose and music. Readings by Paul McGann and Kirsty Besterman.
With words from Alexandre Dumas, William Wordsworth, Philip Larkin, Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou and music from Bach, Delius, Strauss, Scriabin and Thelonious Monk.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:00
Richard Strauss
Ein Heldenleben op 40 – Des Helden Weltflucht und Vollendung
Performers: Michael Schewalbe (violin), Berlin Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan (conductor)
- Strauss: Ein Heldenleben.
- EMI CDM7690272.
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Lord Byron
Solitude read by Paul McGann
William Wordsworth
Personal Talk read by Kirsty Besterman
00:05Traditional - All Through the Night
Arranger: Gordon Langford Performers: The Sellers Engineering Band, Alan Morrison (conductor)
Li Bai
Drinking Alone by Moonlight read by Paul McGann (translator Arthur Waley)
00:10Rose Murphy
Me and My shadow
Composer: Rose, Jolson, Dryer
- The Orginal Pop Idols.
- AVID AMSC748.
00:12Robert Muczynski
Three Preludes for unaccompanied Flute - Allegro
Performer: Alexandra Hawley
- Muczynski: Complete works for Flute.
- MARCO POLO 8225041.
Michael Drayton
Sonnet XI: You Not Alone read by Paul McGann
00:14Henry Purcell
O Solitude, my sweetest choice
Performer: Daniel Taylor
- On the Muse’s Isle.
- ATMA ACD22133.
Walt Whitman
A noiseless patient spider read by Kirsty Besterman
00:20Benjamin Britten
The Sally Gardens
Performers: The Vibrators
- Meltdown.
- FM REVXD121.
00:21Bob Crewe And Bob Gaudio.
The sun Ain't gonna shine
Performers: The Walker Brothers
- The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine.
- Phillips 320 212 BF.
Maya Angelou
Alone read by Maya Angelou
00:26Thelonious Monk
Round Midnight
Performers: Thelonious Monk, George Taitt, Sahib shihab, bob paige, art blakey
- The best of Thelonious Monk.
- Blue Note CDP7956362.
James Tate
Cricket Cricket read by Kirsty Besterman
00:30Johann Sebastian Bach
Suite No 2 in D minor – Prelude
Performer: Matt Haimovitz
- Oxingale.
- OX2000 CD 1.
Philip Larkin
Best Society read by Paul McGann
00:36Domenico Gabrielli
Trumpet sonata no 4 in D Major - Presto
Performers: Thomas Reiner And Southwest German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim, Sebastian Tewinkel (conductor)
- Baroque Trumpet.
- Naxos 8570501.
Tomas Transtromer
Solitude I read by Kirsty Besterman (translated by Robert Bly)
00:38Rued Langgaard
String Quartet No. 6 In one movement on a Swedish folk tune 1918-1919
Performers: The Kontra Quartet
- Marco Polo DCCD 9302 –.
Tomas Transtromer
Solitude II read by Paul McGann (translated by Robert Bly)
Ws Merwin
The Lantern read by Kirsty Besterman
00:44Alexander Scriabin
Prelude in C sharp minor for left hand op 9 no1
Performer: Stephen Coombs
- The Early Scriabin.
- Helios CDH55286.
Michael Drayton
The Song of Jonah in the Whales Bellie read by Paul McGann
00:47Gabriel Fauré
Cantique de Jean Racine
Performers: Cambridge singers, Rutter (conductor)
- Faure: Requiem etc..
- Collegium Colcd109.
Alexandre Dumas
Count of Monte Cristo read by Paul McGann (Translated by David Coward)
Stevie Smith
The Commuted Sentence read by Kirsty Besterman
00:55Sergey Prokofiev
Cinderella
Performers: Cleveland Orchestra, Askenaxy (conductor)
- Prokofiev: Cinderella.
- DECCA 4101622 CD1.
Emily Dickinson
It Might be Lonelier by read by Kirsty Besterman
00:59Louis Spohr
Clarinet concerto no 1 in c minor op 26 - Adagio
Performers: Michael Collins (clr), Swedish Chaber Orchestra, Robin O’Neil (conductor)
- Hperion CDA67509.
W.B.Yeats
The Lake Isle of Innisfree read by Paul McGann
01:03Frederick Delius
Song of the High Hills – With quiet easy movement
Performers: Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National Opera, Charles Mackerras (conductor)
- Delius: Appalachia/Song of the High Hills.
- Decca 4431712.
Broadcasts
- Sun 15 Nov 2009 22:15³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3
- Sun 21 Nov 2010 22:15³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3