Tendrilled Avenues
Texts and music about humanity's relationship with alcohol, with Sally Dexter and Jon Strickland. Including Dickens, Lowry and Colette, plus Verdi, Warlock, Ravel, Copland.
"Tendrilled Avenues": poetry and prose from Pliny to Proulx celebrating and cautioning, lamenting and laughing, about humanity's complex relationship with alcohol, read by Sally Dexter and Jon Strickland.
Pliny the Elder gives a sober judgement of wine's effects. Dickens and Lowry describe in poetic detail, the interior of two drinking establishments; Colette's heroine Claudine becomes light-headed on sparkling wine and new love. Shakespeare's Falstaff is unequivocal in his praise for "good sherris sack", while Martin Amis's John Self discovers the embarrassment of over-indulgence at a dinner party. Whalers on shore-leave caper wildly in Moby Dick; Proulx's fishing community party takes a violent turn. And DH Lawrence meditates on humanity's ancient and mysterious relationship with the "tendrilled avenues of wine and the otherworld".
With drinking songs from Verdi, Warlock and Tom Waits, and orchestral interludes ranging from reflective to euphoric, by Ravel, Copland and Milhaud.
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Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:00Carl Orff
In Taberna Quando Sumus(from Carmina Burana)
Artist: Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
- BMG 0902 6680952.
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Pliny the Elder
On the Properties of Wine from Bk.14 of Natural History (excerpt), reader Jon Strickland
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00:03Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns
March of the Lions (from Carnival of the Animals)
Artist: Toulouse Capitole Orchestra, Michel Plasson (conductor)
- EMI CDC 7544652.
Ernest Hemingway
True At First Light (excerpt), reader Jon Strickland
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00:06Giuseppe Verdi
Coro di Zingari "Anvil Chorus" (from Il Trovatore)
Artist: Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (conductor)
- BMG 0902 6680952.
Charles Dickens
Our Mutual Friend (excerpt from Ch.6), reader Sally Dexter
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00:11Thomas Arne
The jolly god who rules; Cease lovely nymph (from Bacchus & Ariadne)
Artist: Robert Tear (tenor), Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner (conductor)
- DECCA 4529732.
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00:14Mariachi Reyes del Aserradero
El Cihualteco
- Rough Guide To The Music of Mexico.
- Rough Guide RGNET 1098.
Malcolm Lowry
Under The Volcano (excerpt), reader Jon Strickland
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00:18Aaron Copland
Latin American Sketch no.2
Artist: New Philharmonia Orchestra, Aaron Copland (conductor)
- Sony Classical SMK60133.
Li Tai Po, translated by Amy Lowell
A pot of wine among flowers, reader Sally Dexter
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00:22Claude Debussy
Pagodes (Estampes no.1)
Artist: Michel B茅roff (piano)
- EMI CDC7478972.
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00:26William Walton
Prologue (Henry V) excerpt
Artist: Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner (conductor)
- CHANDOS CHAN 10437.
William Shakespeare
Falstaff soliloquy (Henry IV part 2), reader Jon Strickland
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00:30William Walton
Agincourt Song (Henry V)
Artist: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn (conductor)
- RPO CDRPO8001.
Anne Bront毛
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (excerpt), reader Sally Dexter
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00:37Kurt Weill
: Love song for Orchestra (from Dreigroschenoper)
Artist: Ensemble Modern, HK Gruber (conductor)
- RCA 7432 1661332.
Christopher Isherwood
Mr Norris Changes Trains (excerpt), reader Jon Strickland
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00:41Maurice Ravel
La Valse (excerpt)
Artist: LSO, Claudio Abbado (conductor)
- DG 4273142.
Colette, trans. Antonia White
Claudine in Paris (excerpt from Ch.14) read by Sally Dexter
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00:44Maurice Ravel
La Valse (excerpt)
Artist: LSO, Claudio Abbado (conductor)
- DG 4273142.
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00:48Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
One For My Baby
Artist: Frank Sinatra:
- The Capitol Years.
- Capitol CDP 794320-2.
Martin Amis
Money (excerpt), reader Jon Strickland
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00:53Tom Waits
The piano has been drinking
Artist: Tom Waits
- Small Change.
- Asylum 7559606122.
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00:57Peter Warlock
Captain Stratton's Fancy
Artist: Christopher Maltman (baritone ) and John Constable (piano)
- The English Song Series 4 (Peter Warlock).
- NAXOS 8557115.
Herman Melville
Moby-Dick (excerpt), reader Jon Strickland
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01:00Anon.
Anon. - What shall we do with the drunken sailor?
Artist: Robert Shaw Chorale
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01:01Malcolm Arnold
Three Shanties (Op.4) for wind quintet
Artist: Prague Wind Quintet
- Panton 8112882.
E. Annie Proulx
The Shipping News (excerpt), reader Sally Dexter
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01:05Trad.
La Gigue de M. Lasant茅
Artist: La Bottine Souriante
- Je Voudrais Changer D鈥機hapeau.
- Rounder CD6041.
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01:06Darius Milhaud
La Creation du Monde (excerpt)
Artist: Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Alberto Zedda (conductor)
- VIRGO VJ5611042.
D. H. Lawrence
Grapes (excerpt), reader Sally Dexter
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01:09Darius Milhaud
La Creation du Monde (excerpt)
Artist: Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Alberto Zedda (conductor)
- VIRGO VJ5611042.
Producer Note
Poetry and prose from Pliny to Proulx, celebrating and cautioning, lamenting and laughing, about humanity鈥檚 relationship with alcohol; with complementary songs, dances and musical amospheres.
After the rousing chorus 鈥渋n the tavern鈥� from Orff鈥檚 Carmina Burana (sung in medieval Latin), the Roman writer Pliny the Elder gives a quasi-scientific judgement on wine鈥檚 effects, observing that Alexander the Great should have exercised more moderation, and done less slaying.
The imperious March of the Lions by Saint-Saens introduces Ernest Hemingway鈥檚 description of breakfast on safari, when he likes to drink an early beer - unless he is hunting lion.
Dickens and Lowry describe in loving and poetic detail, the interior of two drinking establishments 鈥� a cosy Thames-side inn where the beer-pulls make low bows to the customers, and a sepulchral Mexican cantina with an intriguing array of barrels; both establishments ruled by powerful women who are in no mood to indulge their male customers. (Dickens鈥� villainous Riderhood can have but one pint, while Lowry鈥檚 unfortunate Consul is left calling plaintively for service.)
Meanwhile, Thomas Arne鈥檚 Bacchus raises a glass of wine in song to his beloved, Ariadne, and moving into a more reflective mood, Chinese poet Li Tai Po drinks to the moonlight; the scene is further painted by Debussy鈥檚 piano piece 鈥淧agodes鈥�.Shakespeare鈥檚 Falstaff is unequivocal in his praise for 鈥済ood sherris sack鈥�, as an inspiration and tonic in both love and war; William Walton鈥檚 glittering score for Henry V matches the martial vigour of the old soldier. A less edifying effect is felt by Huntingdon鈥檚 drinking friend in Anne Bront毛鈥檚 The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall.
Colette鈥檚 heroine Claudine becomes light-headed on sparkling Asti in a Parisian cafe, and thinks the room is in 鈥淛apanese perspective鈥� - 聽but then she realises that it is her lover who has really intoxicated her.
Ravel鈥檚 heady orchestral fantasy La Valse whirls us away to another city and another time 鈥� Berlin, the 1930s, New Year鈥檚 Eve, and Christopher Isherwood鈥檚 narrator is also experiencing some fizz-fuelled euphoria as he watches the dancing merrymakers.
Moving further into the night, Sinatra鈥檚 classic recording of One For My Baby is a poetic tale of a lovelorn man, the last drinker at the bar confiding in the bar-tender (鈥渟et em up, Joe 鈥� I got a little story I think you should know鈥︹��) 鈥� which leads us to Martin Amis鈥檚 John Self, who discovers the embarrassment of over-indulgence at a dinner party in New York, when he arrives at his friend鈥檚 apartment to find dinner over 鈥� and he has forgotten what went on there earlier...
Another American bar-fly, Tom Waits is in a mood to blame anyone and anything but himself for his inebriation, in his song The Piano Has Been Drinking 鈥� but Peter Warlock鈥檚 Captain Stratton鈥檚 Fancy is a carefree, rollicking sailor鈥檚 drinking song.
This ushers in two fishing community scenes: a crew of whalers just arrived on shore-leave from a freezing ocean voyage caper wildly at the Spouter Inn, in Moby Dick; while Proulx鈥檚 farewell party in a Newfoundland port takes a violent turn.
And finally, as Milhaud鈥檚 sinuous score La Creation du Monde evokes a primeval atmosphere, DH Lawrence meditates on humanity鈥檚 ancient and mysterious relationship with the 鈥渢endrilled avenues of wine and the otherworld鈥�.
Producer:聽Philip Tagney
Broadcasts
- Sun 11 Dec 2011 18:30成人快手 Radio 3
- Wed 31 Dec 2014 16:30成人快手 Radio 3
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