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European Cities on the Brink of War

Anne McElvoy explores the cultural environment in Paris, Berlin, London, St Petersburg and Vienna before World War I with AS Byatt, Alexandra Harris, Neil Brand and Philip Blom.

As part of Radio 3's Music on the Brink, Free Thinking takes the cultural temperature of Paris, Berlin, London, St Petersburg and Vienna in the years leading up to the First World War.

The novelist AS Byatt, the film expert Neil Brand and the cultural historians Alexandra Harris and Philipp Blom have chosen artworks and artefacts from the period and will use them to explore, with Anne McElvoy, the ideas and spirit of the European capital cities on the brink of World War 1.

Roger Fry, a landmark silent film version of Les Miserables and Freud's understanding of the Viennese practice of Gschnas give us glimpses of a rapidly changing world.

Producer: Natalie Steed.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Tue 7 Jan 2014 22:00

Chapters

  • St Petersburg

    Philipp Blom on St Petersburg and Andrei Bely's novel Petersburg.

    Duration: 07:10

  • Vienna

    AS Byatt on Vienna and Freud鈥檚 understanding of the practice of Gschnas.

    Duration: 08:48

  • London

    Alexandra Harris on London and the Post-Impressionist exhibitions at the Grafton Gallery.

    Duration: 06:17

  • Paris

    Neil Brand on Paris and Albert Cappelini film adaptation of Les Miserables.

    Duration: 12:49

  • Berlin

    Philipp Blom on Berlin and Hugo von Hofmannsthal鈥檚 version of Electra.

    Duration: 07:41

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Anne McElvoy
Interviewed Guest Neil Brand
Interviewed Guest AS Byatt
Interviewed Guest Alexandra Harris

Broadcast

  • Tue 7 Jan 2014 22:00

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