by HEINRICH VON KLEIST (1777-1811)
IDRIS PARRY , Professor of Modern German Literature at Manchester University, introduces and reads a translation of Kleist's famous essay, which he has prepared for Radio 3. Kleist's essay was written in 1810 and it has, Professor Parry suggests, a timeless relevance to the human situation and anticipates many 20th-century attitudes in art.
Produced by ADRIAN JOHNSON