Original version

BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

Free Thinking

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with artists and thinkers in debates and interviews.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with leading artists and thinkers in extended interview and debate.

Jonathan Franzen

Philip Dodd

Lawrence Norfolk

Heide Kunzelmann

Zahid Warley

Free Thinking: Breaking Free: Karl Kraus

Breaking Free: Karl Kraus

05/01/2017

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, Breaking Free: Karl Kraus

Philip Dodd and guests discuss the satire and contemporary relevance of writer Karl Kraus.

Novelists Jonathan Franzen and Lawrence Norfolk and literary historian Heide Kunzelmann join Philip Dodd to discuss Austrian satirist Karl Kraus and parallels with Trump's America.

American author Jonathan Franzen's interest in the Austrian satirist and journalist resulted in him publishing The Kraus Project. He joins Philip Dodd, novelist Lawrence Norfolk and literary historian, Heide Kunzelmann for a programme exploring the writing and politics of Karl Kraus (1874-1936) - whose artistic achievements include 700 one man performances of works by Brecht, Goethe, Shakespeare and others - plus performances of Offenbach's operettas, accompanied by piano and singing all the roles himself; whose magazine Die Fackel published Oskar Kokoschka, Adolf Loos, Heinrich Mann, Arnold Schönberg, August Strindberg and Oscar Wilde and whose support for other artists included assisting Frank Wedekind in staging his controversial play Pandora's Box. 
In 1915 Kraus began writing a satirical play about World War One called The Last Days of Mankind which mixes dialogue drawn from contemporary documents with fantasical expressionist scenes of apocalypse. A dramatisation featuring actors Giles Havergal and Paul Schofield was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. 

Part of Radio 3's Breaking Free series of programmes exploring music and culture in Vienna.

Producer: Zahid Warley

(Karl Kraus archive clip courtesy of the Austrian Mediathek).

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Free Thinking

Breaking Free: Karl Kraus

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3