Words and Music: Molière

Words and Music

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

Drama

Music: Classical

A journey of discovery, weaving music with poetry and prose read by leading actors.

A weekly journey of discovery, weaving together a range of music with poetry and prose read by leading actors.

Molière

BBC Radio 3 - Words and Music, Molière

With speeches about hypochondria miserliness and self deception from the French playwright

Marking his birth in 1622, today's programme features extracts from some of Moliere's greatest plays translated by Ranjit Bolt, Liz Lochead and Martin Crimp.

David Furlong and Tim McMullan read extracts from Molière's great plays and a life of the French playwright, who was born on 15 January 1622, written by the Russian author Bulgakov.  Today's programme is divided into some of the key themes explored in plays such as Don Juan, Tartuffe and the Misanthrope: Hypocrisy, Theatre, Marriage and the relationships between Men & Women, Religion, Medics, Death; with readings from other authors on these topics including Swift and Nancy Mitford set alongside music by Couperin, Milhaud, Lully and Serge Gainsbourg. The French language is often referred to as the "language of Molière" and some of today's readings are in French; others come from translations by Ranjit Bolt, Liz Lochead, Martin Crimp, John Wood and David Coward.  Birmingham Rep Theatre is currently staging a production of Moliere's Tartuffe. 

Producer: Georgia Mann Smith

You can find a Free Thinking discussion about the writing of Moliere available on the Free Thinking programme website and on BBC Sounds.

READINGS:
Extracts from The Life of Monsieur De Moliere by Mikhail Bulgakov translated by Mirra Ginsberg   
Don Juan translated by John Wood and David Coward  
The Misanthrope translated by Martin Crimp 
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme translated by Philip Dwight Jones
Broadway by Sara Teasdale
Thon Man Moliere by Liz Lochead
Tartuffe translated by Ranjit Bolt
The School For Wives translated by John Wood and David Coward
Bridled Vows by Ian Duhig
The Sun King by Nancy Mitford
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
The Life of Monsieur De Moliere by Mikhail Bulgakov translated by Mirra Ginsberg   
France A History From Gaul To De Gaulle by John Julius Norwich

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

Words and Music

Molière

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3