The Essay: Composers and their Dogs

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

The Essay Podcast

The Essay

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

The Essay: Composers and Their Dogs: Newfoundlands

Newfoundlands

Composers and Their Dogs

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, Composers and Their Dogs, Newfoundlands

Famous composers devoted to certain dog breeds. Wagner’s turbulent life with Newfoundlands

Professor Fiona Stafford explores famous composers devoted to certain dog breeds. Richard Wagner’s turbulent early life on the run, dragging a massive Newfoundland dog with him.

Essay One: Newfoundlands

A new series of essays by the very popular Fiona Stafford, Professor of Literature at Somerville College, Oxford, following her much praised series of essays The Meaning of Trees and The Meaning of Flowers, Fiona explores famous composers and their devotion to certain dog breeds. 

Through surprising and insightful stories and discoveries about both the composers and their dogs, the essays provide new insights into the type of people the composers were, their lives and the features of their chosen dog breeds that brought such devotion. 

Composer Richard Wagner loved this huge, gentle, shaggy Canadian dog breed, having many in his lifetime. The essay includes the rollercoaster tale of Wagner’s daring escape across international borders, dragging his massive Newfoundland, Robber, with him. On arrival in Paris, Robber became a bigger celebrity than Wagner before fame finally came to the composer. The journey inspired Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. Lord Byron was devoted to his Newfoundlands. His first, Boatswain, resulted in portraits, an elegy and a grand tomb and his last Newfoundland probably caused Byron’s death. Newfoundlands have webbed feet, are great swimmers and have rescued many people from drowning; still being used today by sea rescue services, these fearless dogs leap from helicopters into the water to rescue people.

Producer – Turan Ali 
A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 3

The Essay: Composers and Their Dogs

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.

New insights into famous composers' lives through their devotion to particular dog breeds.

Fiona Stafford, professor of literature at Somerville College Oxford, provides new insights into famous composers' lives, revealed through their devotion to particular dog breeds.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Essay

Composers and Their Dogs

Newfoundlands

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3