Story by Virginia Woolf Read by Martin Starkie
Anthony Bernard gives the last of three illustrated talks on Alfred Einstein 's recently published book on the Italian madrigal
Illustrations sung by the London Chamber Singers
Conductor. Anthony Bernard with Clifton Helliwell (harpsichord)
('And even books are hunted by their Fates')
Adapted for broadcasting from the short story by Maurice Baring and produced by Terence Tiller with Dennis Arundell. Martin Benson
Laidman Browne , Oliver Burt
Ian Catford. Stephen Jack and Norman Shelley
An Oratorio
Words by Congreve
Music by Handel
(edited by Julian Herbage )
(soprano) (soprano) (contralto) (contralto)
(counter-tenor) (tenor)
(tenor) (baritone) (bass)
Continuo :
Thurston Dart (harpsichord) and Raymond Clark (cello)
Geraint Jones (organ)
A section of the London Philharmonic Choir
(Chorus-Master. Frederic Jackson )
Philharmonia Orchestra (Leader, Max Salpeter )
Conducted by Constant Lambert
Act 1
The story of Semele, which is to be found in Ovid, was used by Congreve in 1707 as the basis of an opera libretto. Thirty-six years later Handel set to music an adaptation of this, and the resultant ' secular gratorio ' was produced at Covent Garden in February 1744. The plot concerns Jupiter's love for Semele, a mortal, who is betrothed to Athamas. Juno is wildly jealous and determined to take revenge for Jupiter's caddish behaviour (of which this is by no means the first sample). So she impersonates Semele's sister and persuades the hapless heroine to ask Jupiter to woo her* as a god instead of in human form. He does so, whereupon poor Semele is blasted by his lightnings and thunders, and soon expires. The piece ends in comparative happiness, however, since Athamas is united with Semele's sister, Ino, and Apollo puts in an appearance, declaring that ' from Semele's ashes a phoenix shall rise '; the phoenix being Bacchus, a god 'more mighty than Love.'
Harold Rutland
by Alys Russell
Alys Russell describes how she called on Lord Tennyson at Farringford when she came to see him in 1885 with a letter of introduction from Walt Whitman.
Act 2
Reminiscences by Louis Levy , who worked with Leon Blum on the Populaire for thirty years
Act 3
Another performance: tomorrow
The second of two programmes
Sonata in F, Op. 6 played by Massimo Amfitheatrof (cello)
Ornella Santoliquido (piano) on gramophone records
Europe in the Making
Talk by Jean Claude , economic and financial editor of Le Figaro
