Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Beyond Good and Evil

A sequence of poetry, prose and music on the theme of evil, with readings by Ann Mitchell and Andrew Wincott. With texts from Milton, Crowley and Marlowe, plus Blake and Britten.

Words and Music on the theme of Evil. Readings by Ann Mitchell and Andrew Wincott. With texts from the Bible, Beowulf and Blake. With Music by Berg, Britten and Black Sabbath.

A whirlwind tour through the dark alleys of Evil: from the Garden of Eden in Genesis and Milton's Paradise Lost, to the vampires and dominatrices of Baudelaire and Swinburne, via the black magic of Aleister Crowley and Marlowe, to the apocalyptic visions of Blake and Dante, taking in the Evil lurking in the German forest to the cloven hoof on the carpet where Evil is located by Auden in the everyday world, "unspectacular and always human".

Producer Clive Portbury.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 19 Aug 2012 18:30

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    Joseph Haydn

    "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" from The Creation

    Performer: Neal Davies (bass), Gabrieli Consort and Players, Paul McCreesh

    • Archiv 477 7361.
  • 00:02

    Giuseppe Tartini

    Devils Trill Sonata (last movement)

    Performer: Andrew Manze (violin)

    • Harmonia Mundi 907213.
  • Bible (King James)

    Genesis/Chapter 3 vs 1-5, reader Ann Mitchell

  • John Milton

    Paradise Lost, Book 9 vs 679-709, reader Andrew Wincott

  • Bible (King James)

    Genesis/Chapter 3 vs 6-7, reader Ann Mitchell

  • 00:07

    Alban Berg

    Lulu Suite (Adagio)

    Performer: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle (conductor)

    • EMI 7 49857 2.
  • Baudelaire (trans. Aggeler)

    Les Fleurs du Mal (excerpt), reader Andrew Wincott

  • Swinburne

    Excerpt from Dolores (Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs), reader Andrew Wincott

  • 00:12

    Richard Strauss

    "Ich habe keine guten Naechte" from Elektra

    Performer: Waltraud Meier (Klytaemnestra 鈥 mezzo), Deborah Polaski (Elektra 鈥 soprano), Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim (conductor)

    • Warner Classics 2564 67701-3.
  • 00:17

    Black Sabbath

    Black Sabbath

    Composer: Black Sabbath

    • Sanctuary SMEDD325.
  • Aleister Crowley

    Hymn to Lucifer, reader Ann Mitchell

  • Christopher Marlowe

    Faustus鈥檚 final speech from Dr Faustus, reader Andrew Wincott

  • 00:23

    L茅on Bo毛llmann

    Suite gothique

    Performer: Peter Hurford (organ)

    • Decca 421 296-2.
  • 00:27

    George Crumb

    Devil-music and Danse Macabre from "Black Angels"

    Performer: Kronos Quartet

    • Elektra Nonesuch 7559-79242-2.
  • William Blake

    The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (extract), reader Andrew Wincott

  • 00:29

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Tuba mirum from his Requiem

    Performer: Chorus and Orchestra of Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano (conductor)

    • EMI 6 98936 2.
  • Dante (trans H F Cary)

    Inferno Canto 6 (extract), reader Andrew Wincott

  • 00:32

    Franz Liszt

    Dante Sonata (extract)

    Performer: Daniel Barenboim (piano)

    • Teldec 9031-77340-2.
  • Brothers Grimm (trans. Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes)

    Hansel and Gretel (extract), reader Ann Mitchell

  • 00:39

    Richard Wagner

    Prelude to Act 2 of Siegfried

    Performer: Vienna Philharmonic, Georg Solti (conductor)

    • Decca 414 110-2.
  • Anon. (trans. F. B. Grummere)

    Beowulf (extract), reader Andrew Wincott

  • Shakespeare

    Richard III 鈥 opening speech, reader Andrew Wincott

  • 00:45

    John Dowland

    Mellancoly Galliard

    Performer: Paul O鈥橠ette (lute)

    • Harmonia Mundi 907160.
  • 00:47

    Judson/Taylor

    I want to be evil

    Performer: Earth Kitt (vocal)

    • MCA 19120.
  • Augustine (trans. Pusey)

    Confessions Chapter 2 (extract), reader Ann Mitchell

  • 00:50

    Richard Wagner

    Prelude to Act 2 of Parsifal

    Performer: Vienna Philharmonic, Georg Solti (conductor)

    • Decca 417 143-2.
  • 00:54

    Benjamin Britten

    O rose thou art sick from "The Serenade for tenor, horn and strings"

    Performer: Peter Pears (tenor), Barry Tuckwell (horn), English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten (conductor)

    • Decca 4363952.
  • W. H. Auden

    鈥淗erman Melville鈥 (extract), reader Andrew Wincott

Broadcast

  • Sun 19 Aug 2012 18:30

The hidden history of plant-based diets

The hidden history of plant-based diets

Forget social media influencers - the meat-free movement started with the Victorians.

Books website

Get closer to books with in-depth articles, quizzes and our picks from radio & TV.