Margaret Are You Grieving? A Cultural History of Weeping
Thomas Dixon explores the history of weeping as an aesthetic response to works of art. With contributions from Fiona Shaw, Miri Rubin, Giles Fraser and Ian Bostridge among others.
Throughout our cultural history, tears have been intimately connected with the arts, whether as inspiration or response.
Thomas Dixon is director of the UK's first Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary University London.
In this programme he explores the history of weeping as an aesthetic response to works of art: paintings, writing, music, theatre and film.
What it is about works of art and religious symbols that induce weeping and why do we shed tears over performances by actors and singers, fictional characters, abstract symbols, poems, music, metaphysical ideas - in other words things that are not real?
Margery Kempe, Gluck, Mark Rothko and Sophocles' Electra may provide some of the answers.
Thomas Dixon talks to Fiona Shaw, Miri Rubin, Pete de Bolla, Virginia Eatough, Giles Fraser, Ian Bostridge, Matthew Sweet and Simon Goldhill.
Producer: Natalie Steed.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
Broadcasts
- Sun 27 Jan 2013 19:45麻豆社 Radio 3
- Thu 5 Sep 2013 21:30麻豆社 Radio 3
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh explore the puzzle of Beethoven鈥檚 poor health.
Classical music in a strongman's Russia 鈥� has anything changed since Stalin's day?
What composer Gabriel Prokofiev and I found in Putin's Moscow...
Six Secret Smuggled Books
Six classic works of literature we wouldn't have read if they hadn't been smuggled...
Grid
Seven images inspired by the grid
World Music collector, Sir David Attenborough
The field recordings Attenborough of music performances around the world.