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The Power of Alchemy

The Power of Alchemy, a journey through the physical and spiritual dimensions of this legendary and mysterious practice, with texts by both ancient and modern writers including WB Yeats, Ezra Pound, Jorge Luis Borges, Paulo Coelho and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, read by Si芒n Phillips and Donald Sumpter.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Fri 23 Dec 2016 16:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

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

  • 00:00

    Jean鈥怓茅ry Rebel

    Chaos, from Les Elements

    Performer: The Academy of Ancient Music, Chirstopher Hogwood (director).
    • L聮Oiseay-Lyre 421 656-2.
    • Tr 1.

  • Paracelsus

    title unknown, read by Donald Sumpter

  • Basil Velentine

    title unknown, read by Sian Phillips

  • 00:01

    Alexander Scriabin

    12 Etudes for piano, Op.8 - No. 12 in D sharp minor

    Performer: Vladimir Horowitz (piano).
    • BMG Classics 74321 63471 2.
    • Tr 10.

  • Stanley Redgrove

    Alchemy: Ancient and Modern (excerpt), read by Donald Sumpter

  • 00:04

    Edgard Var猫se

    Ameriques (original version 1921)

    Performer: Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Lyndon-Gee (conductor).
    • Naxos 8.557882.
    • Tr 1.
  • 00:05

    Arvo P盲rt

    Fratres

    Performer: Daniel Hope (violin), Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin.
    • DG 479 0571.
    • Tr 6.

  • Horace Smith

    Moral Alchemy (excerpt), read by Sian Phillips

  • Eireanus Philalethes

    unknown text, read by Donald Sumpter

  • 00:10

    Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    Lux Aeterna (for choir a capella)

    Performer: Schola Heidelberg, Walter Nussbaum (conductor).
    • BIS-1503.
    • Tr 9.
  • 00:11

    Philip Glass

    Vessels

    Ensemble: The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble. Conductor: Michael Riesman.
    • Nonesuch 424508.
    • Tr 1.
  • 00:13

    Anon 聳 17th-Century Russia

    Vozbrannoy voyevode

    Performer: Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier (director).
    • Harmonia Mundi HMU 907276.
    • Tr 12.

  • Ali Puli

    title unknown, read by Donald Sumpter

  • Michael Sendivogius

    title unknown, read by Sian Phillips

  • 00:15

    Alan Hovhaness

    Symphony No. 14 聭Ararat聮 聳 2nd movement

    Performer: Trinity College of Music Wind Orchestra, Keith Brion (conductor).
    • Naxos 8.559385.
    • Tr 5.

  • Rainer Maria Rilke

    The Alchemist (excerpt), read by Donald Sumpter

  • 00:17

    Anon.

    Danza de los matachines 聳 M煤sica Ind铆gena de M茅xico

    • Conaculta 聳 INAH 09.
    • Tr 4.

  • Matthew Moncrieff Pattison Muir

    The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry (excerpt), read by Sian Phillips

  • 00:19

    Edgard Var猫se

    Ionisation

    Performer: Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Lyndon-Gee (conductor).
    • Naxos 8.557882.
    • Tr 9.

  • Stephanus of Alexandria

    unknown text, read by Donald Sumpter

  • 00:20

    Giuseppe Tartini

    La Sonata del Diavolo in G minor

    Performer: Andrew Manze, violin.
    • Harmonia Mundi HMU 907213.
    • Tr 3.
  • 00:22

    Franz Liszt

    Saint Francois d聮'Assise: La Predication aux oiseaux

    Performer: Wilhelm Kempff, piano.
    • DG 477 9374.
    • Tr 8.
  • 00:25

    Luciano Berio

    Rossignolet du bois -聳 Folk Songs, for voice and seven instruments

    Performer: Dawn Upshaw (soprano), Tara O聮Connor (flute), Todd Palmer (clarinet), Ljova (viola), Erik Friedlander (cello), Bridget Kibbey (harp), Eric Poland & Gordon Gottlieb (percussion)..
    • DG 477 5414.
    • Tr 15.

  • Michael Sendivogius

    unknown title, read by Sian Phillips

  • 00:27

    Modest Mussorgsky

    Night on the Bald Mountain

    Performer: Vladimir Azhkenazy, piano.
    • DECCA 478 2940.
    • Tr 1.
  • 00:30

    Bernd Alois Zimmermann

    Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra 聭'Nobody knows de trouble I see聮'

    Performer: Hakan Hardenberger (trumpet), SWF Symphonieorchester Baden-Baden, Michael Gielen (conductor).
    • Philips 434 114-2.
    • 10.

  • Ben Johnson

    The Alchemist (excerpt), read by Donald Sumpter and Sian Phillips

  • 00:33

    Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    Quieto (VII), from Musica Ricercata

    Performer: Liisa Pohjola, piano.
    • BIS-CD-53.
    • Tr 12.

  • Arthur Edward Waite

    Lives of Alchemystical Philosopheres (excerpt), read by Donald Sumpter

  • W.B. Yeats

    Rosa Alchemica (excerpt), read by Sian Philips

  • 00:38

    Francis Poulenc

    Toi ma patiente ma patience ma parente, from Figure Humaine (arr. Die 12 Cellisten der Berliner Philharmoniker)

    Performer: The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.
    • EMI 6 08501 2.
    • Tr 15.
  • 00:40

    Anon.

    Barbara Furtuna

    Performer: Voce di Corsica.
    • EUCD 1816.
    • Tr 1.

  • Paulo Coelho

    The Alchemist (excerpt), read by Donald Sumpter

  • 00:44

    Manuel de Falla

    La Danza Ritual del Fuego, from El Amor Brujo

    Performer: Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor).
    • EMI 7 69037 2.
    • Tr 13.

  • Ezra Pound

    The Alchemist (excerpt), read by Sian Phillips

  • 00:46

    Manuel de Falla

    La Danza Ritual del Fuego, from El Amor Brujo

    Performer: Katia & Marielle Labeque, pianos.
    • Philips 438 938-2.
    • Tr 3.
  • 00:47

    Manuel de Falla

    La Danza Ritual del Fuego, from El Amor Brujo

    Performer: Mischa Maisky, cello; Lily Maisky, piano.
    • DG 477 8100.
    • Tr 16.
  • 00:50

    Richard Wagner

    Das Rheingold

    Ensemble: Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti (conductor).
    • DECCA 455 5562.
    • Tr 15.
  • 00:00

    Silvestre Revueltas

    厂别苍蝉别尘补测谩

    Performer: Orquesta Filarm贸nica de la Ciudad de M茅xico, Enrique B谩tiz (conductor).
    • ASV CD DCA 894.
    • Tr 4.

  • Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez

    One Hundred Years of Solitude (excerpt), read by Donald Sumpter

  • 00:58

    Tot贸 la Momposina y Sus Tambores

    La acabaci贸n

    • Real World CDR W 31.
    • Tr 11.
  • 01:01

    Alexander Aronovich Knaifel

    Lux aeterna

    Performer: Patrick Demenga & Thomas Demenga.
    • ECM 465 341-2.
    • Tr 1.

  • Jorge Luis Borges

    The Alchemist (excerpt), read by Sian Phillips

  • 01:06

    Arvo P盲rt

    Fur Alina

    Performer: Alexander Malter, piano.
    • ECM 449 958-2.
    • Tr 2.

  • Chao Meng-fu

    Lamenting the Taoist Wei Kung-yuan, read by Donald Sumpter

  • T聮ao Ch聮ien

    On the Classic of the Hill and Sea, read by Sian Phillips

  • 01:10

    Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita

    Future Strings

    • Astar Artes MWLDAN.
    • Tr 2.

Producer's Note

The Power of Alchemy, the title I鈥檝e given to this programme, is a reflective journey through the physical and spiritual dimensions of this legendary and mysterious practice, with prose and verse by both ancient and modern writers from the East and West, including WB Yeats, Ezra Pound, Jorge Luis Borges, Paulo Coelho and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, read by Si芒n Phillips and Donald Sumpter.


The interest on the subject, of which I can鈥檛 claim to be an expert, came from reading yet again Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥檚 epic novel 鈥極ne Hundred Years of Solitude鈥�. It鈥檚 one of my all-time favourite books, and I find myself returning to it again from time to time. There鈥檚 an episode early on in the book in which the protagonist tries his luck at multiplying gold, his wife鈥檚 cherished and closely guarded inheritance, using an alchemist鈥檚 laboratory he鈥檚 been given as a gift 鈥� with terrible consequences! The episode, which is included in this programme, caused me to delve into this profound and dark subject, but it so happened that half-way through my reading the Nobel-prize winner and celebrated author, arguably a true literary alchemist thanks to his poetic and magical imagery, passed away 鈥� all the more reason for me, I thought, to carry on with my endeavour!


The texts I selected cover a broad range in terms of topics and origin 鈥� there are contributions from the early and later Middle Ages, from the Renaissance and the beginning of the Enlightenment, from Victorian scholars, as well as from ancient China. I wanted to strike a balance between statements explaining what alchemy was and how alchemists actually worked, on the one hand, and more complex thoughts on the other, texts exploring the spiritual concerns their craft triggered as these practitioners sought transcendental answers in the manipulating of the natural world. Worth noting perhaps is an excerpt from Ben Jonson鈥檚 play 鈥楾he Alchemist鈥� in which two characters, an alchemist and a doubter, debate the true nature of this practice. Also, there鈥檚 a wonderful excerpt from a poem by Ezra Pound called 鈥楾he Alchemist 鈥� Chant for the Transmutation of Metals鈥�, whose rhymes and rhythm make the piece all but a magician鈥檚 spell. 聽The programme ends with some reflective poems, looking beyond life, from the celebrated Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, and from two Chinese philosophers, all mixed with music by Arvo Part and a beautiful piece performed on a classical harp and a West-African kora, which symbolise the blending together of otherwise unrelated sounds 鈥� which takes us directly to the music.


Music is pure alchemy in this programme, and in many different ways. My first instinct was to reflect in sounds the aura of mystery, secrecy and dark shade that have always accompanied alchemy. I wanted edgy and uncomfortable pieces, dissonances, sad tonalities, abrupt changes, music that would almost sound like an alchemical experiment taking place in front of our very ears. The programme opens with one such piece, Jean-Fery Rebel鈥檚 Chaos, from his pioneering Baroque work 鈥楲es Elements鈥�, describing how things were before the creation of the universe. Needless to say, the 20th-Century provides an endless supply of this particular kind of flavour, so I used, among others, Varese鈥檚 鈥楢meriques鈥�, Bernd Alois Zimmermann鈥檚 鈥楾rumpet Concerto鈥� and Ligeti鈥檚 choral masterwork 鈥楲ux Aeterna鈥�. There are also, thrown in for good measure, some spiritual pieces, inviting reflection.


Another more challenging way in which music reflects聽alchemy in this programme is the way in which pieces 鈥榯ransform鈥� into others, like alchemists tried in their laboratories by melting metals and other substances together. I did it here by superimposing pieces, fading them in or out, literally 鈥榝using鈥� them together, but 鈥� here鈥檚 the core of the matter - regardless of their style, period, instruments or mood. Thus, Wagner鈥檚 鈥楧as Rheingold鈥� 鈥渢ransforms鈥� into Revueltas鈥� 鈥槼П鸩圆醣鸪静共饷♀��, a shamanic chant to tame a snake, for instance; or Varese鈥檚 鈥業onisation鈥� 鈥渕elts鈥� into鈥� Tartini鈥檚 鈥楧evil Sonata鈥� for violin solo; or Hovhaness 鈥楽ymphony Ararat鈥� 鈥渇uses鈥� with the music,聽 a ritual dance, by a Mexican indigenous tribe; or 聽Ligeti鈥檚 鈥楲ux Aeterna鈥� 鈥渂ecomes鈥� Philip Glass鈥� 鈥榁essels鈥�, to mention just some of my 鈥榓lchemical sound experiments鈥�.


Last but not least, there鈥檚 a nod to some composers that can arguably be regarded as veritable 鈥榤usic alchemists鈥� due to their power to paint with music, to suggest atmospheres and moods in a mesmerising and intriguing way. Alexander Scriabin, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Silvestre Revueltas, 聽Gyorgy Ligeti, Manuel de Falla, Arvo Part, whose contributions enhance this programme, belong to this category.


I hope this journey will only reflect on the way in which people from time immemorial have gone about trying to control and manipulate nature, and in the process sought deep spiritual answers about our role on earth and beyond. Perhaps safe now in his own afterlife Garc铆a M谩rquez, who as I mentioned above inspired this idea and to whose memory I wish to dedicate this programme, may now know all of the answers posed hereby, in our Words and Music 鈥楾he Power of Alchemy鈥�...


Juan Carlos Jaramillo (producer)

Broadcasts

  • Sun 18 May 2014 17:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3
  • Fri 23 Dec 2016 16:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3

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