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Seven Ages of Love

Samuel West and Hattie Morahan with poems and prose on love from young to old including words by Shakespeare, John Donne, Sarah Maguire, Daphne du Maurier and Elizabeth Jennings and music by Ravel, Mahler, Stephen Sondheim, Miles Davis, Janacek and John Tavener.

Producer: Fiona McLean

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Feb 2021 17:30
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

    Edward Elgar

    Salut d聮amour Op. 12

    Performer: Bournemouth Sinfonietta Ronald Thomas (Leader), Norman Del Mar (Conductor).
    • Chandos CHAN8371.
    • Tr4.

  • Michael Longley

    The Sunburst read by Samuel West

  • 00:03

    Leonard Cohen

    So Long, Marianne

    Performer: Leonard Cohen.
    • Columbia Legacy.
    • 88697.
    • 6.

  • Elizabeth Jennings

    A Child in the Night read by Hattie Morahan

  • 00:09

    John Tavener

    To a Child Dancing in the Wind

    Performer: Patricia Rozario, Kathryn Lukas (flute), Stephen Tees (viola), Helen Tunstall (harp).
    • Collins Classics 14282.
    • Tr3.
  • 00:11

    Nino Rota

    Romeo and Juliet 聳 Their First Meeting

    Performer: Nino Rota (Conductor).
    • Cloud Nine CNS5000.
    • Tr5.

  • William Shakespeare

    from Romeo and Juliet read by Hattie Morahan

  • 00:14

    Gustav Mahler

    Symphony no. 5 - Adagietto

    Performer: Weiner Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein (Conductor).
    • Deutsche Grammophon 4691542.
    • CD2 Tr4.

  • John Clare

    I Hid my Love read by Samuel West

  • Ezra Pound

    The River Merchant聮s Wife read by Hattie Morahan

  • 00:25

    Gabriel Faur茅

    Apr猫s un r锚ve ("Dans un sommeil"), song for voice & piano, Op. 7/1

    Performer: Veronique Gens and Roger Vignoles.
    • CLASSICS 724354536021.
    • Tr1.

  • John Donne

    The Good-Morrow read by Samuel West

  • 00:29

    Alfred Reynolds

    Suite: Marriage 脿 la Mode - Gavotte

    Performer: Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland (Conductor).
    • Marco Polo 8225184.
    • Tr22.

  • James Fenton

    Hinterhof read by Samuel West

  • 00:32

    Rufus Wainwright

    Vibrate

    Performer: The London Oratory Choir, Marius de Vries (piano).
    • Dreamworks 4505041.
    • Tr7.
  • 00:35

    Leos Jan谩膷ek

    Quartet no. 2 "Lettres intimes" - Moderato

    Performer: Talichovo kvarteto.
    • Calliope CAL9333.
    • Tr7.

  • Edward Dower

    The Lowest Trees have Tops read by Samuel West

  • 00:41

    Toru Takemitsu

    Towards the Sea 聳 The Night

    Performer: Aureole Trio.
    • Koch 374492.
    • Tr7.

  • Sarah Maguire

    Perfect Timing read by Hattie Morahan

  • Thom Gunn

    Tamer and Hawk read by Samuel West

  • 00:45

    Dmitry Shostakovich

    Nocturne for Cello and Orchestra from The Gadfly

    Performer: Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitry Yablonsky (Conductor).
    • Naxos 8557722.
    • Tr9.

  • Daphne du Maurier

    from Rebecca read by Hattie Morahan

  • 00:50

    Stephen Sondheim

    Send in the Clowns

    Performer: Judi Dench.
    • Tring Tring001.
    • Tr18.

  • D.H. Lawrence

    On the Balcony read by Samuel West

  • 00:55

    Miles Davis

    Blue In Green

    • Columbia CK64935.
    • Tr3.

  • Harold Pinter

    It is Here read by Samuel West

  • Jackie Kay

    Late Love read by Hattie Morahan

  • 01:02

    Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Love Songs, Op. 83 聳 No.4, 'I know that on my love to you'

    Performer: Josef Suk (violin); Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano).
    • Toccata ROCC0100.
    • Tr13.

  • Hugo Williams

    Love Life read by Samuel West

  • George Crabbe

    A Marriage Ring read by Hattie Morahan

  • 01:05

    Alexander Borodin

    String Quartet no. 2 in D Major 聳 Allegro moderato

    Performer: Haydn Quartet.
    • Naxos 8550850.
    • Tr5.

Producer's Notes: The Seven Ages of Love

听

Leonard Cohen met his muse Marianne on the Greek island of Hydra in the 1960s and they remained close friends throughout their lives.听 His letter on hearing that she was extremely ill was read around the world:

鈥榃ell Marianne, it鈥檚 come to this time when we are really so old and our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon. 听Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine鈥� Goodbye, old friend. Endless love, see you down the road.鈥�

Leonard Cohen died just four months after Marianne.

Words and Music explores love from young to old following melancholy Jacques鈥� monologue in 鈥楢s You Like It鈥� where he describes the seven ages of man 鈥� infant, schoolchild, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloons and second childhood.

鈥楽even Ages of Love鈥� opens with Elgar鈥檚 鈥楽alut d鈥檃mour鈥�, written as an engagement present for his future wife.听 Here you鈥檒l hear Michael Longley鈥檚 鈥楾he Sunburst鈥�, a baby鈥檚 first memory of the light around her as she lies under the patchwork quilt made by her loving mother and grandmother.

The second age is heard in Juliet鈥檚 declaration of her true love to Romeo as she beseeches him to tell her of his feelings. The 鈥楢诲补驳颈别迟迟辞鈥� of Mahler鈥檚 鈥楽ymphony no. 5鈥� is said to be his love song for his wife, Alma.听 The passion he conveys is heard too in John Clare鈥檚 moving poem, 鈥業 Hid my Love鈥�, in which he talks of the pain of concealing his love from a girl in his young life.

贵补耻谤茅鈥檚 鈥楢pr猫s un r锚ve鈥� in which a lover dreams of leaving the earth with his lover only to be brought back to life on awakening, is followed by John Donne鈥檚 鈥楾he Good-Morrow鈥�, in which he explores love from its early days of lust to what he sees as true, spiritual love.

The anonymous narrator of Daphne du Maurier remembers what she believes to be the fever of first love where one is so easily hurt, a passage where it鈥檚 hard for the reader not to think of the sadness of the narrator鈥檚 later life. Stephen Sondheim鈥檚 鈥楽end in the Clowns鈥� from 鈥楢 Little Night Music鈥�, heard here sung by Judi Dench is, too, an older woman looking back on the disappointments of her life.

The happier days of later love are heard in Miles Davis鈥� 鈥楤lue in Green鈥� with Harold Pinter鈥檚 鈥業t is Here鈥�, dedicated to his wife and remembering the sound of the breath they both took when they first met.听 This joy in later life is heard too in Hugo Williams鈥� 鈥楲辞惫别-尝颈蹿别鈥� where an elderly couple feel they are young again, 鈥榦ur smiles wrapped in lace鈥�. 听鈥楾he Seven Ages of Love鈥� ends with Alexander Borodin鈥檚 warm 鈥楽tring Quartet no. 2鈥�, written for his wife after their long marriage and in which he remembers their first meeting in Heidelberg.

听

听Producer: Fiona McLean

听

Broadcasts

  • Sun 11 Feb 2018 17:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3
  • Sun 14 Feb 2021 17:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3

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