Audiobooks by Frank Wedekind

Frank Wedekind: Spring Awakening & more: Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

"A brand new production of Spring Awakening, alongside three classic plays from the BBC archive Frank Wedekind is widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of modern drama, whose works influenced later writers such as Brecht and Dürrenmatt. His best-known plays were Spring Awakening and Lulu, both of which transgressed the social norms of his time and still have the power to shock and provoke us today. They are included here, alongside his lesser-known tragicomedy The Marquis of Keith. Spring Awakening – Frank Wedekind’s groundbreaking 1891 play deals with teenagers Wendla, Melchoir and Moritz, who navigate the awakening of desire and their relationships with their parents in a sexually repressive society. This fast, punchy, two-part version is adapted by Theo Toksvig-Stewart Lulu – The inspiration for numerous reimaginings, including the acclaimed silent film Pandora’s Box, Wedekind’s classic 1890s epic scandalised nineteenth-century audiences. It tells the story of Lulu, an alluring siren who is both innocent victim and amoral seducer. As she uses men, and is used in turn by them, she finds herself set on a path that can only lead to destruction… Starring Anna Calder-Marshall as Lulu, with a full cast including Derek Godfrey, Joe Melia and John Rye. The Singer – This fin-de-siècle farce satirizes the world of the 19th-century cultural elite, where artistic integrity was often subsumed by the demands of crude materialism. Centring on a revered Wagnerian tenor, his insatiable fans, and the tyrannical composer who is set on bending him to his will, it is adapted here by Peter Barnes and stars Alec McCowen, Kathryn Hurlbutt, Peter Woodthorpe and Dilys Laye. The Marquis of Keith – Written in 1899, The Marquis of Keith is one of Wedekind’s most significant plays. A tragicomedy, it revolves around the eponymous hero, a deeply flawed Don Quixote-like figure who is determined to follow his dream of creating a palace for the arts, no matter what the cost. This BBC Radio adaptation stars Alan Howard, Robert Eddison, Rosalind Shanks and Margaret Wolfit. First published 1891 (Spring Awakening), 1895 & 1904 (Lulu), 1899 (The Singer), 1901 (The Marquis of Keith) Cast and credits Written by Frank Wedekind Spring Awakening Lulu The Singer The Marquis of Keith © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Frank Wedekind (Author), Alan Howard, Alec McCowen, Derek Godfrey, Dilys Laye, Francis de Wolff, Full Cast, Hugh Burden, Joe Melia, John Rye, Kathryn Hurlbutt, Peter Woodthorpe, Robert Eddison (Narrator)

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[German] - Der Verführer (Ungekürzt)

"Es ist wohl möglich, dass sich die Gunst eines jeden Mädchens ohne Ausnahme gewinnen lässt. Aber leicht wird es nicht immer. Die Hauptsache ist, dass man den richtigen Weg einzuschlagen versteht. - Die übrigen Herren des intimen Freundeskreises lauschten in gespanntester Erwartung: Es war am 15. Juni im Jahr 18..., fuhr der Sprecher fort."

Frank Wedekind (Author), Christoph Hackenberg (Narrator)

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Spring Awakening

"London, 1944. Seemingly far from the war in Europe, two schoolboys find they have much more pressing concerns than the fighting on the front-line. Melchior rekindles a passionate love affair with an old flame, but beneath his confident, roguish exterior lies a young boy who finds himself out of his depth. What starts as a romantic chapter in their young lives soon takes a violent turn with disastrous consequences that threaten to tear them apart. For Mortiz however, girls are the last thing he wants to think about. But he cant ignore his natural desires for much longer, especially with the new crowd Melchior introduces him to. And with the expectations of a demanding father on top of the ever-increasing piles of homework, Moritz finds himself struggling to cope with the amounting pressure, and soon becomes to much to bare... Springs Awakening is a story of youth and innocence, and the awakening we all experience one day. It explores the power of friendship and lust, and the role of society in dealing with these childhood traumas."

Frank Wedekind (Author), Andrew McDonald, Anthony Lewis, Ben Righton, Helen Oakleigh, Ian Fairbairn, Jeremy Tiang, Keith Ducklin, Laura James, Mike Sani, Neil Summeville, Tina Rath, Victoria Broom (Narrator)

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[German] - Die Büchse der Pandora

"Die Büchse der Pandora ist eine Tragödie in drei Aufzügen von Frank Wedekind. Sie ist die Fortsetzung von Wedekinds Tragödie Erdgeist. Beide Stücke wurden von Wedekind später als Bühnenfassung in einem Stück mit dem Titel Lulu. Tragödie in 5 Aufzügen mit einem Prolog zusammengefasst. (Zusammenfassung von Wikipedia)"

Frank Wedekind (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Earth Spirit

"Earth Spirit (1895) (Erdgeist) is a play by the German dramatist Frank Wedekind. It forms the first part of his pairing of 'Lulu' plays (the second is Pandora's Box [1904]), both of which depict a society "riven by the demands of lust and greed". Together with Pandora's Box, Wedekind's play formed the basis for the silent film Pandora's Box (1929) starring Louise Brooks and the opera Lulu by Alban Berg in 1935 (premiered posthumously in 1937). The eponymous "earth spirit" of this play is Lulu, who Wedekind described as a woman "created to stir up great disaster." Indeed, she is a purely sexual creature who scandalizes the community and drives men to ruin. The play has attracted a wide range of interpretations, from those who see it as misogynistic to those who claim Wedekind as a harbinger of women’s liberation. (Summary by Wikipedia and ChuckW)"

Frank Wedekind (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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[German] - Pandora's Box

"Pandora's Box (1904) (Die Büchse der Pandora) is a play by the German dramatist Frank Wedekind. It forms the second part of his pairing of 'Lulu' plays (the first is Earth Spirit [1895]), both of which depict a society "riven by the demands of lust and greed". G. W. Pabst directed a silent film version (Pandora's Box), which was loosely based on the play, in 1929. Both plays together also formed the basis for the opera Lulu by Alban Berg in 1935 (premiered posthumously in 1937). In the original manuscript, dating from 1894, the 'Lulu' drama was in five acts and subtitled 'A Monster Tragedy'. Wedekind subsequently divided the work into two plays: Earth Spirit (German: Erdgeist, first printed in 1895) and Pandora's Box (German: Die Büchse der Pandora). It is now customary in theatre performances to run the two plays together, in abridged form, under the title Lulu. Wedekind is known to have taken his inspiration from at least two sources: the pantomime Lulu by Félicien Champsaur, which he saw in Paris in the early 1890s, and the sex murders of Jack the Ripper in London in 1888. The premiere of Pandora's Box, a restricted performance due to difficulties with the censor, took place in Nuremberg on 1 February 1904. The 1905 Viennese premiere, again restricted, was instigated by the satirist Karl Kraus. In Vienna Lulu was played by Tilly Newes, later to become Wedekind's wife, with the part of Jack the Ripper played by Wedekind himself. (Summary by Wikipedia)"

Frank Wedekind (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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The Awakening of Spring

"The Awakening of Spring is the German dramatist Frank Wedekind's first major play and a seminal work in the modern history of theatre. It is the source material for the contemporary rock musical Spring Awakening. The play criticises the sexually-oppressive culture of fin de siècle Germany and offers a vivid dramatisation of the erotic fantasies that it breeds. Due to the nature of its content, the play has often been banned. (Summary by wikipedia and wildemoose)"

Frank Wedekind (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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[German] - Erdgeist

"Erdgeist ist eine 1895 publizierte Tragödie in vier Aufzügen von Frank Wedekind. Uraufgeführt wurde sie am 25. Februar 1898 im Leipziger Krystallpalast vom neu gegründeten Ibsen-Theater, wobei der Autor den „Dr. Schön“ verkörperte. Die Fortsetzung von Erdgeist bildet Wedekinds Tragödie Die Büchse der Pandora von 1902. Beide Stücke wurden von Wedekind später als Bühnenfassung in einem Stück mit dem Titel Lulu. Tragödie in 5 Aufzügen mit einem Prolog zusammengefasst. (Zusammenfassung von Wikipedia)"

Frank Wedekind (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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[German] - Bibliothek der Klassiker: Deutsche Balladen 10: Werke von Frank Wedekind, Ludwig Thoma, C

"20 der schönsten deutschen Balladen aus dem 19. und 20. Jahrhundert! Mit dabei: Brigitte B., Der Tantenmörder (F. Wedekind), Rühmlicher Tod (L. Thoma), Ich erzähle Märchen... (L. Jacobowski), Es waren drei junge Leute (R. Presber), Der gläserne Sarg, Der Seufzer (C. Morgenstern), Die Ballade vom Papagei (K. Kraus), Ballade vom kranken Kind (H. Von Hofmannsthal), Sankt Georg (R. M. Rilke), Das Mutterherz (C. Bulcke), Das Attentat (L. Rubiner), Der weiße Tod (A. Petzold), Louis Capet, Der Tod der Liebenden (G. Heym), Der Revoluzzer (E. Mühsam), Abendgebet einer erkälteten Negerin, Die Weihnachtsfeier des Kuttel Daddeldu (J. Ringelnatz), Die Mondsüchtige, Die Schusterin (Klabund). Dazu gibt es eine pdf-Datei mit detaillierter Inhaltsangabe zum Ausdrucken."

Christian Morgenstern, Frank Wedekind, Ludwig Thoma (Author), Jürgen Fritsche (Narrator)

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[German] - Die Schutzimpfung

Frank Wedekind (Author), Heikko Deutschmann (Narrator)

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[German] - Die Liebe auf den ersten Blick

Frank Wedekind (Author), Stefan Kaminski (Narrator)

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[German] - Willst Du Dein Herz mir schenken?: Die schönsten Liebesgedichte von Shakespeare bis Goeth

"'Willst Du Dein Herz mir schenken?' Diese Frage stellt man besonders gern am Valentinstag. Die schönsten Liebesgedichte aller Zeiten von Goethe bis Shakespeare sind hier vereint. Zum einen die perfekte Zitatsammlung für die Valentinskarte, zum anderen ein perfektes Geschenk - anstelle der Karte! Einfühlsam vorgetragen von Sven Görtz. Goethe (1749 - 1832): Freudvoll Klopstock (1724 - 1803): Das Rosenband Karoline Günderode (1780-1806): Liebe Wilhelm Busch (1832 - 1908): Lass ihn Catull (84-54 v.Chr.): Lass uns leben F. Wedekind (1864-1918):Unterm Apfelbaum S. George (1868 - 1933): Es lacht in dem steigenden Jahr dir Goethe (1749-1832):Römische Elegie III H. Heine (1797 - 1856): Liebste, sollst mir heute sagen A. Marvel (1621 - 1678): An die Dame, die sich ziehrt Goethe (1749 - 1832): Mailied Rückert(1788-1866): Du bist mein Mond Anonym: Willst du dein Herz mir schenken Ovid: Lobe deine Liebste H. Heine (1797 - 1856): Worte, Worte, keine Taten J. Ringelnatz (1883-1934): Volkslied F. Wedekind(1864- 918): Die Wetterfahne William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616): Sonett 18 von Hofmannsthal (1874 - 1929): Im Grünen zu singen S. George (1868-1933:Was ist geschehen? v. Platen (1796 - 1835): Wenn ich deine Hand liebkose von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857): Lied F. Villon: Tod, ich klage dich an Hölderlin (1770- 1843): Die Liebenden Edgar A. Poe (1809-1849): Anabel Lee C. Hoffmann (1616 - 1679): Wo sind die Stunden? Christina Rossetti (1830-1894): Lied J. Ringelnatz (1883 - 1934): Schöne Frau ging vorbei Catull (84-54): Meine Liebste sagt C. Baudelaire (1821-1867): Die Katze Catull (84 - 54 v. Chr.): Ich hasse und ich liebe K."

Andrew Marvel, August Von Platen, Charles Beaudelaire, Christian Hoffmann Von Hoffmannswaldau, Christina Georgina Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edgar Allan Poe, Frank Wedekind, François Villon, Friedrich Gottlieb Kloppstock, Friedrich Hörderlin, Friedrich Rückert, Georg Heym, Heinrich Heine, Hugo Von Hofmannsthal, Joachim Ringelnatz, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Josepf Von Eichendorff, Karoline Von Günderode, Stefan George, Wilhelm Busch, William Shakespeare (Author), Sven Görtz (Narrator)

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