Words of Wisdom from America's shrewdest observer of mankind and its ways. Includes: Choice of a Mistres; Reflections on Love and Marriage; Treaty with a Lady Polly Baker; Ephemera; Apology for Printers; Politeness of Savages; On Wine; Emigrants; Cold Air Baths
"The real war will never get in the books," Walt Whitman wrote in this diary he kept during the Civil War. Whitman chronicled his visits to Washington, D.C. hospitals where he comforted wounded men and assisted nurses and doctors. This journal, written by one of America's greatest poets and writers, captures the details and ironies of war.
He was a publisher, printer, scientist and inventor, but Ben Franklin's greatest success lay in his work as a diplomat. In this unique recording of his account of his experiences as a spokesman for the Colonies, we listen in on the secret political transactions and undercover dealings of colonial America, filtered through Franklin's inimitable wit.
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony has come to represent Classical Music and modern Western Culture in general. It was used by the allies and the BBC European Service in WWII as a symbol of victory, since the opening "da-da-da-dum" rhythm happens to translate as the letter "V" in Morse Code. "Imagine a blind painter!" So said Richard Wagner when describing the effect of deafness on a composer. Yet Ludwig van Beethoven was a man with the character to overcome this seemingly incapacitating disability and produce some of the most powerful and beautiful music ever written.This absorbing biodrama features the words of Beethoven and his contemporaries, and includes excerpts from his best known and loved works. Together with an informative and illuminating commentary, it conveys to the listener a fascinating and colourful picture of a musical giant. Credits:Beethoven: Kevin Flood. Other parts: Michael Burrell, Derrick Gilbert. Beethoven portrait Wiki Commons.
Johann Sebastian Bach has been called the father of Western music; precise and incredibly prolific - his works fill 52 volumes. He was an obstinate but nevertheless modest man and the outstanding tributes paid to his work more than a 100 years after his burial in an unmarked grave, would have probably amused him. This biodrama traces the development of his life and work and is copiously illustrated with examples of his music. Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the Brandenburg Concertos:; instrumental compositions keyboard works such as the Goldberg Variations and The Well Tempered Clavier; organ works such as the Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Credits: Narrator : John Ringham. Bach: Gary Hope. Other parts: Michael Burrell, Michael Kilgarriff. Bach Portrait Wiki Commons.
Initiation à l'oeuvre et à la vie d'Antonio Vivaldi. Antonio Vivaldi est l'un des plus importants compositeurs de la période baroque, et a eu une influence considérable en Italie et dans toute l'Europe. Sa virtuosité au violon était incomparable, et c'est l'initiateur principal du concerto de soliste ; son art s'est exprimé dans une intense variété de genres et d'instruments, et il se targuait de composer un concerto plus vite que le copiste ne pouvait le transcrire. Plongez au coeur de sa vie et de son temps avec cet enregistrement original.
Berlioz est un maître incontesté de l'orchestre ; on lui doit la notion de festival, il a inauguré le genre de la mélodie avec ensemble instrumental, et c'est un éminent représentant du romantisme européen. Mais cette réussite n'a pas été sans son lot de déceptions : cet enregistrement original retrace la vie de Berlioz d'une manière plus personnelle, pour plus de proximité avec cette figure fondamentale que sa qualité ne doit pas rendre inaccessible.
