Tony Fitzpatrick, UK. blog@tonyfitz.uk

My second BBC radio outing with Simon Templar. Again set in the 30s, Templar foils a nasty plot by a British/German arms manufacturer to support a fascist overthrow of the French Government after stumbling across a fire at a country house. Originally published in 1938 under the title "Prelude to War". This was a little better, maybe because I was more acclimatized to the 1930s upper class dialogue and manners. Leslie Charteris’ blue-eyed hero was apparently known as ‘The Saint’ after the calling card he left at the scenes of his crimes – a sketch of a stick figure with a halo. Dramatised by Neville Teller. Cast included Paul Rhys, Kim Thomson, Fiona Fullerton, John Baddeley, Jonathan Keeble, John Hartley, Geoffrey Whitehead, John Turner, John Hollis, Andrew Branch, Roger May, David Collings and David Timson. Other parts played by the cast. Directed by Matthew Walters. First broadcast September 1995.

For me, Leslie Charteris's criminal sleuth Simon Templar a.k.a "The Saint" will always be Roger Moore on television in from 1962-69. The 1930's novels are very different, with shades of Lord Peter Wimsey's disreputable cousin about them. BBC radio adaption of the 1936 story involving the theft of sunken gold bullion, first broadcast in 1995. Templar meets a beautiful woman swimming at night in a French port and invites her onto his yacht. She is a Detective for a private agency, working to stop a rich German from retrieving treasure from ship wrecks before the authorities. Quite a large body count, and some silly plot twists. Good fun though, although some of the pre-war upper crust dialogue makes your toes curl! Dramatised by Neville Teller. Cast included Paul Rhys, Patsy Kensit, Charles Simpson, Jonathan Keeble, John Hollis, Geoffrey Whitehead, John Guerrasio, David Timson and Joshua Towb. Directed by Matthew Walters. First broadcast August 1995.

Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850 – 1893) was a 19th-century French author, and master of the short story, renowned for depicting human lives, destinies and social forces. A protégé of Gustave Flaubert, he wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. Maupassant is considered a father of the modern short story, and this excellent BBC radio adaption of several of his stories, adapted and translated by Simon Scardifield, uses the setting of a modern Parisian coffee shop. Mathilde the proprietor is whistled at by a man in an apartment opposite and takes him a coffee. He has no money and never leaves his home, so repays her by telling stories. This continues for several days - a different story each day. The man, Guy, apparently has syphilis, and his mental state is deteriorating. In his later years, Guy de Maupassant himself developed a constant desire for solitude, a fear of death and a paranoia of persecution caused by the syphilis he had contracted in his youth. The several stories all involve interplays on human emotions, and include tales involving a lonely widow, a girl with multiple relationships amongst members of a male rowing team, and a huntsman keen to seduce the frustrated wife of a noble colleague. In this drama Scardifield used adaptations of the Maupassant stories "A Strange Night Out", "Mouche", "Laid To Rest", "Cockcrow" and "Le Horla" - all focusing on the consequences of reckless lifestyles and the risks involved in the hedonistic days of "Belle Epoque Paris".

Cast included Elliot Cowan, Holli Dempsey, Colin Ryan, Alexandra Hannant, Gunnar Cauthery, Ruth Everett, Matthew Durkan, Lloyd Thomas and Simon Scardifield. Directed by Gemma Jenkins. First broadcast June 2022.

BBC radio adaption of Walter Tevis's 1963 Science Fiction novel, best known for the 1976 screen adaption starring David Bowie. "Thomas Newton" is an alien from the war torn, polluted and dying planet Anthea, and is sent to earth by his race to build a spaceship capable of rescuing them from their fate, and enabling the remaining 300 of them to move to our planet. He has been selected for the mission due his relative strength compared with his fellow Antheans, giving him an ability to withstand earth's gravity and climate. Disguised with prosthetics to resemble a human, Thomas brings with him new technology, establishes a business selling advanced consumer electronics, and makes millions of dollars. He starts the construction of the spacecraft, but in doing so invites the interest of both the CIA and the FBI. He also has complex relationships with humans, including his "housekeeper" Betty Jo, who introduces him to the wonders of alcohol. Imprisoned and questioned by the authorities, the medical tests conducted by the FBI render him blind (he is sensitive to x-rays). With delay, the planetary alignment for his journey home has been missed, and unable to work, he decides to abandon his plan and rescue mission, ending his days drunk and depressed.

I have neither read the novel nor seen the film, but I found this an interesting twist on the "alien visits earth" sci-fi basic plot. Much of Tevis's novel focused on the risk of mankind destroying itself with nuclear weapons and this is clearly a focus for Newton - he has only five years to complete his mission, and needs to do so before mankind wipes itself out. As a story it is clearly a commentary on the cold war, and maybe a moral tale about loneliness, alcoholism, and society's suspicion of outsiders in general.

Cast included Harry Treadaway, Christopher Eccleston, Laura Aikman, Stuart Milligan, Glen McCready, Ako Mitchell, Andre Refig, Fiona Sheehan and Alix Dunmore. Written by Stephen Keyworth, and adapted from the novel by Walter Tevis. Directed by Simon Barnard. First broadcast 12th May 2024.

The rarely performed piano version of Grieg's famous Holberg Suite, Op. 40. Subtitled "Suite in olden style" (Suite i gammel stil), it consists of five movements based on eighteenth-century dance forms, and was written in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dano-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754). Coupled on this CD with Grieg's Ballade, Op. 24 (Variations on a Norwegian Melody), and some of his Lyric Pieces (Lyriske stykker) part of a collection of 66 short pieces for solo piano published in 10 volumes from 1867 to 1901. Andrey Gugnin (piano). CD released May 2024.

Enjoyable CD of the orchestral music of Florence Price (1888-1953), the "rediscovered" African American composer. Disc includes the Concert Overtures #1 and #2, the "Songs of the Oak", Colonial Dance and, her famous Suite of Dances (the orchestral version - it was originally scored for piano). Her work with spirituals is wonderful stuff. Tragedy is that Florence heard little of her music actually performed in her lifetime. Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, conducted by John Jeter. CD released November 2022.

A set of Adams works from different eras - Slonimsky's Earbox, My Father Knew Charles Ives, Tromba Lontana and Lollapalooza - clearly demonstrating the vast range of musical influences that have been incorporated into Adam's wonderful music. I also caught an excellent BBC "This Cultural Life" interview with Adams, which gave further insight into his musical education and ideas. Tonhalle Zürich conducted by Paavo Järvi. CD released September 2022.

I watched an interview with Sakari Oramo about the Sea Symphony, courtesy of the Vaughan Williams Society, and decided to re-visit this superb recording of RVW's 1910 masterpiece. Oramo focused on the Walt Whitman poetry and the words, with maybe some reference to the growth in shipping occurring at the beginning of the 20th century. For me it is just wonderful expressive music. This performance from Elder and the Hallé clearly demonstrates its power and energy. Katherine Broderick (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone). The Hallé, Hallé Choir, Hallé Youth Choir, Schola Cantorum of Oxford, Ad Solem, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. CD released September 2015.

Mostly electronic music from noted Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (b. 1982). Interesting but to be honest not very approachable when presented in a disc such as this. Participating on the album are fellow Icelandic musicians Skúli Sverrisson and Jóhann Jóhannsson as well as her father Guðni Franzson. A noted cellist, Guðnadóttir has received numerous awards and accolades for her film and television music, including a Golden Globe. Hildur Guðnadóttir (voice, zither, cello, synthesizer programming), Jóhann Jóhannsson (organ), Skuli Sverrisson (bass guitar), Guðni Franzson (clarinet, bass clarinet). CD released January 2020.

CD from Estonian composer, theologian, philosopher and poet, Jüri Reinvere (b. 1971). Three pieces "And Tired From Happiness, They Started to Dance" from 2018, "Concerto for 2 Flutes, Strings and Percussion" from 2016 with soloists Maarika Järvi and Monika Mattiesen, and "On the Ship of Fools" from 2023. On the ship of fools is inspired by the key phrase of a 16th-century novel: Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur (The world seeks to be deceived, therefore let it be deceived). "People deceive each other on Facebook and Instagram", comments Reinvere. Hard music to follow - occasional moments of joy and ectasy, often fairly monotonic. Estonian Festival Orchestra, Paavo Järvi. CD released May 2024.

This was absolutely spell blindingly brilliant. I have never seen Britten's last opera (composed 1971-1973) before, although aware of it's reputation as "difficult", with the theme of unrequited homosexual love between an older man and a boy, aged about 13. Britten's original concept was for the boy (Tadzio) and his family to be played by non-singing dancers. WNO used wonderful circus acrobats - enhancing the concept that the boy was literally "out of reach", flying as he was on a trapeze. It worked very well, and the acrobats were amazingly skillful. The lead role of the aged German author, Gustav von Aschenbach (possibly a metaphor for Thomas Mann himself, and in who Britten maybe saw reflections of his own struggles) was taken just for this performance by Peter Van Hulle, who was excellent. The subsidiary male roles (Hotel Manager, fop, barber etc.) were all played by Roderick Williams, who I had never seen in an opera before, and clearly was hugely enjoying himself. Staging was simple, making effective use of projected back drops of sea (the lagoon etc.) and books (Aschenbach's study). After the mis-fire of the Mozart on the previous evening I was hugely impressed by this production.

Upper Circle T16.

Oh yuk! I know that Così fan tutte is subtitled "a school for scandal" but to set it in a real, modern, school, with the four principals depicted as adolescents, and Don Alfonso portrayed as their Sex Ed teacher, was all really rather creepy. Musically, of course, it was glorious, but I found the staging all a little uncomfortable. Boys in rugby and PE kit, girls in school uniform and so on. Even some large props depicting the male and female anatomy as you might find in a GCSE biology text book. Despina was portrayed as the "dinner lady", taking rather too close an interest in the love life of the two (presumably c. 15 year old) girls. Five stars for singing and music, one star for production.

Seat U16 - Upper Circle.

The world is facing the impact of devastating climate change, and so the decision is taken to load up a "star ship" with seeds, trees, books, etc. together with a skeleton volunteer crew and send them into space. They will "surf" the time dimension "string" that apparently runs across the Universe to enable them to experience the passing of years in hours, and await a signal from earth to return. In a hundred years on earth, they would only have experienced the passing of a few months. They then return, and "regrow" the ecology of a decimated world.

This was the basis of this entertaining and interesting BBC radio three drama. A few side stories - a set of failed relationships left on earth, the ego of a very rich ("Elon Musk like") person who funded the spaceship, and the failure of a mission to Mars using the same technology that killed several friends of the crew. Exploring the psychology of the sort of people who might volunteer for such a trip was the more interesting aspect of this play (the "strings" that tie them back to humanity) rather than the Sci-Fi, and it worked well, although the whole thing was a little over long. The denouement was that the rich man tried to sabotage the return to earth, motivated by a desire to leave our destruction of the earth behind and find an alternative future.

Cast included Tamara Lawrance, Andonis Anthony, Jenny Platt, Alfred Enoch, Adetomiwa Edun and Claire Benedict. Directed by Nadia Molinari. Written by Linda Marshall Griffiths. First broadcast March 2022.

A book from 2007, giving a sweep over the history of western classical music from the 12th century to today, from a long time presenter of the BBC Proms. Obviously we get sections on folk song, polyphony, Venice, 18th century London, Bach, the German Romantics, early 20th century, Eastern Europe, Edwardian British, modern American etc. I was especially interested in Naughtie's analysis (and condemnation) of the cult of celebrity that was prevalent for opera stars - he talks depressingly about Pavarotti's decline, and Maria Callas's embarrassing last performances. Less of an issue now. Read in hardback. Published September 2007.

Silly story, not often presented. Four men - the King of Navarre and three knights - decide to withdraw from the company of women for three years to focus on study and good work. The arrival of the daughter of the King of France with three of her ladies quickly forces them to abandon their oath, as they are all hopelessly in love. The Princess is negotiating the return of Aquitaine to France, on behalf of her ailing father, the King. The men try to woo the women, and are aided and abetted by a coterie of servants and courtiers. In the end word is received that the old King of France has died, and the women withdraw to mourn - the men promising to remain chaste for a year and a day whilst they await their return.

Except - for this production we are not in Navarre (or France) but on an Hawaiian island, in modern dress. The King of Navarre and his three friends are clearly "rich bros" taking advantage of the pleasures of a tropical resort hotel, and contemplating the meaning and focus of their lives. The programme was adorned with pictures of the likes of Mark Zuckenberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. The French women are all sun seekers, and indulge in the sun beds and beauty treatments available. We get Hawaiian shirted waiters with trays of drinks, a golf course, tennis lessons, flower garlands, and Hawaiian music - including a rewrite of Shakespeare's songs in dialect. A bit odd to be honest, and I am not sure it worked all that well. Part of the drama involves a "play within a play", presenting the story of the Nine Worthies, which unfortunately results in a brawl between two courtiers, Don Armado and Costard, fighting over the attractions of a servant girl, Jaquenetta. That dragged a little, and the portrayal of Don Armado as a Spanish lothario in tight tennis shorts (and tighter briefs) was silly. I enjoyed the production, but glad that it is one of the Bard's shorter plays!