This is one man's trip from the late l940's to the early ‘80's, with lengthy stops in the Beat ’50's, the anti-war/psychedelic ’60's, and the ineffable ’70's. Poet, mystic, consousness explorer, activist and singer, Ginsberg tells all about his activities and inspirations, from the literary trio of Blake, Burroughs and Kerouac to Tibetan Buddhism.
How can we preserve our personal sanity while braving the great technological wilderness? How can human integrity be renewed in the face of the rising technocracy? Roszak first came to prominence as author of The Making of the Counterculture and then became a spokesperson of the personal experience in the urban-industrial world.
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.
Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". (Wikipedia) Haydn's creative life spanned the latter half of the eighteenth century and more than any other musician of his period, he was responsible for the evolution of the Viennese classical style. He was a humble man, largely self-taught, who in his later years became the doyen of the English musical scene. This fascinating biodrama is a listening must for lovers of the Viennese style. Credits: Haydn: John Ringham. Other parts: Michael Kilgarriff, Gary Hope. Hatdn portrait Wiki Commons.
George Frideric Handel was a German/British Baroque composer who in 1737, addressed the English middle class and made a transition to English choral works. After his success with Messiah (1742), he never composed an Italian opera again. His orchestral Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks remain steadfastly popular. One of his four coronation anthems, Zadok the Priest, has been performed at every British coronation since 1727. Almost blind, he died in 1759, a respected and rich man, and was given a state funeral at Westminster Abbey. (Wikipedia). This biodrama is a portrait in words and music of one of the world's truly great composers. A man who gained fame in a land far from his birthplace. Handel was rewarded with glory and honour in his lifetime, and his music lives on in opera house, church and concert hall. His famous 'Largo' is generally accepted as being one of the best loved melodies in the world...Credits: Handel: Michael Kilgarriff. Other parts: Nigel Lambert. Handel portrait Wiki Commons.
Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron. Copiously illustrated by excerpts from Verdi's music, this biodrama tells how the composer rose from humble origins to become the unrivalled master of Italian opera. Living in the time of Italian unification, his music and his life became entwined with politics and patriotism and his melodies were taken up as battle cries in the Italian fight against foreign domination. This Chiron full cast and music audiobook explores the fertility of Verdi's musical imagination and his deep but unconventional religious faith. His operas remain extremely popular, especially the three peaks of his 'middle period': Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata. The bicentenary of his birth in 2013 was widely celebrated in broadcasts and performances.
In his lifetime Johann Strauss theYounger was known as 'The Waltz King', and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna during the 19th century. Some of Johann Strauss's most famous works include The Blue Danube (Famously used in '2001: A Space Odyssey'), The Emperor Waltz, Tales from the Vienna Woods and the Tritsch-Tratsch-polka. The opening bars of The Blue Danube Waltz can bring a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. It is at once the most romantic and sentimental melody ever written. For more than 60 years Strauss captivated audiences with his evocations of Viennese joi de vivre; yet his own life was often sad. This biodrama makes use of fascinating contemporary writings as well as the wonderful music itself. Credits: Johann Strauss: Steve Hodson. Other parts: Trader Faulkner. Strauss portrait Wiki Commons.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, violin Concerto, the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy and the opera Eugene Onegin. "An artist should not be troubled by the indifference of his contemporaries. He should go on working and say all that he is predestined to say. He should know that posterity alone can deliver a true and just verdict". So said Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - and posterity has delivered its verdict. His music is glorious, uplifting, soulful, humourous and wonderfullymelodic. Thchaikovsky regarded music as something to be savoured and shared, and he worked hard and long to that end. This Chiron biodrama reveals much of his troubled life and times - and presents many extracts from his marvellous music. Credits: Tchaikovsky: Trader Faulkner. Other parts: Marcia Warren, Steve Hodson. Tchaikovsky portrait Wiki Commons.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austrian composer, widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. With Haydn and Beethoven he brought to its height the achievement of the Viennese Classical school. Unlike any other composer in musical history, he wrote in all the musical genres of his day and excelled in every one. His taste, his command of form, and his range of expression have made him seem the most universal of all composers; yet, it may also be said that his music was written to accommodate the specific tastes of particular audiences. (Britannica). Mozart is without doubt also the most famous of all musical child prodigies. At the age of 6 he enthralled the Austrian Court with his unbelievable virtuosity. Yet he died friendless and in poverty at the age of 36, a victim of jealousy, and vicious intrigue. Mozart's story is a tragedy, but one filled with superb music; for he brought new colour, passion and power to opera, symphony and concerto. Credits: Mozart: Robert Rietty. Young Mozart: Nikolaj Berg. Other parts: Edmund Pegge. 'The Boy Mozart' portrait Wiki Commons.
The late Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007), author of the Illuminatus Trilogy, the late Timothy Leary (1920-1996) and Jerry White (Cryonics) talk about physical immortality (life extension), living in space, exploring beyond the planet and a great deal more.
A sharp-witted knockdown of America's love affair with positive thinking and an urgent call for a new commitment to realism Americans are a "positive" people-cheerful, optimistic, and upbeat: this is our reputation as well as our self-image.
But more than a temperament, being positive, we are told, is the key to success and prosperity. In this utterly original take on the American frame of mind, Barbara Ehrenreich traces the strange career of our sunny outlook from its origins as a marginal nineteenth-century healing technique to its enshrinement as a dominant, almost mandatory, cultural attitude. Evangelical mega-churches preach the good news that you only have to want something to get it, because God wants to "prosper" you. The medical profession prescribes positive thinking for its presumed health benefits.
Academia has made room for new departments of "positive psychology" and the "science of happiness." Nowhere, though, has bright-siding taken firmer root than within the business community, where, as Ehrenreich shows, the refusal even to consider negative outcomes-like mortgage defaults-contributed directly to the current economic crisis. With the mythbusting powers for which she is acclaimed, Ehrenreich exposes the downside of America's penchant for positive thinking: On a personal level, it leads to self-blame and a morbid preoccupation with stamping out "negative" thoughts.
On a national level, it's brought us an era of irrational optimism resulting in disaster. This is Ehrenreich at her provocative best-poking holes in conventional wisdom and faux science, and ending with a call for existential clarity and courage.
