Anyone watch the programme this evening? Some of the contemporaneous footage was interesting, as was the idea that Auden's themes resonate just as much with our time as his.
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Last edited by ardcarp; 01-10-17, 10:33. -
Very little explanation of his politics. I was wondering if that aspect of the programme trod softly on purpose for fear of treading on some people's dreams. -
I enjoyed it. I hadn't seen much of that footage before. I could see that he had a certain charm, and he read his own poetry extremely well, I thought - not always the case with poets. I was surprised how much of it I knew. I could recite almost all of it along with him or the other readers. Wonderful stuff. Although I have always felt many of his themes were still relevant, as great literature always is, I had never thought of a parallel between September 1939 and September 2001 before.Comment
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Much enjoyed here too, though I got a little confused about where he was living when!
For once, the background music seemed much more appropriate: it was good to see Bernstein conducting The age of anxiety.
Loved the Stravinsky clip, too!Comment
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A hero of mine since reading him for A levels decades ago. I hadn't spotted that this was on and caught the latter half only. It seemed very well done and I'll try to watch it on catchup. I didn't know about the curtains-closed benzedrine-fuelled writing days.Comment
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I enjoyed the programme. Coincidentally, one of the items on this morning's 'Private Passions' was Samuel Barber's setting of 'The Monk and his Cat', with the composer at the piano.Comment
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Just watched it on iPlayer. Now re-reading A.L. Rowse's "The Poet Auden: A Personal Memoir".My life, each morning when I dress, is four and twenty hours less. (J Richardson)Comment
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