Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that is some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?

It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music when it's out of ice cream.

Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds.

Hello, I'm Shahid Abari.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the Arts and Ideas podcast, which is recorded with an audience

before one of the concerts in this year's BBC Proms. This is the BBC.

Hello, why did Beethoven have such trouble finding a music teacher? Because his teacher was Haydn.

I know, I know, but brace yourself. I'm afraid there's more of that to come in this evening's proms-blast reading, which is all about comedy.

You might groan at my jokes, but Beethoven himself was partial to a groan.

You may have noticed some in the fourth movement of Symphony No. 2 that you've just heard.

It begins with an unusual musical motif that sounds like a series of groans, hiccups, farts,

and belches. It makes for an impish musical joke, the kind that Beethoven relished and which horrified his stoner critics.

Fingers crossed, though, that you'll be more sympathetic to our comic readings tonight.

They've been selected by the Carnegie medal-winning writer Meg Rosoff.

Her last book, Jonathan Unleashed, was a novel for grown-ups about the secret life of dogs,

so we're confident of her comic pedigree.

The readings were performed by actor Carl Preckop.

Please join me in welcoming them both.

Meg, the first reading that you've selected for us

is from Kingsley Amos' novel Lucky Jim,

which was published in 1954.

That's about a hapless university lecturer who is floundering in life, love and work,

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