Rainer Maria Rilke

Arts & Ideas

BBC

Society & Culture

4.2 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2022

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A New Age mystic who fell out of favour for his apolitical views - how true a characterisation is this of the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 – 1926)? Anne McElvoy discusses the work and legacy of the visionary poet, from his idiosyncratic use of figures and images from both Classical mythology and Christianity to explore existential themes. Her guests are Lesley Chamberlain, author of a new biography; composer Ninfea Crutwell-Reade whose Vigil I is a setting of the first poem in the sequence 'Vigilien' by Rainer Maria Rilke; and New Generation Thinker Seán Williams, who lectures in German and European Cultural History at the University of Sheffield. In addition to discussing Rilke, Seán also sheds light on Walpurgisnacht Night and the folk traditions of the night before May Day when witches are said to meet on the Brocken Mountain.

You can find more about Ninfea's music at https://ninfeacruttwellreade.com/ New Generation Thinker Seán Williams has made Sunday features for Radio 3 about ice skating https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013837 and the history of luxury https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003rpl Lesley Chamberlain's biography Rilke: The Last Inward Man is out now http://www.lesleychamberlain.co.uk/

Producer: Luke Mulhall

Transcript

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0:00.0	Can I just say?
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0:11.9	Where you can also listen to live sports commentary.
0:14.2	It's right foot goes for goal.
0:16.7	And then enjoy even more podcasts full of analysis and reaction to the big stories.
0:21.7	The stat that is astonishing is they ended with the lowest amount of possession.
0:25.2	And she's had to live with that.
0:26.8	So if you love sport, a passion, it's almost like a religion.
0:29.7	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:31.7	Sort of expecting that every week now.
0:36.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:39.7	I'm Anne McHalevoy, and today on the Arts and Ideas podcast, we delve into Raina Maria
0:45.2	Rilker, the poet who explored the material and the mystical worlds.
0:50.7	Coming up just after this.
0:57.4	Journey into the darkness with Radio 3,
1:01.4	a live musical adventure from our late-night programs.
1:04.5	From classical to cutting edge.
	...

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