Misha Glenny and guests discuss the French portrait painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755 - 1842). From her teens she delighted her high society subjects in and around Paris, notably Marie Antoinette who she painted around 30 times, and she invariably found ways to show her sitte ...Show more
Joseph Roth
Misha Glenny and guests discuss one of the great writers on Central Europe after the first world war and on the dying of the old orders with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire. As a German speaking Jew from Brody in the north-eastern edge of that Empire, which was then i ...Show more
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the dance which, from when it reached Britain in the early nineteenth century, revolutionised the relationship between music, literature and people here for the next hundred years. While it may seem formal now, it was the informality and daring tha ...Show more
Ballroom dancing: Laurie Taylor explores its social history and sexual politics with Hilary French, Professor of Design Studies at Bath Spa University and author of a new book which charts the evolution of a form of dance which originated in upper class, private balls but became ...Show more
Classical music and dancing have been dance floor partners for hundreds of years. Join host Liz Lyon as we explore different forms of dance and the classical music that pairs with them.Episode 95 playlistPeter Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers — This waltz may sound familiar. Tch ...Show more
Historic recordings of classical music dances. Music by Johannes Brahams, William Gluck, Manuel De Fall, George Bizet, Frederic Chopin and Pytor Tchaikovsky.