• Thomas Hardy and Old Father Time
    Jul 18 2024

    In this third episode we explore Arthur Keegan's String Quartet no. 1 'Elegies for Tom' which responds to Thomas Hardy's poem Afterwards as well as Larkin's poem The Mower.


    How does Hardy’s obsessession with death come out in his poetry?

    Why is he pre-occupied with his own death?

    How can a piece of music for string quartet respond to this?


    https://orcd.co/thepastandi


    Arthur Keegan

    David Fay

    Rachel Hodgins

    Lotte Betts-Dean

    James Girling

    Ligeti Quartet

    Delphian Records


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    17 mins
  • Thomas Hardy and Composers
    Jul 18 2024

    In this second episode we explore the suite of arrangements of songs setting Hardy poetry from across 100 Years presented on the album.


    Is there something uniquely musically enticing in Hardy’s poems?

    Why, when critics haven’t always been kind toward Hardy’s poems, have composers consistently turned to them?

    What does it mean to arrange some of these songs for new instrumentation?


    https://orcd.co/thepastandi


    Arthur Keegan

    David Fay

    Rachel Hodgins

    Lotte Betts-Dean

    James Girling

    Ligeti Quartet

    Delphian Records


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    22 mins
  • Thomas Hardy and Emma Gifford
    Jul 18 2024

    In this first episode we explore the song cycle Elegies for Emma which explores Thomas Hardy's relationship with Emma Gifford through the lens of the poetry he wrote about her...


    Does the poetry written after her death help us understand their relationship?

    Why did Hardy write just one poem about Emma before her death and almost two hundred after?

    And how does all this turn into music?


    https://orcd.co/thepastandi


    Arthur Keegan

    David Fay

    Rachel Hodgins

    Lotte Betts-Dean

    James Girling

    Ligeti Quartet

    Delphian Records


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show more Show less
    25 mins