Lord Berners

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

2008

Berners The Humourist

20080915

20141201 (R3)

Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson, the 14th Lord Berners, was a painter, novelist, writer of poetry and nonsense verse, and a composer of brilliant and whimsical music. He was famous for his wit and and outlandish behaviour. His eccentricities marked him out as a very English Englishman, but his music was a different matter entirely. Unlike many of his contemporaries on the British musical scene, he developed a distinctly European slant to his compositions, and came to be regarded as one of the truly original composers of the early 20th century.

Donald Macleod explores Berners's colourful life and music, starting with a work for puppet theatre, an exuberant essay in Spanish colour and a trio of waltzes which contain a passage Stravinsky described as 'one of the most impudent in modern music'.

Donald Macleod concentrates on a work for puppet theatre and an essay in Spanish colour.

2008

Berners And Diaghilev

20080915

20141202 (R3)
20080916 (R3)

In spite of his ultra-establishment position as a peer of the realm, Lord Berners didn't connect at all with the old guard in the artistic world. He found he had more in common with the wildly eccentric Sitwells who, like him, were rebelling against a conventional Victorian upbringing. Berners' idiosyncratic ways didn't deter some of the greatest artistic talents of the time from a desire to work with him. Donald Macleod introduces two works commissioned by the renowned impresario Serge Diaghilev - Berners's first and only opera and the suite from his fairytale ballet.

With works commissioned by Diaghilev - Berners's only opera and his fairytale ballet suite

2008

Berners The Ballet Master

20080915

20141203 (R3)
20080917 (R3)

In the mid 1920s, Lord Berners started to take painting much more seriously and composing fell by the wayside. But that was soon to change: with the advent of the Wall Street Crash Berners felt the need for a reliable source of income and returned to writing music.

Donald Macleod introduces Berners's next two ballets - one, devised in collaboration with the American writer Gertrude Stein about unrequited love, the other a fantastical work featuring a three-headed man, a three-legged juggler, a one-legged ballerina, and a man with six arms!

Donald Macleod presents a fantastical Berners ballet, featuring various strange characters

2008

Berners The Versatile Poet

20080915

20141204 (R3)
20080918 (R3)

Lord Berners wasn't just a skilful composer; he also had great success as both painter and writer. He produced two short stories, two volumes of memoirs, a play and seven novels in which Berners himself and many of his friends are portrayed, not always in the most flattering light.

Donald Macleod explores Berners' literary endeavours and introduces music from the war-time years, including a ballet based on the legend of Cupid and Psyche and his first venture into film music.

Donald Macleod explores Berners's literary endeavours and introduces wartime music.

Donald Macleod explores Berners' literary endeavours and introduces music from the war-time years, including a ballet based on the legend of Cupid and Psyche and his first venture into film music.

Donald Macleod explores Berners's literary endeavours and introduces wartime music.

2008

05 LAST

Berners The Socialite

20080915

20141205 (R3)
20080919 (R3)

Berners spent his life mixing with some of the most conspicuous names in the artistic world. Throughout his career he had fruitful collaborations with such luminaries as Serge Diaghilev, George Balanchine, Gertrude Stein, Sacheverell Sitwell and Constant Lambert. Donald Macleod introduces Berners' fifth ballet, which was to be his final association with Frederick Ashton and Cecil Beaton, and the suite from his very last work - the score for the 1947 film of Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby.

Donald Macleod presents Berners's fifth ballet and his Nicholas Nickleby film score.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
2008		Berners The Humourist	20080915	20141201 (R3)	Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson, the 14th Lord Berners, was a painter, novelist, writer of poetry and nonsense verse, and a composer of brilliant and whimsical music. He was famous for his wit and and outlandish behaviour. His eccentricities marked him out as a very English Englishman, but his music was a different matter entirely. Unlike many of his contemporaries on the British musical scene, he developed a distinctly European slant to his compositions, and came to be regarded as one of the truly original composers of the early 20th century. Donald Macleod explores Berners's colourful life and music, starting with a work for puppet theatre, an exuberant essay in Spanish colour and a trio of waltzes which contain a passage Stravinsky described as 'one of the most impudent in modern music'. Donald Macleod concentrates on a work for puppet theatre and an essay in Spanish colour. Gerald Tyrwhitt-Wilson, the 14th Lord Berners, was a painter, novelist, writer of poetry and nonsense verse, and a composer of brilliant and whimsical music. He was famous for his wit and and outlandish behaviour. His eccentricities marked him out as a very English Englishman, but his music was a different matter entirely. Unlike many of his contemporaries on the British musical scene, he developed a distinctly European slant to his compositions, and came to be regarded as one of the truly original composers of the early 20th century. Donald Macleod explores Berners's colourful life and music, starting with a work for puppet theatre, an exuberant essay in Spanish colour and a trio of waltzes which contain a passage Stravinsky described as 'one of the most impudent in modern music'. Donald Macleod concentrates on a work for puppet theatre and an essay in Spanish colour.
2008	02	Berners And Diaghilev	20080915	20141202 (R3) 20080916 (R3)	In spite of his ultra-establishment position as a peer of the realm, Lord Berners didn't connect at all with the old guard in the artistic world. He found he had more in common with the wildly eccentric Sitwells who, like him, were rebelling against a conventional Victorian upbringing. Berners' idiosyncratic ways didn't deter some of the greatest artistic talents of the time from a desire to work with him. Donald Macleod introduces two works commissioned by the renowned impresario Serge Diaghilev - Berners's first and only opera and the suite from his fairytale ballet. With works commissioned by Diaghilev - Berners's only opera and his fairytale ballet suite In spite of his ultra-establishment position as a peer of the realm, Lord Berners didn't connect at all with the old guard in the artistic world. He found he had more in common with the wildly eccentric Sitwells who, like him, were rebelling against a conventional Victorian upbringing. Berners' idiosyncratic ways didn't deter some of the greatest artistic talents of the time from a desire to work with him. Donald Macleod introduces two works commissioned by the renowned impresario Serge Diaghilev - Berners's first and only opera and the suite from his fairytale ballet. With works commissioned by Diaghilev - Berners's only opera and his fairytale ballet suite
2008	03	Berners The Ballet Master	20080915	20141203 (R3) 20080917 (R3)	In the mid 1920s, Lord Berners started to take painting much more seriously and composing fell by the wayside. But that was soon to change: with the advent of the Wall Street Crash Berners felt the need for a reliable source of income and returned to writing music. Donald Macleod introduces Berners's next two ballets - one, devised in collaboration with the American writer Gertrude Stein about unrequited love, the other a fantastical work featuring a three-headed man, a three-legged juggler, a one-legged ballerina, and a man with six arms! Donald Macleod presents a fantastical Berners ballet, featuring various strange characters In the mid 1920s, Lord Berners started to take painting much more seriously and composing fell by the wayside. But that was soon to change: with the advent of the Wall Street Crash Berners felt the need for a reliable source of income and returned to writing music. Donald Macleod introduces Berners's next two ballets - one, devised in collaboration with the American writer Gertrude Stein about unrequited love, the other a fantastical work featuring a three-headed man, a three-legged juggler, a one-legged ballerina, and a man with six arms! Donald Macleod presents a fantastical Berners ballet, featuring various strange characters
2008	04	Berners The Versatile Poet	20080915	20141204 (R3) 20080918 (R3)	Lord Berners wasn't just a skilful composer; he also had great success as both painter and writer. He produced two short stories, two volumes of memoirs, a play and seven novels in which Berners himself and many of his friends are portrayed, not always in the most flattering light. Donald Macleod explores Berners' literary endeavours and introduces music from the war-time years, including a ballet based on the legend of Cupid and Psyche and his first venture into film music. Donald Macleod explores Berners's literary endeavours and introduces wartime music. Lord Berners wasn't just a skilful composer; he also had great success as both painter and writer. He produced two short stories, two volumes of memoirs, a play and seven novels in which Berners himself and many of his friends are portrayed, not always in the most flattering light. Donald Macleod explores Berners' literary endeavours and introduces music from the war-time years, including a ballet based on the legend of Cupid and Psyche and his first venture into film music. Donald Macleod explores Berners's literary endeavours and introduces wartime music.
2008	05 LAST	Berners The Socialite	20080915	20141205 (R3) 20080919 (R3)	Berners spent his life mixing with some of the most conspicuous names in the artistic world. Throughout his career he had fruitful collaborations with such luminaries as Serge Diaghilev, George Balanchine, Gertrude Stein, Sacheverell Sitwell and Constant Lambert. Donald Macleod introduces Berners' fifth ballet, which was to be his final association with Frederick Ashton and Cecil Beaton, and the suite from his very last work - the score for the 1947 film of Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby. Donald Macleod presents Berners's fifth ballet and his Nicholas Nickleby film score. Berners spent his life mixing with some of the most conspicuous names in the artistic world. Throughout his career he had fruitful collaborations with such luminaries as Serge Diaghilev, George Balanchine, Gertrude Stein, Sacheverell Sitwell and Constant Lambert. Donald Macleod introduces Berners' fifth ballet, which was to be his final association with Frederick Ashton and Cecil Beaton, and the suite from his very last work - the score for the 1947 film of Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby. Donald Macleod presents Berners's fifth ballet and his Nicholas Nickleby film score.