The Well-tempered Clavier

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Armando Iannucci

20220221

20230808 (R3)

The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key.

In this edition, filmmaker, writer and satirist Armando Iannucci contemplates the role of hard work and craft in creativity, and the connection between the structure of music and the structure of comedy.

Technical Producer... Mike Etherden

Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim

Written and presented by Armando Iannucci

Produced by Abigail le Fleming

A BBC Audio production for Radio 3

Armando Iannucci is a writer and broadcaster who has written, directed and produced numerous critically acclaimed films, television and radio comedy shows.

His screenplay for the film 'In The Loop' was nominated for an Oscar at the Academy Awards. His iconic series for the BBC - 'The Thick of It' - was nominated for 13 BAFTA Awards, winning five during its four series run. Among his own award-winning shows, he is also the co-creator and writer of the popular Steve Coogan character Alan Partridge.

Armando's HBO comedy 'Veep' has picked up numerous awards. His film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 'The Personal History of David Copperfield' was released in January 2020. That year won Best Screenplay at BIFA, was also nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a 'Seal Distinction' from the US Critics' Choice Association.

In 2017 he published 'Hear Me Out', a new book on classical music, and released the feature film 'The Death of Stalin', which was nominated for two BAFTAs and won Best Comedy at the European Film Awards.

His latest HBO series, is 'Avenue 5'.

Satirist Armando Iannucci contemplates the connection between music and comedy.

Clive Myrie

20220222

20230809 (R3)

The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key.

In this edition, Clive Myrie considers Bach's role as a constant in his life, inspiring him as a boy, and becoming his travelling companion to some of the most challenging places in the world.

Technical Producer... Mike Etherden

Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim

Written and presented by Clive Myrie

Produced by Abigail le Fleming

A BBC Audio Production for Radio 3

About the essayist...

Clive Myrie is an award-winning journalist, writer and film-maker; and one of the BBC's most experienced foreign correspondents, having served as the BBC's Asia, Africa, Washington and Europe Correspondent. He makes features and programmes for Panorama', Newsnight' and BBC Radio 4 and is a regular presenter of the One, Six and Ten O'Clock News bulletins on BBC One, and of news shows on the BBC News Channel. He also presents 'Mastermind'. In 2018, he was part of the BBC News team that received a Royal Television Society Award for Best Foreign Coverage for its reporting in Yemen.

Clive Myrie was born in Bolton, Lancashire, and studied law at the University of Sussex.

Clive Myrie considers Bach's role his constant travel companion.

Frank Cottrell-boyce

20220225

20230811 (R3)

The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key.

Screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce marvels at the enduring freshness of Bach's work.

Technical producer... Mike Etherden

Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim

Written and presented by Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Produced by Abigail le Fleming

A BBC Audio production for Radio 3

About the essayist...

Frank Cottrell Boyce is a children's novelist who won the Carnegie Medal for his first book - Millions - in 2004 and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Unforgotten Coat in 2013. Millions was made into a film by Danny Boyle, for whom Frank went on to work as the writer on the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2012. His other books include Framed (filmed by the BBC), Cosmic and The Astounding Broccoli Boy. He also wrote the three official sequels to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. His films include 24 Hour Party People, God on Trial and Hilary and Jackie. His short work, The Great Rocket Robbery, was published for World Book Day in 2019. His latest novel, Runaway Robot, was published by Macmillan in May 2019.

Screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce marvels at the enduring freshness of Bach.

Rachel Cooke

20220223

20230810 (R3)

The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key. Journalist and writer Rachel Cooke considers the role of the Well-Tempered Clavier as domestic music - written in a busy household to be played in busy households for centuries to follow.

Technical Producer... Mike Etherden

Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim

Written and presented by Rachel Cooke

Produced by Abigail le Fleming

A BBC Audio Production for Radio 3

About the essayist...

Rachel Cooke is an award-winning journalist. She is a writer and columnist at the Observer, and the television critic of the New Statesman. Her series about spinsters and other singletons, The Odd Woman, was broadcast on Radio 3 in 2020. Her book, Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary

Women of the Fifties, is published by Virago. She is currently working on The Reckoning, a book exploring ideas around bad behaviour and good art.

Journalist and writer Rachel Cooke considers The Well-Tempered Clavier as domestic music.

Thomas Guthrie

20220224

The Essay celebrates 300 years since the publication of the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key.

In this edition, opera director and performer Thomas Guthrie reflects on the liberating influence of classical theories of rhetoric on early music, and on what it means to be well-tempered -

Technical Producer...Mike Etherden

Production co-ordinator....Sara Benaim

Written and presented by Thomas Guthrie

Produced by Abigail le Fleming

About the essayist...

A former Jette Parker Young Artist Stage Director at the Royal Opera House in London, Thomas Guthrie's revival of David McVicar's Die Zauberfl怀te there won What's On Stage Best Revival 2018. His own critically acclaimed productions of Le Nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberfl怀te at Longborough Festival Opera led to an invitation to direct Wagner's Der Fliegende Holl䀀nder there in 2018 (subsequently called one of the best productions at this venue I have seen', Rupert Christiansen, Telegraph). He directed Aida at the Liceu in 2020, Semele in Paris, Rome, London and Barcelona in 2019 and his 2020 production of Gagliano's rare 1608 opera La Dafne - created in a week with young singers at the Brighton Early Music Festival - was nominated for a 2020 RPS Award.

Opera director and performer Thomas Guthrie reflects on what it means to be well-tempered.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
	Armando Iannucci	20220221	20230808 (R3)	The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key. In this edition, filmmaker, writer and satirist Armando Iannucci contemplates the role of hard work and craft in creativity, and the connection between the structure of music and the structure of comedy. Technical Producer... Mike Etherden Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim Written and presented by Armando Iannucci Produced by Abigail le Fleming A BBC Audio production for Radio 3 Armando Iannucci is a writer and broadcaster who has written, directed and produced numerous critically acclaimed films, television and radio comedy shows. His screenplay for the film 'In The Loop' was nominated for an Oscar at the Academy Awards. His iconic series for the BBC - 'The Thick of It' - was nominated for 13 BAFTA Awards, winning five during its four series run. Among his own award-winning shows, he is also the co-creator and writer of the popular Steve Coogan character Alan Partridge. Armando's HBO comedy 'Veep' has picked up numerous awards. His film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 'The Personal History of David Copperfield' was released in January 2020. That year won Best Screenplay at BIFA, was also nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a 'Seal Distinction' from the US Critics' Choice Association. In 2017 he published 'Hear Me Out', a new book on classical music, and released the feature film 'The Death of Stalin', which was nominated for two BAFTAs and won Best Comedy at the European Film Awards. His latest HBO series, is 'Avenue 5'. Satirist Armando Iannucci contemplates the connection between music and comedy.
	Clive Myrie	20220222	20230809 (R3)	The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key. In this edition, Clive Myrie considers Bach's role as a constant in his life, inspiring him as a boy, and becoming his travelling companion to some of the most challenging places in the world. Technical Producer... Mike Etherden Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim Written and presented by Clive Myrie Produced by Abigail le Fleming A BBC Audio Production for Radio 3 About the essayist... Clive Myrie is an award-winning journalist, writer and film-maker; and one of the BBC's most experienced foreign correspondents, having served as the BBC's Asia, Africa, Washington and Europe Correspondent. He makes features and programmes for Panorama', Newsnight' and BBC Radio 4 and is a regular presenter of the One, Six and Ten O'Clock News bulletins on BBC One, and of news shows on the BBC News Channel. He also presents 'Mastermind'. In 2018, he was part of the BBC News team that received a Royal Television Society Award for Best Foreign Coverage for its reporting in Yemen. Clive Myrie was born in Bolton, Lancashire, and studied law at the University of Sussex. Clive Myrie considers Bach's role his constant travel companion.
	Frank Cottrell-boyce	20220225	20230811 (R3)	The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key. Screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce marvels at the enduring freshness of Bach's work. Technical producer... Mike Etherden Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim Written and presented by Frank Cottrell-Boyce Produced by Abigail le Fleming A BBC Audio production for Radio 3 About the essayist... Frank Cottrell Boyce is a children's novelist who won the Carnegie Medal for his first book - Millions - in 2004 and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Unforgotten Coat in 2013. Millions was made into a film by Danny Boyle, for whom Frank went on to work as the writer on the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2012. His other books include Framed (filmed by the BBC), Cosmic and The Astounding Broccoli Boy. He also wrote the three official sequels to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. His films include 24 Hour Party People, God on Trial and Hilary and Jackie. His short work, The Great Rocket Robbery, was published for World Book Day in 2019. His latest novel, Runaway Robot, was published by Macmillan in May 2019. Screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce marvels at the enduring freshness of Bach.
	Rachel Cooke	20220223	20230810 (R3)	The Essay reflects upon the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key. Journalist and writer Rachel Cooke considers the role of the Well-Tempered Clavier as domestic music - written in a busy household to be played in busy households for centuries to follow. Technical Producer... Mike Etherden Production co-ordinator... Sara Benaim Written and presented by Rachel Cooke Produced by Abigail le Fleming A BBC Audio Production for Radio 3 About the essayist... Rachel Cooke is an award-winning journalist. She is a writer and columnist at the Observer, and the television critic of the New Statesman. Her series about spinsters and other singletons, The Odd Woman, was broadcast on Radio 3 in 2020. Her book, Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary Women of the Fifties, is published by Virago. She is currently working on The Reckoning, a book exploring ideas around bad behaviour and good art. Journalist and writer Rachel Cooke considers The Well-Tempered Clavier as domestic music.
04	Thomas Guthrie	20220224		The Essay celebrates 300 years since the publication of the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach, his landmark collection of Preludes and Fugues in every available key. In this edition, opera director and performer Thomas Guthrie reflects on the liberating influence of classical theories of rhetoric on early music, and on what it means to be well-tempered - Technical Producer...Mike Etherden Production co-ordinator....Sara Benaim Written and presented by Thomas Guthrie Produced by Abigail le Fleming About the essayist... A former Jette Parker Young Artist Stage Director at the Royal Opera House in London, Thomas Guthrie's revival of David McVicar's Die Zauberfl怀te there won What's On Stage Best Revival 2018. His own critically acclaimed productions of Le Nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberfl怀te at Longborough Festival Opera led to an invitation to direct Wagner's Der Fliegende Holl䀀nder there in 2018 (subsequently called one of the best productions at this venue I have seen', Rupert Christiansen, Telegraph). He directed Aida at the Liceu in 2020, Semele in Paris, Rome, London and Barcelona in 2019 and his 2020 production of Gagliano's rare 1608 opera La Dafne - created in a week with young singers at the Brighton Early Music Festival - was nominated for a 2020 RPS Award. Opera director and performer Thomas Guthrie reflects on what it means to be well-tempered.