Season 2
4 episodes · 2002
1Richard Wagner : the Ring Cycle
Michael Portillo presents an examination of Richard Wagner 's 26-year project, the epic opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. He explores its central theme, the conflict between power and love, and addresses the admiration and animosity the work, and its creator, inspires. Conductors Zubin Mehta and Pierre Boulez and singer John Tomlinson are among the contributors.
2Pet Sounds
The story of the Beach Boys' masterpiece as recalled by, among others, Eric Clapton , ex-Verve star Richard Ashcroft , former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham and singer Graham Nash . How did Brian Wilson 's compositions evolve from the likes of / Get Around - and what price did he pay in the process? Colleagues and relatives have their say, and there's exclusive footage of Brian Wilson 's recent tour, plus an interview with the man himself.
3Virginia Woolf's Orlando
Joely Richardson and Saffron Burrows star in an account of the affair between author Virginia Woolf and aristocrat Vita Sackville-West that inspired Woolf's 1928 novel. In the penultimate part of the series examining influential and controversial works of art Jeanette Winterson, writer of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and essays on Woolf, puts the case for regarding Orlando as a pioneering work of modern fiction.
4The Bhagavad Gita
The Beatles and TS Eliot are among the artists to have been inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. Often called the "Bible of Hinduism," the poem has shaped Indian social, political and religious history for over 3,000 years. In the last of the series examining influential works of art, playwright Girish Karnad explores the Gita's impact and meaning. Used to support both war and peace, it became a talisman in the battle for Indian independence.
