Description

A collection of seminal dramatised pieces by the great German polymath

Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a colossus of German literature and a true Renaissance man A novelist dramatist poet humanist scientist and philosopher he wrote the first international bestseller The Sorrows of Young Werther and his epic masterpiece Faust is one of the most famous and celebrated dramas of all time

We open this anthology with a dramatisation of Faust which tells of a magus with an insatiable thirst for knowledge who makes a pact with the Devil Featuring atmospheric music performed by the Kings College Choir and the BBC Singers it stars Simon Callow as Faust with Ronald Pickup as Mephistopheles

It is followed by The Sorrows of Young Werther Goethes tale of a passionate young artist at odds with society who falls hopelessly in love with his friends fiance Dramatised by awardwinning playwright Hattie Naylor and introduced by Cambridge University lecturer Dr Charlotte Lee it stars Joel MacCormack Daisy EdgarJones and Jack Farthing

Originally published in 1795 under the title The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily A Fairy Tale is a magical mysterious and strikingly modern story whose images foreshadow the poetry of surrealism David Davis is the Teller of the Tale with Rosalind Shanks as The Beautiful Lily and Mary Morris as The Serpent

Next up are a trio of historical tragedies Egmont set in 16th century Brussels and with a score specially composed by Ludwig van Beethoven Iphigenia in Tauris a reworking of the ancient Greek play by Euripides and Torquato Tasso a verse drama about the eponymous 16th century Italian poet and courtier and his descent into madness All three feature superb ensemble casts including Paul Daneman John Rye Maureen OBrien Anton Lesser Michael Pennington and David Suchet

To conclude four bonus documentaries examine Goethes life work and influence In Search of Faust sees poet and singer Twm Morys exploring why artists have been fascinated by this unlikely hero for the last 500 years while Spotlight The Sorrows of Young Werther looks at the tragic protagonist of Goethes 1774 epistolary novel In Our Time Goethe and the Science of Enlightenment finds Melvyn Bragg and guests assessing Goethes scientific legacy and in The Forum Goethe The story of colour Bridget Kendal discusses his monumental book The Theory of Colours with art historian Alexandra Loske writer Victoria Finlay and designer Odette Steele

First published 1774 The Sorrows of Young Werther 1779 Iphigenia in Tauris 1788 Egmont 1790 Torquato Tasso 1795 The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily 1808 Faust Part One 1832 Faust Part Two

Faust Dramatisation for radio c Anthony Vivis 1982 All rights reserved
Torquato Tasso Translation c Alan and Sandy Brownjohn 1982 all rights reserved

Production credits
Written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Faust
The Sorrows of Young Werther
A Fairy Tale
Egmont
Iphigenia in Tauris
Torquato Tasso

In Search of Faust
Presented by Twm Morys

Spotlight The Sorrows of Young Werther

In Our Time Goethe and the Science of the Enlightenment
Presented by Melvyn Bragg
With Nicholas Boyle and Simon Schaffer

The Forum Goethe The story of colour
Presented by Bridget Kendall
With Alexandra Loske Victoria Finlay and Odette Steele

2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd P 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd