{"product_id":"book-hohg","title":"The Alexander Pushkin BBC Radio Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDramatisations and readings of Pushkin's most famous works - plus biographical programmes and an original play based on his life\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of Russia's most iconic poets, Alexander Pushkin is often described as the 'father of Russian literature'. A gambler, playboy and social reformer, he was exiled by the Tsar for his controversial poetry and died aged 37 in a duel defending his wife's honour.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis BBC Radio anthology opens with full-cast dramatisations of his two masterpieces, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEugene Onegin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bronze Horseman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, both set against the backdrop of his turbulent life. The former, set the night before the fateful duel, sees Pushkin (\u003cb\u003eGeoffrey Streitfeild\u003c\/b\u003e) telling his wife the story of St Petersburg socialite Onegin, his best friend, and the woman who loves him. In the latter, starring \u003cb\u003eMax Irons\u003c\/b\u003e, Pushkin's epic poem symbolising the battle between Tsar and citizen is interspersed with scenes depicting his own parallel struggles with state power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe inspiration for Rachmaninov's opera \u003ci\u003eAleko\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Gypsies\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is a powerful exploration in narrative verse of the conflict between freedom and love. Zemfira brings Aleko, a man running from the law, home to meet her father, but life in a gypsy camp is more challenging than he imagined. Read by \u003cb\u003eRalph Fiennes, Alex Jennings\u003c\/b\u003e and\u003cb\u003e Gabrielle Glaister\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet during the 'Time of Troubles' in the early 1600s, Pushkin's only full-length play, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoris Godunov\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, is a historical drama about the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who was Tsar from 1598 to 1605. It features a stellar cast including \u003cb\u003eAlan Howard, Bill Nighy\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eJane Lapotaire.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis 'little tragedy', \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMozart and Salieri,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e tells of the rivalry between Mozart and Antonio Salieri, who was rumoured to have been behind Mozart's early death. Starring \u003cb\u003ePaul Scofield\u003c\/b\u003e as Salieri and \u003cb\u003eSimon Callow\u003c\/b\u003e as Mozart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso included are four superb short stories - \u003cb\u003e'The Snowstorm'\u003c\/b\u003e, starring \u003cb\u003eJanet Maw\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eMichael Maloney\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e'The Squire's Daughter'\u003c\/b\u003e, read by \u003cb\u003eHattie Morahan\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e'The Queen of Spades'\u003c\/b\u003e, featuring \u003cb\u003eMoira Lister, Greg Wise\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eAmanda Root\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003e'The Golden Cockerel'\u003c\/b\u003e, read by \u003cb\u003eAlec McCowen\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFinally, two bonus features chart Pushkin's extraordinary life and legacy. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSoul of Fire: Alexander Pushkin 1799-1837\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e comprises three hours of music, drama and biography, as presenter Gerard McBurney visits the places that were formative influences on Pushkin, and introduces dramatised excerpts from his work and operatic adaptations by Tchaikovsky, Glinka and Mussorgsky. And in the original drama \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCloudberries\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, starring \u003cb\u003eLinus Roache\u003c\/b\u003e as Pushkin, poet Elaine Feinstein tells the story of the great Russian author, from his unhappy childhood to his untimely death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eContents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEugene Onegin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bronze Horseman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Gypsies\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoris Godunov\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMozart and Salieri\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Snowstorm'\u003cbr\u003e'The Squire's Daughter'\u003cbr\u003e'The Queen of Spades'\u003cbr\u003e'The Golden Cockerel'\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSoul of Fire: Alexander Pushkin 1799-1837\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCloudberries\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published 1824 (\u003ci\u003eThe Gypsies)\u003c\/i\u003e, 1825 \u003ci\u003e(Boris Godunov)\u003c\/i\u003e, 1830\u003ci\u003e (Mozart and Salieri)\u003c\/i\u003e, 1831 ('The Snowstorm', 'The Squire's Daughter'\u003ci\u003e)\u003c\/i\u003e, 1833 (\u003ci\u003eEugene Onegin, The Bronze Horseman)\u003c\/i\u003e, 1834 \u003ci\u003e(\u003c\/i\u003e'The Queen of Spades', 'The Golden Cockerel')\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49354948542768,"sku":"BDhohg","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/424358-hohg-Square.jpg?v=1734375852","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-hohg","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}