The Essay

Linda Cracknell reflects on the appeal of the quartz on Ben Lawers, her local Munro.

Breaking Free - the minds that changed music.In The Essay this week, personal reflections on the revolutionary music and ideas of the Second Viennese School as they searched for an antidote to all the certainties and expectations of the past, and cast music on a new path of dissonance and discovery, shocking audiences then and now.Bethany Bell is a BBC foreign correspondent and has lived in Vienna for more than 15 years. In tonight's Essay Bethany remembers living in Mödling, a town near Vienna where Schoenberg lived and where on walks with Berg and Webern he devised his radical ideas for music.

Breaking Free - the minds that changed music. In The Essay this week, personal reflections on the revolutionary music and ideas of the Second Viennese School as they searched for an antidote to all the certainties and expectations of the past, and cast music on a new path of dissonance and discovery, shocking audiences then and now.Musician and broadcaster Tom McKinney recalls his "first contact" with the music of Webern - his Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op.5, and then taking part in a transformative performance of the same work as a professional musician.

Breaking Free - the minds that changed music.In The Essay this week, personal reflections on the revolutionary music and ideas of the Second Viennese School as they searched for an antidote to all the certainties and expectations of the past, and cast music on a new path of dissonance and discovery, shocking audiences then and now.Tonight's essayist is Gillian Moore, Director of Music at Southbank Centre in London. She talks about Alban Berg's relationships with key women in his life, including his final operatic creation "Lulu".

Breaking Free - the minds that changed musicIn The Essay this week, personal reflections on the revolutionary music and ideas of the Second Viennese School as they searched for an antidote to all the certainties and expectations of the past, and cast music on a new path of dissonance and discovery, shocking audiences then and now.Tonight's essayist is broadcaster and journalist Stephen Johnson who has chosen Schoenberg's Second String Quartet as his touchstone - a work that defines Schoenberg's movement away from traditional tonality and embraces the dissonance.

Breaking Free - the minds that changed music.In The Essay this week, personal reflections on the revolutionary music and ideas of the Second Viennese School as they searched for an antidote to all the certainties and expectations of the past, and cast music on a new path of dissonance and discovery, shocking audiences then and now.Tonight's essayist is Radio 3 presenter and pianist Sarah Walker who describes the experience of learning and performing Schoenberg's Suite for piano (Op.25) for her MA recital.

Novelist Andrew Martin has long been interested in ghosts and their stories, and he gives them much thought over five essays.5. It goes without saying that Halloween and Christmas are resonant times for the Undead. Prepare to hear about the best ... or should that be the worst?Producer Duncan Minshull.

Novelist Andrew Martin has long been interested in ghosts and their stories, and he gives them much thought over five essays.4. Stories, novels, films.. but the author's favourite source for things unreal and unsettling is a huge tome called 'Phantasms of the Living', which he now celebrates..Producer Duncan Minshull.

Novelist Andrew Martin has long been interested in ghosts and their stories. He gives them much thought over five essays.3. The ghosts of Medieval times were 'solid' and had a moral purpose. Modern sightings were ephemeral, transluscent, and now 'doubt' crept in...Producer Duncan Minshull.

Novelist Andrew Martin has long been interested in ghosts and their stories. He gives them much thought over five essays:2. 'Britain is a ghostly nation', he reckons. And most of them came from the north. And their heyday was a hundred years ago. And just what is The Society of Psychical Research?Producer Duncan Minshull.

Novelist Andrew Martin has long been interested in ghosts and their stories, and he gives them much thought over five essays.1. In his first essay, he asks if he actually believes in ghosts. Well, he certainly relishes the 'fear' and 'beauty' that comes from ghostly narratives. 'Have you ever seen a ghost?' is the first question he must address, and of course there is no clear cut answer to this...Producer Duncan Minshull.

"It sounds such a simple business.. 'I changed my mind.' Subject, verb, object - a clear, clean action..."In five essays, the acclaimed author asks whether his point of view has changed through the years. Referring to historical characters and scenes from his own life, he now thinks about the vagaries of time, beginning with a visit to the barbers on the eve of his 70th birthday.Producer Duncan Minshull.

"It sounds such a simple business.. 'I changed my mind.' Subject, verb, object - a clear, clean action..."In five essays, the acclaimed author asks whether his point of view has changed over the years. Referring to historical characters and scenes from his own life , he now explores his tastes in literature. He has remained firm in admiration of some authors, others have caused indecision and a change of heart even.Producer Duncan Minshull.

"It sounds such a simple business.. 'I changed my mind.' Subject, verb, object - a clear, clean action..."In five essays, the acclaimed author asks whether his point of view has changed over the years. Referring to historical characters and scenes from his own life, he first cites John Maynard Keynes and Francis Picabia. Then, what is the role of memory in all this?Producer Duncan Minshull.

"It sounds such a simple business.. 'I changed my mind.' Subject, verb, object - a clear, clean action..."In five essays, the acclaimed author asks whether his point of view has changed over the years. Referring to historical characters and scenes from his own life, he now thinks about a lifetime's use of words. He has his favourites, such as 'decimated' and 'indifference'. But have things stayed the same with words ?Producer Duncan Minshull.

As part of Radio 3's 70th celebrations, Julian Barnes - also 70 this year - on why and how he alters his views. Today a word about vacillation, uncertainty and of course - memory."It sounds such a simple business.. 'I changed my mind.' Subject, verb, object - a clear, clean action..."In five essays, the acclaimed author asks whether his point of view has changed over the years. Referring to historical characters and scenes from his own life, he first cites John Maynard Keynes and Francis Picabia. Then, what is the role of memory in all this?Producer Duncan Minshull.

'Dear Geoffrey Chaucer, Can I call you Geoff..?' In a series of imaginary correspondences, novelist Ian Sansom is writing letters to five of literary history's most celebrated figures and interrogating them about their art.'Oh Agatha Christie, Please - do tell - what is the secret of your success?'As his correspondence unfolds, queries are raised and jealousies revealed.'Dear Virginia Woolf, Please accept my apologies. For a long time I thought you represented everything that's wrong with literature...'How exactly does George Eliot do it? And why does she keep ignoring Ian's letters?'Dear George Eliot, You are simply so far out of my league as a correspondent that it is embarrassing even to put pen to paper and to address you directly.In his on-going epistolary quest, Ian attempts to find out everything you wanted to know about some of our best-loved writers but just were too afraid to ask.Producer: Conor Garrett.

'Dear Geoffrey Chaucer, Can I call you Geoff..?' In a series of imaginary correspondences, novelist Ian Sansom is writing letters to five of literary history's most celebrated figures and interrogating them about their art.'Oh Agatha Christie, Please - do tell - what is the secret of your success?'As his correspondence unfolds, queries are raised and jealousies revealed.'Dear Virginia Woolf, Please accept my apologies. For a long time I thought you represented everything that's wrong with literature...'How exactly does George Eliot do it? And why does she keep ignoring Ian's letters?'Dear George Eliot, You are simply so far out of my league as a correspondent that it is embarrassing even to put pen to paper and to address you directly.In his on-going epistolary quest, Ian attempts to find out everything you wanted to know about some of our best-loved writers but just were too afraid to ask.Producer: Conor Garrett.

'Dear Geoffrey Chaucer, Can I call you Geoff..?' In a series of imaginary correspondences, novelist Ian Sansom is writing letters to five of literary history's most celebrated figures and interrogating them about their art.'Oh Agatha Christie, Please - do tell - what is the secret of your success?'As his correspondence unfolds, queries are raised and jealousies revealed.'Dear Virginia Woolf, Please accept my apologies. For a long time I thought you represented everything that's wrong with literature...'How exactly does George Eliot do it? And why does she keep ignoring Ian's letters?'Dear George Eliot, You are simply so far out of my league as a correspondent that it is embarrassing even to put pen to paper and to address you directly.In his on-going epistolary quest, Ian attempts to find out everything you wanted to know about some of our best-loved writers but just were too afraid to ask.Producer: Conor Garrett.

'Dear Geoffrey Chaucer, Can I call you Geoff..?' In a series of imaginary correspondences, novelist Ian Sansom writes letters to five of literary history's most celebrated figures and interrogates them about their art.'Oh Agatha Christie, Please - do tell - what is the secret of your success?'As his correspondence unfolds, queries are raised, jealousies revealed, concerns aired. 'Dear Virginia Woolf, Please accept my apologies. For a long time I thought you represented everything that's wrong with literature...'How exactly does George Eliot do it? Why is it so difficult? And what's that Jonathan Swift just called him? Producer: Conor Garrett.