Alex Andreou's Podyssey podcast | Listen online for free

Available Episodes

5 of 16

10. MEDUSA - Here's Looking at You, Kid
*** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠ *** The myths, tales, and concepts of ancient Greece echo and reach into every aspect of modern life. Often misunderstood, frequently romanticised, and sometimes deliberately twisted - to understand their origins and truth is to get a real glimpse into the universal themes that connect us to the past and each other. Welcome to Podyssey with Alex Andreou. Each week we will take one myth, one concept, person, place, or theme from Ancient Greece, take it apart, figure out its inner workings, trace its influence, juice it for its wisdom, reimagine, update and put it back together - all shiny and new! … Before Medusa was monstrous, she was beautiful. And before she was beautiful, she was powerful. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. She is a riddle that defies solution, because she comes from a time before the shape of things was settled. She laughs. TW - rape, sexual assault, male violence *** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠ *** Written and presented by Alex Andreou Expert contributions by Alexandra Angeletaki-Røe, Debbie Challis, Linda Marric, and Dr Ruth Smith Exec. Producers Naomi Smith & Kenny Campbell Music by Marianna Sangita Artwork by Simona Kanellou For Cooler Heads, in collaboration with Sandstone Global NOTES MUSIC Podyssey Theme: “⁠To Margoudi ki o Alexandris⁠”, Marianna Sangita, 2018 (with permission) Sergei Rachmaninov: “The Isle of The Dead, Op.29”, Dimitri Mitropoulos, 1949 Béla Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, Harold Byrns, 1949 Dinah Washington: “You go to my head”, live 1954 Betty Hutton: “Why do you wanna make those eyes at me for?”, 1945 Giacomo Puccini: Tosca, Act II Finale, Adriana Guerrini & Paolo Silveri, 1952 Frances Faye: “Dummy Song”, 1953 The Mort Lindsey Trio: “Jeepers Creepers”, 1953 The Toppers: “Don’t be angry”, 1955 WA Mozart: Don Giovanni, Vengeance Duet, Maria Curtis Verna & Cesare Valletti, 1956 Gaetano Donizetti, Anna Bolena “Coppia iniqua”, Maria Callas, 1959 Leslie Hutchinson, “Close your eyes”, 1932 FILM Clash of The Titans (1981) Marnie (1964) I Spit on Your Grave (1978) Revenge (2017) Serial Mom (1984) Carrie (1976) Gilda (1946) Gone Girl (2014) Les Diaboliques (1955) The First Wives Club (1996) Ex Machina (2014) The Omen (1976) Hereditary (2018) Midsommar (2019) Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) Mars Attacks (1996) Alien (1979) The Thing (1982) ART Prehistoric figures believed to be early “gorgoneia”, Thessaly, c.6000 BCE “Danaë” by Antonio de Correggio, c.1531 “Danaë” by Gustav Klimt, 1907 Gigantomachy pediment, Old Athena Temple, Acropolis, Athens 525-520 BCE Gilgamesh and Enkidu slaying Humbaba at the Cedar Forest, Sumerian, 19-17C BCE Perseus beheading the sleeping Medusa, red figure terracotta pelike, by Polygnotos (attr.) c.450–440 BCE Medusa Victorious, Archaic marble sculpture, Paros, mid-6C BCE Archaic Gorgon, temple of Artemis, Corfu, c.580 BCE Medusa and Centaurs, early black figure vase, by Nessos, c.620 BCE Examples of "Gorgoneion" masks and ornaments, from 6th Century BCE “Medusa”, painted shield by Caravaggio, 1597 “Perseus with the Head of Medusa”, Benvenuto Cellini, c.1550 “Dreadlocks”, Times cartoon, 2015 “Trump & Triumph” after Cellini, meme and merchandise, 2016 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
1:35:29
--------
1:35:29
The Miller, His Son, and Their Donkey: A Fable by Aesop for Modern Politicians
Subscribe to "Alex Andreou's Podyssey" on your favourite podcast app for the full three-part saga on Aesop - and the rest of Season 1, available now. *** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** What is the moral of "The Tortoise and The Hare"? What is the warning in "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"? What is "The Fox and The Grapes" about? You're probably wrong about all three. In the last instalment of the Aesop Trilogy, Alex delves into the fables themselves and finds the many ways in which they have been twisted and why. Welcome to Podyssey with Alex Andreou. Each week we will take one myth, one concept, person, place, or theme from Ancient Greece, take it apart, figure out its inner workings, trace its tentacles, juice it for its wisdom, refresh, clean and put it back together - all shiny and new! *** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Written and presented by Alex Andreou Expert contributions by Alexandra Angeletaki-Røe, Debbie Challis, Linda Marric, and Dr Ruth Smith Exec. Producers Naomi Smith & Kenny Campbell Music by Marianna Sangita Artwork by Simona Kanellou For Cooler Heads, in collaboration with Sandstone Global Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
4:36
--------
4:36
9. AESOP III - How to Lose a Donkey in 10 Ways
*** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠⁠ *** What is the moral of "The Tortoise and The Hare"? What is the warning in "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"? What is "The Fox and The Grapes" about? You're probably wrong about all three. In the last instalment of the Aesop Trilogy, Alex delves into the fables themselves and finds the many ways in which they have been twisted and why. Welcome to Podyssey with Alex Andreou. Each week we will take one myth, one concept, person, place, or theme from Ancient Greece, take it apart, figure out its inner workings, trace its tentacles, juice it for its wisdom, refresh, clean and put it back together - all shiny and new! "Our Aesop-muscle has atrophied. We have forgotten how to craft and tell our stories - and in the process forgotten how to listen to the stories of others. Humanity without stories is humanity with no identity." "How the story made us feel is what we store and recall - not the hard logic, nor the facts and figures. And while it is ludicrous to say 'people have had enough of experts', it’s perfectly fair to say that they have had enough of how their teaching style makes them feel." *** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Written and presented by Alex Andreou Expert contributions by Alexandra Angeletaki-Røe, Debbie Challis, Linda Marric, and Dr Ruth Smith Exec. Producers Naomi Smith & Kenny Campbell Music by Marianna Sangita Artwork by Simona Kanellou For Cooler Heads, in collaboration with Sandstone Global NOTES MUSIC Podyssey Theme: “To Margoudi ki o Alexandris”, Marianna Sangita, 2018 (with permission) Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra ("The Prophets”), Jascha Heifetz 1956 Dorothy Collins: “To Make A Long Story Short”, 1953 Hans Werner Henze: Moralitäten 1. Teil, conducted by the composer, 1968 Tom Lehrer: “Smut”, public domain, 1965 Sandra Church: Gypsy “Little Lamb”, 1959 Giorgos Gounaris: “To Pazari” (The Market), 1939 Jean-Philippe Rameau: “Platée”, Michel Sénéchal, 1956 Gioachino Rossini: “Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti”, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf & Victoria de los Angeles, Royal Festival Hall, 1967 Modest Mussorgsky: “The Song of The Flea”, Feodor Chaliapin, 1936 Gerónimo Giménez: La Tempranica “La Tarantula”, Victoria de los Angeles, BBC 1968 Bizet: “La Coccinelle”, Cecilia Bartoli, (fair usage for review) 1996 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflöte “Pa-pa-pa-gena”, Walter Berry & Emmy Loose, 1955 Emma Papikyan: “Dzidzernak” (Swallow), Armenia Radio Archives, 1993 Saint-Saens: Parysatis "Le Rossignol Et La Rose" , Mado Robin, RTF archive 1954 Manos Hadjidakis: “Magiki Poli” (Magical City), Zoe Maggou, 1954 Leoš Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen - Finale, Prague National Theatre, 1958 Jerome Kern: Show Boat “Make Believe”, Marion Marlowe & Frank Parker, 1953 ART Frans Snyders: "The Cock and the Jewel", oil on canvas 1620 - Auckland Art Gallery Agnes Miller Parker: “The Cock and the Jewel”, wood engraving c1931 - private collection “The Cock and the Jewel”, Chelsea Porcelain, c1770 - Fitzwilliam Museum “The Cock and the Jewel”, pendant in gold and pearl with rubies, Dutch 16C - private collection “The Miller, His Son, And Their Ass”, John Tenniel illustrations, 1882 FILM “Fantastic Mr. Fox” 2009 “Bambi” 1942 “Spirited Away” 2001 “Howl’s Moving Castle” 2004 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
1:19:43
--------
1:19:43
8. AESOP II - A dolphin and a seagull were hurling insults at each other
*** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠ *** Welcome to Podyssey with Alex Andreou. Each week we will take one myth, one concept, person, place, or theme from Ancient Greece, take it apart, figure out its inner workings, trace its influence, juice it for its wisdom, reimagine, update and put it back together - all shiny and new! … Last week we explored the complicated, and largely made-up, biography that is "The Aesop Romance". In this part I talk to experts to try and understand why it is that we need a "back story" for the creators of stories that we connect with, what is the difference between a reliable and unreliable narrator, how populism has refined the art of story-telling, and why only better stories - not better facts - can help us. *** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠⁠ *** Written and presented by Alex Andreou Expert contributions by Alexandra Angeletaki-Røe, Debbie Challis, Linda Marric, and Dr Ruth Smith Exec. Producers Naomi Smith & Kenny Campbell Music by Marianna Sangita Artwork by Simona Kanellou For Cooler Heads, in collaboration with Sandstone Global NOTES MUSIC Podyssey Theme: “To Margoudi ki o Alexandris”, Marianna Sangita, 2018 (with permission) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-LAVj5l9Uc⁠⁠ Rimsky-Korsakov: "Scheherazade; 2nd Movement"; Societe de Concerts Du Conservatoire, Ernest Ansermet 1955 https://archive.org/details/lp_scheherazade Bernice Parks: "You Intrigue Me" 1952 https://archive.org/details/78_you-intrigue-me_bernice-parks Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani "In alto mare... Coraggio!", Maria Callas 1951 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibMCTUPC_6g Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffman " O Dieu, de quelle ivresse" (reprise), Raoul Jobin 1950 https://archive.org/details/lp_the-tales-of-hoffman Anton Karas: The Third Man "Harry Lime Theme", Hermann Stachow 1950 https://archive.org/details/78_harry-limes-melodi Ravel: Shéhérazade "1. Asie", Suzanne Danco 1955 https://archive.org/details/lp_le-roi-david-sheherazade Mahalia Jackson: "MyStory" 1953 https://archive.org/details/78_my-story_mahalia-jackson Verdi: Il Trovatore "Condotta all'era", Cloe Elmo 1941 https://archive.org/details/cloe-elmo-giuseppe-verdi Rossini: La Cenerentola "Questo e un nodo avviluppato", Glyndebourne Company 1955 https://archive.org/details/lp_la-cenerentola_gioacchino-rossini ART Attic red-figure Kylix, circa 5C BCE, Vatican Museum. A sample "Karagiozis" 19C folk shadow puppet figure, for comparison. Plaster casts of the Hellenistic statue believed to be of Aesop, avec and sans fig leaf. Aesopus (c. 1639-40), by Diego Velazquez. Chelsea porcelain figure of Aesop as a black man, c.1755, and candlestick depicting the fable of The Cockerel and The Jewel, c.1780, Fitzwilliam Museum. Aesop Telling his Fables, by Johann Michael Wittmer, 1855, Royal Collection. Illustration by Kawanabe Kyōsai for the Japanese 1770 edition of "Aesop's Fables for All". FILM - Coming Soon SOURCES - Coming Soon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
1:12:22
--------
1:12:22
7. AESOP I - Virtue Signaller or Fake News Merchant?
*** SUPPORT SEASON 2 OF PODYSSEY ON ⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠ *** Welcome to Podyssey with Alex Andreou. Each week we will take one myth, one concept, person, place, or theme from Ancient Greece, take it apart, figure out its inner workings, trace its influence, juice it for its wisdom, reimagine, update and put it back together - all shiny and new! … Stories have had a moral, for as long as we have told stories. This week, Aesop; A crowd-sourced literary celebrity. What is the fact and what is the fiction? And why it matters. Written and presented by Alex Andreou Expert contributions by Alexandra Angeletaki-Røe, Debbie Challis, Linda Marric, and Dr Ruth Smith Exec. Producers Naomi Smith & Kenny Campbell Music by Marianna Sangita Artwork by Simona Kanellou For Cooler Heads, in collaboration with Sandstone Global NOTES MUSIC Podyssey Theme: “To Margoudi ki o Alexandris”, Marianna Sangita, 2018 (with permission) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-LAVj5l9Uc⁠ César Cui: "Orientale"; Capitol Symphony Orch, Carmen Dragon 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDx-kRbXoCU Xiomara Alfaro: "Angelitos Negros" 1957 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_9XyHOHiLw Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Winifred Atwell 1957 https://archive.org/details/lp_winifred-atwell-plays-gershwin_winifred-atwell-ted-heath-and-his-music/disc1/01.01.+Rhapsody+In+Blue.mp3 Charlie Gore: "Absolutely Free", 1953 https://archive.org/details/78_absolutely-free_charlie-gore-charlie-gore-gore-young_gbia0484950b Manos Hadjidakis: "The Myth", Christiana, 1960 https://archive.org/details/lp_ilios-thalassa.mp3 Richard Strauss: Dance of the Seven Veils from "Salome", Paul Paray, 1959 https://archive.org/details/lp_the-heart-of-the-opera_antal-dorati-paul-paray-detroit-symphony-o/disc1/02.01.+Dance+Of+The+Seven+Veils+From+%22Salome%22.mp3 Manouche: "Miri Louloudi", 1989 (with permission) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMtzBs5bSIE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
44:11
--------
44:11