Front Row

Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars, Harold Bloom, Islamic folios, new 'Monuments Men'


Listen Later

Bruce Springsteen is about to release a film of his latest album, Western Stars. In the hayloft of his 100-year-old barn in New Jersey, he performs the album alongside a full orchestra, featuring brass, banjo, accordion and steel guitar. Kate Mossman, features editor of The New Statesman, reviews the film which coincides with the singer's 70th birthday.

The death was announced last week of the American literary critic Harold Bloom. The author of more than 40 books, which reframed the work of the romantic poets and William Shakespeare, Bloom was a controversial figure, a defender of the idea of the 'Western Canon' and an avowed literary elitist. Literary critic and cultural historian Lara Feigel, and James Marriott, Assistant Literary Editor at The Times - and a Bloom fan from a young age - explore Harold Bloom’s complicated legacy.

Illuminated pages taken from a 15th century Islamic manuscript come up for sale at Christie's in London tomorrow. They come from a Persian manuscript The Paths of Paradise that depicts the Prophet’s ascent to heaven and are so rare it’s estimated they could sell for £1m each. Only one complete copy of the manuscript now exists and an American art historian has described the auction as 'immoral'. Professor Christiane Gruber from the University of Michigan explains why she is calling on the art world to boycott it.

Presenter John Wilson

Producer Jerome Weatherald

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Front RowBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

118 ratings


More shows like Front Row

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,583 Listeners

Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

Ask Penguin

156 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,057 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,463 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,874 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

864 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

609 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

731 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

304 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,747 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,042 Listeners

World Book Club by BBC World Service

World Book Club

367 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,976 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

45 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

584 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

161 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

243 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

45 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

183 Listeners

The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones

The Waterstones Podcast

36 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,187 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

84 Listeners

Take Four Books by BBC Radio 4

Take Four Books

5 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

42 Listeners