The Essay

Leopoldine Wittgenstein


Listen Later

In the week leading up to our celebration of International Women's Day, a series of essays celebrating five women who have been unacknowledged movers and shakers in the world of classical music down the ages. Each of these women overcame societal expectations or personal adversity to have real influence on the music of their day, and subsequently ours.

Leopoldine Wittgenstein is someone it's easy to overlook. Neurotic and shy, she stands in the shadow not just of her extraordinarily talented children, who include that giant of twentieth century philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein, but also of her overwhelming and dominant husband, Karl, who built himself up to become one of the wealthiest and most successful industrialists of the late Austro-Hungarian Empire. But Leopoldine, or Poldy, as she was known in the family, was an exceptionally gifted pianist. And she presided over one of the most important and glittering musical salons in fin de siècle Vienna, attended not just by Hanslick, but by Brahms, Mahler and Richard Strauss.

Bethany Bell, the BBC's Vienna Correspondent, takes to the streets of the modern city on the trail of this most misunderstood woman.

Produced by Simon Richardson

To find out more about Radio 3's International Women's Day programming follow @BBCRadio3 and the hashtag #womensday.

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

The EssayBy BBC Radio 3

  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2

4.2

82 ratings


More shows like The Essay

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,669 Listeners

Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

Ask Penguin

157 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,062 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,475 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,801 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

302 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,761 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,054 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,080 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

593 Listeners

The Conversation by BBC World Service

The Conversation

70 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

404 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

298 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

830 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

853 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

127 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

67 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

245 Listeners

Word of Mouth by BBC Radio 4

Word of Mouth

55 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

43 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

181 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,166 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,204 Listeners