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To complement the series of Beethoven concerts by the West-Eastern Divan orchestra, Paul Farley explores Goethe's poetic sequence, 'The West-Eastern Divan', from which Daniel Barenboim's orchestra takes its name.

From his youth, the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was fascinated by the ideas and culture of Islam and the Arabic-speaking world. His encounter in later life with the poems of medieval Persian poet Hafiz inspired his own tribute to eastern poetry: 'The West-Eastern Divan'.

In tonight's programme, Paul learns how Goethe's original 'West-Eastern Divan' poems were fuelled by a passionate love affair with a young married woman, Marianne von Willemer.

Paul examines Goethe's engagement with the ideas and imagery of Persian literature, and talks to contemporary German poets and writers about the continuing legacy of his 'West-Eastern Divan' poetry cycle.
Produced by Emma Harding

Readings by Robert Blythe and Susie Riddell

Translations by Martin Bidney and David Luke

Notes on contributors:

Annette Seeman is a Weimar-based writer and President of the Friends of the Anna Amalia Library. Her books include "Weimar: A cultural history" and "Anna Amalia, Duchess of Weimar".

Marina Warner is a novelist, critic and author of "Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the Arabian Nights" (2011).

Silke Scheuermann was born in Karlsruhe in 1973 and now lives in Frankfurt am Main. She published her first volume of poetry, "Der Tag an dem die M枚wen zweistimmig sangen" (The Day When the Seabirds Sang in Two Voices) in 2001. Her most recent works include the poetry collection "脺ber Nacht ist es Winter" (Winter Has Come Overnight) and a novel "Shanghai Performance".

Matthias G枚ritz was born in Hamburg in 1969 and he lives in Frankfurt am Main. He was awarded the Hamburg Literature Prize and the Mara Cassens Prize for his first novel 鈥淭he short Dream of Jakob Voss鈥� (2005). His poetry collections include 鈥淟oops鈥� (2001), 鈥淧ools鈥� (2006) and 鈥淭ools鈥� (2012).

Rita Seifert is a Weimar-born writer. Her books include "Goethe and Napoleon" (2007) and "Maria Pavlovna, patron of the arts" (2011).

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