Escape from the Harem dramatises the first part of La Provençale, a posthumously-published memoir by Jean-François Regnard (played by David Rintoul). His valet Arlequin (Gordon Reid) tells the story of his master’s love for a married provençale lady Elvire de Prade (Lindsay Duncan) after a chance encounter in Italy in 1671. Regnard loses contact with her but then, returning to France some months later, finds himself with Elvire and her husband (Michael Hadley) on a sailing ship. Approaching Nice they are hijacked by arab pirates, and taken to Algiers. Sold as slaves, Elvire is bought by the sultan Baba Hassan (Nadim Sawalha) for his harem, and Regnard to another slave-master. But he hatches a plot to rescue Elvire, and indeed they get away – only to be recaptured running into an arab pirate ship in a fog. 
On his return Regnard is placed in close confinement, which meant captivity in his master’s domestic quarters or harem, but before long he receives amorous overtures from his master’s concubine Immona (Shireen Shah). Still in love with Elvire Regnard resists, but Immona, furious at rejection, denounces him as having seduced another girl. Things now look bleak for Regnard but with an impending ransom his life spared, and on his release Baba Hassan magnanimously releases Elvire, whom he has not touched, realising that she was in love with Regnard.
Believing de Prade dead, Jean-François & Elvire return to France intending to marry once a period of mourning has been observed. However before this is over de Prade returns and reclaims his wife. Here the dramatised narrative ends.
The memoir however continues. Desolate with grief Regnard then takes his broken heart to the icy wastes of Scandinavia where he makes the first survey of the Lapps before returning to Paris where, in addition to a successful career as a tax farmer, he becomes a man of fashion and one of the leading dramatists of the Comédie Italien. He died in 1710, never having married. His story was well-known in Paris and may well have inspired the Beaumarchais play on which Mozart’s opera Die Entführung is based.

The music was researched and arranged by flautist Nancy Hadden, who also sings on the recording, and co-directed by her and myself.

BBC Radio 3 Drama - Escape from the Harem

Chorale Prelude: When I survey the Wond'rous Cross

Chorale Prelude: Amazing Grace

Impromptu Valentine, originally an improvisation on 14 February 2022

Impromptu Valentine (composed & performed by MMS)

This 10 minute meditation is a  soft and soothing exploration of how you experience kindness and how you can harmonise it internally so that it’s there for you at any time. This refreshing pause can be used as often as you like. May it brings joy to your day.

Harmonising With Kindness

Ian Thompson (tenor) with Susan Daniel (alto) and Peter Hill (piano). Semichorus including Susan OGrady conducted by Nicholas Conran. Translated by MMS and produced by him at IBC Studios 1969

Diary Of One Who Disappeared 8

Sonnets to Orpheus 6 (Sonnet 1.17) Music /lyrics by Michael Maxwell Steer based on the German of Rainer Maria Rilke.

©2001. ®2004 by Frances M Lynch with the Argonaut Ensemble (Carlos Lopez-Réal saxes, Andrew Cottee percussion, Nick Hayward bass, MMS piano /director)

Sonnets to Orpheus 12: Silent companion of the empty spaces

Notes From Janàček’s Diary is an adaptation - written, composed, performed and realised by MMS - of certain fragments of Janacek's occasional musical text jottings collected & published by Vilem Tausky. It was commissioned by BBCr3 Features, producer John Theocharis, and created at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop over the summer of 1990, thanks to the cooperation of Brian Hodgson.
   The acoustic recording took place in June 1990 at the Paris Studio, L Regent St London, with Janacek as an old man played by John Moffat, Janacek as a young man by Stephen Garlick, all women's voices by Der Shin Hwang, violin Wilfred Gibson, piano MMS, and the children's voices of Laura-Jane Rich, Suzi Steer & Serafina Steer.
    The subsequent electronic realisation took MMS over 40 studio days in Maida Vale.
    Everybody in BBCr3 Features loved it. The one person who didn't was John Drummond, Controller R3; thus Notes From Janàček’s Diary was both my finest and final programme for BBC Radio.
   More details: http://msteer.co.uk/creative/janacek/janacek.html

Notes From Janàček’s Diary 6: The Beginning of a Novel

Escape From The Harem - BBCr3 Drama

'Escape from the Harem' BBCr3 1986. A sound picture for radio,  translated & dramatised  by MMS, from Jean-François Regnard's 1671 account of love and slavery in Algiers contained in his memoir La Provençale - with the music of André Campra, Jean Féry Rebel & Michel Pinelot de Montéclair researched by Nancy Hadden & arranged by MMS; performed by Philomel under their joint direction.

Escape 1 - Ouverture, André Campra

Escape 3 - woodwind, composer unknown

Escape 2 - fife and tabor, composer unknown

Escape 5 - Marche, Montéclair

Escape 14 - La Bataille 1, Rebel

Between 2006-2012 Susan Nares & I would often meet at her home in Chewton Glen Farm, Christchurch, for spiritually-attuned improvisation. See also video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUID9Pg93l4&list=PLDA07DF0F23DCBECD  

Seven. SN, MS. 22/07/2007

Sometimes. SN, MS. 22/07/2007

0:00     1st mvt:     Son Montuno
5:07      2nd mvt: Bolero-Chá
8:08     3rd mvt: Fantasía

Please listen with headphones!

Escape 14 - La Bataille 1, Rebel

MMSteer

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