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Join two amateur Grimmologists round the fire to read and discuss the tales of the Brothers Grimm.
Episodes
Sunday Mar 14, 2021
Sunday Mar 14, 2021
Talking dead fingers, aggressive domestic appliances, and a devil under a duvet - prepare yourself for the madness that is the Brothers Grimm's "The Godfather".
In this utterly bizarre story we have essentially a mashup of two Grimm stories we've heard before, namely - Godfather Death and The Strange Feast. Is this hybrid version better than the originals or a step too far?
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Hear Matt's recital of The Godfather Theme.
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Two versions of Tchaikovsky's Sentimental waltz no. 6 from Op. 51: firstly, a piano and cello arr. with Elizaveta Sushchenko on cello; secondly, a piano version performed by Peter Bradley-Fulgoni // Chopin's Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53
Sunday Feb 28, 2021
Sunday Feb 28, 2021
Finding himself alone in a forest, a musician decides to play his fiddle and entice a human friend. Before long, several animals approach and ask for music lessons. On gaining their trust, the musician cruelly entraps them and wanders on. Eventually the animals escape and together plot revenge.
Will they have their justice? And where exactly does this musician get off? Find out in this week’s episode, The Wonderful Musician (aka The Strange Musician).
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 61 - III. Rondo: Allegro performed by the US Marine Chamber Orchestra
Sunday Feb 14, 2021
Sunday Feb 14, 2021
In Clever Gretel, a free-wheeling cook throws a party for herself at her master's expense. After she’s eaten all his chicken and drunk all his wine, Gretel’s master returns home ready for dinner… But our clever heroine plays those above her like a fiddle, and easily gets herself out of trouble.
Join us as we try to dissect the mayhem and enjoy a story from The One Thousand and One Nights (aka The Arabian Nights).
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Chopin's Etude Op. 25 no. 8 in D flat major - 'Sixths' // Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathétique' // Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade: The Young Prince and the Princess
Saturday Feb 06, 2021
Saturday Feb 06, 2021
When the King decides to celebrate the birth of his daughter by sentencing his twelve sons to death, the boys flee to live a feral life in the woods where they vow to kill any maiden they meet.
A decade later, the Princess vows the rescue her brothers and she heads out into the forest. But things take a turn for the worse when she accidentally turns them all into birds and a foreign king carries her off to another land...
Will she ever rescue her brothers? Why does she have a golden star on her forehead? And can snakes survive in boiling oil? We answer all these questions and more in this week's episode: The Twelve Brothers.
This episode is Certified Grimm and may not be suitable for all listeners.
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' Serenade No.1 in D major Op.11 - VI. Rondo - Allegro and String Quartet No.1 in C minor Op.51, No.1 - IV. Allegro from the European Archive
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Happy Grimm new year! We’re kicking things off with a surprise story – the one and only Puss in Boots.
When the family cat suddenly demands a pair of boots, a poor young miller spends his last few coins granting the cat's wish. A idiotic whim or the investment of a lifetime? Join us on the classic adventure of Puss in Boots, where we see our furry hero outsmarting, outwitting and outdressing everyone who comes in his path!
We then hear about the many guises of puss in boots from the global oral folk tradition, before embarking on a trip through the canals of time as we see 'Her Pussyship' develop as a literary character, from late-medieval Venice to Antonio Banderas.
Finally, we reveal the results of our last story poll and launch the first poll of 2021.
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Liszt's 2 Waltzes S.126b 1 and 2 performed by Mauro Tortorelli // Leroy Anderson's The Waltzing Cat performed by Markus Staab
Sunday Dec 20, 2020
Sunday Dec 20, 2020
Join us for the third annual Grimm Reading Christmas Party! We've got gifts, port, cracker jokes and festive fare for all, before Adam reads us the truly epic Irish fairy tale 'The Christmas Cuckoo'. And finally, we reveal the winner of our competition and some plans for next year.
Thank you so much to everyone for listening, messaging, and supporting us in various ways - especially our wonderful patrons. And thanks to Pook Press for collaborating with us for the 2020 competition.
You can join us for more Christmas fun in the fable stable podcast, otherwise stay safe and we'll see you in the new year. Keep it Grimm!
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko (+ sleigh bells)
Other Music: Tchaikovsky's "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker Suite Performed by Gabriel Antonio Hernandez Romero on Piano // Tchaikovsky's "The Magical Castle in the Kingdom of Sweets" and "The Christmas Tree" from The Nutcracker Suite - from the music.org European Archive
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
A magic well, a prickly spindle, talking bread, and snowy beds - this week’s tale is our latest patron story poll winner, Mother Holle (Frau Holle)!
An evil step-mother and wicked step-sister force a young maiden into a parallel universe. When she reaches an enchanting cottage, she finds a scary old lady waiting. Will she pass the test of Mother Holle? And what will her nasty family do if she returns?
After this festive tale, we hear from German listeners about what Mother Holle means to them to today, and we trace Holle’s origins all the way to her ancient roots as a pagan goddess.
Our competition is still in full swing too! Let us know which story you think deserves a different score and you could win some awesome prizes!
Story leaderboard: https://grimmreading.podbean.com/p/2020-competition-story-scores/
Pook Press bookshop: http://ow.ly/7VRY50Bau0z
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Vivaldi's Four Seasons "Winter" Violin Concerto in F minor, RV 297 // Carl Czerny's Variations on a popular Viennese Waltz by Franz Schubert, Op. 12 // Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Op. 46 III. Anitra's Dance, recorded at Omega Studios, Edward S. Petersen conducting
Sunday Nov 22, 2020
Sunday Nov 22, 2020
In Jorinda and Joringel, young love is cruelly interrupted when an evil witch kidnaps Jorinda, forcing Joringel into a lonely shepherding career. But will a prophetic dream provide him with the means to rescue his beloved from the witch's castle, or is Jorinda doomed forever?
Join us as we tumble down rabbit holes, exploring ancient myths, sad birds, and vampires.
Our competition is still in full swing too! Let us know which story you think deserves a different score and you could win some awesome prizes!Story leaderboard: https://grimmreading.podbean.com/p/2020-competition-story-scores/
Pook Press bookshop: http://ow.ly/7VRY50Bau0z
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 1st, 2nd and 3rd movements performed by Debbie Hu
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
In Fitcher's Bird (aka Fowler's Fowl), we join an evil wizard as he kidnaps pretty girls, takes them to his fancy pad, and puts them to the test. But this sick sorcerer get's more than he bargained for with our plucky, clucky, and crafty heroine.
We talk serial killing folklore, egg metaphors, and finally dip our toes into the creepy world of the infamous Bluebeard!
This episode is certified Grimm and may not be suitable for all listeners.
Our competition is still in full swing too! Let us know which story you think deserves a different score and you could win some awesome prizes!
Story leaderboard: https://grimmreading.podbean.com/p/2020-competition-story-scores/
Pook Press bookshop: http://ow.ly/7VRY50Bau0z
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's sonata for violin and piano No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2, Finale, performed by Corey Cerovsek (violin) and Paavali Jumppanen (piano) // Jules Massenet's Toccata, performed Jean Dube // Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, performed by Paul Pitman
Sunday Oct 18, 2020
Sunday Oct 18, 2020
A long time in the making, we are delighted to present our super special biography of the Brothers Grimm!
From humble beginnings to super professor stardom, we follow the brothers as they traipse across Germany in a tumultuous time of war and instability. Please don your history hats and settle by the fire as we embark on our biggest adventure yet, somehow starting in ancient Rome and landing squarely in 21st century.
Chapter index:
- Once Upon a Time (04:08)
- University and the Magic Horn (14:24)
- Occupation and Fairy Tales (19:16)
- German Liberation (28:43)
- Peace and Publishing (36:15)
- Gottingen and Exile (47:21)
- Berlin and a Dictionary (55:24)
For more information on some of the topics covered, we couldn’t recommend these podcasts more highly: Rex Factor, Totalus Rankium, Pontifacts, and The History of English Podcast.
Our competition is still in full swing! Let us know which story you think deserves a different score and you could win some awesome prizes!
Story leaderboard: https://bit.ly/3j7S3W7
Pook Press bookshop: http://ow.ly/7VRY50Bau0z
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Douze Danses Allemandes - 1 Do majeur.
Episode image by Leanna Hughes.
Sunday Oct 04, 2020
Sunday Oct 04, 2020
After a princess insults her suitors, her angry father forces her marry a singing fiddler and she's plunged into a life of poverty. But will their new crockery start-up save them from hunger and plight? And how many plot holes can a story have before it stops making sense?
Find out in our latest tale King Thrushbeard, where we learn why princesses need to do what they're told, which bird has the most crooked beak, and what exactly Shakespeare and Henry VIII have to do with it all.
Our competition is still in full swing too! Let us know which story you think deserves a different score and you could win some awesome prizes!
Story leaderboard: https://grimmreading.podbean.com/p/2020-competition-story-scores/
Pook Press bookshop: http://ow.ly/7VRY50Bau0z
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' “Rhapsody in B minor” - Op. 79 No. 1 performed by Muriel Nguyen Xuan // Brahms' Schicksalslied, Op. 54 performed by MIT Concert Choir
Sunday Sep 27, 2020
Sunday Sep 27, 2020
We’re back for series 3! When a petulant princess loses her golden ball, an overly friendly frog comes to the rescue. But when he tries to hop in her bed the princess has other ideas.
Another classic story brought to you by Grimm Reading, but this is not the tale you think you know! Who is iron Henry? Why isn’t he the frog prince? And where is that famous froggy kiss? Discover the answers to all this and more, in our opening episode The Frog King.
We’ve also launched a competition!
Here’s our story leaderboard: https://grimmreading.podbean.com/p/2020-competition-story-scores/
And you can sign up to Pook Press's newsletter and see their bookshop here: http://ow.ly/7VRY50Bau0z
And here's a link to the Jingle Bells video Adam mentioned: https://bit.ly/3i7uLPF
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Chopin's Opus 32 No. 2 in A flat Major performed by Willem Wim // Chopin's Etude Op. 10, no. 8 in F major // Debussy's Children's Corner, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
Sunday Jun 14, 2020
Evil curses, dangerous spinning, long lie-ins, and daring princes – in our series two finale we tackle one of fiction’s most enduring stories: The Sleeping Beauty (or Briar Rose).
A spurned wise woman puts a castle to sleep for a hundred years. Many princes have tried to breach its wall of thorns but none have ever succeeded. Has the time finally come for the right man to lift the curse?
We discuss prudish victorians, fatalism, and creepy frogs, before finally venturing on an epic journey to trace the evolution of Sleeping Beauty from viking Iceland to Walt Disney.
Thank you so much to everyone who’s stuck with us on this journey, we’ve had a blast this series and can’t wait to join you back at Grimm Castle later in the year for series 3. Until then, stay safe and keep it grimm.
This episode is “Certified Grimm” for adult content, and may not be suitable for all listeners.
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Debussy's Arabesque No. 1, performed by Steve's Bedroom Band // Chopin's Opus 10 Twelve Grand Etudes A flat major performed by Martha Goldstein // Debussy's Arabesque No. 1 (on piano) andantino con moto, performed by Gerluz // Tchaikovsky's No. 6 Grande valse villageoise (Garland Waltz) from The Sleeping Beauty ballet, performed by the Kirov Orchestra
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Taboos abound in this week's episode, Thousandfurs, where things take a decidedly dark turn. On her deathbed, a queen makes an ill-judged demand of her husband, and he decides to marry his own daughter. Escaping into the woods, the princess is captured and put to work in a castle kitchen. But she sees the chance of salvation when the king of this castle throws an elaborate festival...
After the story, we look into sparkly dresses and Germanic spinning courtship rituals, before turning our attention to the elephant in the room - incest, and it's place in folklore and myth.
Finally, we hear the jaw-droppingly twisted Italian version of this fairy tale: She-Bear.
This episode is Certified Grimm and may not be suitable for all listeners.
Patreon
grimmreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' Symphony No. 4 - Allegro non troppo, Op. 98 performed by New York Philharmonic Orchestra // Brahms' String Sextet No. 1, Op. 18 performed by Musicians From Marlboro // Brahms' String Sextet No. 2, Op. 36 performed by the Borromeo String Quartet with Liz Freivogel (viola) and Daniel McDonough (cello)
Sunday May 17, 2020
Sunday May 17, 2020
Welcome to Extra Grimm, where we delve deeper into the world of the Brothers Grimm for the curious.
In this episode, we chat to fairy tale expert Maria Tatar about all things Grimm. Maria is a Harvard professor specialising in folklore, myth and germanic literature, and she's the author of several books on fairy tales including her new book "The Fairest of Them All: Snow White and 21 Tales of Mothers and Daughters".
Topics covered include such classics as sexism in fairy tales, how to read these stories to children, the monogenesis vs. polygenesis debate, why the Grimms had such a big impact, and much more besides - even Quentin Tarantino pops up at one point.
When lockdown engulfed the world we wanted to try something a little different. Having read her brilliant book "The Hard Facts Of The Brothers Grimm", we thought it would be amazing to hear directly from Maria about the Brothers Grimm and fairy tales. We hope you enjoy this eye-opening chat.
You can find Maria on Twitter @mariamtatar