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Conductor Kenneth Woods introduces a selection of readings about Gustav Mahler, including the composer鈥檚 letters, reviews and biographies. Rana Mitter presents.

Polish is the third most spoken language in the UK, after English and Welsh, and the 2011 census found over half a million Poles living in Britain. But you don't need to speak Polish in order to embrace Polish culture, thanks to a current boom in translating Polish novels into English. Rana Mitter asks the Polish-born writers Eva Hoffman and A.M. Bakalar to provide a guide to the most exciting writing coming out of Poland today.

What makes Falstaff so irresistible to writers and composers? Timothy West talks about his experiences of playing one of Shakespeare's greatest characters.

Two portraits of Sir John Falstaff and a rare performance of Granville Bantock鈥檚 Sapphic Poem with cellist Raphael Wallfisch. Jac van Steen conducts the 麻豆官网首页入口 National Orchestra of Wales in a programme that climaxes with Tchaikovsky鈥檚 heady Fourth Symphony.

Wagner's stage directions are notorious: giant dragons; underwater singing; horses on stage; storms; destruction by raging fires. Designer Peter Mumford and Dr John Snelson of the ROH discuss the solutions available to 21st century artists and some famous 19th and 20th century stagings. Presented by Anne McElvoy and including readings by David Rintoul. Guests include Philip Hoare, Jamila Gavin and Elizabeth Gray. Recorded in front of an audience at the Royal College of Music as part of this year's Proms Plus events.

John le Carr茅, one of the greatest spy novelists, celebrates 50 years since the publication of his groundbreaking Cold War espionage novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, with Anne McElvoy.

The writers Simon Heffer and Andrew O'Hagan discuss the halcyon days of light music at the 麻豆官网首页入口 and beyond with Matthew Sweet. With its jaunty melodies and cascading strings, they restore it to its proper place: the heart of British musical life. Recorded in front of an audience at the Royal College of Music as part of this year's Proms Plus events.

Rana Mitter introduces an anthology of unexpected readings from the letters and autobiography of the English composer Michael Tippett, with guests Ivan Hewett and Oliver Soden.

Robert Crawford and Fiona Stafford discuss how the Romantic movement linked Beethoven with the poetry of Scottish writers such as Burns, James Macpherson and Walter Scott.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Sylvia Plath and the publication of her novel, The Bell Jar, the writer, Lavinia Greenlaw and the critic, Sally Bayley, look back on the legacy of a remarkable poet with readings by Buffy Davis. 聽 Born in Boston in 1932 Plath moved to England to study at Cambridge where she met and married the poet Ted Hughes. Her first collection of poems, Colossus, was published here in 1960. In 1962 she wrote most of the poems which would form her best known collection, Ariel. She died in February 1963 during one of the most severe winters on record in Britain. Ariel and The Bell Jar were published after her death. 聽 Recorded in front of an audience at the Royal College of Music as part of this year's Proms Plus events.

Dame Monica Mason, former direcor of the Royal Ballet, who partnered Rudolf Nureyev in Hamlet, celebrates his life and legacy.

Benjamin Britten's compositions were inspired by the work of many poets and novelists. Actor Samuel West and writer Alexandra Harris explore the relationship between Britten's words and music.

Film composer Debbie Wiseman and writer David Benedict talk to Matthew Sweet about the ways in which film-makers have created mood with music from the very first days of silent film to the contemporary CGI blockbuster.

Matthew Sweet considers the ways in which film composers have risen to the challenge of capturing the sound of dark matter and distant planets.

Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate, and poet Paul Farley discuss one of the most influential of the Thirties Poets, Louis MacNeice, who worked with Benjamin Britten during his time as a 麻豆官网首页入口 producer.

Poet Don Paterson and Radio 3 presenter Ian McMillan introduce the winning entries in this year鈥檚 Proms Poetry competition, in association with the Poetry Society. Actress Samantha Bond will read the winning poems.