BBC radio is doing Chekhov proud with a vast range of programmes to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth (shortly before his death Chekhov predicted, entirely erroneously but with charming precision, that he would be remembered for seven and a half years).
His work for the stage is performed more often than that of any other playwright except Shakespeare, while his short stories are considered as perfect models, particularly by other practitioners of the genre.
The BBC’s homage, which ranges across BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 7, encompasses biographical material, stories and reflections from theatre people (in Radio 3’s series The Essay) on the effect working with Chekhov has had on their understanding of their craft.
The coverage is at the moment half-way through but some of the programmes are listenable to online after their initial broadcasting. Details are too complex to rehearse in full but clicking here and then onwards may bring some enlightenment.