James Galway

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Disc's Archive. For rights' reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen seventy six, and the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:30

This week, our castaway is the flautist James Galway. James, have you ever thought about being a castaway on a desert island?

James Galway0:37

Many, many times when I've been in the middle of something like a

James Galway0:41

A huge piece of music with millions of people screaming their heads off. I've often thought about it. Do you like the idea? Well, I do actually like the idea because I don't like cities and

James Galway0:52

Big towns. I really prefer to be in a little place or perhaps on my own.

Presenter0:57

What's the one particular thing in cities and big towns that you big

Presenter1:01

happiest who got away from.

James Galway1:03

Ah, the smell. Mm-hmm.

James Galway1:06

the bad air and generally the people. There's so many people. I mean I like people, but not walking on my head.

Presenter1:13

Did you find it very difficult to choose just eight records to take with you?

James Galway1:16

Yes, it was the most difficult thing I've had to do, I think, recently, musically speaking. What kind of plan did you use? My plan was to bring records that

James Galway1:26

Evoke memories

Presenter1:28

What's the first one?

James Galway1:29

The first one is The Magic Flute Overture with Herbert von Karion and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. I first heard von Karian conduct the Vienna Philharmonic when I was a student.

James Galway1:40

And I thought it was really tremendous, and I enjoyed the night at the opera as well, and maybe this would bring back a little bit of memory.

Presenter2:46

Part of the Overture de Mozart's The Magic Flute, Herbert von Karian with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

James Galway2:52

What's your second record?

James Galway2:53

The second record is uh my very favorite English group.

James Galway2:57

Our English musicians, the Beatles.

James Galway3:00

And I'd like to have the number

James Galway3:03

I like to be under a tree.

James Galway3:05

and an octopus is garden in the shade.

James Galway3:08

It's almost like a prayer, you know, that they'd like to be somewhere where it's safe, where they could be happy, where there'll be no more wars, no more fights.

James Galway3:19

And this particularly appeals to me.

Speaker 43:24

I'd like to be

Speaker 43:26

Under the sea.

Speaker 43:28

In an octopus's garden, in the shade

Speaker 43:34

He let us in.

Speaker 43:36

Knows where we've been in his octopus's garden in the shade.

Speaker 43:44

I'd ask my friends to come and see me.

Presenter3:50

The Beatles

Presenter3:52

James, despite the name Galway, you come from Northern Ireland, don't you?

James Galway3:55

That's right, from Belfast. From a musical family? Yes. My father taught me the flute and my mother played the piano.

James Galway4:02

And you play

Presenter4:02

Played first of all in a in a in a band.

James Galway4:04

That's right. I played on a band which was conducted by my uncle who taught me the flute as well.

James Galway4:10

This was what, a an Orangeman band? Yeah, this was a an a fife and drum band. Everybody played everything in unison, you know.

Presenter4:17

Now you got rather good at this. You were broadcasting at fourteen, I'm told.

James Galway4:22

With Havelock Nelson.

Presenter4:23

Had you decided at that age that you were going to be a professional musician?

James Galway4:26

I never really decided I was going to do anything, I just became a professional musician.

James Galway4:32

How did you set about it? What did you do when you left school? I worked in a piano shop tuning pianos and well, generally wrecking them actually. And.

Presenter4:39

And uh

Speaker 14:40

Uh

James Galway4:40

I then got a scholarship to study in London with John Francis at the Royal College. After that I went to the Guildhall, where I studied with Geoffrey Gilbert for a year. And then I went to the Paris Conservatoire.

Presenter4:54

Isn't there a a different approach to the fluid in France? Couldn't this have been a bit confusing?

James Galway5:00

Well, it wasn't really confusing because my teacher, John Francis, was in a way French orientated in his way of thinking, and he guided me along the lines.

James Galway5:11

of the teaching of Marcel Moyes, and so did Geoffrey Gilbert.

Speaker 15:13

And so

James Galway5:15

And then of course when I went to France, I I think I was mi more disappointed in France than I was with my teachers in England. Not that I was disappointed with them in England, but in France uh my teacher, he read the paper and smoked cigarettes all the time, and this didn't appeal to me at all.

Presenter5:30

How long did you stay in France?

James Galway5:31

But I stayed there for six months, and then I got a job in Saddler's Wells, playing the flute and the orchestra there.

Presenter5:38

Well, there you are in your first regular orchestral job, so that's where we'll break off your third record. What's that to be?

James Galway5:44

It's a little bit of a slow movement of the second Brandenburg Concerto, and it's played by Marcel Moise and Adolphe Busch.

James Galway5:52

Marcel Moyes was one of the great, really truly great flute players and to me

James Galway5:58

One of the greatest influences on my playing.

Presenter7:00

Marcel Moyes with the Adolphe Busch Chamber Orchestra, the beginning of the slow movement of Bach's second Brandenburg Concerto. Did you know Marcel Moise?

James Galway7:08

Awesome.

Presenter7:08

Uh

James Galway7:09

Yes, I studied with him for short periods, on and off, over a few years between

James Galway7:16

Nineteen sixty eight.

James Galway7:18

And

James Galway7:19

Well, about now, I suppose. And he was such a magic person. He was one of these people who had the light shining out of their eyes all the time.

James Galway7:28

And he had such a serenity about him, and also a happiness.

James Galway7:32

He really did influence me in a way that made my life take a different direction.

Presenter7:37

Mm-hmm.

James Galway7:38

Not only on the flute, but in every way.

Presenter7:41

Well, let's go back to your career. Your first permanent job was with the Saddlers Wells Orchestra. That's and then you went to the LSO, to the London Symphony Orchestra, as principal flute.

James Galway7:46

And this

James Galway7:49

Yeah.

James Galway7:51

Yes. And then I left there and joined the Royal Philharmonic. And after two years...

Presenter7:55

Bye now.

James Galway7:57

I heard about a job going in a Berlin Philharmonic.

Presenter8:00

Why did you want to go and work in Berlin? Were you disenchanted at all with the English musical scene? Or what was it?

James Galway8:05

Not really. I had very many good friends in the English scene. I just wanted to play in the Berlin Philharmonic because it's the best Yes.

Presenter8:12

The the that was Carriand's orchestra, I thought.

Presenter8:16

I believe there's a story about your audition.

James Galway8:18

Oh yes, I turned up three hours late because various people went on strike in England and I had a telegram to tell me to come earlier and I didn't make it. And when I made it, uh the audition was practically finished and they weren't going to let me play, so I was very, very rude to them and they were very rude back, which sort of shook me a bit. A little later they said, Okay, the maestro will hear you. Well this is the first time I'd ever heard anybody refer to a conductor as the maestro, you know, I thought it was only in Italy they

James Galway8:48

called the Chief Kuka Maestro or something. Anyway, there we were and I was playing for the maestro and the orchestra.

James Galway8:55

In front of them, that is, they were all listening.

James Galway8:58

And they asked me to play.

James Galway9:00

Various pieces like Helden Leiben and

James Galway9:03

La Primidi, Brams Four, Midsummer Ice Dream, which I did from memory.

James Galway9:07

And then they said, Thank you very much, wait outside. So I went outside and then they said, Oh, uh we'd like you to play again with another four people. So they had five of us standing in front of the orchestra and they shot the gun from left to right and said, Right, Helden Leiben from left to right, Brahmspohr from right to left.

James Galway9:23

And a little later, again, they came and they said, Thank you very much. I went outside and

James Galway9:28

Again Doctor Straseman came and said, Ah, Mr. Galway, you are now solo flutist with a brilliant philharmonic. When can you start?

James Galway9:35

I said, Well, look, everybody's so rude round here, I'm not sure I even want to think about it He said, Oh, but you won the audition, and by German law you've got to take the job So I said to him, Well, look, who's German round here? And if you'll excuse me, I've got to go and play in the festival hall tonight with the Royal Philharmonic.

James Galway9:50

So I left. But of course a week later I wrote to the orchestra and told them I'd like to come and play with them for a month to see if I liked the plays or the people. And they accepted that and well that was it.

Presenter10:00

The system at the audition was that the orchestra, the orchestral members themselves voted as to who they wanted.

James Galway10:05

Oh yeah.

James Galway10:06

Yes, everybody has one vault, including von Carrion.

Presenter10:09

How was your German when you joined the

James Galway10:11

Well, it didn't exist at all.

Presenter10:11

Well it didn't ex

Presenter10:13

How long did you stay?

James Galway10:15

Fears

Presenter10:16

Aha, well it must have been better at the under six, yes.

James Galway10:18

Well, it is slightly better.

Presenter10:20

Uh

James Galway10:20

Yeah.

Presenter10:22

What did you get out of it, do you think, that you couldn't have got out out of working with an English orchestra?

James Galway10:27

Well, I got

James Galway10:29

Mainly time to think.

James Galway10:31

About myself and about music and about everything really.

Presenter10:35

There isn't as much pressure.

James Galway10:35

No. The English musicians, they have to work so tremendously hard that they don't have time to think about anything.

James Galway10:43

Not even what they're doing sometimes.

Presenter10:46

Let's have record number four now. What's that to be?

James Galway10:48

There to be.

Presenter10:48

Uh

James Galway10:48

Yeah.

James Galway10:49

Well, I'd like to play a record of Joseph Schmidt.

James Galway10:52

Singing a song called Ah Marie

James Galway10:54

Why do you choose it? Well, it reminds me of when I first met my wife in Berlin, and uh there was such an atmosphere about Berlin in these times and uh

James Galway11:04

I happen to be crazy about Joseph Schmidt.

Speaker 411:07

I'm out of here, I'm out of here.

Speaker 411:11

I'm not sure if I can do it.

Speaker 411:19

Abracha Lo Par Avari Hawari Aqua Paso Akwa Avalori.

Speaker 411:42

By body.

Presenter11:55

Josef Schmidt singing O Marie

Presenter11:58

Right, 1975, you came back to Great Britain as soloist. A lot of engagements in the book straight away?

James Galway12:05

I wouldn't exactly say straight away. It was mostly the planning of my friend Michael Emerson. We planned it.

James Galway12:12

About a year and a half before I left the orchestra, and of course I told the orchestra I was leaving.

James Galway12:18

in that time and it's now two years ago since I told them and I still haven't found a flute player.

Presenter12:25

Ah.

James Galway12:26

That's a

Presenter12:26

That's a bad thing. Compliment to you.

Presenter12:28

James, is there a big solo flute repertoire?

James Galway12:32

Yes, there is. Unfortunately it's never been really exploited in England as much as on the continent. For example, in in France they play a lot of French music, which is unknown here.

Presenter12:43

Yeah.

James Galway12:43

And

Presenter12:43

Number

James Galway12:43

Uh

Presenter12:43

Your composers have been writing especially for you.

James Galway12:45

Yeah.

James Galway12:46

That's right, I've just recently recorded for the BBC, both for television and for sound, a piece by Thea Musgrave.

Presenter12:54

Hmm.

James Galway12:54

And uh John Mayer has written a piece for me which I've just seen this week.

James Galway13:00

which I'm going to perform sometime in

James Galway13:04

I think February next year.

Presenter13:06

You're a comp

James Galway13:07

Poser yourself, of course.

Presenter13:08

Uh

James Galway13:08

Do you get any time to compose? Well, I wouldn't say I'm a composer. The only thing I've ever written are a bunch of cadenzas, but I have this crazy notion about writing a

James Galway13:17

Uh a symphony, and I've had it going around in my head, but you have to take a lot of time off. Maybe when I get to this island.

Presenter13:24

That's a good place for writing a symphony.

James Galway13:25

It's a good place for writing a symphony. That's a thought. I could write my first C symphony.

Presenter13:30

Your instrument. How long has it taken the the modern flute to grow up from the shepherd's pipe?

James Galway13:37

Oh, the flute that I play on is sort of

James Galway13:40

I think it was conceived around about eighteen

James Galway13:43

Twenty-five.

James Galway13:45

by a man called Bohm, who did many, many things. He revolutionized the German steel industry, this man, after a visit to Sheffield.

James Galway13:54

And uh he made things like

James Galway13:57

Universal transmission and factories.

James Galway13:59

And he also invented this flute. But by inventing this system on the flute,

James Galway14:04

It was also transferred to other instruments and it gave tremendous possibilities, in fact developed the orchestra, the sound made it bigger.

Presenter14:12

Made it.

James Galway14:13

Where are the best flutes made? Still in Germany? Well, I think they're made in Clapham Common myself by mister Cooper.

James Galway14:21

Who made my flute?

James Galway14:22

As a matter of fact, he's made about six or seven flutes for me over the the years.

James Galway14:26

My flute, when I first got it about three or four years ago, my fourteen karat gold one didn't work at all. We found out that the solder wasn't right. So then mister Cooper soldered the whole thing again, and since then this flute is just it's so fantastic.

Presenter14:41

How many do you travel with you when you're going to an engagement?

James Galway14:44

I usually have about three, all different pitches.

Presenter14:47

Let tab record number five. What's that?

James Galway14:50

Record number five is the Blue Danube.

James Galway14:53

And this again is with Herbert von Karian and the Berlin Philharmonic and I thought I'd take it with me just in case I'm on this island on the New Year. Maybe I'd like to bring in the New Year with the Blue Danube.

Presenter16:02

The Blue Danube, Herbert von Karian and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Let's go straight on to the next one.

James Galway16:08

Oh the next one is a record of the Pink Floyd.

James Galway16:12

And they're playing a number from a record called Adam Heart Mother.

James Galway16:16

This group I first became aware of when I was in Berlin.

James Galway16:20

and I used to listen to them all the time.

James Galway16:23

And it also reminds me of the people I used to sit around a lot in Berlin, we hunt a lot of time. We used to sit around and drink tea.

James Galway16:30

In German way.

Speaker 416:31

Ha ha ha.

Presenter17:00

The Pink Floyd, an excerpt from Adam Hot Mother.

Presenter17:04

Now the practical side of being a castaway, James. Ever done any camping out or anything useful like that?

James Galway17:09

Not really, but I think I wouldn't

James Galway17:12

have any problems in that direction.

Presenter17:14

Yes, you're good with your hands. Yes. Apart from playing the flute with the meat.

James Galway17:16

Yes.

James Galway17:17

Yeah, I'm very practical in that direction. I'm sure I could build something quite easily.

James Galway17:23

Have you ever done any fishing? Yes. Where?

James Galway17:27

Oh, and various places, mostly in Ireland.

Presenter17:29

Hm. Do you know anything about small craft? Not really. Would you try to escape? Would you want to escape?

James Galway17:35

Um

James Galway17:36

Well, it depends how often you can get my wife and kids on this island to visit me.

James Galway17:42

I think I probably would, you know.

James Galway17:44

I can't imagine me wanting to stay too long on a desert island.

Presenter17:48

Well, don't put the wife and kids in that craft that you make.

Presenter17:53

That's a record number seven.

James Galway17:54

The f

James Galway17:55

Record number seven is a Chopin ballad played by Vladimir Horowitz.

James Galway17:59

And he's another musician who

James Galway18:02

I really adore. I think out of all the musicians he's the one I have the greatest respect for. As a matter of fact, I used to play with him every day, you know, because he plays some small pieces like Tramerai and I used to play them with him.

Presenter18:15

Hmm.

James Galway18:16

At home one the record player, of course, you know, because good accompanists are very hard to find.

Presenter19:17

Vladimir Horovitz playing Chopin's ballad number four in F minor, which brings us to your last record.

James Galway19:24

Well, my last record is a record of Jascha Heifitz playing the Mendelsohn Concerto. And the reason for this is when I was a small boy, I began playing the violin.

James Galway19:36

But I didn't really take to the violin because of various reasons. And of course when I was

James Galway19:42

Listening to violin players I heard all sorts of violin players like Chrysler and then suddenly I heard Heifitz.

James Galway19:50

And that immediately switched me on in a way that was like magic.

James Galway19:54

I was struggling away with G major in two octaves, and he was playing G major in 14 octaves, N octaves.

James Galway20:01

And the whole thing was too much, too much for me. And ever since then, I've collected Heifitz records.

James Galway20:08

Like a fanatic, and I like to take one with me.

Presenter20:11

And you've selected the Mendelssohn concerto. Yes.

Presenter21:13

An excerpt from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto high fits with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Scharl Munsch. If you could take just one disc out of your eight, which would it be?

James Galway21:25

I think it would be the magic flute, with all respect to Mr. Horowitz.

James Galway21:29

and one luxury to take with you.

Presenter21:31

Yeah.

James Galway21:32

Well, I think that would also be the magic flute. I think I'd like to take the flute that mister Cooper made for me, the fourteen karat gold one.

Presenter21:39

Right. You'd better take the full three that you take to an engagement just in case something goes wrong.

James Galway21:43

Something goes wrong.

Presenter21:46

Just in case.

Presenter21:48

And one book apart from the Bible and Shakespeare and big encyclopedias.

James Galway21:52

Oh, I I love a huge book of poetry.

Presenter21:54

But from all lands.

Presenter21:57

No particular one in mind. You'll we'll just look round for one.

James Galway21:58

Let's look round for one. Just a huge volume.

Presenter22:02

Right. And thank you, James Galway, for letting us hear your Desert Island Disc.

James Galway22:07

It's a pleasure, thank you.

Presenter22:08

Goodbye everyone.

Speaker 122:18

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Islandists Archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk/slash radio form.