Natalia Makarova

Speaker 30:00

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

Presenter0:29

Our castaway this week is the Russian prima ballerina Natalia Makharova. Madame Makarova, we've taken you from the world of the theater and of dance, and we've put you on a desert island. Could you endure loneliness?

Natalia Makarova0:43

I used to laugh loneliness. When I was a child, I love when as my parents leave me alone. Usually child cry and I was just ecstatic. I couldn't wait when they leave me alone. So I can perform front of mirror and put myself in dramatic atmosphere. I cry front of mirror, I laugh. So that's probably how my career start as a actress.

Presenter1:05

You have just eight records with you. Do you think they would help?

Natalia Makarova1:10

Oh, enormously. I mean, that's the joy of life, to listen to music.

Presenter1:15

Was it too?

Natalia Makarova1:15

And I will have so much time.

Presenter1:18

Yes. Was it difficult to choose them?

Natalia Makarova1:18

Was it difficult?

Natalia Makarova1:20

enormously difficult. I mean, it's just like you said, pulling the teeth.

Presenter1:25

How did you set about it? Are you choosing nostalgically or to hear nostalgically?

Natalia Makarova1:29

No, emotionally.

Natalia Makarova1:32

I mean, I choose the music what makes me in most emotional state.

Presenter1:37

You are an emotional person.

Natalia Makarova1:37

You are in a m

Natalia Makarova1:39

I think so.

Presenter1:40

And you like being emotional.

Presenter1:48

Right. What's the first emotional record you've chosen?

Natalia Makarova1:52

Probably I will choose Eggman to Verture.

Presenter1:56

By Beethoven.

Presenter1:58

Why?

Natalia Makarova1:58

Why?

Natalia Makarova2:03

It's I feel like it is my life, full of uh happening, full of storm. It's very, very concentrate in that short overture.

Presenter3:09

Part of Beethoven's Egmont Overture played by the New Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Carlo Maria Giolini.

Presenter3:16

Madame Makarova, where were you born? In Leningrad.

Natalia Makarova3:18

And

Presenter3:19

Of course, in Tchaikovsky Street. On Tchaikovsky Street. And your father was an engineer. He was killed in the war. Do you know where, on which front?

Natalia Makarova3:28

No, he just disappeared and uh we didn't have anything.

Natalia Makarova3:32

Not about his death, he just disappeared.

Presenter3:34

Yeah.

Presenter3:35

You weren't in Leningrad during the season.

Natalia Makarova3:37

No, I was in the countryside.

Presenter3:37

But you know

Presenter3:40

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova3:40

With your grandmother. Uh my grandmother, that's right. You inform very well about my life.

Presenter3:43

You info

Natalia Makarova3:46

I've read

Presenter3:47

Your book

Natalia Makarova3:47

Yeah.

Presenter3:47

Uh

Natalia Makarova3:47

Oh. But

Presenter3:48

Will you?

Natalia Makarova3:48

Uh

Presenter3:48

Ha ha.

Presenter3:49

Your mother married again to a musician. Is a jazz musician. Jazz musician. So there was plenty of jazz in

Natalia Makarova3:54

Shadows

Natalia Makarova3:55

Yes, but you know level of Russian jazz is not exactly the same like in the West. I was taught in school piano.

Natalia Makarova4:08

We would treat in Baghdad with school.

Presenter4:08

Beauty in the ga

Natalia Makarova4:10

Every child has to learn piano. And I even play in a children's concert.

Natalia Makarova4:15

But it disappear now.

Natalia Makarova4:18

ability to play is I cannot play any more.

Presenter4:20

As a child, were you taken to the theatre by your mother?

Natalia Makarova4:24

And no, no, no, no, no. All my adventures with the theatres and with the dances, all by myself. In fact, my parents was against for me to choose this profession what I choose to be a ballerina.

Presenter4:39

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova4:39

Start to dance.

Presenter4:40

Screw. Output transcript.

Natalia Makarova4:40

How old were you?

Presenter4:41

Uh

Natalia Makarova4:41

I start uh thirteen years old. Yeah. It's quite late for a student to d start to dance, but I've been in experimental class.

Presenter4:43

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova4:49

Usually children start at nine in in Leningrad in Vaganova school.

Natalia Makarova4:55

And it's just by accident I came to this school and they took me, but my parents was against, and so uh I lose like a half an year of uh first class because it did take time to persuade my parents to allow me to study in this school.

Presenter5:14

The school was attached to the great Kirov Valley. And that must have been a very exciting moment for you when you moved into that building for the first time.

Natalia Makarova5:24

Oh yes, it's something special, this kind of atmosphere, where once you involve in that, everything else is so boring.

Presenter5:34

Let's have another piece of music. What's your second record?

Natalia Makarova5:39

And my second is Brugh, violin concerto number one.

Natalia Makarova5:43

I love this concert and it is I'm afraid I cannot describe really why.

Presenter6:46

Part of the first movement of Brooks's first violin concerto in G minor, Heifitz, with the new symphony orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent.

Presenter6:56

So you were a young ballet student. Did eventually your family encourage you?

Presenter7:03

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova7:03

Well, they realize it's serious for me only when I graduate.

Presenter7:09

From the evidence of photographs you were a very small, thin girl.

Natalia Makarova7:13

Uh yes, but I was much more fuller before than now.

Natalia Makarova7:22

You mean the giraffe?

Presenter7:24

Giraffe.

Natalia Makarova7:24

Yes, for my long uh neck.

Presenter7:27

Yeah.

Presenter7:28

I believe the training at the Vaganova was very hard, very strict.

Natalia Makarova7:32

Very much. It's the most difficult time in my life, this school time.

Natalia Makarova7:36

Because I was very much involved in educational programme, much more than in dancing.

Natalia Makarova7:44

M

Natalia Makarova7:45

I have to wake up six o'clock in the morning, do my homework, literature, whatever it is, what I took much more seriously than ballet classes. Only in the last year I actually faced I going to be ballerina, not the writer, you know, not the

Natalia Makarova8:01

The soil is concentrated on bale.

Presenter8:03

You did toy with the idea of being a writer, did you, for a while?

Natalia Makarova8:06

Yes, I had desire painter writer, that's what.

Presenter8:09

The arts. Arts, yes. How long before you graduated from the school into the Kirov company?

Natalia Makarova8:15

How long I study in the school? Six years.

Presenter8:18

Yeah.

Presenter8:19

Thanks yep. A long time. But I believe you managed to condense it. It should have been more than that. Wasn't there a nine-year course?

Natalia Makarova8:25

For the normal child, but I wasn't normal, I was experiment, I start thirteen years old.

Presenter8:30

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova8:31

So who's starting nine years old? It's nine years programme. So I've been fast running through the program. So when I finished the school, I wasn't exactly ready for the professional work because

Speaker 48:39

So they

Natalia Makarova8:44

Six years actually is not enough.

Natalia Makarova8:47

And um

Natalia Makarova8:49

Only stymy and everything has come to me after.

Natalia Makarova8:53

Practicing after experience on stage.

Presenter8:56

Do you remember what was your very first solo with the Kirov company?

Natalia Makarova9:01

In the Kirov Company, ole la so long ago.

Natalia Makarova9:06

I know what my first uh success, real success came. It was in a graduation performance I danced Giselle by the day from second act.

Natalia Makarova9:15

and Swanleek.

Natalia Makarova9:17

Odette. Yes. And Giselle really brought me a success unbelievable for that age. My first flowers came here.

Presenter9:25

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova9:26

For this exciting time and unexpected success.

Presenter9:29

And had you started travelling? Were you moving away from Leningrad? Were you working in Moscow? No. Other Russian cities?

Natalia Makarova9:36

Not really. And we start to tour, yes. In sixty I finished in fifty nine. And in sixty one I was in America already. In sixty four in in London, Paris, it was sixty first.

Presenter9:48

So that was very exciting.

Natalia Makarova9:49

Oh, it is enormously high.

Presenter9:51

Let's have your third record. What shall that be?

Natalia Makarova9:53

Bach

Presenter9:54

What by Buck

Natalia Makarova9:55

You know, happen I like sound of violin most of all. So all my records I choose mostly is violin concertos. And this happened to be violin concerto number two in E major.

Natalia Makarova10:09

And the section what I like particularly is Adajo.

Natalia Makarova10:13

Actually, Giselle is my role of life, what is went through all my career.

Natalia Makarova10:18

And I used to put this record just before performance, while I do make up or night before. I have a lot of inspiration from violin.

Presenter11:15

The opening of the adagio from the Bach concerto number two in E for the violin.

Presenter11:22

Isaac Stern with members of the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein from the Harpsichord.

Presenter11:29

So you began to move to foreign countries, to dance, to America, to London. While you were in London, Rudolf Neurayev defected.

Presenter11:38

What was the feeling in the company? Did did they wish him well and hope that he was going to be happy, or did they think that he was letting the company down?

Natalia Makarova11:46

Oh, it was a terrible feeling, in the company, because

Natalia Makarova11:51

It was sad.

Presenter11:52

Yes.

Natalia Makarova11:53

And that time I was not really mature enough to think why he did it. And like an oddest, I was surprised and that's probably think surprise.

Presenter12:05

Mm-hmm.

Presenter12:06

You had danced with him a lot, hadn't you?

Natalia Makarova12:08

I didn't dance with skin. No, I was still very young. I had just finished school.

Presenter12:09

And you have

Natalia Makarova12:12

But I danced my first Giselle in London because of rooted affection, I think.

Presenter12:16

I don't think

Natalia Makarova12:18

Because the Russian authorities decided to not just Russians in Impresaria decided to have some things what could probably will forget about excuse my English.

Natalia Makarova12:33

can forget about rooted defection, you know, something new, something striking and and that's what how uh

Presenter12:35

Yeah.

Presenter12:37

Uh

Speaker 412:37

And

Natalia Makarova12:39

Happened my debut in Giselle in London at Covent Garden. I'm not supposed to be, I didn't plan. And since that time London become to be my favorite city because it's my really big, big

Natalia Makarova12:53

Success was happen in Giselle in London.

Presenter12:56

You were very young, but you were making a big international reputation already.

Natalia Makarova13:01

Well, if you want so.

Presenter13:03

You were permitted to make guest appearances on your own with foreign companies in Amsterdam, in Vienna. Were you supervised very heavily, or were you allowed to go on your own?

Natalia Makarova13:15

No, I went by my own. It's just few times.

Presenter13:18

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova13:19

It was all right.

Natalia Makarova13:21

I mean, nobody really look after.

Natalia Makarova13:25

They usually travel with the kgb.

Natalia Makarova13:28

How called is it? Yes. When it's a company going on tour, we have few of them and few in the company, unknown. I mean then everybody knows the company, but it's usually travel with us.

Presenter13:39

I mean but

Presenter13:43

And you suspected which ones they were.

Natalia Makarova13:44

Yes, absolutely.

Presenter13:47

But you were allowed to go occasionally to

Natalia Makarova13:48

No, we're not allowed to go to have a dinner or to go and not to announce to director where we go.

Presenter13:56

Hmm.

Natalia Makarova13:56

But I

Natalia Makarova13:58

I ignore this, actually.

Presenter14:02

Let's have another record. What's next?

Natalia Makarova14:04

Would you like to have a bronze?

Presenter14:05

Brandt, yes. What by Brandt?

Natalia Makarova14:06

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova14:09

Leonard Coggan in D major.

Natalia Makarova14:12

Contraction conducting.

Presenter14:13

Any particular reason for this or is it just the music?

Natalia Makarova14:15

Brance, again passion, lyrical passion, everything in it.

Presenter15:22

The adagio from the second movement of the Brahms violin concerto in D major, Leonid Coggan with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Kiril Kondrashin. As prima ballerino with the Kirov Company, you were a very important young lady. You had many privileges in material terms. You were well off, but you weren't happy.

Natalia Makarova15:45

Years last the years.

Natalia Makarova15:48

Before I choose the West and like you said, defection, but I don't like this word defection, I just choose.

Natalia Makarova15:58

I was unhappy, I was not satisfied.

Presenter16:00

Not enough opportunities.

Natalia Makarova16:02

I get bored.

Natalia Makarova16:04

And everything was predictable. I knew how my career will go up and

Natalia Makarova16:11

I knew exactly which repertoire.

Natalia Makarova16:14

I will do and what is my style of life will be an

Natalia Makarova16:19

It's kind of

Natalia Makarova16:21

No mystery about.

Presenter16:23

No free will

Natalia Makarova16:24

You know, in Russia we're we're not uh supposed to think and make a decision.

Presenter16:29

Now you were top of the tree, you were made an honored artist of the Russian Federation, and then in nineteen seventy, when you were with the company in London, you made that choice. You decided to stay. How long had you been thinking about it?

Natalia Makarova16:46

Five minutes.

Presenter16:47

Really? It was as quick as that.

Natalia Makarova16:47

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova16:49

No, no. I probably subconsciously I never thought about I could defect, never occurred to me, never came to my head, honestly, really. Uh many people doesn't believe me. But believe me, if I will prepare myself consciously, I will never make this step. It's uh probably I'm a weak woman.

Natalia Makarova17:08

I will not have the courage to do that.

Natalia Makarova17:11

But to do that spontaneously like I did.

Natalia Makarova17:14

It's easy, and I thought is right. In this five minutes I thought is right, is right decision, that's right time, and I have to do that now or never. How did you know what to do?

Presenter17:25

I didn't know any

Natalia Makarova17:25

I didn't know anything.

Presenter17:26

No, no, it's my friend.

Natalia Makarova17:27

No, no, it's my friends here. They helped me. So I didn't do by myself.

Presenter17:32

And

Natalia Makarova17:34

I just remember staying all night in police station and smoking endlessly and when I went next day in Scotland Yard, when I went uh for two weeks in some forest for hidden place.

Natalia Makarova17:48

Just we tried to hide me.

Presenter17:50

Your friend.

Natalia Makarova17:50

Not my friends, London officials from Scotland Yard.

Presenter17:53

With They're sympathetic.

Natalia Makarova17:54

Very much. Even policemen who came take me to police station after my friends call them and ask permission to stay.

Presenter17:55

Very much.

Natalia Makarova18:03

The policeman was extremely sympathetic man, too.

Presenter18:06

Yeah. Yeah.

Natalia Makarova18:06

Yeah.

Presenter18:06

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova18:06

Friendly.

Presenter18:07

Very friendly. Uh all the Western ballet companies began clamoring for your services. Which one did you join first?

Natalia Makarova18:16

The American Ballet Fiat.

Presenter18:18

Uh

Natalia Makarova18:19

I did few T V shows with Rudy Norave here in London. Record Swanleek, I think, yes, it was so long time ago now. I start to forget. And when I had the invitation to American Ballet Theatre and I chose that because they have a very versatile repertoire, that's why I had effect actually for that and eclectic repertoire and and I immediately was involved in the work. I have to learn many different ballet new for me.

Natalia Makarova18:52

and uh work hard.

Presenter18:54

And there was so much going on that you had no time to feel nostalgia for the moment.

Natalia Makarova18:58

Not really. That's for that reason, because I was so busy with learning new repertoire.

Natalia Makarova19:04

But uh I wasn't very happy in the beginning because I didn't speak one word English. It was very difficult. I was like a child, helpless.

Presenter19:13

And that did you at once start taking lessons or?

Natalia Makarova19:15

No, I never took lessons. I spoke French before.

Natalia Makarova19:19

sort of in communication way, not very uh fluently, but

Presenter19:21

Yeah.

Presenter19:23

Well in ballet circles French will be Dubai.

Natalia Makarova19:25

Yes. Right. But English came to me suddenly after two years, not to speak English at all.

Presenter19:32

Must have seemed a long time. Another record, please.

Natalia Makarova19:35

Uh now we're coming to Frank, violin sonata in A major, it's ax turn.

Presenter19:40

Any reason for this?

Natalia Makarova19:41

Many reasons. And it's very hard for me to choose the particular place what I I like because I can listen this sonata all day long, all night long, can never get tired. Actually, I get tired, I get exhausted emotionally.

Natalia Makarova19:57

Maybe the opposite cannot listen too long. It's too passionate for me.

Presenter20:58

An excerpt from the Cesare Franc sonata in A major for violin and piano, Isaac Stern once again with Alexander Zakin.

Presenter21:06

You've had the opportunity to experiment with with new ballets and and dance with new companies. Now this must have fulfilled your ambition to see new horizons.

Natalia Makarova21:17

Oh, I'm kind kind of greedy. I never enough for me.

Natalia Makarova21:23

It is fulfilled uh in a sort of way, but

Presenter21:23

Uh

Natalia Makarova21:27

Not totally satisfying.

Presenter21:28

You still have objectives, you still have aims, you're still searching.

Natalia Makarova21:29

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova21:32

Still, yes, all my life.

Presenter21:34

You've had all the excitement, and you've still found time to achieve a private life. You have a son, Andrei Hoaldisina.

Natalia Makarova21:42

Six now.

Presenter21:44

And he's with you in London?

Natalia Makarova21:45

He's here, yes.

Natalia Makarova21:47

Finally.

Presenter21:48

Yeah. And you have three homes to look after in in San Francisco, where your husband is?

Presenter21:54

In New York, where your professional headquarters are?

Presenter21:57

And in London your current base.

Natalia Makarova21:59

A very small flat I have in.

Presenter22:02

Mm.

Natalia Makarova22:03

But it's convenient enough for the short time.

Presenter22:05

And with all that you found time to write a book, a dance autobiography.

Natalia Makarova22:09

When I was pregnant, as I have time, I paint and I wrote the book.

Presenter22:14

What sort of painting do you do?

Natalia Makarova22:15

Well, I like uh paint uh human portraits.

Presenter22:19

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova22:19

Expression.

Natalia Makarova22:21

What is interesting faces?

Presenter22:22

Do you do adults pictures as well?

Natalia Makarova22:24

No, no. Actually I also used to copy icons. It's quite a mateurish way. I'm not remarkable in that, but uh it's kind of hobby what I enjoy to do. Probably I will study when I finish with

Presenter22:36

Good.

Presenter22:39

Dancing.

Presenter22:40

We've got to record number six.

Natalia Makarova22:42

And next one probably it will be Malak. What? I had a hard time to choose between Second Symphony and Son of the Earth. But probably Son of the Earth's more close to me because I danced it.

Presenter22:56

Who's choreography?

Natalia Makarova22:57

I'm Kenneth MacMillan, and I particularly like last song Forewell. I mean it's so dramatic and something going from inside of your soul.

Natalia Makarova23:07

They're soul taking apart.

Presenter23:09

And who shall sing it?

Natalia Makarova23:10

Janet Becker.

Presenter24:00

The Abschid from Mahler's The Song of the Earth, Janet Baker with the Concertgebau Orchestra of Amsterdam, conducted by Bernard Heitink.

Presenter24:09

Madam McCarva, nearly 50 years ago Rogers and Hart and George Abbott had an idea for a musical which featured jazz and ballet and On Your Toes was born and a great success. There's a wonderful starring part in it for a dancer who was also an actress and last year it was decided to revive On Your Toes in New York and you were invited to play that part. What was your reaction when you heard about it?

Natalia Makarova24:36

I like adventures. I just like idea to try something new in my career.

Natalia Makarova24:45

And I didn't really took seriously at the beginning. I said, Why not? I try.

Natalia Makarova24:50

Maybe I could not succeed, but at least I try.

Presenter24:53

Your acting was fine, wonderfully funny. And you you had never spoken on the stage.

Natalia Makarova24:58

And never in Russia I never opened my mouth. Surely it's saved me.

Presenter25:04

You have that jazz ballet, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. You have to dance in high heels and it's the most frenetic piece of dancing I've ever seen. It must have taken an immense amount of work.

Natalia Makarova25:04

Have that

Natalia Makarova25:13

Um it takes energy, yes. And spirit, I I suppose. Uh and besides, it's uh kind of difficult for classical dancer to put uh high heels and dance it. It's different kind of muscles works. And uh for the while I had tremendous strain on my muscles, my legs. But I used to it now.

Presenter25:35

It won you a Attorney Award and now you're playing the part again in London. Are you enjoying it as as much as you did in New York?

Natalia Makarova25:42

I have a fun. Uh particular public reaction is uh incredible and it's uh inspiring.

Presenter25:49

How much of a workout do you ordinarily do in the morning? I mean, you as if it wasn't enough to play a performance like that every night. Do you do the usual hour and a half at the bar at most?

Natalia Makarova26:00

Oh that's our religion.

Presenter26:02

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova26:02

Class

Natalia Makarova26:04

So I have to otherwise I will get out of sha classical shape.

Natalia Makarova26:08

I have to do one hour and a half class. Unfortunately I couldn't do in the morning now when I perform because I'm in bed quite late, dinner after the performance or I'm in bed two and three at night.

Natalia Makarova26:23

So I wake up.

Natalia Makarova26:24

Late. I miss class at Covent Garden at 10.30 and I'm going to go to the next one.

Speaker 426:28

It's supposed to be there.

Natalia Makarova26:29

Yes, supposedly. So I take class usually three o'clock now. And some f from three o'clock till performance start seven thirty five is all preparation for the show.

Presenter26:40

What are you going to do next? Have you any ideas?

Natalia Makarova26:43

Oh, I have many ideas, but it's too early to talk about.

Presenter26:47

Yeah, wait and see which one.

Natalia Makarova26:48

Yes, but uh I very much look forward to have a theatrical career besides dancing.

Presenter26:56

A straight play perhaps

Natalia Makarova26:57

Straight play, perhaps.

Presenter26:58

Uh

Natalia Makarova26:58

Uh

Presenter26:58

Yeah.

Presenter26:59

Your seventh record. Much will happen.

Natalia Makarova27:01

Oh, here we're coming to Shosom Poem.

Natalia Makarova27:05

When I first arrive in America, it's the first new ball I have to learn.

Natalia Makarova27:10

was Anthony Tudor Jardino Lella.

Presenter27:13

To show source music

Natalia Makarova27:14

Yes, that's how I was introduced to that music. And it's very romantic.

Presenter28:24

An excerpt from Chausan's Poem for Violin and Orchestra.

Presenter28:28

Isaac Stern with the Paris Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barremboim.

Presenter28:33

Let's get back to the desert island.

Presenter28:36

How would you be able to look after yourself? Are you a practical lady?

Natalia Makarova28:40

I fret not.

Presenter28:42

Well, perhaps we'll have to

Natalia Makarova28:44

I I probably cannot survive in that island because I cannot cook, I cannot do anything.

Presenter28:44

I probably can also

Presenter28:50

You'll have to live on fruit.

Natalia Makarova28:51

Oh, through that.

Presenter28:52

Never done any fishing skiing.

Natalia Makarova28:53

Never done on the

Natalia Makarova28:56

Cro fishing, yes, of course. But you have to m take a

Presenter28:57

Hello.

Natalia Makarova29:00

Rob or

Presenter29:01

Yes, well there'll be something there that you could use.

Natalia Makarova29:01

Yes, well

Natalia Makarova29:03

Love him.

Presenter29:05

You you have fished successfully as a girl.

Natalia Makarova29:07

Yes, in fact, yes. I remember catching crabs, too.

Presenter29:11

Would you try to escape? Do you know anything about boats?

Natalia Makarova29:14

Escape. Why? I I suppose to be happy by myself. I don't want to escape.

Presenter29:19

You think you might enjoy it?

Presenter29:22

You don't want to escape.

Natalia Makarova29:23

Not this time, I think. Probably f finally I will find a piece.

Presenter29:27

You'll probably find a lot of your fans setting out to go and fetch you.

Presenter29:33

What's the next record? Your last record, number eight. My last one.

Natalia Makarova29:36

I told you it's cruel.

Natalia Makarova29:38

My last one is Beethoven Romances.

Presenter29:42

Which one?

Natalia Makarova29:43

Oh, number two in F major, David Oyster.

Natalia Makarova29:49

Probably I can find one word, sublime.

Presenter30:44

Beethoven's Romance, Number Two in F major, David Eustrach, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Eugene Grussens. If you could take just one of the eight discs you've chosen, which would it be?

Natalia Makarova30:58

I think it is very cruel to choose.

Presenter31:02

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova31:02

Uh

Presenter31:02

Uh And now I'm turning the screw.

Natalia Makarova31:02

And so I'm too.

Natalia Makarova31:04

Is it Spanish execution too?

Natalia Makarova31:06

Choose.

Natalia Makarova31:08

But

Natalia Makarova31:09

I suppose it will be Bach.

Presenter31:11

The buckets are not available.

Natalia Makarova31:12

You can find everything in Bar.

Presenter31:14

And I'm now going to ask you which one book you would take.

Natalia Makarova31:17

The

Presenter31:19

You already have the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare.

Natalia Makarova31:22

Well

Natalia Makarova31:23

If you talk about

Natalia Makarova31:25

Literature

Natalia Makarova31:27

I think only Dostoevsky can, for me, I can reread and find discover new things every year.

Natalia Makarova31:36

All uh maybe it best will be to take just poetry, never get bored to reading poetry.

Natalia Makarova31:42

In this case it will be Alexander Pushkin.

Presenter31:44

Pushkin's poetry.

Presenter31:46

and one luxury to take with you, one object of no practical use that would give you great pleasure.

Natalia Makarova31:52

Greatest pleasure, not practical pleasure, gives me bordeaux, French Bordeaux. But I realize I cannot take lots of bottles very much.

Presenter32:00

Yes you can. Yes some good French wine.

Natalia Makarova32:01

Okay.

Natalia Makarova32:02

Oh, in this case every night Chateau Margot sixty one.

Presenter32:07

Chateau Margot sixty one. You shall have an adequate supply for as long as you are there.

Natalia Makarova32:12

But what about cigarettes?

Presenter32:13

Cigarettes? No, you can't have both.

Natalia Makarova32:15

I have to quit.

Presenter32:16

No, you'll have to make it.

Natalia Makarova32:17

Wine and cigarettes goes together with me.

Presenter32:19

No, you s you said you're trying to kick smoking by having cigarettes made of hay or herbal cigarettes. Well, you can make some herbal cigarettes on the island, can't you?

Natalia Makarova32:22

I guess right.

Speaker 432:23

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova32:23

Hey, herbal signal. Rude.

Natalia Makarova32:27

I believe

Speaker 432:27

Can't you?

Natalia Makarova32:28

Yes.

Presenter32:29

And thank you, Natalia Makarova, for letting us hear your choice of Desert Island.

Natalia Makarova32:34

I have to add it, my choice of music going totally opposite when is my son will choose. My son would choose probably Michael Jackson.

Presenter32:42

Michael Jackson

Natalia Makarova32:43

All of eight of you.

Presenter32:44

Oh yes, but in a year or two he'll swing to something quite different. Maybe in a week or two.

Natalia Makarova32:47

Yeah.

Natalia Makarova32:48

Oh, I hope so, but I don't know.

Presenter32:50

But I don't think you're going to swing in your musical taste.

Natalia Makarova32:53

Not really, I'm too old for that. I'm too mature, let's say.

Presenter32:58

Goodbye everyone.

Speaker 333:06

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