Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Record critic for nearly fifty years, popular author and broadcaster on musical subjects.
On the island
Eight records
Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord No. 1 in A major, BWV 1015
Henryk Szeryng and Helmut Walcha
Well, this will be my beloved kind philosopher and friend. All through my life, really, Joan Sebastian Bach. Now not one of the big works, these aren't suited to Desert Island, something intimate, chamber music in fact. It is um a movement from one of the six violin and harpsichord sonatas.
Cavatina (from String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130)
Beethoven wins his battles. He fought some terrible battles in his life tragic life on the whole. But he gets above the battle. He's victorious. I believe this gives people courage. Well I've chosen the caveatina from the um B flat. major string quartet.
Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (Third Movement)
Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir
And now I'm turning to something very different from Beethoven. Cappatina. That is um A wonderful piece by Bartard called A Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. I think he's... Certainly one of the greatest composers of our time. It's the last movement I've chosen.
Elisabeth Schumann and Gerald Moore
This has been one of the great loves of my life. And I'm tuned for its associations too with two artists, Darling Elizabeth Schumann and my very dear friend Gerald Moore, two magnificent artists. It's Schubert thanking His beloved piano for all its men. And mine clavier to my piano.
Io son l'umile ancella (from Adriana Lecouvreur)
And so I've chosen An artist I love, Tibaldi, reminds me of my years in Italy too, the warmth, the sensuous warmth and beauty of Italy. A singing a little aria from a minor composer. in an opera called Adriana Le Crouverde.
Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Op. 47
Sinfonia of London, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli
You know, I love almost every note, every note, that Elga wrote, even in the little salon pieces. Or whatever have you, right up to the heights of things like Gurunches and this wonderful. He's for a string orchestra, I think. The greatest piece of string writing perhaps has ever been.
Panorama (from The Sleeping Beauty)
Anatole Fistoulari and the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra
I chose Tchaikovsky at this point. Panorama from the Sleeping Beauty. to recall all that I've got out of the ballet and out of his music.
In Paradisum (from Requiem, Op. 48)
Choir of King's College, Cambridge, conducted by David Willcocks
You may think it a bit premature, but I've chosen the last movement of Gabriel Forre's Requiem. This is a brutal movement called Imparadism.
In conversation
Presenter asks
6:09Do you come from a musical family?
My mother, um, had singing lessons from a famous singing teacher of her time. Well, when I say lessons, lesson, I should say. She sang Angels Ever Bright and Fair and he told her to go away and never come back again.
Presenter asks
7:03Where did you study?
I began to study actually at a school. I went to the headmaster and I said, I don't want to do Latin verse. I'm going to be a musician. Can I study harmony and counterpoint? … Then I went to the Royal Academy of Music. and studied there for four years.
Presenter asks
7:54Was there any scope for music while you were in uniform [during the First World War]?
Tremendous scope. One of my greatest friends is a very good pianist. I sang that time in what you might call a charming light baritone voice. And there were various people there, sopranos, singers and basses and tenors and so on. We used to give concerts every Sunday night. It became an absolute rage in the station.
Presenter asks
The keepsakes
The book
Johann Sebastian Bach
I'll take another book which is to me a musical Bible.
When did you start reviewing records?
1923, County Mackenzie had this brilliant idea of um Introducing this paper, never had been a paper like it before. And we used to review them in a very primitive kind of way, down in Newman Street in London.
Presenter asks
20:20How are you going to manage [on the island]? Are you a practical person?
I can't build anything at all. I can just about hit a nail, not on the head. … Cooking? Yes. Good. When I've got the materials.
“Beethoven wins his battles. He fought some terrible battles in his life tragic life on the whole. But he gets above the battle. He's victorious. I believe this gives people courage.”
“I love work, it's it's a joy to me to work. And so, um, you know, I've been very busy indeed.”
“I love the the voice, you know, especially the soprano voice. It to me is a miracle, uh the great Wagnerian prima donnes, the great Italian prima donnes. It's a miracle to me what what the human larynx can produce in the way of beautiful sound.”