Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
One of Britain's most distinguished novelists.
On the island
Eight records
If You Were the Only Girl in the World
George Robey and Violet Lorraine
Performer Violet Lorraine is identified in the transcript as 'Violet Lerone' but corrected here to the canonical name. Composer: Nat D. Ayer (lyrics by Clifford Grey).
Were I Laid on Greenland's Coast (from The Beggar's Opera)
L T Morrison and John Cameron (as Polly and MacHeath)
John Gay (original ballad opera)
The castaway says 'Where I laid on Greenland's coast from The Beggars' Opera' and notes the performers. Correcting the title to the usual lyric 'Were I Laid on Greenland's Coast' but retaining the performer identification given by the presenter.
La donna è mobile (from Rigoletto)
The castaway says 'Rigoletto' and identifies 'Woman is Fickle' (gn. La donna è mobile). The presenter introduces the track as sung by Pavarotti. Correcting the title to the canonical Italian.
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Willi Boskovsky
The presenter says 'Ville Boskowski conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra' – corrected to Willi Boskovsky.
Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
The castaway says 'borrowed in Spolovtsen dances from Prince Igor' – corrected to Polovtsian Dances. Presenter says 'the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karagan' – corrected to Karajan.
The Rio GrandeFavourite
Hallé Orchestra conducted by Constant Lambert
Presenters says 'Constant Lambert conducting the Halley Orchestra' – corrected to Hallé Orchestra.
Darius Milhaud conducting his own work
The castaway says 'Darius Millo's Creation du Monde' – corrected to Darius Milhaud, 'La Création du Monde'. The presenter says 'Darius Milo conducting his own The Creation of the World' – corrected.
Ibéria (from Images pour orchestre)
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Ernest Ansermet
The castaway says 'Tubicius Iberia' – corrected to the actual work, 'Ibéria'. Presenter says 'Ernest Onsome conducting the orchestra of the Suisse Romande' – corrected to Ernest Ansermet.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:47Are you an optimistic person?
Not at all. No, deeply pessimistic.
Presenter asks
4:18During those formative years [at Eton and Oxford], had you already started to write?
No, I don't think I really began to write at all, apart from uh a certain amount of undergraduate journalism, until I came to London. And then I began at least one ineffective novel, but I don't think got more onto more than a few pages.
Presenter asks
5:01What job did you take when you came to London?
Well, I worked in a publisher's office. I used to clean the ink pots out and compose the ads and that sort of thing.
Presenter asks
9:21Did you have a clear idea of just how many volumes this novel [The Music of Time] was going to take?
No, I knew it was going to take a great many, and I didn't really know how many until I really got within sight of the war, and I knew that I would want to write at least three volumes about the war.
The keepsakes
The book
Mikhail Lermontov
Yes, well I should like A Hero of Our Time by Mikael Lamontov, which although it's quite a short book, has an extraordinary number of facets to it. And I think that if I had the Bible and Shakespeare to ponder over all the time, I should always be finding new things also in Lamontov's book.
The luxury
Presenter asks
11:30Its conclusion must have left a great hole in your life, twenty-five years' work [finishing The Music of Time].
Well, it hasn't really, you know, because one's always interested in the book that one is writing at the moment. And I'm now writing these memoirs and I really find I'm interested in them. And I put the um I put the novel entirely behind me.
Presenter asks
13:48To a considerable extent, hasn't your autobiography already been written in the novel sequence [The Music of Time]?
Well, I like to think that it hasn't, because I think there are certain things you can say in a novel, which I don't think you really can say in autobiography. I think that everybody approaches autobiography in a different way, and I feel very much that there are certain things which I can only express by way of a novel.
“Not at all. No, deeply pessimistic.”
“I think many convicts are better treated. One was expected, one was on the mat if you arrived later than five past ten in the morning or left earlier than five to six in the evening. And you were expected to work all Saturday afternoon too, though occasionally you were not forced to. I would infinitely rather be in the army.”
“I made up my mind when I wrote them that I would have all the fun I could out of them. And I was slightly stuck at the moment in writing novels. And of course, it's a totally different technique. And I found it was a wonderful purge to turn to this other form of writing.”
“I think there are certain things you can say in a novel, which I don't think you really can say in autobiography. I think that everybody approaches autobiography in a different way, and I feel very much that there are certain things which I can only express by way of a novel.”
“I remember he and I once bought a bottle of wine called Tawny Wine Port Flavour one afternoon, and it is one of the few bottles of wine I have been unable to drink. I think there are only two others as far as I can remember.”