Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A very well known young conductor, frequently heard on radio broadcasts.
On the island
Eight records
Sextet from Le nozze di Figaro
It's got beautiful melodies, it's got the comic opera patter of it and the counterpoint and the superb orchestration. In fact, everything that Mozart has in this one little piece.
Va, pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Westminster Choir, conducted by Arturo Toscanini
It would be very nice to have this on a desert island to remember both Verdi and Toscanini's conducting.
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622
Vladimír Říha (clarinet), Václav Talich (conductor)
It would remind me of my wife as a clarinet player, and also it's played by my wife's teacher and conducted by my teacher.
Mira, o Norma (duet) from Norma
On a desert island one wouldn't be able to have too much choice as to how many singers. It would be a pity to waste a record with just one singer.
It has rather an extraordinary orchestration. It has as many as 26 oboes in it and 14 bassoons.
Vom Himmel hoch (from Christmas songs)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Charles Mackerras (conductor)
Traditional, arranged by Charles Mackerras
This particular song would also remind me very much of my children because they are particularly fond of this tune.
Der Abschied from Das Lied von der Erde
Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Bruno Walter (conductor), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The text I'm sure would fit in very well with one's feelings on this frightful situation of being on a desert island alone.
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rafael Kubelík
Its primitiveness and barbaric quality, I think, would go very well with a desert island.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:57What sort of tests did you apply in selecting these eight desert island discs?
If I were to choose only for musical reasons, I couldn't possibly just choose eight. Because there are so many of my favourite composers of all different kinds. I'm very Catholic in my musical tastes. So I've had to apply not only the test of whether I like the music particularly or not, but also if it has some personal touch to it.
Presenter asks
6:17What made you become a musician?
It's difficult to say. My family is musical and always they were interested in it. But there's never been a professional musician in the family before, but I've always really been only interested in music ever since I was a very small child.
Presenter asks
7:47What brought you to Britain?
Well, I think every musician must come to Europe to study or to, you know, feel the environment of the musical life of Europe.
Presenter asks
14:39The keepsakes
The book
Not recorded.
The luxury
I think that a luxury of a very ephemeral nature would be the best thing, because after all, I wouldn't last very long on the desert island. So I think I shall take a large case of wine.
What about your compositions and arrangements?
Well, I do compose a little, but it's chiefly as an arranger that I consider myself to be reasonably good. … I don't really like arranging music which has already been written for the orchestra. There are lots of people who like to arrange old music, for instance, because they think that the composers didn't know what they were doing, that if they'd have had the benefit of modern orchestration, that they would have of course orchestrated it this way. I don't hold with that at all.
Presenter asks
17:45You're still in your early thirties. Have you any special ambitions for the future?
Well I should think would be to conduct in an opera house, either to be a sort of high up conductor in one of the best opera houses or in fact why not have one's own opera house where one could do exactly what one liked, the operas that one likes. I especially like chamber operas so I'm not even wouldn't even cost all that much.
Presenter asks
19:51How good a castaway do you think you'll be?
Oh, utterly ghastly, I should think. … I don't think I'd be in the least good. … I think that anything to do with the practical side of life would completely defeat me. I'm sure I should die within a very few weeks.
“I've never actually been on one, but I've seen quite a few of them from a distance, because in Australia there are quite a few of that kind of island round the coast of Australia.”
“I'm very Catholic in my musical tastes.”
“It's got beautiful melodies, it's got the comic opera patter of it and the counterpoint and the superb orchestration. In fact, everything that Mozart has in this one little piece.”
“I think every musician must come to Europe to study or to, you know, feel the environment of the musical life of Europe.”
“I don't really like arranging music which has already been written for the orchestra. There are lots of people who like to arrange old music, for instance, because they think that the composers didn't know what they were doing, that if they'd have had the benefit of modern orchestration, that they would have of course orchestrated it this way. I don't hold with that at all.”
“Oh, utterly ghastly, I should think. … I think that anything to do with the practical side of life would completely defeat me. I'm sure I should die within a very few weeks.”