Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
The Lord Mayor of London, the city's ceremonial head and chief magistrate.
On the island
Eight records
Grand Fantasy on Polish Airs, Op. 13
Alexis Weissenberg with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra
particularly I wanted it played by Weissenberg.
Che farò senza Euridice (from Orfeo ed Euridice)
Kathleen Ferrier with the Orchestra of the Netherlands Opera
as my favourite opera is Orfeo Ed Juridici, then there can only be one piece possible, and that's K. Faro.
Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56Favourite
David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich and Sviatoslav Richter, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
the third one is the triple concerto, Beethoven's Triple Concerto, uh with Oistrak, Rostropovich and Richter, and conducted by Carahan.
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503
Alfred Brendel with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner
It's a very deeply expressive piece of music, and I love it dearly.
London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Colin Davis
Oh, I love this drama and uh it's it's very exciting. There's a great succession of ideas in it.
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
I'm naturally very nostalgic about all sorts of things, and uh I therefore thought the concerto for cello and orchestra of Elgar was a must, and I've had the pleasure of meeting Jacqueline Dupre on some occasions, and therefore I like it played by her.
because, as you may imagine, over the eight years which I have been an alderman, I've spent many, many hours in that magnificent cathedral, which I love, and the music there is truly beautiful.
Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major ("Romantic")
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
I first heard them play the Bruckner Symphony No. four barely five years ago, I think. and I was greatly moved. Really touched by it, and so I've chosen that as my last record.
In conversation
Presenter asks
3:09How old were you when you were evacuated [to the United States]?
Two and a half years old.
Presenter asks
8:37Why did you choose to do [a milk round in Chelsea]?
It paid very well, you know. And uh I r was, I think, probably somewhat unsettled after the army and still not knowing precisely in which direction to turn.
Presenter asks
13:03How did you increase the turnover [of the wine merchant's business] tenfold?
Oh, I think it's even more than that now. Well, I worked very hard. I used to start very early in the morning, probably goes back to the milk round, I suspect. And um I was buying, selling, typing the orders, ringing up customers. I did everything, literally, with the help of one other chap who was there.
Presenter asks
26:22During his year of office does the Lord Mayor remain aloof from politics?
The keepsakes
The book
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
George Grove
I'd like to cheat a bit and have the entire new set of I think it's seventeen volumes, is it of Grove? Grove's dictionary
The luxury
the entire contents of my wine cellar
I have chosen something which I think would have great practical use to me anyway
Yes. In fact, uh I left the party of which I was a member before taking on the office of sheriff and I haven't rejoined, but I don't commit myself not to do so at a later date.
Presenter asks
29:21Could you rig up a shelter on this desert island? Could you look after yourself?
Yes, I think I could. I think I'd rather enjoy it, in fact.
“I claim my first memories at at two and a half. Because uh I have a for a long time a memory of lying in a cabin in a ship with the water level rising up the cabin floor.”
“I think I must have been rather vulgar in those days. I was extremely ambitious. And I think when I very rapidly learned that I hadn't got a field marshal's baton in my knapsack, I perhaps felt that the army wasn't for me.”
“I wanted to do the milk round better than anybody else. And so I used to go out at uh half past four in the morning, uh delivering all the milk to the front doors. Then I'd go off to breakfast. Then I'd go back to the yard, fill up with eggs and butter and cheese and bread and cakes and anything I could sell, because I used to get commission on it.”