Franz Liszt — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

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desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Franz Liszt — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Composer

Franz Liszt

29 episodes

Chosen over the decades

29

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

7

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Anna Pavord
Anthony Hopkins
Bernice Rubens
Bing Crosby
Bransby Williams
Captain Jacques Cousteau
Countess Elizabeth Longford
Dame Maggie Teyte
Dennis Brain
Dirk Bogarde
John Julius Norwich
John Lill
John Ogdon
Lang Lang
Lord Rothschild
Michael Wood
Percy Kahn
Professor Sir Denis Brogan
Richard Buckle
Rumer Godden
Russell Braddon
Sir Claus Moser
Sir Clifford Curzon
Sir Frank Francis
more

Anna Pavord
How Anna Pavord crawled out of hospital to feel grass after cancer treatment
Castaway · 17 November 2017Kirsty Young
Tamara Rojo
Tamara Rojo on first seeing a ballet class as a five-year-old
Castaway · 8 June 2014Kirsty Young
Lang Lang

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Lang Lang on his father telling him to jump off a building

Castaway · 31 October 2010Kirsty Young

01°37′S 144°45′W

Susana Walton

How a press conference proposal left Susana Walton foreseeing 'three weeks of disaster'

Castaway · 13 January 2002Sue Lawley

00°35′S 039°44′W

John Lill

John Lill on having his hands slashed by muggers

Castaway · 4 March 2001Sue Lawley

John Julius Norwich

13°46′S 145°19′W

John Julius Norwich

John Julius Norwich on leaving Venice with a haunting sense of regret

Castaway · 2 November 1997Sue Lawley

23°47′S 066°57′W

Rumer Godden

How a father's remark about her face broke Rumer Godden's heart

Castaway · 13 October 1996Sue Lawley

02°38′S 114°00′W

Bernice Rubens

Bernice Rubens on her father's mistaken ticket to Cardiff

Castaway · 8 September 1991Sue Lawley

14°32′S 155°16′W

Dirk Bogarde

How Dirk Bogarde used a cloth cap to hide from his eye phobia

Castaway · 5 January 1990Sue Lawley

12°04′S 026°59′W

John Ogdon

John Ogdon on his return to the stage after a nine-year absence

Castaway · 24 September 1989Sue Lawley

Sir Claus Moser

02°23′S 098°03′W

Sir Claus Moser

Claus Moser on watching Hitler's torchlight procession from his window

Castaway · 6 November 1988Michael Parkinson

Sir Ian MacGregor

15°21′S 128°13′W

Sir Ian MacGregor

How a tank-building mission took Ian MacGregor from Glasgow to America

Castaway · 5 October 1986Michael Parkinson

Anthony Hopkins

10°43′S 036°12′W

Anthony Hopkins

How Anthony Hopkins auditioned Othello for Laurence Olivier

Castaway · 23 February 1985Roy Plomley

Lord Rothschild

00°15′S 139°47′W

Lord Rothschild

Rothschild on giving up first-class cricket after a fast bowler hit him

Castaway · 7 July 1984Roy Plomley

16°29′S 024°33′W

Michael Wood

How a V-1 bomb narrowly missed Michael Wood during the Blitz

Castaway · 19 March 1983Roy Plomley

Captain Jacques Cousteau

05°15′S 057°06′W

Captain Jacques Cousteau

Jacques Cousteau on breaking thirty windows while testing a movie myth

Castaway · 10 July 1982Roy Plomley

Sir Frederick Ashton

15°38′S 002°40′W

Sir Frederick Ashton

Frederick Ashton on being riveted by Anna Pavlova's performance aged 13

Castaway · 2 May 1981Roy Plomley

00°23′S 020°47′W

Richard Buckle

How Richard Buckle spent £75,000 to save Diaghilev's costumes

Castaway · 15 September 1979Roy Plomley

Countess Elizabeth Longford

08°04′S 131°14′W

Countess Elizabeth Longford

Elizabeth Longford on discovering that Queen Victoria and Albert had furious rows

Castaway · 11 August 1979Roy Plomley

Sir Clifford Curzon

02°42′S 156°47′W

Sir Clifford Curzon

Clifford Curzon on his first paid performance in a freezing Kennington church

Castaway · 17 June 1978Roy Plomley

00°02′S 090°43′W

Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby on quitting law school to play in a band at a Chinese restaurant

Castaway · 27 December 1975Roy Plomley

Dame Maggie Teyte

01°36′S 073°03′W

Dame Maggie Teyte

Maggie Teyte on being told she was forgotten in America

Castaway · 15 April 1968Roy Plomley

Russell Braddon

14°15′S 064°55′W

Russell Braddon

Russell Braddon on the Piddingtons' Tower of London stunt

Castaway · 8 April 1968Roy Plomley

Professor Sir Denis Brogan

02°07′S 165°04′W

Professor Sir Denis Brogan

Denis Brogan on writing a letter while answering a Round Britain Quiz question

Castaway · 21 October 1967Roy Plomley

Sir Frank Francis

16°01′S 056°38′W

Sir Frank Francis

Frank Francis on the sketch plans for moving the British Museum Library

Castaway · 14 March 1966Roy Plomley

11°52′S 029°40′W

Dirk Bogarde

Dirk Bogarde on his first job cleaning the gentleman's lavatory at Kew Theatre

Castaway · 28 September 1964Roy Plomley

06°30′S 114°25′W

Percy Kahn

Percy Kahn on spoiling a Caruso recording by clapping

Castaway · 8 September 1958Roy Plomley

Bransby Williams

20°49′S 006°29′W

Bransby Williams

Bransby Williams on dressing among seals and sea lions at his first theatre job

Castaway · 4 November 1957Roy Plomley

21°35′S 103°57′W

Dennis Brain

Dennis Brain on his father offering him an old horn to try

Castaway · 13 August 1956Roy Plomley