Olivier Messiaen — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Tuning in…

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

Olivier Messiaen — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

Olivier Messiaen

14 episodes

Chosen over the decades

14

Total castaways

1970s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Barbara Pym
Charles Groves
Clive Oppenheimer
Debbie Wiseman
Ed McBain
Malcolm Williamson
Marcus du Sautoy
Nina Cassian
Noel Rawsthorne
Peter Donohoe
Rabbi Lionel Blue
Robert Macfarlane
Sir Nicholas Goodison
Wayne Marshall

Clive Oppenheimer
Clive Oppenheimer on his grandfather painting Albert Einstein
Castaway · 18 February 2024Lauren Laverne
Robert Macfarlane
Robert Macfarlane on the year he thought he would die in the mountains
Castaway · 25 July 2021Lauren Laverne
Debbie Wiseman

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

Debbie Wiseman on composing 70 minutes of orchestral music in three and a half weeks

Castaway · 19 October 2014Kirsty Young

Marcus du Sautoy

00°47′S 167°01′W

Marcus du Sautoy

Marcus du Sautoy on a teacher with a cigar who showed him the real maths

Castaway · 7 December 2008Kirsty Young

14°53′S 112°08′W

Wayne Marshall

Wayne Marshall on a Dublin concert where his organ's memory was wiped

Castaway · 21 April 2002Sue Lawley

11°15′S 087°45′W

Nina Cassian

Nina Cassian on being declared a non person overnight

Castaway · 14 February 1999Sue Lawley

17°11′S 154°28′W

Peter Donohoe

Peter Donohoe on putting his hands under his armpits in a 70mph car crash

Castaway · 11 September 1988Michael Parkinson

Rabbi Lionel Blue

08°04′S 086°03′W

Rabbi Lionel Blue

Lionel Blue on discovering humour in a Quaker meeting

Castaway · 29 May 1988Michael Parkinson

Sir Nicholas Goodison

06°51′S 119°35′W

Sir Nicholas Goodison

Nicholas Goodison on buying a cheap barometer that led to writing the standard reference book

Castaway · 1 March 1987Michael Parkinson

11°09′S 030°26′W

Ed McBain

Ed McBain on using a typewriter with only capital letters in the Navy

Castaway · 23 June 1979Roy Plomley

23°00′S 101°04′W

Barbara Pym

Barbara Pym on 16 years of publisher rejection

Castaway · 29 July 1978Roy Plomley

Malcolm Williamson

00°52′S 142°01′W

Malcolm Williamson

How treading on a lady’s foot ended Malcolm Williamson’s conducting career

Castaway · 12 June 1976Roy Plomley

Noel Rawsthorne

18°36′S 077°01′W

Noel Rawsthorne

Noel Rawsthorne on the organ that had no ignition key in Russia

Castaway · 30 December 1972Roy Plomley

03°10′S 120°11′W

Charles Groves

Charles Groves on seeing Toscanini cry while conducting

Castaway · 1 July 1972Roy Plomley