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Composer
154 episodes
Chosen over the decades
152
Total castaways
1980s
Peak decade
8
Decades seen
Castaways who chose this
Renata Scotto on replacing Maria Callas in Edinburgh
John Hackett on escaping German-occupied Holland in a canoe at dawn
Freddie Jones on how his resignation made the company's shares rise by four points
Claudio Abbado on deciding to become a conductor at age seven after hearing his first concert at La Scala
Clifford Curzon on his first paid performance in a freezing Kennington church
Victoria de los Angeles on her father convincing a priest to combine her mother's and uncle's names
Shinwell on the generals who threatened to resign when he arrived at the War Office
How a last-minute casting for The Merry Wives of Windsor brought Raymond Mander and Joe Mitchenson together
Michael Holroyd on arguing so persuasively his father told him to profit from it
Alfred Brendel on being forced to remove his tails after a piano stool mishap
Gladys Cooper on pretending to be Mary Hennessy to get her first stage role
John Ridgway and Chay Blyth on the moment they almost gave up rowing the Atlantic