BBC Desert Island Discs
Featuring artists of world renown as well as some maybe not so famous people from various spheres, each one is interviewed during which the conversation often takes on a life of its own. Each artist selects a few Desert Island Discs which are putatively the main focus of each interview. It is both fascnating and entertaining to learn what each of these personages selects. You might even find out about some great recordings that you weren't previously familiar with!
The History of Desert Island Discs
Late one evening in 1941, freelance broadcaster Roy Plomley was at his home and already in his pyjamas, when an idea came to him. He sat down and wrote immediately to the BBC. That letter reached the in-tray of the BBC’s Head of Popular Record Programmes, Leslie Perowne. The pitch was successful and a broadcasting institution was born.
That first Desert Island Discs was recorded in the BBC’s bomb-damaged Maida Vale studio on 27th January 1942 and aired in the Forces Programme at 8pm two days later. It was introduced to the listening public as "a programme in which a well-known person is asked the question, if you were to be cast away alone on a desert island, which eight gramophone records would you choose to have with you, assuming of course, that you had a gramophone and an inexhaustible supply of needles".
Plomley’s first castaway was the popular Viennese comedian, actor and musician, Vic Oliver. The first piece of music chosen by Vic Oliver, and therefore by any castaway, was Chopin’s Étude No.12 in C minor played by pianist Alfred Cortot. During these war years, every BBC Radio show was scripted and Plomley and his guests would 'read' their conversations. On 7th May 1942 Roy Plomley made his first appearance as a castaway when the programme was presented by Leslie Perowne.
The programme came off air in 1946 returning to the Home Service in 1951. On 16th September that year, the choice of luxury was introduced when garlic was chosen by the actress Sally Ann Howes. The choice of book made its first appearance on 9th October 1951 when actor and director Henry Kendall chose Who’s Who in the Theatre. According to Roy Plomley’s book, Desert Island Lists, in addition to the volume of Shakespeare, the castaways would be given a copy of the Bible, which was assumed to have been deposited there by The Gideon Society.
In September 1967, Desert Island Discs transferred to the newly created Radio 4 service. Roy Plomley continued to present the programme until his death, from pleurisy, in May 1985. He was 71. He was replaced by Michael Parkinson who dispensed with the ritual of the pre-recording lunch at Plomley’s club, the Garrick, and insisted that the music was played to the guests during the recording rather than edited in afterwards. Parkinson presented the last of his 96 programmes on 13th March 1988, when his guest was the athlete Brendan Foster.
Sue Lawley became the first female presenter and over the following 18 years, Lawley, a former Nationwide presenter, interviewed 750 people from all aspects of public life including politics, entertainment, science and sport. Describing the role as “one of the best jobs in broadcasting”, Lawley left Desert Island Discs in August 2006 and was replaced by journalist and broadcaster, Kirsty Young. During her tenure in the chair the programme has become available to listen again online and is available as a download.
That first Desert Island Discs was recorded in the BBC’s bomb-damaged Maida Vale studio on 27th January 1942 and aired in the Forces Programme at 8pm two days later. It was introduced to the listening public as "a programme in which a well-known person is asked the question, if you were to be cast away alone on a desert island, which eight gramophone records would you choose to have with you, assuming of course, that you had a gramophone and an inexhaustible supply of needles".
Plomley’s first castaway was the popular Viennese comedian, actor and musician, Vic Oliver. The first piece of music chosen by Vic Oliver, and therefore by any castaway, was Chopin’s Étude No.12 in C minor played by pianist Alfred Cortot. During these war years, every BBC Radio show was scripted and Plomley and his guests would 'read' their conversations. On 7th May 1942 Roy Plomley made his first appearance as a castaway when the programme was presented by Leslie Perowne.
The programme came off air in 1946 returning to the Home Service in 1951. On 16th September that year, the choice of luxury was introduced when garlic was chosen by the actress Sally Ann Howes. The choice of book made its first appearance on 9th October 1951 when actor and director Henry Kendall chose Who’s Who in the Theatre. According to Roy Plomley’s book, Desert Island Lists, in addition to the volume of Shakespeare, the castaways would be given a copy of the Bible, which was assumed to have been deposited there by The Gideon Society.
In September 1967, Desert Island Discs transferred to the newly created Radio 4 service. Roy Plomley continued to present the programme until his death, from pleurisy, in May 1985. He was 71. He was replaced by Michael Parkinson who dispensed with the ritual of the pre-recording lunch at Plomley’s club, the Garrick, and insisted that the music was played to the guests during the recording rather than edited in afterwards. Parkinson presented the last of his 96 programmes on 13th March 1988, when his guest was the athlete Brendan Foster.
Sue Lawley became the first female presenter and over the following 18 years, Lawley, a former Nationwide presenter, interviewed 750 people from all aspects of public life including politics, entertainment, science and sport. Describing the role as “one of the best jobs in broadcasting”, Lawley left Desert Island Discs in August 2006 and was replaced by journalist and broadcaster, Kirsty Young. During her tenure in the chair the programme has become available to listen again online and is available as a download.
Episodes
There are decades of episodes some of which are both rather entertaining. For example there is an interesting interview with Arthur Rubinstein who was widely regarded as one of the greatest classical pianists of the 20th century. For almost 70 years he toured the world and played countless concerts. He also found time to write his most entertaining autobiography in two volumes entitled "My Young Years" and "My Many Years" -- for which you can find links to if you scroll down on our Bibliography page.
Two especially moving episodes feature Jacqueline Du Pre and Daniel Barenboim.
Then there's an especially amusing episode which features Len Goodman.
Plus countless more including such luminaries as:
Alec Guinness
Tony Bennett
Dizzy Gillespie
David Attenborough
Eric Clapton
Bernard Haitink
Andre Previn
Andras Schiff
David Willcocks
Phil Collins
Brian Eno
Joan Baez
Julie Andrews
Doris Lessing
Anna Moffo
Yehudi Menuhin
Amadeus String Quartet
Itzhak Perlman
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Claudio Abbado
Gregory Peck
Steve McQueen
Louis Armstrong aka "Satchmo"
Keith Richards
Dave Brubeck
Note: You can click on any of the above names to link to the relevant Desert island Discs episode.
New Yorker article
Desert Island Discs on YouTube
In addition there are many episodes of Desert Island Discs on YouTube. A few representative examples follow below:
Leopold Stokowski was considered to be one of the leading conductors of the 20th century. He is most famous for for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra--as well as his starring appearance in the Disney film Fantasia in which he conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra for the soundtrack. In addition, in 1916 he conducted the US premiere of Mahler Symphony No. 8 known as the 'Symphony of a Thousand'.
Jorge Bolet was one of the great classical pianists of the 20th century.
Clifford Curzon was one of the great classical pianists of the 20th century.
Elisabeth Schwartzkopf was considered one of the great classical sopranos of the 20th century.
Montserrrat Caballe was considered to be one of the great classical sopranos of the 20th century. She was especially known for her bel canto repertoire.