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Desert Island Discs

Lord Rothschild

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Music, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Music Commentary

4.314.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 1984

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Lord Rothschild has spent much of his life as Assistant Director of the Research Department of Zoology at Cambridge University, but that has not prevented him from taking active roles in industry, heading the government's think tank and writing several books. He talks about the many facets of his career to Roy Plomley, and chooses the eight records he would take to the mythical island.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Get Happy by Art Tatum Book: Book on pure mathematics Luxury: Pad of A4 paper

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

0:05.0

For Wright's reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

0:08.0

The program was originally broadcast in 1984 and the presenter was Roy Plumlee. Our castaway this week is the head of the branch of a great trading and banking family.

0:34.5

He's also a scientist and a writer.

0:36.7

It's Lord Rothschild.

0:39.2

My lord, could you endure loneliness for a long time on an island? I think so. I think actually I'm

0:46.0

rather a solitary person normally so it doesn't frighten me that. You have eight

0:51.6

discs, a very meager allowance to help you on your way. Is music important in your life?

0:57.0

Yes, it is important. I don't think it dominates my life. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I didn't have it. You play an instrument?

1:04.8

You play the piano myself.

1:07.2

Did you start very young? We'll put to it.

1:09.6

Yes.

1:10.6

No, no, we had to play our scales and arpeggiers supervised by a mother and sometimes

1:16.6

a governess.

1:17.6

And you still keep in practice?

1:18.6

Yes, very much so.

1:20.2

And you like jazz music and classical music?

1:22.8

Yes, I must say that I think I'm better able to appreciate certain types of jazz

1:28.3

and I am classical music.

1:30.1

So we may expect a mixed choice.

1:33.0

I think that's a fair description.

1:34.7

What's the first one?

...

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