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Desert Island Discs

Natalia Makarova

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Music, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Music Commentary

4.314.3K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 1984

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Natalia Makarova is starring in a revival of the musical On Your Toes, but she trained as a classical ballet dancer at the Kirov School in Leningrad. She tells Roy Plomley about her defection to the West during a tour with the Kirov Ballet in 1970, about her work with the American Ballet Theatre and the Royal Ballet and she chooses the eight records she would take to the mythical island.

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

Favourite track: Violin Concerto No 2 in E by Johann Sebastian Bach Book: Poetry by Aleksandr Pushkin Luxury: Wine - Chateau Margot 1961

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 cast way this week is the Russian Prima Balerina Natalia Makarava.

0:34.5

Madam Makarava, we've taken you from the world of the theatre and of dance and we put you on

0:39.8

a desert island.

0:41.0

Could you endure loneliness? I used to laugh loneliness. When I was a child, I love

0:48.1

when my parents live me alone. Usually child cry and I was just ecstatic. I couldn't wait when they leave me alone so I can

0:55.4

perform front of mirror and put myself in dramatic atmosphere I cry front of mirror I

1:01.2

laugh so that's probably how my career start as an actress.

1:05.1

You have just eight records with you do you think they would help? Oh enormously I

1:11.6

mean that's the joy of life to listen the music.

1:15.0

Was it difficult? I will have so much time.

1:18.0

Yes. Was it difficult to chose them?

1:20.0

Enormously difficult. I mean, it's just like you said, pulling the teeth.

1:24.0

Yes.

1:25.0

How did you say about it?

1:27.0

Are you choosing nostalgicly or to hear great music?

1:30.0

No, emotionally.

1:31.0

Yes.

1:32.0

I mean, I choose the music what make me in most emotional state.

1:36.7

You are an emotional person? I think so. And you like being emotional?

1:43.0

As all Russians were emotional and dramatic, so I'm 100% Russian.

...

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