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Desert Island Discs

Tom Lehrer

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Society & Culture, Music Commentary, Music, Personal Journals

4.413.7K Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 1980

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Roy Plomley's castaway is composer Tom Lehrer.

Favourite track: Der Rosenkavalier Waltzes by Richard Strauss Book: The Oxford English Dictionary Luxury: Piano

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 1980, and the presenter was Roy Plumley. Our castaway this week is the American composer and singer of cynical songs

0:34.5

it's Tom Lehrer. How do you view this Robinson Crusoe business Tom?

0:39.4

Could you stand loneliness?

0:41.2

No, I don't think I could. What would you be happiest to have got away from?

0:45.9

Oh, I hate to say dogs because then everybody will write in. Let me think

0:50.1

We'll say dogs, that say something else. All right, then I've got to say something else, yes.

0:53.0

No, just noise, and that's the part I think that I would most like is the silence.

1:00.0

Right.

1:01.0

Now, we know you, of course, for your songs at the piano have you a wide

1:04.8

taste in music not that wide I think most of my interests are in the field of

1:09.7

musical theater one type or another ranging from music

1:13.0

call to opera rather than orchestra music.

1:16.0

What's the first one you've chosen?

1:18.0

The first one I've chosen is anything by Gilbert and Sullivan.

1:22.0

Unfortunately, we're forced to narrow it down to something.

1:25.0

And so I have just arbitrarily picked the entry of the peers for my Lanthi.

1:29.0

But almost any selection would do just as well.

1:32.0

All right. Would you like a Doile cart production?

1:34.5

Definitely.

1:35.6

Of what sort of date?

...

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