Summary
Yehudi Menuhin was the original child prodigy. He was born in America in 1916, and was soon playing in concert halls round the world. He also played to the survivors of the German concentration camps, and waded into the fight against apartheid in South Africa too. Tasmin Little was a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin school in Surrey, England, and knew her choice well. Not only was he a brilliant performer, she says, he was a crossover star who played with Ravi Shankar, Stephane Grappelli and Morecambe and Wise. You'll also hear from his biographer, Humphrey Burton, and from Yehudi Menuhin too.
Presented by Matthew Parris
Produced for BBC audio in Bristol by Miles Warde
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to tell you why I love podcasting. |
| 0:04.5 | I'm Sasha Johansson, I'm an Assistant Commissioner for the BBC and I work on making podcasts. |
| 0:11.1 | My real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest |
| 0:16.9 | stars who can really bring those stories to life. |
| 0:20.1 | I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final |
| 0:26.0 | edit. |
| 0:27.0 | There's nothing like it. |
| 0:28.0 | What makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you, so whatever we commission |
| 0:32.6 | has to reflect the things that you care about and love, wherever you are in the UK. |
| 0:37.0 | So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover. |
| 0:40.6 | Have a listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:42.1 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:48.1 | What is it like to be a child prodigy, hot-housed musically from the earliest years of your |
| 0:53.5 | life? |
| 0:54.5 | Would you enjoy it? |
| 0:55.5 | Would you resent it? |
| 0:57.6 | Today's subject, Yehudi Manu'in, was a genius by all accounts. |
| 1:02.0 | For a while, the most famous boy on the planet, and he began practicing when he was extremely |
| 1:08.5 | young. |
| 1:09.5 | We woke up very early, then after Blue Shins breakfast, I worked, and when my sisters |
| 1:16.4 | grew up, we always kept the same schedule working together. |
| 1:19.6 | There were three pianos in the house, so that we could all be free at the same time. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.