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Alistair McGowan

With Michael Berkeley. Comedian Alistair McGowan's musical choices include piano works by Chopin, Rachmaninov, Marcel Zidani and Erik Satie, plus Grieg and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Michael Berkeley welcomes the versatile actor, impressionist and comedian Alistair McGowan, who is best-known for his work with Jan Ravens and Ronni Ancona on 'The Big Impression' (大象传媒 TV), impersonating over 100 well-known personalities ranging from David Beckham and Gary Lineker to Prince Charles and Tony Blair. He also appears in TV dramas such as the adaptation of Dickens' 'Bleak House', has presented 'Have I Got News for You', has appeared on stage in musicals such as 'The Mikado', 'Cabaret' (in which he played Emcee in the recent West End production) and 'They're Playing Our Song', and made his directing debut with Noel Coward's classic comedy 'Semi-Monde' at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

His love of music dates back to his childhood, when he listened to his mother playing the piano, and his choices for 'Private Passions' include piano works by Chopin, Rachmaninov, Marcel Zidani, and Erik Satie, whose quirky music is a particular favourite. He also includes an extract from Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherezade', another piece he loved from an early age; Solveig's Song from Grieg's incidental music to 'Peer Gynt', sung by Charlotte Page, the Waltz No.2 from Shostakovich's second Jazz Suite, which he used as entry music for a recent one-man stage show, and a poignant number from 'Cabaret', sung by Sheila Hancock and Geoffrey Hutchings.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 11 Apr 2010 12:00
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Waltz 2 (from Jazz Suite No.2)

    Performers: Russian State SO/Dmitry Yablonsky

    • Naxos 8555949.

  • Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse

    Gnossienne No.3

    Performer: Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)

    • Decca 4736202.

  • Edvard Grieg

    Solveig's Song (from Peer Gynt, op.23)

    Arranger: Payne Performers: Charlotte Page (soprano), London Salon Ensemble

    • Meridian CDE 84416.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Prelude in G minor, Op.23/5

    Performer: Idil Biret (piano)

    • Naxos 8501005.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin - Nocturne in D flat, Op.27/2

    Performer: Daniel Barenboim (piano)

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Scheherazade, Op.35 (3rd mvt 鈥� The young prince and princess)

    Performers: Suisse Romande Orchestra/Ernest Ansermet

    • Decca 4702532.

  • Marcel Zidani

    Prelude

    Performer: Marcel Zidani (piano)

    • Artist鈥檚 Private Recording.

  • Kander & Ebb

    It couldn't please me more (from Cabaret)

    Performers: Sheila Hancock (Fr盲ulein Schneider), Geoffrey Hutchings (Herr Schultz), Orchestra of the Lyric Theatre Production/David Steadman

    • BK Records BK 003 CD.

Broadcast

  • Sun 11 Apr 2010 12:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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Podcast

  • Private Passions

    Guests from all walks of life discuss their musical loves and hates