Andrew Lloyd Webber
Michael Berkeley's guest is theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, creator of shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Starlight Express, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.
Today Michael Berkeley welcomes Andrew Lloyd Webber, the most successful composer working in musical theatre of our time. His stream of multi-award-winning shows includes 'Jesus Christ Superstar', 'Evita', 'Starlight Express', 'Cats', 'The Phantom of the Opera', 'Aspects of Love', 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'Love Never Dies', for which he has won many international prizes including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, 7 Tony awards, 3 Grammy awards, and 14 Ivor Novello awards.
'Cats', 'Starlight Express' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar' (which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year) are the three longest-running musical in British theatre history.
The son of William Lloyd Webber, Director of the London College of Music, and a piano teacher, Andrew showed an early interest in music, but always wanted to write and play his own pieces. He had already written eight musicals before he met up with Tim Rice at the age of 17, creating one of the most remarkable artistic partnerships in music theatre history.
He is also a producer of musicals and films, and pioneered TV casting for musical theatre with the Emmy-award-winning 大象传媒 series 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?', won by Connie Fisher, who then went on to star in Lloyd Webber's smash hit production of The Sound Of Music'. He repeated this successful format with 'Any Dream Will Do' for his own 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat', 'I'd Do Anything' for 'Oliver!' and 'Over the Rainbow' for his new production of 'The Wizard of Oz' which opened at the London Palladium last March. He currently owns seven London theatres.
His best-known composition outside musical theatre is the Requiem.
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Music Played
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Narrator
'Love Never Dies' from 'Love Never Dies' (excerpt)
Performers: Katherine Jenkins
- DECCA 5336610.
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Sergey Prokofiev
'Cinderella's Departure for the Ball' from 'Cinderella' Act I
Performers: Cleveland Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy
- DECCA 4101622.
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Benjamin Britten
'Dawn' from Sea Interludes (Peter Grimes op 33)
Performers: London Symphony Orchestra/Steuart Bedford
- COLLINS CLASSICS 10192COL.
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Giacomo Puccini
Music from 'La Boheme' Act II
Performers: Placido Domingo (Rodolfo), Montserrat Caball茅 (Mimi), Sherrill Milnes (Marcello), Judith Biegen (Musetta), Ruggero Raimondi (Colline), Vicente Sardinero (Schaunard), Nico Castel (Alcindoro),The John Alldis Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra/Georg Solti
- RCA 80371.
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Dmitry Shostakovich
1st mvt from Cello Concerto no 1 in E flat major op 107
Performers: Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy
- SONY CLASSICAL MHK63327.
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Leonard Bernstein
Prologue
Performers: The original soundtrack recording (conducted by Johnny Green)
- CBS 4676062.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
'How Fair This Spot' from '12 Songs' Op 21 no 7
Performers: Anna Netrebko (soprano), Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre/Valery Gergiev
- DG 4776384.
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Sergey Prokofiev
3rd mvt from Piano Sonata no 7 in B flat major op 83
Performers: Martha Argerich (piano)
- Live in the Concertgebouw (EMI).
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Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II - Some Enchanted Evening' from 'South Pacific
Performers: Giorgio Tozzi (from the Original Soundtrack Recording)
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