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Tom Service talks to John Williams, the renowned Australian-born guitarist, ahead of his 75th birthday.  When John talked to Tom, he brought his guitar with him and demonstrates some of the intricacies of the technique, melodic and rhythmic interpretations of music. 

John Williams has enjoyed a 50 year-long  collaboration with a string of distinguished producers at Sony and CBS and, to commemorate his 75th birthday, a new box-set has been released under the title, ‘John Williams: The Complete Columbia Album Collection’.  John starts by talking to Tom about his monumental recorded legacy, which ranges from guitar classics by the likes of Rodrigo and Albeniz, to Vivaldi, Takemitsu, jazz and African music. 

The guitar to John is all about communication and he explains how he is inspired by non-classical music from around the work in order to find new ways to reach out to his audience.  Tom also talks to him about the early influences on his playing from his own father’s tuition and Segovia.  John also talks about his own approach to teaching and how guitar performance must evolve in a world that has changed enormously both politically and culturally since the times of Segovia.  He also talks about his current work on Vivaldi and his own compositions.

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Tom reviews ‘Svetik’, a new family memoir of the legendary Soviet pianist Sviatoslav Richter. He discusses the book with its two authors Walter Moskalew, also Richter's first cousin, and friend Anthony Phillips, who worked with the pianist when Richter first visited the UK.

Sviatoslav Richter is one of the touchstones of late 20th century piano playing, but how was his extraordinary creative imagination formed?  Walter Moskalew and Anthony Phillips believe that his creativity comes directly from the relationships that he had with his family, particularly his highly imaginative artistic Aunt Meri, who was a powerful influence on the young  Richter when his mother was absent during the civil war in Russia.  Richter’s family story also involves the tragedy of his father’s death in the Second World War, which he blamed partly on the compromises that his mother made owing to her love affair with another man, Sergei. 

Walter Moskalew and Anthony Phillips draw on previously unpublished letters between Richter and his family, particularly Aunt Meri, and fascinating illustrations and photos from the family archives that go back to the 19th century.  The pianist and writer Kenneth Hamilton reviews this new book on Richter’s extraordinary family.