Main content

David Pountney

Sue Lawley's castaway is opera director David Pountney.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the opera producer David Pountney. Alongside Mark Elder and Peter Jonas at the ENO, he tried to make opera more attractive to a wider audience. The opera stage, he says, shouldn't be treated like a mantle shelf filled with fragile objects. It's a versatile and robust art form which needn't be stuck in the past. So he staged Carmen in an automobile graveyard, with a pink Cadillac and a giant billboard, while his Hansel and Gretel was set in a 1950s housing project.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: String Quartet No 2 'Intimate Letters' by Leos Jan谩膷ek
Book: Anthology: The English Year by Geoffrey Grigson
Luxury: Croquet lawn

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 27 Feb 1998 09:05
大象传媒 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Richard Noble

Next

Archie Norman MP

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Ophelia's Ditty (from Hamlet)

    Soloist: Louise Winter Orchestra: The City of Birmingham Orchestra Conductor: Mark Elder

    • Hamlet King Lear.
    • Cala.

  • Thomas Tallis

    O nata lux de lumine

    Choir: Choir of St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge Conductor: George Guest

    • Die Englische Motette im 鈥楪oldenen Zeitalter鈥�.
    • Musica Sacra.

  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo

    Izithembiso Zenkosi

    • Ulwandle Oluncgwele.
    • Shanachie.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Leos Jan谩膷ek

      String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters'

      Orchestra: Smetana Quartet

      • The Smetana Quartet plays Dvorak & Janacek.
      • Testament.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Bredon Hill from On Wenlock Edge

    Soloist: Ian Partridge Orchestra: The Music Group of London

    • Works by Warlock & Vaughan Williams.
    • EMI.

  • Ludwig Koch

    Hunting Dogs

    • Hunting by Ear.
    • Parlophone.

  • Hector Berlioz

    Villanelle (from Les nuits d'茅t茅)

    Soloist: Regine Crespin Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Conductor: Ernest Ansermet

    • Works by Berlioz, Ravel, Debussy & Poulenc.
    • Decca.

  • Adam F

    Circles

    • Adam F - Circles.
    • EMI.

  • Book Choice

    • Anthology: The English Year - Geoffrey Grigson

  • Luxury Choice

    • Croquet lawn

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest David Pountney

Broadcasts

  • Sun 22 Feb 1998 12:15
    大象传媒 Radio 4
  • Fri 27 Feb 1998 09:05
    大象传媒 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast