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Felicity Lott

Kirsty Young's castaway is soprano Felicity Lott.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the soprano, Dame Felicity Lott. She is one of Britain's best known and best loved singers and has given performances in opera houses the world over under the batons of such notable conductors as Bernard Haitink, Carlos Kleiber and Georg Solti.

As a child, she had always loved singing, but was, she says, a shy, gawky girl who didn't have sharp enough elbows to get to the top. She tried her hand at teaching, but found she was so crippled with nerves that she had to abandon the idea. By good fortune she was delivered to a singing teacher who spotted her talent and gave her encouragement. It was exactly what she needed - she has enjoyed a career spanning more than 30 years and over that time has won a large and loyal army of fans.

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

Favourite track: Moonlight Music - the prelude to the final scene of Capriccio by Richard Strauss
Book: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Luxury: Lots of champagne and pistachio nuts.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 18 Jul 2008 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major

    Orchestra: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Zubin Mehta

    • Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • The Choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor

    I Was Glad

    • Parry Cathedral Music: St George’s Chapel Choir, Windsor.
    • Hyperion.

  • Tony Bennett

    A Time for Love

    • Forty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett.
    • Columbia.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Abendlied, Op. 92/3

    Choir: The Songmaker’s Almanac

    • Voices of the Night.
    • Hyperion.

  • Benjamin Britten

    A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3 (finale) (Glyndebourne 1981)

  • Jacques Offenbach

    Entrance of King Menelaus (from La Belle Hélène)

    Soloist: Michel Senechal Orchestra: The Choir and Orchestra of the Louvre, Grenoble Conductor: Marc Minkowski

    • La Belle Helene.
    • Virgin Classics.

  • Franz Schubert

    Fantasia in F minor, D940

    Soloist: Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu

    • Mozart. Schubert-Perahia-Lupu.
    • CBS.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Richard Strauss

      Intermezzo (Moonlight music) (from Capriccio)

      Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Conductor: Horst Stein

      • Strauss: Capriccio - Live Recording 1985.
      • Orfeo.

  • Book Choice

    • Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

  • Luxury Choice

    • Lots of champagne and pistachio nuts

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Felicity Lott

Broadcasts

  • Sun 13 Jul 2008 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM
  • Fri 18 Jul 2008 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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