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Great Musicians' Lives

By: Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock, Matthew Parris
Narrated by: Matthew Parris, Phill Jupitus, Hanif Kureishi, Simon Armitage, Michael Morpurgo, Stuart Maconie, Joan Bakewell, Francine Stock, Humphrey Carpenter
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Summary

Distinguished guests nominate a great musician for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives.

For 20 years, Great Lives has been a linchpin of Radio 4, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. In it, a household name is invited to choose one of their heroes to discuss with the presenter and a guest expert. But will their chosen person live up to intensive scrutiny, and merit the description of having led a great life?

In this special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, the very best episodes featuring musicians' lives are collected together. From Marvin Gaye to Lonnie Donegan, here are examples both classical and contemporary. Simon Armitage expresses his admiration for on Ian Curtis, Phill Jupitus nominates Joe Strummer, pianist Joanna MacGregor selects Nina Simone, and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo champions Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whether it's Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie or Stuart Maconie on Ralph Vaughan Williams, the lives of the proponents are every bit as interesting as those of their nominees.

Fascinating and engaging, these captivating episodes follow the ups and downs of some of the most iconic musicians of all time, separating the truth from the myths to reveal just what made them so great, and why they continue to influence and inspire us today.

List of episodes and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4:

Louis Armstrong 12.7.02
Sergei Rachmaninoff 11.4.03
Pyotr Tchaikovsky 16.4.04
Marvin Gaye 5.11.04
Sir Edward Elgar 19.11.04
Mozart 19.4.05
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 21.10.05
Ella Fitzgerald 2.5.06
Nina Simone 19.9.06
Joe Strummer 3.4.07
Billie Holiday 1.5.07
John Cage 04.09.07
Paul Robeson 29.4.08
Ian Curtis 6.5.08
Alan Freed 26.8.08
Pavarotti 9.12.08
Thomas Beecham 21.04.09
John Coltrane 12.05.09
Miriam Makeba 15.09.09
Agustin Barrios Mangore 26.1.10
Malcolm McLaren 07.12.10
Kathleen Ferrier 26.04.11
Kirtsy McColl 09.08.11
Lonnie Donegan 03.1.12
Ralph Vaughan Williams 25.12.12
Fela Kuti 13.8.13
Jacqueline Du Pre 1.04.14
Dinu Lipatti 20.12.16
Captain Beefheart 03.04.18
Miles Davis 17.04.18
David Bowie 31.07.18
Ferruccio Busoni 30.04.19
Brian Epstein 14.5.19
Herbert Howells 06.08.19

Presented by Humphrey Carpenter, Matthew Parris and Francine Stock

Produced by Mark Smalley, Miles Warde, Perminder Khatkar, Peter Everett, Isobel Eaton, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Maggie Ayre, Christine Hall, Julia Johnson, Mark Smalley, Chris Ledgard, Beth O'Dea, Lucy Lunt, Eliza Lomas, Melvin Rickarby
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.
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  • PM
  • 23-08-21

Both interesting and annoying.

The weak link in these often very interesting programmes is Matthew Parris, which is a shame because he presents most of them. His attempts at Devil’s advocacy are irritating and have the opposite effect to that which he obviously intends, because instead of provoking the guests to even more spirited defences, he just reveals himself as less well-informed than them. Too often, the main point of interest becomes the barely suppressed grinding of teeth as guests who have known and loved a subject all their lives try to remain polite in the face of some stupid opinion that Parris cheerfully volunteers based on nothing more than a couple of mornings’ cursory research. But there’s some great stuff here and hearing Vic Reeves on Captain Beefheart, or Stuart Maconie on Vaughan Williams is definitely worth spending a credit on.

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