Main content

Klaus Tennstedt

Sue Lawley's castaway is conductor Klaus Tennstedt.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the conductor Klaus Tennstedt. When, at 45, he defected from East Germany, he was virtually unknown in the West. But three years later, after conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he was acclaimed as an international maestro. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his impressive musical career, his defection from East Germany and his battle against cancer of the vocal chords.

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

Favourite track: Symphony No 6 In A Minor Finale by Gustav Mahler
Book: Dr. Faustus by Thomas Mann
Luxury: Mountain bike

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 27 Sep 1991 09:05

Music Played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No. 6 in F major 'Pastoral' - 1st movement

    Orchestra: The London Philharmonic

    • Symphonies 6 & 8.
    • EMI.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Symphony No. 6 in B minor 'Pathétique'

    Orchestra: The Philadephia Orchestra

    • Symphony No 6 Philadelphia Orchestra.
    • RCA Classics.
  • Richard Strauss

    Salome

    Soloist: Birgit Nilsonn Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker

    • Strauss/Salome.
    • Decca.
  • Richard Wagner

    Götterdämmerung Closing Scene

    Soloist: Jessye Norman Orchestra: The London Philharmonic Orchestra

    • Wagner: Jessye Norman/ Klaus Tennstedt.
    • EMI.
  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Gustav Mahler

      Symphony No. 6 in A minor - 4th movement

      Orchestra: The London Philharmonic Orchestra

      • Mahler Symphony No 6.
      • EMI.
  • Leos Janáček

    String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters' - 4th movement (finale)

    Orchestra: The Janacek Quartet

    • String Quartets.
    • Heliodor.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Violin Concerto in D major - 3rd movement

    Soloist: Nigel Kennedy Orchestra: The London Philharmonic Orchestra

    • Brahms: Violin Concerto/Kennedy/Tennstedt.
    • EMI.
  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Falstaff Act 3 (finale)

    Soloist: Guiseppe Valdengo Orchestra: The NBC Symphony Orchestra

    • Verdi/Falstaff.
    • RCA Classics.
  • Book Choice

    • Dr. Faustus - Thomas Mann

  • Luxury Choice

    • Mountain bike

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Klaus Tennstedt

Broadcasts

  • Sun 22 Sep 1991 12:15
  • Fri 27 Sep 1991 09:05

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