Historic archive of Desert Island Discs on R4 podcasts

[Alison]

Just listened to klaus Tennstedt 1991

[John Wright]

Caliban,

I am still unable to find the 'entire podcasts', like 1951-1955 I can only find 4 episodes here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/dida55

Eh? Where is the ENTIRE DID, I can only find back to 1976

The archive is listed in date order on the programme page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr

[Nick Armstrong]

Caliban,

I am still unable to find the 'entire podcasts', like 1951-1955 I can only find 4 episodes here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/dida55

Really?

When you click on the link I gave you http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr , do you not see a list of 16 links, one on top of the other, underneath the words "Free Downloads" at the bottom right of the page?

[John Wright]

Only 4 episodes found by that link BUT when I clicked the link/tool Explore the archive I eventually found lists by each year and yes, they are SEEM to be there but ..............

[Nick Armstrong]

Only 4 episodes found by that link BUT when I clicked the link/tool Explore the archive I eventually found lists by each year and yes, they are ALL there! many thanks Caliban.

I think the explanation may be that they have filed some of the early ones separately as fragments only, others are complete and filed elsewhere.

No matter, I'm glad you've reached this fascinating archive.

I'm half-way through Peter Ustinov!

[John Wright]

........... when I clicked to listen to Vivian Ellis, Spike Hughes, Carroll Gibbons and Elisabeth Welch..... not available

[Nick Armstrong]

........... when I clicked to listen to Vivian Ellis, Spike Hughes, Carroll Gibbons and Elisabeth Welch..... not available

See above John - I think that from the early days, there were programmes wholly or partially lost. Hence the archive is complete in the sense that it contains everything that the BBC retained.

[John Wright]

See above John - I think that from the early days, there were programmes wholly or partially lost. Hence the archive is complete in the sense that it contains everything that the BBC retained.

Ah, complete except for the missing episodes........ I knew that was the situation a long tiime ago, but your recent postings had suggested every show recorded was available. OK. Although the shows are missing I think the play-lists still exist which have some interest in themesleves.

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah, complete except for the missing episodes........

Shall we settle for "as complete as possible" ?

I was listening to Sir Arthur Bliss last night from the 70s - fascinating and surprising choice of discs...

[mercia]

Why can't CD Review do this with past BaLs???!!!

the last 83 "episodes" of BaL dating back to September 2010 are available to listen to and/or download here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/bal/all

if that's what you meant

[eighthobstruction]

Learned from DID Archive that Arch Bishop (ex) Runcie was a Captain in the Tank Corps WW2, and won the Military Cross/Medal....

[eighthobstruction]

Shall we settle for "as complete as possible" ?

I was listening to Sir Arthur Bliss last night from the 70s - fascinating and surprising choice of discs...

Think I'll have a listen Arthur Bliss too , always enjoyed his Oboe Quartets

[Sir Velo]

I have belatedly caught up with these podcasts. Not being a fan of the chatshow genre I had given these a miss. However, it has to be said that the earlier programmes with Roy Plomley as the presenter are, in the main, an unalloyed joy. Of course, there is the occasional guest to whom one doesn't warm. Neither Isaac Stern or Igor Kipnis comes across well, both filled with a sense of their own importance. OTOH, a nonagenarian Adrian Boult and an octogenarian Arthur Bliss, come across as splendid old buffers, entering into the spirit of the programme. Bliss, in particular, chooses two discs completely out of left field to enable him to better survive the ordeal ahead, and comes across as having the vitality of a much younger man. A 23 year old Simon Rattle, OTOH, has already developed the measured, considered way of speaking which would have one estimating his age as closer to 50 than 20. His is, however, a delightful interview, with none of the pomposity or bumptiousness which usually characterises prodigies.

Plomley is generally a discreet interviewer, occasionally a little reserved and unable to keep up with some of his livelier guests. However, he does get the better of that celebrated intellectual Jacob Bronowski, in an exchange on the pitfalls of technological advances, which despite taking place 40 years ago, has remarkable contemporary overtones. Bronowski complacently pooh-poohs Plomleys tentative observation that maybe the desire of all of mankind to have access to every technological innovation will have unacceptable consequences for the future of the planet. "The one thing we observe throughout history, is that every generation has its naysayers who have claimed that the world is moving too fast."

Other splendid individual guests include, but are not limited to, the following:

Alec Clifton Taylor
Jacqueline du Pre (particularly poignant is her wish for her husband as her luxury item: "what would I do without him?")
Daniel Barenboim (with Sue Lawley)
Jessica Mitford
Alfred Brendel (including the story behind those famous plasters!)
Clifford Curzon (who teases Plomley by saying that he would try to escape but not in the way he thinks, before revealing his "way out" to be a cyanide pill.)
Cathy Berberian
Antal Dorati (charmingly un-maestro like with his reminscences of Toscanini et al)

[Nick Armstrong]

I'd agree with all that, Sir V

[eighthobstruction]

Aah Sir Velo....you are getting your moneys worth out that archive....good , I'm glad....they'll be wanting to put up the license fee soon....it has revived my interest in this site ....thanks