Michael Tippett

Donald Macleod and Oliver Soden look at Michael Tippett through
his intense personal relationships.


Michael Tippett was a particularly absorbent composer, soaking up
an incredibly wide range of inspirations and influences from the
world around him, and perhaps most often from outside the field
of music. His huge intellectual capacity and endless interest in
other people combined with immense charisma to make him a
personality to which everyone who met him seemed irresistibly
drawn. His - often complex - relationships were particularly
intense ones, and frequently blurred the lines between
professional and personal, artistic and sexual.


This week Composer of the Week looks at some of the people
closest to Tippett and asks what influence they had on the life
and music of a man whose story has still never been fully told.
Joining Donald Macleod to explore sometimes uncharted territory
is Oliver Soden, the author of a new - and the first complete -
biography of the composer.


Music featured: Where The Bee Sucks from Songs for Ariel A Child
of Our Time (Part 1) Byzantium  Purcell arr. Tippett: If music be
the food of love  Piano Sonata No 1, 1st movement: Allegro Suite
in D for the Birthday of Prince Charles The Heart’s Assurance
Variations on an Elizabethan Theme: Lament Fantasia Concertante
on a theme of Corelli The Midsummer Marriage Praeludium For
Brass, Bells And Percussion Music String Quartet No 1: Lento
Cantabile Symphony No 2: Adagio molto e tranquillo Songs for
Achilles The Knot Garden: Enough, Enough Tippett: Dance, Clarion
Air Piano Concerto – 1: Allegro non troppo Crown of the Year The
Blue Guitar The Rose Lake


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Dominic Jewel for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Michael Tippett:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00028h7


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z