John Dyson
Michael Berkeley鈥檚 guest is judge and former Master of the Rolls John Dyson. With music by Beethoven, Bach, Schubert and Verdi.
John Dyson spent 23 years as a judge, moving up through the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and finally becoming Master of the Rolls. He retired as Master of the Rolls three years ago, but he鈥檚 back working on international arbitrations, busier than ever; in fact, he presided over the recent decision that the Saracens rugby team were being overpaid.
Through it all, the great passion that has sustained him is music. He's an accomplished pianist and took lessons from the legendary teacher Dame Fanny Waterman. Piano music is his first love, and so his music choices include Beethoven鈥檚 exuberant first piano concerto; Schubert鈥檚 F Minor Piano Fantasy for Four Hands, and Bach鈥檚 Goldberg Variations. He loves opera too, especially Verdi鈥檚 Otello, an opera written when the composer was in his seventies. Choosing Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 Chichester Psalms becomes an opportunity to talk about his Jewish heritage, and about his grandmother, who escaped from Bergen Belsen. John Dyson talks too about the rise of anti-Semitism now; he says: 鈥渙ur suitcases are packed.鈥
A Loftus production for 成人快手 Radio 3
Produced by Elizabeth Burke
Last on
Music Played
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto no.1 in C major (1st mvt: Allegro con brio)
Performer: Anda G茅za. Orchestra: Salzburg Camerata. -
Leonard Bernstein
Chichester Psalms (1st mvt, excerpt)
Orchestra: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Choir: Vienna Youth Choir. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein. -
Franz Schubert
Fantasia in F minor, D.940
Performer: Paul Badura-Skoda. Performer: J枚rg Demus. -
Johann Sebastian Bach
Goldberg Variations (opening)
Performer: Sir Andr谩s Schiff. -
Giuseppe Verdi
Otello (Act 1, finale)
Singer: Margaret Price. Singer: Carlo Cossutta. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Georg Solti. -
Richard Strauss
Im Abendrot (Four Last Songs)
Singer: Karita Mattila. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Claudio Abbado. -
Lennon-McCartney
Hey Jude
Ensemble: The Beatles.
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