Herrmann in Britain

Günther Kögebehn
29 June 2012

Bernard Herrmann conducting at the BBC in the 1940s

The Broadcasts

 

Notes:

This is a work in progress. The listings are believed to be nearly complete and correct, but as records are fragmentary some omissions and inconsistencies are likely.

All dates are for the 1st broadcast unless otherwise noted.

Not all the broadcasts have survived, sadly most will not exist in the archives.

The dates for the interviews are not complete and might contain some double listings. “Talking about Music” was a series done for the BBC Transcription Service for distribution for radio stations around the globe, including the BBC stations.

A short overview of the BBC Radio stations mentionend below and how they are known today:

  • The BBC Third Programme was a British radio station, mainly for classical music which broadcast from 1946 to 1967.
    It was renamed to BBC Radio 3 in 1967 and is still in existence.
  • The BBC Light Programme was a British radio station,mainly for light or pops music which broadcast from 1945 to 1967.
    It was split to BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 in 1967 with both still in existence.
  • The BBC Home Service was the main British radio station which broadcast from 1939 until 1967.
    The main service for London and the south east of England became BBC Radio 4 in 1967 and is still in existence.
    The Home Service also had seven regional services.
    The “Welsh Home Service” became what is now BBC Radio Wales
    .
    The “Northern Home Service” was split into several regional BBC radio stations in the north of England.

 

The concert broadcasts:

6 November 1946
Music of our Time
BBC Northern Home Service

  • David Diamond: Rounds for String Ochestra *
  • Edmund Rubbra: Symphony No. 3
  • Charles Ives: Prelude and Fugue from Symphony No. 4 *
  • Bernard Herrmann: The Devil and Daniel Webster – Suite *

BBC Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor

 

10 November 1949
BBC Third Programme

  • Franz Liszt: A Faust Symphony

Halle Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor

 

10 April 1956
BBC Third Programme

  • Edmund Rubbra:. Symphony No. 6
  • Bernard Herrmann: For the Fallen *
  • Walter Piston: Violin Concerto
  • Aaron Copland: The Red Pony – Suite

London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor
Louis Kaufman, violin

 

12 April 1956
BBC Third Programme (part repeat)

  • Walter Piston: Violin Concerto
  • Edmund Rubbra:. Symphony No. 6
  • Bernard Herrmann: For the Fallen
  • Aaron Copland: Four Dance Episodes from “Rodeo”

London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor
Louis Kaufman, violin

 

Guardian article 26th April 1956

25 April 1956
BBC Home Service

  • Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto
  • Edward Elgar: Falstaff – Symphonic Study
  • Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 *

London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor
Yvone Lefebure, piano

 

19 May 1960
Unknown BBC Station

  • Bernard Herrmann: For the Fallen
  • Richard Wagner: Meistersinger – Overture
  • Richard Wagner: Tannhäuser – Overture

London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor

29 March 1961
BBC Northern Home Service

  • Edmund Rubbra: Symphony No. 3
  • Franz Liszt: Tasso, Lamento et Trionfono
  • Walter Piston: The Incredible Flutist, Ballet Suite

BBC Northern Orchestra (now BBC Philharmonic)
Bernard Herrmann, conductor

 

12 May 1962
Saturday Concert Hall
BBC Light Programme

  • Suppe: Overture — Pique Dame Suppe
  • George Frederick Handel: Water Music – Suite (arr. Hamilton Harty)
  • Franck: Variations symphoniques for Piano and Orchestra
  • Bernard Herrmann: Welles Raises Kane – Suite *

BBC Concert Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann, conductor
Valerie Tryon, piano
Note: recorded at BBC Farrington Studios

 

06 May 1963
BBC Third Programme

  • Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 6
  • Prokofiev: Cantata – They are Seven
  • Strawinski: The King of the Stars

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
BBC Chorus
Bernard Herrmann, conductor

 

* UK Broadcast Premiere

1974 BBC interview on Charles Ives

interviews and other broadcasts:

15 March 1961
Talking About Music
BBC Third Programme
Note: Interview with John Amis


10 August 1961
Charles Ives
BBC Third Programme
Note: Charles Ives, Personal Reminiscences, Interview with Robert Layton, repeated 30 June and 18 July 1962


27 April 1967
Music Club
BBC Welsh Home Service
Note: Interview regarding “Wuthering Heights”


The Musical Times on Herrmann appearing on Music International in 1968

24 March 1968
Music International
BBC Television (BBC2)
Note: scoring Truffaut’s “The Bride Wore Black”


12 March 1971
The Concert Interval
Radio 3
Note: Talk with John Amis regarding George Gershwin and his fellow musicians

 

18 July 1971
Music on 2: “Summer Music Now”
BBC Television (BBC2)
Note: By way of previewing the Proms, Bernard Herrmann talks about the music of Carl Ruggles and directs a performance of his Angels for six muted trumpets.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02r4kkw

 

24 July 1971
The Week Ahead
Radio 3
Note: Interview with John Amis on Ives, Ruggles and Sessions


7 October 1972
Music Now
Radio 3
Note: Interview with John Amis


May 1974 (Week 22)
Talking about Music
BBC Transcription Service
Note: Interview with John Amis

 

20 October 1974
Who was Charles Ives?
BBC Television (BBC 2)
Note: Herrmann, Stokowski, L. Bernstein interviewed about Ives. Music conducted by Pierre Boulez

 

25 October 1974
Music Now
Radio 3
Note: Interview with John Amis about Ives

 

January 1976 (Week 4)
Talking about Music
BBC Transcription Service
Talking about the musical prodigy with John Amis (posthumous)