Private Passions - Graham Vick

Graham Vick, Artistic Director of the Birmingham Opera Company, is one of the leading opera directors of our time. His productions have been seen all over the world, from La Scala, Milan and the Kirov in St Petersburg to Paris, Munich, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and all the major British opera houses. His pioneering work in Birmingham is seen to be at the forefront of the modernisation of opera, opening it up to new audiences. As Graham Vick's work is primarily with opera, he prefers to relax by listening to a variety of vocal and instrumental music. His choices start with the 14th-century 'Messe de Notre Dame' by Guillaume de Machaut, and continue with the madrigal 'Vorrei baciarti' by Monteverdi. Then there's Chopin's Prelude in C sharp minor, Op.45, played by Benedetti Michelangeli, followed by an early afternoon Indian rag played by Ravi Shankar. The Finale of Beethoven's String Quartet in C sharp minor, Op.131, played by the Alban Berg Quartet precedes Graham Vick's only operatic selection - an extract from Mozart's 'Magic Flute', which for him is perhaps the most sublime example of a master craftsman at work. His programme ends with the final chorus from Leonard Bernstein's musical 'Candide', which sums up Graham Vick's philosophy of 'making our garden grow'.