Donald Macleod looks back with Alexander Goehr at a long, varied and influential life in music

All this week, Donald Macleod is in conversation with Alexander Goehr at the composer's cottage in a village outside Cambridge. Sandy (as he's universally known) was born in Berlin in 1932, the son of the conductor Walter Goehr and pianist and photographer Laelia Goehr. The family moved to England in 1933. In his early twenties, Sandy became a central figure in the Manchester School of post-war British composers. By the early sixties he was considered a leader of the avant-garde in the UK, but he never committed himself to any movement or school in particular and throughout his life, Sandy has continued to look over his shoulder at the past as much as he has sought new musical horizons of his own. In 1975 he was appointed Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge, where he remains Emeritus Professor.

In this final programme, Donald asks Sandy to reflect on his long life and make some assessments. Does he still care what other people think of his music? What does he think of classical music being written today? What music does he listen to? And is he still driven to compose each day?

Ulysses' Admonition to Achilles (2006)
Song- Roderick Williams (baritone), Andrew West (piano)

Manere, Op 81 (2008)
Richard Horsford (clarinet), Marianne Thorsen (violin)

Since Brass nor Stone, Op 80 (2008)
Colin Currie (percussion), Pavel Haas Quartet

Marching to Carcassonne, Op 74 (2002)
Peter Serkin (piano), London Sinfonietta, Oliver Knussen (conductor). Show less