Triumph and Tragedy Rudolph Dunbar was a remarkable black man of his time - a classical clarinetist, war correspondent and symphony conductor. Born in British Guyana in 1907, Dunbar leapt into the spotlight in 1942 when he made his conducting debut with the London
Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. It was the start of an international career which saw him conduct major orchestras all over the world during the 40s and 50s. But in England, where he lived and worked for much of his life, he was never truly successful again, and died a bitter and impoverished man. In his unfinished autobiography he claims that there were powerful elements within the English music establishment working against him. This film takes the title of that book, Triumph and Tragedy, and describes the life of this talented but ultimately frustrated musician. Director MILTON BRYAN
Series producer TERRENCE FRANCIS An 'Ebony' production BBC Pebble Mill