| Genre | music discussion |
|---|---|
| Running time | 1 hour (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 3 |
| Hosted by | Michael Berkeley |
| Written by | Ian McEwan |
| Produced by |
|
| Recording studio | Loftus Audio (2013–present) |
| Original release | April 15, 1995 (1995-04-15) |
| No. of episodes | 1995–1999,2000–2004,2005–2009,2010–2014,2015–2019,2020–present |
Private Passions is a weekly music discussion programme that has been running since 15 April 1995 onBBC Radio 3, presented by the composerMichael Berkeley. The production was formerly made by Classic Arts Productions,[1] a British radio and audio production company that provided programmes to the BBC until June 2013. Since June 2013, it has been produced by Loftus Audio. The producers are Elizabeth Burke, Jane Greenwood and Olivia Seligman.
The one-hour show is broadcast almost every Sunday at 12:00 in the UK, and is available on demand through the BBC website,[2][3] where it is possible to listen to the last seven days of Radio 3 broadcasts. Every week Berkeley interviews a notable guest about their life and musical interests and plays a selection of their favourite pieces. The emphasis is onclassical music, but also embracesjazz,world music andpopular song. The "life and works" aspect of the interview is generally secondary to the discussion about musical passions, and Berkeley often aims to explore a guest's unexpected musical interests.
There are programmes that are compilations covering a particular topic or a fictitious guest. WriterIan McEwan has described it as "musically and psychologically irresistible. Probably the best programme on radio in Britain."[4] ThePrivate Passions book charts the show's first decade, listing all the guests and their choices of music.[4] The programme's theme tune is Berkeley's own "The Wakeful Poet" (fromMusic from Chaucer) performed by the Beaux-Arts Brass Quintet.[5]
