Playlist

When I wrote ‘Dead People’s Music’, which is playing on RNZ at the moment, I had some music in mind. I thought I’d compile a list for people who were asking. Hey, if you’ve missed some episodes, it looks like you can download them. But remember, it’s a major abridgment; it’s one-third of its original size, and completely restructured for the radio version.

Of course – New York, New York – Frank Sinatra’s version, which sounds so plaintive and embarrassing in the city itself.

Here is Bauhaus’s Bela Lugosi’s Dead

Here is Schubert’s Piano Trio No.2 in E Flat

When I think of REM, I think of this song. As the earthquakes, nuclear disasters and volcanoes occur, I think of it as well.

Heinrich is playing Saint-Saëns’ The Swan when Klara first meets him.

I imagined that the quartet at the NYC club might be a mix between Nouvelle Vague, Rasputina and The Dresden Dolls

I can’t help mentioning The Pixies’ Monkey Gone To Heaven.

I also had to indulge my Morrissey and The Smiths obsession.

Rebecca loves the movie A Room With A View and Kiri Te Kanawa’s version of O Mio Babbino Caro

At the school ball, Rebecca and Bruno dance to Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit

Klara is of course a wonderful classical cellist, and Rebecca tries to follow in her footsteps. Here is Rostropovich playing Bach and  Shostakovich. He is fast and furious in the latter.

Here is some NYC music from the book’s time period – Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Strokes

Rebecca goes to some music when she’s in London – P J Harvey does her thing on the cello and Björk is referenced for hair-styling. Aah, those little buns!

When it came to the final performance in the book, I took inspiration from a few people – Zoe Keating for starters, Joanna Newsome for another.