60 Classical Years: BBC2 at 60

[Nick Armstrong]

Sunday night’s 3 hour retrospective of classical music broadcasts on BBC2 over its six decades

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...-bbc-two-at-60

brought as many frustrations as unearthed gems.

The former consisted mainly of the captions which regularly obliterated the lower quarter of the screen - certainly during the early part of the programme. I haven’t finished it yet but there seemed to be fewer as it went on, as if the captioners tired of straining to tell us which sporting event the music had decades later come to be associated with etc etc Even when relevant, they occasionally drove me mad: one explained Otto Klemperer’s magnetic conducting technique whilst completely obscuring him during the Beethoven 9 footage…

Then again, they sometimes failed to say who the performers were - in the ‘Handel at St John’s’ segment, I spotted Christopher Hogwood at the keyboard and I think Neville Marriner leading the orchestra… no clues from the captions though Plenty of caption stuff about Lang Lang in the next clip though. (At least, I suppose, the ears were spared a presenter talking over the music).

So… a mess, basically, and a shame as some of the clips were marvellous to see and hear: an extraordinary Ponelle dramatisation of Carmina Burana, King’s Choir in 1970 etc. Perhaps above all for me, the apparently effortless heart-rending power of Philip Langridge in Child of our Time (eclipsing his fellow soloist and the gurning Rattle) - what a communicator, I miss him. Worth it so far just for that.

.

Just finished the programme (some fast-forwarding through the odd operatic bit, I must confess, not least the Glastonbury Valkyries…). Glad I saw the 1812 performance from Leningrad though - no stinting on the cannons



.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Sunday night’s 3 hour retrospective of classical music broadcasts on BBC2 over its six decades

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...-bbc-two-at-60

brought as many frustrations as unearthed gems.

The former consisted mainly of the captions which regularly obliterated the lower quarter of the screen - certainly during the early part of the programme. I haven’t finished it yet but there seemed to be fewer as it went on, as if the captioners tired of straining to tell us which sporting event the music had decades later come to be associated with etc etc Even when relevant, they occasionally drove me mad: one explained Otto Klemperer’s magnetic conducting technique whilst completely obscuring him during the Beethoven 9 footage…

Then again, they sometimes failed to say who the performers were - in the ‘Handel at St John’s’ segment, I spotted Christopher Hogwood at the keyboard and I think Neville Marriner leading the orchestra… no clues from the captions though Plenty of caption stuff about Lang Lang in the next clip though. (At least, I suppose, the ears were spared a presenter talking over the music).

So… a mess, basically, and a shame as some of the clips were marvellous to see and hear: an extraordinary Ponelle dramatisation of Carmina Burana, King’s Choir in 1970 etc. Perhaps above all for me, the apparently effortless heart-rending power of Philip Langridge in Child of our Time (eclipsing his fellow soloist and the gurning Rattle) - what a communicator, I miss him. Worth it so far just for that.

.

Just finished the programme (some fast-forwarding through the odd operatic bit, I must confess, not least the Glastonbury Valkyries…). Glad I saw the 1812 performance from Leningrad though - no stinting on the cannons



.

you are absolutely right about the captions they were far too intrusive.

[Sir Velo]

I haven’t finished it yet but there seemed to be fewer as it went on, as if the captioners tired of straining to tell us which sporting event the music had decades later come to be associated with etc etc

No doubt they needed to "kick off" the programme as they meant to go on.

[LMcD]

Sunday night’s 3 hour retrospective of classical music broadcasts on BBC2 over its six decades

[COLOR=#3300ff]https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...-bbc-two-at-60

So… a mess, basically,

I had rather assumed that it would be, and decided to watch Episode 1 of 'Shoulder to Shoulder' (first broadcast in 1974) with Sian Phillips on top form, and listen to some CDs.

[kernelbogey]

Just watched a few minutes - thanks for the heads-up, Nick. The captions seem somewhat simplistically written for an audience with no knowledge whatsoever of 'classical' music. I may return to it but it seems to be of a piece with the 'new R3' approach to the music....

A propos, I haven't seen much evidence of the impact, if any, of Suzy Klein on BBC4's serious music output.

[LMcD]

Just watched a few minutes - thanks for the heads-up, Nick. The captions seem somewhat simplistically written for an audience with no knowledge whatsoever of 'classical' music. I may return to it but it seems to be of a piece with the 'new R3' approach to the music....

A propos, I haven't seen much evidence of the impact, if any, of Suzy Klein on BBC4's serious music output.

Surely somebody called 'Klein' was only ever going to have a small impact, ja?.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Just watched a few minutes - thanks for the heads-up, Nick. The captions seem somewhat simplistically written for an audience with no knowledge whatsoever of 'classical' music. I may return to it but it seems to be of a piece with the 'new R3' approach to the music....

A propos, I haven't seen much evidence of the impact, if any, of Suzy Klein on BBC4's serious music output.

Slightly take issue with that. Since she took over BBC Four now has classical music most Sunday nights and some of the programmes, unlike this one , are originations. I’m pretty sure she has increased the amount of classical music on BBC TV. Of course the days of an opera on BBC Two or live RFH concert on Saturday nights are long gone . But is that the BBC’s fault or our culture’s ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Surely somebody called 'Klein' was only ever going to have a small impact, ja?.

Very good - I'm inKleined to agree with you,

[LMcD]

Very good - I'm inKleined to agree with you,

I only hope I'm not doing her a 'gross' injustice.

[cloughie]

I only hope I'm not doing her a 'gross' injustice.

I’ll deklein trying to answer that one for you!

[kernelbogey]

Slightly take issue with that. Since she took over BBC Four now has classical music most Sunday nights and some of the programmes, unlike this one , are originations. I’m pretty sure she has increased the amount of classical music on BBC TV.

You may well be right, EH: I'll pay more attention.

Of course the days of an opera on BBC Two or live RFH concert on Saturday nights are long gone . But is that the BBC’s fault or our culture’s ?

Indeed: but there must be plenty in the vaults that could be aired.

[Roslynmuse]

Of course the days of an opera on BBC Two or live RFH concert on Saturday nights are long gone . But is that the BBC’s fault or our culture’s ?

Cause and effect? Or chicken and egg? Last year I came across a YouTube video of Verdi's Macbeth with Norman Bailey and Patricia Johnson which was originally shown on BBC2 back in the late 70s. I remember that it was the cover story for Radio Times that week. Can you imagine a broadcast opera having that sort of promotion these days? It would take the sort of courage that no-one now seems to have.

[Serial_Apologist]

Cause and effect? Or chicken and egg? Last year I came across a YouTube video of Verdi's Macbeth with Norman Bailey and Patricia Johnson which was originally shown on BBC2 back in the late 70s. I remember that it was the cover story for Radio Times that week. Can you imagine a broadcast opera having that sort of promotion these days? It would take the sort of courage that no-one now seems to have.

It all seems apiece with the sort of historical amnesia politicians of all mainstream stripes readily adopt when they speak of "appealing to the working class voter", having for 40 years denied that there was any such thing anymore as the working class, since we'd all become aspirational upwardly mobile mortgaged homeowners living in middle class suburbs, or the offspring thereof, so forget about the roots and basis of anything from class to music, as it no longer applies.