Behind the Scenes: Joanna MacGregor (Radio 4 21/2/18)

[Keraulophone]

Really enjoying the inside story of this colourful pianist’s current activities as Head of Piano at the RAM while pursuing an active concert career. She describes working on the complete Chopin Mazurkas for a Wigmore Hall concert and parallel recording. (I only began to realise what wonderful pieces these were when a group of piano friends played them all in a fundraising event to raise money for a new grand piano for the cathedral.) I remember first noticing her when she approached André Previn for advice during a televised rehearsal interval in Henry Wood Hall.

Although there are only eight minutes to go, there’s a ‘shortened repeat’ this evening at 9.30.


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[gradus]

I enjoyed it too but I have to say that two hours of mazurkas would be pushing it for me!

[Bryn]

. . . Although there are only eight minutes to go, there’s a ‘shortened repeat’ this evening at 9.30.

Plus, of course, you can catch the whole programme via the iPlayer. A programme well worth catching it is, too.

[Keraulophone]

Plus, of course, you can catch the whole programme via the iPlayer.

Indeed, as well as discovering or revisiting the episodes on Marin Alsop and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

[Bryn]

Indeed, as well as discovering or revisiting the episodes on Marin Alsop and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

I have not yet checked the data rates of the earlier programmes but today's is at the Radio 3 HD Sound rate of 320kbps AAC-LC. With most of the programme consisting of low data demand speech, the musical examples benefit from even higher audio fidelity than is usually found on Radio 3, let alone Radio 4 (AAC-LC uses a variable data rate around a target mean).

[Serial_Apologist]

I have not yet checked the data rates of the earlier programmes but today's is at the Radio 3 HD Sound rate of 320kbps AAC-LC. With most of the programme consisting of low data demand speech, the musical examples benefit from even higher audio fidelity than is usually found on Radio 3, let alone Radio 4 (AAC-LC uses a variable data rate around a target mean).

I noticed that our Joanna sounded pretty good - as did her's!

[ardcarp]

The reverberant acoustics of an empty Snape Maltings are strange to record solo piano; but it obviously works. (Note difference between speech in there recorded by BBC and the musical snippets from the recording engineer.)

Glad Joanna had time to take a dig at the appalling situation of music in state schools.

About 20 years ago I went to a live recital by Joanna. At the time she wore her hair in dreadlocks (or that sort of thing anyway) which dangled in front of her face for most of the time. I was sitting next to an elderly woman who was clearly very upset about this, and my enjoyment of the concert was completely ruined by sotto voce mutterings such as, "How can she see?" ....."Why doesn't she have them tied back? etc, etc.

[Old Grumpy]

About 20 years ago I went to a live recital by Joanna. At the time she wore her hair in dreadlocks (or that sort of thing anyway) which dangled in front of her face for most of the time. I was sitting next to an elderly woman who was clearly very upset about this, and my enjoyment of the concert was completely ruined by sotto voce mutterings such as, "How can she see?" ....."Why doesn't she have them tied back? etc, etc.

Old people (I speak as a recent recruit to the ranks) are some of the worst behaved in concerts! Whispering to each other, noisily unwrapping Werther's Originals, whistling or humming along.

... I could go on (and on...)

OG

[jean]

About 20 years ago I went to a live recital by Joanna. At the time she wore her hair in dreadlocks (or that sort of thing anyway)...

They were braids - she never had dreadlocks!

[ardcarp]

I stand corrected.

[teamsaint]

I stand corrected.

upbraided in fact.

[ardcarp]

[Serial_Apologist]

Unabraid.

[Old Grumpy]

Plus, of course, you can catch the whole programme via the iPlayer. A programme well worth catching it is, too.

Indeed, just done so. Thanks for the highlight, Keraulophone.

[Keraulophone]

OG.

It would be comforting to imagine that someone at Radio3 would be interested in producing a similar series exclusively about practising musicians (even including those lucky ones who don’t need much practice). Surely it wouldn’t amount to too much ‘talk’ for R3?