Recommended Television Programmes

[JasonPalmer]

This three part series about the history of Italian opera looks good.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00sll44/opera-italia

Series tracing the history of Italian opera presented by Antonio Pappano, conductor and music director at the Royal Opera House

[JasonPalmer]

Lucy worsleys nights at the opera on YouTube

[vinteuil]

In the latest newsletter:


Somewhat random programming but better than nothing…

... thanks for the alert. The Radio Times for 28 Feb has "Maigret : 1960s tv drama", which would imply one more of Talking Pictures' Rupert Davies Maigrets - but the time slot (two hours rather than one) gives me hope that it will indeed be a Bruno Cremer from the 1990s...
.
EDIT - yes indeed it is - Maigret et la Grande Perche. From Talking Pictures' website -

"Maigret and the Burglar's Wife. 1991. Stars Bruno Cremer, Michael Lonsdale & Renée Faure. A murder has occurred during a burglary at a dentist's home, but no one wants to cooperate with Maigret."
.

[Nick Armstrong]

... thanks for the alert. The Radio Times for 28 Feb has "Maigret : 1960s tv drama", which would imply one more of Talking Pictures' Rupert Davies Maigrets - but the time slot (two hours rather than one) gives me hope that it will indeed be a Bruno Cremer from the 1990s...
.
EDIT - yes indeed it is - Maigret et la Grande Perche. From Talking Pictures' website -

"Maigret and the Burglar's Wife. 1991. Stars Bruno Cremer, Michael Lonsdale & Renée Faure. A murder has occurred during a burglary at a dentist's home, but no one wants to cooperate with Maigret."
.

Their latest newsletter confirms, and promises further episodes in March.

Meanwhile, the wonderful Monsieur Lonsdale-Crouch is a bonus on 28/2: inter alia, ‘Hugo Drax’ from Moonraker and ‘Commissaire Lebel’ from Day of the Jackal

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lonsdale

[HighlandDougie]

This three part series about the history of Italian opera looks good.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00sll44/opera-italia

Series tracing the history of Italian opera presented by Antonio Pappano, conductor and music director at the Royal Opera House

It's a repeat from about 2010 - but very much none the worse for it. I've been re-watching it and enjoying it all over again. Tony Pappano is a bit of a TV natural - excellent communicator - and a chance to hear the likes of Renee Fleming talk about actually singing a role. In short, Jason, don't miss it.

[JasonPalmer]

Will do, when I find the time. Busy listening to evening concert at the moment.

[kernelbogey]

Channel Four tonight - piano talent show from 'public' pianos...may interest some!
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-piano

I just watched the second programme of The Piano. Some astonshing performces - and a very moving outcome.

[Bryn]

I just watched the second programme of The Piano. Some astonshing performces - and a very moving outcome.

I concur entirely, Channel 4 has a real winner, there.

[Serial_Apologist]

BBC4 tonight showed the fine 2011 documentary on the Festival of Britain - which I visited, aged 5, with my mother and father. The one exhibit I clearly remember was the R47 District Line railway coach - sleek, in a designly fashion today despised in favour of austere functionality, ironically, and forward looking in being of aluminium, with just the single red stripe that eventually (for a time) replaced the all-over crimson. Like the East End woman recalling the Battersea Pleasure Gardens I recalled the Caterpillar - a revolving roundabout with a slide-over cover which put one in darkness for the ride. I wonder4 if anyone else from the forum went to either of these public promotions?

[gradus]

I just watched the second programme of The Piano. Some astonshing performces - and a very moving outcome.

My reaction too.

[oddoneout]

I just watched the second programme of The Piano. Some astonshing performces - and a very moving outcome.

It is worth setting aside the trappings that grate a bit - the competitive element, the decision/need to have a name(Davina Macall) to sell the concept - to admire and celebrate the end result. It shows just how valuable music and music making is to all sorts of people. I greatly admire the likes of the brick layer and the truck mechanic who decided they were going to teach themselves to play and went ahead and did it and now derive pleasure and solace from their skill, and their ability to now have their own voice.
Last night was a real weepie - who could fail to be moved by Lucy - but what also struck me was the reaction of the ad hoc audience to the Chopin played by the older (piano in a trailer) man. They got drawn in to a completely different world far removed from the rail station and I though how wonderful to have that brief period away from the mundane. Considering that few would know, I would hazard, what it was they were listening to (and in fact might have been put off if they knew it was "classical"?) doesn't that speak volumes for the power of music to reach people at all levels and in so many different ways.
I knew nothing of Mika before this series but I have been impressed by his knowledge, involvement and articulate and thoughtful comments. For me Lang Lang adds very little, although getting him on board has positives other than his ability to make (or not) a useful contribution from the point of view of pitching and producing the show.

[kernelbogey]

Oddie- all very well put: I agree with all you say! Yes Mika has interesting things to say, and perhaps Lang Lang's astonishment at various pianists was as telling.

[Bryn]

BBC4 tonight showed the fine 2011 documentary on the Festival of Britain - which I visited, aged 5, with my mother and father. The one exhibit I clearly remember was the R47 District Line railway coach - sleek, in a designly fashion today despised in favour of austere functionality, ironically, and forward looking in being of aluminium, with just the single red stripe that eventually (for a time) replaced the all-over crimson. Like the East End woman recalling the Battersea Pleasure Gardens I recalled the Caterpillar - a revolving roundabout with a slide-over cover which put one in darkness for the ride. I wonder4 if anyone else from the forum went to either of these public promotions?

Ah, the Skylon:



I only have very vague memories of being on the north bank of the Thames, just east of Westminster Bridge, with my parent and an aunt and uncle. The memory is reinforced by a very loud fart from my aunt, and my uncle responding by exclaiming his wife's name in shock and horror.

[oddoneout]

Oddie- all very well put: I agree with all you say! Yes Mika has interesting things to say, and perhaps Lang Lang's astonishment at various pianists was as telling.

Yes, there were times when I could almost see the "this does not compute" bubble hovering above Lang Lang!
I found it telling that it seemed (always a bit of hesitation as we don't get to see all the exchange between the two) to be Mika who wanted the Chas'n'Dave chap to stop singing because the vocalising was getting in the way of the playing, which he suspected or recognised was worth hearing (whereas the singing wasn't) - and my goodness wasn't it just!

[Serial_Apologist]

I only have very vague memories of being on the north bank of the Thames, just east of Westminster Bridge, with my parent and an aunt and uncle. The memory is reinforced by a very loud fart from my aunt, and my uncle responding by exclaiming his wife's name in shock and horror.

In retrospect, the Skylon evokes a cross between a daddy longlegs and one of those modernist shoji paper shaded bedside lamps from the 1960s. As one of the participants in the making of the Festival remarked, it was a shame that it had to be destroyed - along with the immediate wholesale demolition on the site ordered by the new Conservative government, who disapproved of anything collectively conceived and implemented being used to signal Britain's postwar recovery. Today the sculpture would probably be rejected on H&S grounds.