Barenboim on Beethoven: The Lost Tapes Ch4

[LHC]

Found these on our Roku box. I think these should generally be available - but you may have to look hard depending on how you watch. Could be watching using a computer.

Picture and sound quality is not great - a lot of image noise in the video, and sometimes the piano sounds like it was recorded on tape with wow - perhaps tape stretch.

The video style is odd too, with very close up side views of DB's face, interspersed with some views of his hands moving over the keys - but surely too close

Despite the technical issues these look worthwhile.

The idiosyncratic style of filming was something of a trademark for Christopher Nupen, who directed these films. He used silent 16mm film cameras to get close to the artists, with the aim of creating intimate portraits of them. It was considered ground-breaking at the time, but can feel quite dated now. The use of 16mm probably also accounts for the technical limitations of the picture.

[Lordgeous]

Found these on our Roku box. I think these should generally be available - but you may have to look hard depending on how you watch. Could be watching using a computer.

Picture and sound quality is not great - a lot of image noise in the video, and sometimes the piano sounds like it was recorded on tape with wow - perhaps tape stretch.

The video style is odd too, with very close up side views of DB's face, interspersed with some views of his hands moving over the keys - but surely too close

Despite the technical issues these look worthwhile.

Also sound sometimes out of symc with picture, which could have easily been corrected. I wonder why they didnt? I also wondered who these films were aimed at? Maybe above the heads of 'the men in the street' and too obvious for the musically knowledgeable. I didnt think the musical examples always illustrated the points Bbm was trying to make. Mind you I'm always fascinated by films from this era - spotting lost friends in the orchestras! I think a lot of Baremboim's didactic style may have come from his father, who I got to know quite well after one Dartington summer school. (Happy days!). He used to write to me on 'Noddy" notepaper!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I know what you mean. All that in depth musicological discussion without the interruption of inane, gimmicky camerawork and gibbering presenters does require effort from the viewer.

Isn’t this kind of straightforward presentation exactly what many of us have been asking for?

[gurnemanz]

Isn’t this kind of straightforward presentation exactly what many of us have been asking for?

It is a shame that they must have thought that "many" did not constitute enough for them to think at the time that they actually were worth broadcasting. I have watched the first couple and found them excellent in an Open University, chalk and talk sort of way, which I personally am very happy with. I have another 11 (eleven) recorded via Series Link on my Sky Box and may not actually get much further but will keep for future use.

The comment about "the interruption of inane, gimmicky camerawork and gibbering presenters" does not really mean anything for me, with its sledgehammer sarcasm and over-generalisation. The insight it seems to offer is:

a) crap presentation is a bad thing
b) things were generally better in the old days

Re: "does require effort from the viewer": I think I can see the point being made - hard-won achievement is preferable to the easy gig. Fair enough, but in its context as a rebuff to a previous poster it left me cold and with a bit of a sour taste in the mouth, due to the implication lurking unappealingly in the background that this style of TV is fodder for a superior cohort of viewers, to which the poster clearly does not belong.

[kernelbogey]

...hard-won achievement is preferable to the easy gig. Fair enough....

I found the young Barenboim's style rather hectoring - admittedly based on less than one whole programme's viewing. Compare Jonathan Meades, whose frills-free presentation straight to camera of extended paragraphs composed of complete sentences demands full attention, and yet (to this viewer) remains beguiling.