Frederick the Great: EMS 3 March

[doversoul1]

Florlegium's artistic director Ashley Solomon joins Hannah French to profile the life and music of their fellow Baroque flautist and great 18th Century patron of the arts, Frederick the Great of Prussia. Ahead of Florilegium's forthcoming concert at Wigmore Hall, which uses James R. Gaines' novel "A night in the palace of reason" as its inspiration, Ashley will be choosing some of his favourite pieces connected with Emperor Frederick, by composers like CPE Bach and JJ Quantz.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002zml

I don’t know about the novel but this EMS sounds unmissable.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I don’t know about the novel

Nor do I - there is a book by James R Gaines called An Evening in the Palace of Reason, but it isn't a novel, it's a study of JS Bach's visit to his son at the court of Frederic the Great, and the origins of The Musical Offering. It's very good - giving biographical information about Bach and Frederic (who had a terrible childhood and upbringing) - and the King's possible motives for setting "old Bach" so complicated a fugal subject - and has one of the best "layman's" guides to Canonic composition that I've ever encountered. I highly recommend it; it's spoiled only by some assinine comparisons with Mozart's Music, attempting to devalue the latter's achievement - but this takes only a couple of pages, which can be safely ignored to the book's improvement.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EVENING-PALACE-REASON-FREDERICK-ENLIGHTENMENT/dp/B008PMA0QO

(So the Beeb blurb is probably yet another candidate for the "Surely you mean ... " Thread!)

[doversoul1]

Nor do I - there is a book by James R Gaines called An Evening in the Palace of Reason, but it isn't a novel, it's a study of JS Bach's visit to his son at the court of Frederic the Great, and the origins of The Musical Offering. It's very good - giving biographical information about Bach and Frederic (who had a terrible childhood and upbringing) - and the King's possible motives for setting "old Bach" so complicated a fugal subject - and has one of the best "layman's" guides to Canonic composition that I've ever encountered. I highly recommend it; it's spoiled only by some assinine comparisons with Mozart's Music, attempting to devalue the latter's achievement - but this takes only a couple of pages, which can be safely ignored to the book's improvement.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EVENING-PALACE-REASON-FREDERICK-ENLIGHTENMENT/dp/B008PMA0QO

(So the Beeb blurb is probably yet another candidate for the "Surely you mean ... " Thread!)

Thank you for the link. Just been ordered.

[ardcarp]

Enjoyable programme, especially with Ashley Solomon there.

[kernelbogey]

Enjoyable programme, especially with Ashley Solomon there.

Enjoyed it, but don't like the 'chatty' two-person format, which led Hannah into too much giggling for my taste. But top data on Fred the Great, JSB and CPE.

[Frances_iom]

Enjoyed it, but don't like the 'chatty' two-person format, which led Hannah into too much giggling for my taste. But top data on Fred the Great, JSB and CPE.

yoof market - she sounded like a schoolgirl overawed by some celeb - but programme was better than usual - amused by the suggestion that CPE had set up the test for dad.

[doversoul1]

yoof market - she sounded like a schoolgirl overawed by some celeb - but programme was better than usual - amused by the suggestion that CPE had set up the test for dad.

A bit harsh. Hannah French is a flute player herself and knows what she is talking about when it comes to early music. Whilst she was more giggly than usual, there was nothing non-musically personal in their conversation. If this appeals to yoof, well, good for her.

[Quarky]

A bit harsh. Hannah French is a flute player herself and knows what she is talking about when it comes to early music. Whilst she was more giggly than usual, there was nothing non-musically personal in their conversation. If this appeals to yoof, well, good for her.

Hannah clearly has a great intellect, and may find it a little difficult to be "chatty" on a level that will appeal to a broad range of listeners.

[Constantbee]

there is a book by James R Gaines called An Evening in the Palace of Reason

Thanks for this, hadn't heard of it. If you prefer the more historical slant Tim Blanning's 2015 biography Frederick the Great: King of Prussia (ISBN: 9781846141829) is a good one.

[kernelbogey]

Enjoyed it, but don't like the 'chatty' two-person format, which led Hannah into too much giggling for my taste. But top data on Fred the Great, JSB and CPE.

I was careful with my language!

[kernelbogey]

yoof market

I know this spelling is 'a thing': but I do find it an extraordinarily patronising expression.

[Frances_iom]

I know this spelling is 'a thing': but I do find it an extraordinarily patronising expression.

it's meant to be

[oddoneout]

I know this spelling is 'a thing': but I do find it an extraordinarily patronising expression.

I blame Janet Street-Porter.

[oddoneout]

yoof market - she sounded like a schoolgirl overawed by some celeb - but programme was better than usual - amused by the suggestion that CPE had set up the test for dad.

There may have been an element of that at play. He is after all a pretty big cheese in the world of flute playing.

[kernelbogey]

it's meant to be

And now Magenta Devine has died.