Belshazzar's Feast

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Regarding the BBCSO broadcast, I didn't hear this, but I always thought that the BBC exercised some form of quality control in that poor performances not suitable for broadcast were not aired. Has the afternoon slot become a dumping ground for the sub-standard? A pity if so.

BBCSSO in the Orkneys actually - with a community-based non-auditioned choir who with the help of the BBC Singers make a valiant stab at it. The normally amazing Leiferkus as soloist is just weird.

However, Belshazzar, as KD insists on pronouncing it, is no a walk in the park and with the best will in the world this probably shouldn't have been put out on "R3 prime-time"...

[Dave2002]

BBCSSO in the Orkneys actually - with a community-based non-auditioned choir who with the help of the BBC Singers make a valiant stab at it. The normally amazing Leiferkus as soloist is just weird.

However, Belshazzar, as KD insists on pronouncing it, is no a walk in the park and with the best will in the world this probably shouldn't have been put out on "R3 prime-time"...

I thought Leiferkus did sound a bit odd, but probably no odder than many English soloists would sound to him in Russian music.

An update to my earlier post - at the end KD remarked "Wonderful stuff" - which seemed to give a mark of approval. As an event it probably was good - for them, as some of the singers probably would never have got a chance to sing in such a large scale work otherwise. There is still a question about whether the BBC should have broadcast it - which raises issues about what the BBC is for yet again. If the BBC supported the festival, which very probably helped the remote Scottish communities, then the aims are perhaps laudable, but if the intention was to show work of the highest quality, then perhaps it failed.

Sometimes enjoyment is to be had from performances, even if they are not outstanding, and maybe often the greatest enjoyment is actually by the performers.

Too many of us expect perfection in others, yet we are passive, non-performers. Performers may have a different perspective on many such events.

Time for Gareth Malone perhaps?

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Time for Gareth Malone perhaps?

I wouldn't wish that on them.

[Flosshilde]

There is still a question about whether the BBC should have broadcast it - which raises issues about what the BBC is for yet again. If the BBC supported the festival, which very probably helped the remote Scottish communities, then the aims are perhaps laudable, but if the intention was to show work of the highest quality, then perhaps it failed.

Perhaps the intention of this week's afternoon broadcasts is to show the range of work that the orchestra does? Which is rather wider, with more community involvement and touring round Scotland than the BBC(E)SO does in England (according to the website)

[jean]

I wouldn't wish that on them.

He does get his choirs singing in tune, though.

[gradus]

I heard the performance and thought it a valiant effort by the chorus who were handicapped by the fast-paced conducting. With less speed and more consideration for the choir a better result could have been achieved.

[Historian]

BBCSSO in the Orkneys actually - with a community-based non-auditioned choir who with the help of the BBC Singers make a valiant stab at it...

In that case, I agree that it was indeed a brave try. Delighted that the BBC is supporting the St. Magnus Festival.

However, in the circumstances, would it not have been fairer to make this clearer (I may have missed an announcement as I did not hear all of the performance)? Then allowances could have been made. Still, I agree that putting it out as part of mainstream Radio Three programming was not a very good idea.

[Dave2002]

Historian

How times have changed. I can remember the times when most days we had a very run of the mill performance as a lunch time concert from quite a number of the BBC orchestras - and I quite enjoyed them nevertheless. Standards are very much higher nowadays than they were in the 1950s-1960s, though some may not realise that.

[Historian]

Historian

How times have changed. I can remember the times when most days we had a very run of the mill performance as a lunch time concert from quite a number of the BBC orchestras - and I quite enjoyed them nevertheless. Standards are very much higher nowadays than they were in the 1950s-1960s, though some may not realise that.

A little before my time, so I am very interested to hear your experience of lunch-time concerts from previous decades. I feel that a 'mainstream' symphony chorus of the 1950s-1960s would have been unhappy to produce the performance we are discussing. However, given the composition of the chorus and the laudable aim of bringing such music to Orkney, I am glad that they were able to take part.

I don't want to sound unkind. Having been a choral singer for a good few years I have taken part in a number of performances which might merit the category of 'a brave try'. Were they worth doing? Definitely; both performers and audience gained a great deal. Do I think they were suitable for broadcast performance? No.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

He does get his choirs singing in tune, though.

I've never had the ahem, pleasure of working with him, but I was informed by one who has that his modus operandi is to take what he's been given (i.e. a choir that may well have been prepared to a good standard by its own director - quite probably singing well in tune), trash it and "rebuild" it in the interests of the story required by TV.

[ChrisBennell]

Slightly off-topic - but in the course of listening again to the 80th birthday concert of Belshazzar, I discovered there had been a "Desert Island Discs" programme the same week in 1982, featuring Walton - what's more its still available in the BBC Archives - quite fascinating, and he did choose Previn's Belshazzar to finish his selection; as he remarked "he does it very well". If anyone hasn't heard it, and likes a nostalgia trip, you can catch it at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mkvb