BBC Young Musician 2024

[kernelbogey]

The. 'background music' between performances, faded in the moment the competitor stop playing, is really irritating (and totally unnecessary).

What a strange decision in a music programme by the producers.

[Barbirollians]

I am scandalised that those two robotic albeit technically sensational pianists were chosen over Jamaal the harpist . Dreadful decision .

If musicality was the answer the Ukrainian violinist should be a shoo in for the final .

[jonfan]

If I heard right one of the three chosen kept saying to camera ‘I should be in the final, I hope the judges make the right decision.’ How mega pompous can you be. The three rejected would have been my choice for the final.

[Barbirollians]

If I heard right one of the three chosen kept saying to camera ‘I should be in the final, I hope the judges make the right decision.’ How mega pompous can you be. The three rejected would have been my choice for the final.

I like the Ukrainian violinist but would have had Jamaal and Hugo over the pianists any day of the week.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I am scandalised that those two robotic albeit technically sensational pianists were chosen over Jamaal the harpist . Dreadful decision .

If musicality was the answer the Ukrainian violinist should be a shoo in for the final .

I could not agree more Barbs . His phrase shaping , agogics , rubato , everything : a complete musician . The pianists weren’t helped by a poor Steinway . He made the harp sing - no easy task.

[jonfan]

If the judges had heard what the Ukrainian had said to camera they might not have been pleased to discover what he is like as a person (a question they kept asking of all the performers).
It’s become a youth piano competition, a disaster. Tempted to do a Nick and boycott the final!!

[Barbirollians]

A car crash

[Nick Armstrong]

If I heard right one of the three chosen kept saying to camera ‘I should be in the final, I hope the judges make the right decision.’ How mega pompous can you be.

No, I think that’s slightly unfair jonfan. He said before the performance: “I’m just hoping the judges do the decision and let me go to the final round”… a pretty unexceptionable comment it seems to me.

Afterwards, he said “I’m pretty sure that I have done enough to impress them, so yeah hopefully they’re going to remember it and will/would make the right decision”

I don’t find that pompous, really - in context, they’re pretty understandable remarks from someone who’s naturally hoping to go forward (made in his second language by a mid-teenager, moreover)

[Dave2002]

Richard Morrison in today's Times (hopefully shareable):

https://www.thetimes.com/article/b09...9e680d55b1cd41

Definitely an interesting article - which I was able to read.

I have very mixed feelings about competitions in many fields - who and what are they for?

[smittims]

I agree with kernelbogey about 'background music': unnecessary, irritating and insensitive. But sadly that's the BBC today: we have , in R3 trailers, a few seconds of one classical piece jammed into another, and a third,etc. while the voice-over jabbers away about how wonderful it all is. An ignorant and philistine way to present music.

I agree also (for once) with Richard Morrison. I think compettiions encourage young people to believe they must be superstars or losers, when in reality most people are in the middle , just satisfactory, which is better for everyone's well-being. .

[kernelbogey]

I saw only part of it. It seemed an unhappy mix of showing real musicality with showbiz ('And the winner is... DRAMATIC PAUSE...).

Wrong producer, I'd say.

[jonfan]

No, I think that’s slightly unfair jonfan. He said before the performance: “I’m just hoping the judges do the decision and let me go to the final round”… a pretty unexceptionable comment it seems to me.

Afterwards, he said “I’m pretty sure that I have done enough to impress them, so yeah hopefully they’re going to remember it and will/would make the right decision”

I don’t find that pompous, really - in context, they’re pretty understandable remarks from someone who’s naturally hoping to go forward (made in his second language by a mid-teenager, moreover)

You’re right Nick, I was too harsh in reacting that way. I should have waited until I’d calmed down after the results were announced. The young competitors are usually self-effacing and have humility when surrounded by similarly talented musicians. I recall a few years ago a recorder player winning the woodwind final and breaking into tears saying ‘but everyone is so good!’ Those kind of musicians I’m willing to listen to before they’ve played a note!
Well, in the final we have two pianists out of the three and all male!!!
Bring back category heats next time and jury members who are expert in the technical aspects of what they’re listening to.

[kernelbogey]

... I recall a few years ago a recorder player winning the woodwind final and breaking into tears saying ‘but everyone is so good!’....

They were so calm hearing the results my hunch was they'd already been told in order to avoid on-air histrionics.

[french frank]

Comments to Suzy Klein very welcome, I expect .

[french frank]

Susan Tomes wrote a somewhat connected pieces about winners and 'losers'. In particular, she commented below:

"It’s interesting, isn’t it, that there is such a vogue for television programmes featuring amateurs ‘having a go’ at something complicated – eg Strictly Come Dancing, Maestro, Masterchef – where the ‘human interest’ factor is obviously thought to be greater if there’s a chance of someone failing, picking themselves up, trying again, ‘going on a journey’. Someone who’s already made that journey off-camera is not interesting.

"I felt sorry last week for young trainee opera conductors who have studied for years and now have to see the BBC devoting a whole series to ‘celebrities’ trying their hand at conducting opera. It does make you wonder what is the point of trying to be really good at something, when there’s such an appetite for watching non-experts ‘having a go’."

https://www.susantomes.com/blog/winners-losers-classical-music/