Christmas Around Europe: Sunday 17 December

[doversoul1]

Christmas Around Europe: Sunday 17 December

1.00 pm Part 1: Helsinki and Vienna
Ian Skelly presents Radio 3's annual journey around Europe for a sequence of live and specially recorded concerts. The day begins live at Kallio Church in Helsinki for a programme of music for organ and wind quintet. Then to St Ulrich's Church, Vienna, where the Vienna Chamber Choir perform traditional Christmas songs. […]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jc2gg

4.00 pm Part 2 Nuremberg, Sofia, Copenhagen and Frankfurt
Ian Skelly continues Radio 3's annual journey around Europe for a sequence of live and specially recorded concerts. Part 2 includes a Bach and Vivaldi programme from Ensemble 1700, recorded at the German National Museum in Nuremberg. Then at 5pm we go to Bulgaria for a performance of Dimitar Nenov's Christmas Oratorio. The Danish contribution to the day is part of Bach's Christmas Oratorio followed by Scandinavian Christmas songs, and then to Frankfurt for Bach and Handel performed by Le Concert d'Astrée Chorus and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jc2gj

10..00 pm Part 3 Brno and Mafra
The final part of Radio 3's annual journey around Europe for a sequence of live and specially recorded concerts. The Brno concert includes a premiere for baritone and chorus by the composer and musician Ondrej Kyas. Then finally to the monastery church in Mafra for a concert of Christmas music featuring six organs and three choirs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jc2gl

Playlists/programmes on the schedule pages.

[BBMmk2]

Sometimes can be quite quite a bewildering event this!

[oddoneout]

Sometimes can be quite quite a bewildering event this!

Somewhat less bewildering this year I feel? As always I find it interesting to hear choirs from other countries singing, both their 'own' music and pieces I know or have sung.

[BBMmk2]

Somewhat less bewildering this year I feel? As always I find it interesting to hear choirs from other countries singing, both their 'own' music and pieces I know or have sung.

Yews, oddoneout. completely agree with you there! Seems more straightforward.

[Constantbee]

This looked so promising on the website. I found the event somewhat fragmented, though, and rather a lot to take in on a single day. I'm beginning to realise that R3 programming nowadays is designed with 'listen again' in mind. You're supposed to pick and choose, aren't you. Anyway, I was delighted to stumble across Dorothee Oberlinger in Nuremburg in Episode 2, and it was snowing and the Christmas Market was on and it all sounded very pretty.

Recorders sometimes get overshadowed in live broadcasts imho, especially in certain registers, so I was keen to see how well she came over. I was listening to a sensible online talk the other day about fitting amps to recorders to address this issue. The Brandenburg, Vivaldi and Corelli were solid, but the Bach Cantata 'Herz und Mund' with the countertenor felt a bit awkward. His vibrato against her rather plain baroque style didn't quite cut the mustard. The Vivaldi in the encore, which I assume was on a sopranino, really sparked. In that register the instrument does shine.

Looking forward to picking up the other progs later, especially all those organs in Portugal.

[oddoneout]

This pre-dates the river/mixtape ideas by some way. Yes it is a lot in one day, and some years it's pretty challenging stuff I find. I heard all bar about hour and a half from 9pm(would have only missed one hour except for some reason I thought it finished at 10 and so didn't turn the radio back on then). The multiple organs didn't really come across that well on radio - without a visual of some sort it was in effect just one organ, although a jolly sound. I enjoyed the carols that finished the whole thing, especially the children singing Ding Dong merrily on high, definitely a smile raiser. Interested to find that the standard descant to 'O come all ye faithful' works equally well in the Adeste fideles version.

The recorder encore was a real showstopper - I don't think I was the only one forgetting to breathe while listening!

[Old Grumpy]

I hope we won't be kicked out of the EBU as well as the European City of Culture post Brexit! *



OG


* don't think so, given this

[ardcarp]

I hope we won't be kicked out of the EBU as well as the European City of Culture post Brexit! *



OG


* don't think so, given this

Yes the thought had occurred to the ardcarps too.

I didn't hear much during the day, but heard all of Portugal's contribution right at the end. The six organs seem to have played a large part! It began with some strange home-grown arrangements that all seemed much of a muchness. The second half OTOH used some Willcocks arrangements and descants which I thought rather droll in the context.

[oddoneout]

Yes the thought had occurred to the ardcarps too.
..Portugal's contribution right at the end. The six organs seem to have played a large part! It began with some strange home-grown arrangements that all seemed much of a muchness.

Not long after the fateful vote I too wondered about the EBU, and looked it up and was somewhat reassured( UK may be eligible to stay but 'someone ' presumably still has to make the decision to continue to stay in.....let's hope the finances stack up)
I assumed that the organs were taking it in turns to play(hence the 'sameness'?), but without being able to see what was going on it didn't have the same effect as I assume it did for those at the venue. But let's face it, 6 organs in one place isn't an everyday situation so it's understandable that use would be made of them for this event.

[ardcarp]

I assumed that the organs were taking it in turns to play

One of the pieces did use all six at once.

[oddoneout]

One of the pieces did use all six at once.

I had thought that the 6 would not all play all at the same time throughout that piece, hence 'taking turns'? Would a specially written piece not take the opportunity to give each instrument its moment?

[ardcarp]

I had thought that the 6 would not all play all at the same time throughout that piece, hence 'taking turns'? Would a specially written piece not take the opportunity to give each instrument its moment?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jc2gl

..about 1hr 25 mins from start. A piece written (specially on this occasion) for six organs doesn't necessarily use all six all the time. I'm sure if there in person, one would have experience a 'surround sound' effect.