Afternoon Concert - general thread

[Ein Heldenleben]

I just hope its not John Cooper Clarke crashing in on my sensibility. That is traumatic enough even whilst listening to Radio 4............. Most accents don't give me any bother me but harsh sounding extreme Manchester (I assume, I'm no expert on NW English accents) is too much for me.

I didn’t realise this until I read his biog but Ian Skelly is from Lancashire yet he has a southern ‘R.P’ accent ...

[Cockney Sparrow]

IS seems to be settling in at afternoon concert - he even asked for emails afternoon.concert@bbc.co.uk - however though the intended playlist is published in advance the timings still seem awry and the bl*dy adverts are back - I suspect I will continue some selective listening but if in want of music I can see recourse to my CDs becoming the norm.

I just hope its not John Cooper Clarke crashing in on my sensibility. That is traumatic enough even whilst listening to Radio 4............. Most accents don't give me any bother me but harsh sounding extreme Manchester (I assume, I'm no expert on NW English accents) is too much for me.

[Pulcinella]

On this occasion, the criticism seems, to me, to be a little churlish. We are, after all, to hear the whole of Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno with Dantonne at the helm. Extracts from Messiah are not that uncommon in concert. What chance would there be of getting to hear Handel's first oratorio and Suk's Fairy Tale in full during the day?

Certainly less chance than that of hearing Copland's Hoe-down, which starts this evening's (admittedly live, for which one is grateful) concert.

I see that today we are going to get the 'highlights' from Messiah - why doesn't R3 just merge with CFm and be done with it - the 'concert' part of the title now means selected items from random sources that often do not sit well together as a whole.

Smack on the money - alas!

[Bryn]

I see that today we are going to get the 'highlights' from Messiah - why doesn't R3 just merge with CFm and be done with it - the 'concert' part of the title now means selected items from random sources that often do not sit well together as a whole.

On this occasion, the criticism seems, to me, to be a little churlish. We are, after all, to hear the whole of Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno with Dantonne at the helm. Extracts from Messiah are not that uncommon in concert. What chance would there be of getting to hear Handel's first oratorio and Suk's Fairy Tale in full during the day?

[Frances_iom]

I see that today we are going to get the 'highlights' from Messiah - why doesn't R3 just merge with CFm and be done with it - the 'concert' part of the title now means selected items from random sources that often do not sit well together as a whole.

[oddoneout]

IS seems to be settling in at afternoon concert - he even asked for emails afternoon.concert@bbc.co.uk - however though the intended playlist is published in advance the timings still seem awry and the bl*dy adverts are back - I suspect I will continue some selective listening but if in want of music I can see recourse to my CDs becoming the norm.

Having the adverts during the afternoon concert selections really is the pits, and I couldn't quite believe my ears when they first made their unwelcome appearance in this slot a while back. At "best" they are an unwelcome distraction, but at worst completely spoil the pleasure of what has just finished.

[Frances_iom]

IS seems to be settling in at afternoon concert - he even asked for emails afternoon.concert@bbc.co.uk - however though the intended playlist is published in advance the timings still seem awry and the bl*dy adverts are back - I suspect I will continue some selective listening but if in want of music I can see recourse to my CDs becoming the norm.

[Pulcinella]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000twbs

Cracking perf of Brittten's Suite on English folk tunes Op.9
Revelation to hear it played by a non-Brit ensemble.

Its first recording was by non-Brits, too: Bernstein, with the NYPO.

https://www.discogs.com/Britten-Bernstein-New-York-Philharmonic-A-Tribute-to-Benjamin-Britten/release/14671223

Afternoon on 3 Wed 7th April

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000twbs

Cracking perf of Brittten's Suite on English folk tunes Op.9
Revelation to hear it played by a non-Brit ensemble.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Rattle’s BavRSO Mother Goose yesterday was beautifully played.

Agreed - been a very good week of concerts all round.

[cloughie]

Rattle’s BavRSO Mother Goose yesterday was beautifully played.

[oddoneout]

An intriguing performance of Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony (in the third hour of Afternoon Concert) by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Oksana Lyniv.

Not the usual version I’ve known backwards (almost) since music O-level, but an 1834 rewrite by the composer which I’ve never heard before (although Gardiner apparently recorded it with the VPO). The first movement is more or less unaltered, but the last three have surprising and quite marked melodic changes.

My first reaction was that the changes were not improvements, losing some of the music’s individuality in favour of something more prosaic.

That this wasn’t just the result of familiarity with the original version is suggested by Edward Greenfield’s comment on the revisions:

Surprisingly for so perceptive a composer he undermined the original's freshness, smoothing over melodic lines and extending linking passages. A fascinating comment on the danger of second thoughts after white-hot inspiration.

Thank you for this. I missed the preamble and so was rather puzzled by what I was hearing - I thought that some of the 'hiccups'(which is what it felt like) were to do with the orchestra's playing, but it would seem they were the composer's fault!

[Nick Armstrong]

An intriguing performance of Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony (in the third hour of Afternoon Concert) by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Oksana Lyniv.

Not the usual version I’ve known backwards (almost) since music O-level, but an 1834 rewrite by the composer which I’ve never heard before (although Gardiner apparently recorded it with the VPO). The first movement is more or less unaltered, but the last three have surprising and quite marked melodic changes.

My first reaction was that the changes were not improvements, losing some of the music’s individuality in favour of something more prosaic.

That this wasn’t just the result of familiarity with the original version is suggested by Edward Greenfield’s comment on the revisions:

Surprisingly for so perceptive a composer he undermined the original's freshness, smoothing over melodic lines and extending linking passages. A fascinating comment on the danger of second thoughts after white-hot inspiration.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Oh thanks for this. Had forgotten to download this concert, and shall now do so as it’s one I particularly want to hear

Terrific end to this superb week of Czech music with a splendid New World from the Czech Phil and Bychkov . Honestly everything he touches turns to gold...