BBC Young Musician of the Year Finals - BBC Four

[verismissimo]

tsunami of hyperbole

For me it's the cliches laid end to end (is that a cliche?), mostly scripted...

[french frank]

I have a contribution from the late Ariosto:

"I do agree with Hornspieler - and also the comments from others about the applaing presentation and the awful woman introducing the programmes.

As for the result, it was the right one, the cellist was outstanding and possible the best musician in the history of the competition, barring perhaps one other. She had won it for me before she even played a note - just for her comments and musical understanding of the Walton. She had slight intonation problems early on, but who cares! She brought to life this very great concerto, which deserves much more attention from the world at large. I can never understand why the Walton violin and cello concertos are so wonderful, and the viola concerto is such a dirge.

The other two contestants were OK, but one had no technique, and the other had technique, but lacked any recognisable musicianship, and he was shown up by the wonderful playing of the previous winner who played the Rach movement.

We may have witnessed the re-birth of Jaqueline Du Pre. (And there speaks an athiest ...)"

(E&OE)

We know that Ariosto is a man who speaks his mind...

[Simon]

If HS had done so, I promise you that I should not have asked, Mr Pee

And here was me thinking that it was probably because you hadn't understood the answer, again.

[amateur51]

And here was me thinking that it was probably because you hadn't understood the answer, again.

Well that's what thinking does for you, Simon

Any chance of your posts coming back on-topic?

Or are you & Mr Pee planning on keeping up these provocations so that once again french frank has to send half a thread to the basement?

[french frank]

I feel like the count when he lifts up the table cloth and there's il ruddy paggio there again...

[BBMmk2]

I still think that although the cellist played very well indeed , I thought she lackeduscianship and the pianist had loads of it! Just goes to show how different people perceive any individual performance on occasions such as these.

[Alison]

Perhaps musicianship means different things to each of us

It was the very quality I heard lacking in the pianist, not just in the Grieg but in the earlier rounds and especially
in the heavy and forced playing of the Beethoven Sonata.

[Alison]

What right has someone to expect faultless intonation when he reveres above all 60 year old performances
of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ??

A shade unfair dear Mr H Spieler ;)

[LeMartinPecheur]

I felt the winner in an odd sense had given herself a much better chance of winning simply by her choice of concerto. To take them in order:

1) Vivaldi recorder concerto - not much to do with it interpretatively; you either play the notes right or you don't. If you do, the work presents itself to the audience without much need for personal musical insight. And how many recorder soloists are there who fill halls for concerto performances? Michala Petri for a little while maybe, but not many more. I don't think the world is crying out for more of them either - the instrument and the repertoire are really not that thrilling for most of us.

2) Grieg piano concerto. Again, playing the notes according to the score pretty much gives you the work. When you think about it, how different are the great recorded perfomances of this work? Nothing like as much as great performances of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms piano conc's, or even of the Schumann, the standard LP coupling for the Grieg. Yesterday's soloist did well at presenting the notes 'in the right order' a la Eric Morecambe, but there still wasn't that much scope to show personal musicianship beyond this.

3) Walton cello concerto. Surely much more scope for the soloist to bind the work's constituents into a personal vision and a connected whole? Which is what Laura did brilliantly.

[MrGongGong]

I felt the winner in an odd sense had given herself a much better chance of winning simply by her choice of concerto. To take them in order:

1) Vivaldi recorder concerto - not much to do with it interpretatively; you either play the notes right or you don't. If you do, the work presents itself to the audience without much need for personal musical insight. And how many recorder soloists are there who fill halls for concerto performances? Michala Petri for a little while maybe, but not many more. I don't think the world is crying out for more of them either - the instrument and the repertoire are really not that thrilling for most of us.

You mean something along the lines of

"If Boulez is so good why isn't he on X Factor ?"

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

the instrument and the repertoire are really not that thrilling for most of us.

Perhaps not (although I'm not as convinced of this as you are) - but is this a relevant comment, LMP? I suspect that, to the vast majority of the general public, the "classical" repertoire (and the instruments that play it) is "not that thrilling". If, as it seems you might be suggesting (and I sincerely apologise if I misinterpret your comment here) "minority-interest" instruments and their repertoire should be excluded from serious consideration, then the Beeb might as well cancel the whole Young Musician format.

As a custodian (god help it) of minority-interest cultures, it is entirely correct that the Beeb should include a Recorder player if that performer is good enough (as, in this case, she very clearly was) - indeed, it would be a disgrace if the Corporation were to ignore such repertoire. Your "world" may not be "crying out for more" recorder players, but, for those of us who adore the Music of the Baroque composers, hearing such good players emerging from the next generations of Musicians is great news indeed.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Perhaps not (although I'm not as convinced of this as you are) - but is this a relevant comment, LMP? I suspect that, to the vast majority of the general public, the "classical" repertoire (and the instruments that play it) is "not that thrilling". If, as it seems you might be suggesting (and I sincerely apologise if I misinterpret your comment here) "minority-interest" instruments and their repertoire should be excluded from serious consideration, then the Beeb might as well cancel the whole Young Musician format.

As a custodian (god help it) of minority-interest cultures, it is entirely correct that the Beeb should include a Recorder player if that performer is good enough (as, in this case, she very clearly was) - indeed, it would be a disgrace if the Corporation were to ignore such repertoire. Your "world" may not be "crying out for more" recorder players, but, for those of us who adore the Music of the Baroque composers, hearing such good players emerging from the next generations of Musicians is great news indeed.

fgh: I'm absolutely not saying that recorder-players don't deserve a chance - just that, IMHO at least, they face an extra-tough job in a concerto finale.

My point (if I have one ) is that having got there their repertoire doesn't give them much opportunity to show the same degree of personality and expressiveness that most standard orchestral instruments and piano do. Not their fault: it's partly the repertoire but also in my view a 'problem' with the instrument. Perhaps my point is clearer in relation to the Grieg pf conc: I don't think this gives any soloist - fully professional just as a much as student - such a chance to show wide musicality as the Walton cello concerto did.

[LeMartinPecheur]

You mean something along the lines of

"If Boulez is so good why isn't he on X Factor ?"

Erm, not exactly

I do hope my reply to fhg clarifies...

[MrGongGong]

Erm, not exactly

I do hope my reply to fhg clarifies...

Didn't think you did, but it's a good question to throw at music students !

[Hornspieler]

Perhaps musicianship means different things to each of us

It was the very quality I heard lacking in the pianist, not just in the Grieg but in the earlier rounds and especially
in the heavy and forced playing of the Beethoven Sonata.

I'm with you all the way, Alison (I usually am)

There is a very fine line between rubato and distortion.

Musicianship is a combination of emotion and awareness and for me this is where the pianist failed to address the Title of the competition.

There was too much of Lang Lang and not enough of Fou T'Song for my taste.

HS