Opera Lovers unite against the ROH and the BBC in unholy alliance

[french frank]

but I can't see why it's a "kick in the teeth" for anyone
it's not as if they would have got this gig

Well, not this gig, because it was a celebrity-reality show. But this was the point of the comment, wasn't it? An alternativce concept could equally have 'raised the consciousness of what conductors ... do ...' while at the same time focusing on real skills rather than pretend ones. CR Horwood merely seems to have been a small redeeming factor.

[MrGongGong]

Well, not this gig, because it was a celebrity-reality show. But this was the point of the comment, wasn't it? An alternativce concept could equally have 'raised the consciousness of what conductors ... do ...' while at the same time focusing on real skills rather than pretend ones. CR Horwood merely seems to have been a small redeeming factor.

indeed
but (as before) that doesn't fit into the narrative that TV consists of

which , to my mind, IS unfortunate

I once got a 12 year old to conduct the Verbier festival orchestra , it was very exciting, dynamic and a great experience for all of us (including the orchestra !)
I woud be very wary of the idea that only those with "real skills" should be allowed near "classical music"

[french frank]

I woud be very wary of the idea that only those with "real skills" should be allowed near "classical music"

I wasn't suggesting that, though, was I?

[MrGongGong]

I wasn't suggesting that, though, was I?

No I know you weren't

[Barbirollians]

The point is who would be thrilled by that and want to rush off to see it ? Fewer I suspect than those who were to hear Calleja and Bychkov

[pilamenon]

I haven't been following the series but caught the last 20 minutes of CR Horwood's big moment last night and found it very watchable and educational - the programme highlighted the technical difficulties he would face. I got a real sense of how big an occasion it was for him, and thought it was an inspiring programme for anyone interested in finding out about opera. A pleasant surprise.

[MrGongGong]

The point is who would be thrilled by that and want to rush off to see it ? Fewer I suspect than those who were to hear Calleja and Bychkov

Actually, that's not the point at all

[Barbirollians]

It is entirely the point if you believe Tony Hall of the ROH.

[RobertLeDiable]

I haven't been following the series but caught the last 20 minutes of CR Horwood's big moment last night and found it very watchable and educational - the programme highlighted the technical difficulties he would face. I got a real sense of how big an occasion it was for him, and thought it was an inspiring programme for anyone interested in finding out about opera. A pleasant surprise.

As others have pointed out, Horwood was intensively coached to beat time, and he managed that pretty well in the end, even adding a bit of rubato which suggested he at least had a feel for the music. But it certainly wasn't 'educational' in the sense of showing you what a conductor has to do in opera, because conducting an opera is about building an interpretation of it over several weeks of rehearsals, not just with the orchestra and chorus, but also with the soloists. Opera conductors are also coaches, working closely with the individual singers. None of the candidates in programmes like this are remotely capable of any of that, but they can be coached how to beat time, which is the least of a conductor's job. The technical difficulties highlighted in the programme were about the mechanics of coordinating stage and pit, and Mark Elder went on about that a bit because those are problems that can be readily understood by the layman. But no self-respecting professional conductor would think twice about that sort of thing. The whole premise is a con.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

but I can't see why it's a "kick in the teeth" for anyone
it's not as if they would have got this gig

No, but if opportunities like this are to be offered, it should be to the deserving. The whole musical world is a bit of a closed shop in that many opportunities/breaks happen through knowing the right people. I've been doing part-time orchestration for many years, but I only "got it" in the first place because a friend asked me to do some copying and touching up. There are probably many more deserving people out there who need the work more than I do, but are ignored.
I don't particularly like musical competitions (especially when they are presented in a dumbed-down way) but at least they are fair in principle.

[Prommer]

Well, to be fair, the co-ordination of stage and pit is ALWAYS something that concerns conductors in Act II of Boheme, and indeed some of the critics had commented that even under Bychkov the children's chorus was a 'bit out' at the opening night. But you are right: this was only a small slice of what a real conductor has to do. Nevertheless I enjoyed the massively exaggerated climax towards the end of the act and Musetta's tune.

The whole act must have been one of the longest ActIIs I have ever heard, which made it sound too deliberate - apart from when it came into its own at that moment. This was mainly as a result of the fact that CRH had still not got his flamboyant gestures under control and therefore everything had to slow down to be in sync with these!