Carol? Not really surprised, a greetings card outlet in my village put some Christmas cards out on 25th August. .. .
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Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative -
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Originally posted by french frank View Post'Tis indeed Petroc on his early years at Classic FM, celebrating its 25 years on air this month.
The Spectator is not accessible to those who don't subscribe, but my cuttings manager
copied it for me and I knew Lord Gould would be interested as he is Petroc's No. 1 fan.
Don't worry ff GCHQ will not be knocking on your door .... I am a, temporary, subscriber to the Right Wing Rag ....Comment
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There's a vast difference between, on the one hand, not caring a hoot (i.e. one way or the other) about the sexual predilections of a composer who died 80 years ago in terms of appreciation or otherwise of his music and, on the other, not caring about homosexuals alive or dead or their past mistreatment by individuals and governments, although Bax-of-Delights' position vis-Ã -vis each is not as clear as it might be...Originally posted by Richard Barrett View PostComment
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The most risible piece in this is surely the quote "we'd like you to present our afternoon show. By the way, do you know anything about classical music?"...Originally posted by antongould View PostComment
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Not at all the same: after all, she'd been presenting Classic FM's Hall of Fame!Originally posted by antongould View PostIt isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Given that I am nowhere near as 'anti' the morning schedule as many forumites, it is a measure of my irritation at such out of season intrusions that I turned off the radio at that point. Explaining why the competition is being mentioned at this early stage is one thing, but playing the previous year's winner was totally unnecessary. I suspect there will be more such incidents. Mind you, when Norwich Cathedral has its Christmas wares out in July one could argue that there is no reason for the secular world to show restraint....Originally posted by antongould View PostComment
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They are marking the 40th Anniversary of the death of Leopold Stokowski this morning. Already Petroc has read out a tweet from someone who remembered Stokowdski giving the Proms Premiere of Mahler's 2nd Symphony in 1963. I wonder how many other Breakfast listeners, now well struck in years, recall attending his London concerts, the last of which, in 1974, was with the New Philharmonia and began with Klemperer's "Merry Waltz"?Comment
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I did not attend any concerts but I do remember the release of his 1972, 60th Anniversary concert on Decca Phase 4. It is interesting that Stokowski now is very much revered by most people. This was not always the case and I remember back in the sixties he was frequently criticised for tinkering around with orchestration and idiosyncratic interpretations which Phase 4 no doubt encouraged. I am sure the hipp followers now really love his Four Seasons and Messiah highlights and his Bach orchestrations. I had a World of Stokowski sampler on Decca SPA159, wonderful over the top playing - starts off with Ravel's Fanfare - L'eventail de Jeanne - includes a great Marche Slave, and the last two Pictures at an Exhibition in Stoki's own wild arrangement.Originally posted by seabright View PostComment
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As you rightly say, Stokowski would get many adverse reviews in the 1960s, particularly from the likes of Trevor Harvey and Derick Cooke in the Gramophone. However, when reviews of his LPs were handed over to Edward Greenfield and Ivan March, all of sudden they were hailed as superb recordings and wonderful performances. Stokowski hadn't changed but the critics had, thus proving the old adage "One man's meat is another man's poison"! ... I only mention this because I've just come across Stokowski's only performance ever of the Nielsen 2nd Symphony which he gave in Copenhagen in 1967. Anyone watching this TV relay should soon be disabused of the notion that he was a phoney or charlatan. He was the epitome of seriousness and had the Danish orchestra playing at the top of their form ...Originally posted by cloughie View Post
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Stokowski was a student of Stanford at the RCM; a contemporary of Holst and RVW. In a biography I remember reading that as a young man he was talent scouted whilst playing the organ at St. James' Piccadilly, London before sailed off to St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, NYC as organist and choir director.Originally posted by seabright View PostLast edited by Stanfordian; 18-09-17, 09:06.Comment
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I was at that concert, in the RFH - actually I think there were two, another at the Albert Hall a day or two later which was also recorded, though the double LP (which I still have) was mostly or entirely of the RFH concert. The immediate impression, a few bars into the Meistersinger overture, was of the bowing - in true Stokowski style the LSO violins each bowed as they pleasedOriginally posted by cloughie View Post ....then there was the soloist in the Galzunov violin concerto, Silvia Marcovici, a full 70 years younger than the conductor......Stoko fumbling with the microphone after the Brahms (audible on the LP), John Georgiadis coming to the rescue switching it on for his very short speech, then the Marche Slav encore....one of those concerts which completely blew the audience away, instantaneous standing ovation from the entire hall.
PS - Seabright - less of the "well struck in years", please, I may be going on 69 but I'm still very fit thank you very much
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Always interesting to read the views of 'Breakfast' listeners. I used to start my radio listening every day with Radio 3, but now listen to the 'Today' programme. The items are about the same length but in most cases rather more nourishing! I've aired my views on 'Essential Classics' elsewhere - suffice it to say that whereas I used to switch automatically to Radio 3 at 0900, I'm now increasingly more inclined to read a book or go for a walk.Comment
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