The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[Sir Velo]

Talking of intolerances I have a New Year’s Resolution suggestion for Petroc - Do not play any more Mario Lanza or The Watersons.

I'd go further: a complete interdict on opera or snatches of opera before 9 am. Failing that, a warbling alert should be given well in advance of said abomination to allow those of us still in that fragile just woken state to take appropriate evasive action!

[cloughie]

I'd go further: a complete interdict on opera or snatches of opera before 9 am. Failing that, a warbling alert should be given well in advance of said abomination to allow those of us still in that fragile just woken state to take appropriate evasive action!

Yes I’ll second that amendment.

[Old Grumpy]

I was absolutely astonished to hear complaints about Mario Lanza being played on this show. This is very sad. Why the complaints about one of the best tenors ever? We should hear more of him I say. There seems to be a faction of classical music lovers who do not like anything that is popular, but yet I never see any complaints about jazz on R3. What are the reasons for these complaints?

Is Jazz popular?*


*I ask this as a jazz appreciator

[Old Grumpy]

I'd go further: a complete interdict on opera or snatches of opera before 9 am. Failing that, a warbling alert should be given well in advance of said abomination to allow those of us still in that fragile just woken state to take appropriate evasive action!

Surely you are out on your velocipede at 0630, Sir Velo? In which case you won't (or shouldn't ) be listening anyway!

[Sir Velo]

Surely you are out on your velocipede at 0630, Sir Velo? In which case you won't (or shouldn't ) be listening anyway!

Not at this time of year!

[Ein Heldenleben]

I was absolutely astonished to hear complaints about Mario Lanza being played on this show. This is very sad. Why the complaints about one of the best tenors ever? We should hear more of him I say. There seems to be a faction of classical music lovers who do not like anything that is popular, but yet I never see any complaints about jazz on R3. What are the reasons for these complaints?

From the snatches of Otello he performs in Serenade and in his other opera recordings it’s evident that Lanza would have been one of the greatest Verdi / Puccini spinto tenors of the 20th Century. He got sucked into Hollywood and TV and light pop , made millions , and was one the best known faces and voices of the post war US . Where did it all go wrong ?

[hmvman]

From the snatches of Otello he performs in Serenade and in his other opera recordings it’s evident that Lanza would have been one of the greatest Verdi / Puccini spinto tenors of the 20th Century. He got sucked into Hollywood and TV and light pop , made millions , and was one the best known faces and voices of the post war US . Where did it all go wrong ?

Agree with that. One of the problems for me is that his fine voice is often spoiled by the rough, raucous quality of the recordings.

[rauschwerk]

I was absolutely astonished to hear complaints about Mario Lanza being played on this show. This is very sad. Why the complaints about one of the best tenors ever? We should hear more of him I say.

The fastidious André Previn was once briefly suspended by MGM for refusing to work with Lanza. Apart from the singer's personal 'vulgarity', he considered that 'He had a remarkable, untrained voice which could have been moulded, probably, into a first-rate tenor, but he was content to just scream'.

That said, I didn't hear any screaming in the Adam piece yesterday. The Waterson's this morning, on the other hand, made me want to scream.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Agree with that. One of the problems for me is that his fine voice is often spoiled by the rough, raucous quality of the recordings.

I wonder if some of them are straight lifts from movie tracks. Those are often notoriously bad - compressed and with mid range lift to “cut through “ in the movie theatre. A lot of the MGM orchestra sound comes from electronic manipulation. And also , strangely , Oliviers high impact voice in Richard III

[cloughie]

The fastidious André Previn was once briefly suspended by MGM for refusing to work with Lanza. Apart from the singer's personal 'vulgarity', he considered that 'He had a remarkable, untrained voice which could have been moulded, probably, into a first-rate tenor, but he was content to just scream'.

That said, I didn't hear any screaming in the Adam piece yesterday. The Waterson's this morning, on the other hand, made me want to scream.

I think Andre, as with so many things in his long career, got it spot on. Holy Night did not have screaming true but a poor recording and not always perfect tuning didn’t make for a pleasant listening experience. I know Alfie Boe is a fan of the Lanza repertoire and probably sings it much better. Lanza’s career like so many singers’ probably suffered as a result of the lure of money and greedy managers and agents in the music industry. There is many a singer or musician who does what the industry demands rather than stay true to the music they would really like to perform!

[gradus]

Re Lanza I confess to a soft spot, although hearing too much of him in his heyday put me off for years. An atypical and I think attractive recording of the Italian tenor's song from Rosenkavalier, with piano accompaniment is I think delightful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-GsFdmkmLU

[antongould]

Technical problems … or was it a Forum hit squad sabotaging poor Ms Alker ….. ???? ….have a Very Merry Christmas everyone ……

[cloughie]

Technical problems … or was it a Forum hit squad sabotaging poor Ms Alker ….. ???? ….have a Very Merry Christmas everyone ……

…and to you anton and all on the forum!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Technical problems … or was it a Forum hit squad sabotaging poor Ms Alker ….. ???? ….have a Very Merry Christmas everyone ……

Guilty as charged.

[oddoneout]

Wasn't too keen on some of Petroc's offerings this morning (yes I know it wasn't Breakfast, but things are seasonally disarranged), rather a lot of telephone type chat, Granny's Attic, didn't do anything for me, and Ian Shaw/Ella Hohnen-Ford were a mute button situation - their take on traditional was a step way too far for me. I suspect for a fair few listeners rather too much "not R3 content".
And yes I do appreciate that people gave up their Christmas Day to provide the programme, but I'm afraid the effort was partly at least wasted, even on this listener, who as several forumites will know has dubious and undiscriminating tastes.