The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[ahinton]

Twice - at the beginning and the end. The great pianist - Nicola's dad.

You remember back in 1992 when the Classic FM presenters became laughing stocks?

That's surely got to be one of the worst. Do you suppose that someone wrote those bits of script just to trip/wind CB-H up? (not that this would be any kind of excuse). Should Nicola Benedetti sue? CB-H is supposed to be a violinist too...

[ahinton]

totally obscure musicians (like Boolay and Gobi)

Never mind Boolay - I'm just waiting for his compatriot and near-contemporary Poo-sewer...

[french frank]

That's surely got to be one of the worst. Do you suppose that someone wrote those bits of script just to trip/wind CB-H up? (not that this would be any kind of excuse). Should Nicola Benedetti sue? CB-H is supposed to be a violinist too...

I had a stern rebuff for suggesting that another error might have been delibarately intended to make 'A Presenter' look foolish. But the plain fact is that if someone in production makes a mistake in typing up the running order, a knowledgeable presenter should spot an 'obvious' error like this.

[underthecountertenor]

My tooth-brushing slowed momentarily this morning when I thought I heard CBH refer to "Arturo Michelangeli Benedetti" - I really hope that I misheard and she didn't mangle the name of one of the great pianists of the last century...

I've just checked it out. In fact you do CBH a disservice. As I heard it, she referred to 'Arturo Mikel-Andy Benedetti,' but subsequently corrected it to 'Arturo Mikel-Angie Benedetti.'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

CB-H is supposed to be a violinist too...

There's no "supposed" about it. She's extremely good.

BUT. . .

Sometimes I've tried to divert criticism about presenters, on the grounds that they were merely obeying orders. However, the difference between last week and this week would appear to suggest I was in error.

[french frank]

There's no "supposed" about it. She's extremely good.

BUT. . .

… BUT she's not employed to play the violin.

Sometimes I've tried to divert criticism about presenters, on the grounds that they were merely obeying orders. However, the difference between last week and this week would appear to suggest I was in error.

The thing about Skellers is that I don't think anyone would claim (not even himself ) that he was the most erudite classical presenter. But he doesn't seem to pretend he's the fount of all wisdom and he does the job. So mistakes are more forgivable.

As far as I'm concerned, any Radio 3 presenter who uses their privileged position to take to the media and insult listeners who presume to criticise deserves no mercy. If they don't agree they should just explain why. This is why I think there's a clear distinction between objective criticism and personal insult, and that applies to listeners (us) or the BBC.

[Nick Armstrong]

I've just checked it out. In fact you do CBH a disservice. As I heard it, she referred to 'Arturo Mikel-Andy Benedetti,' but subsequently corrected it to 'Arturo Mikel-Angie Benedetti.'

Playing that mature French masterpiece Brie-yard...?!

[Rolmill]

I've just checked it out. In fact you do CBH a disservice. As I heard it, she referred to 'Arturo Mikel-Andy Benedetti,' but subsequently corrected it to 'Arturo Mikel-Angie Benedetti.'

Not sure whether to or - fortunately my electric toothbrush masked the mangle-within-a-mangle nuance.

[ahinton]

There's no "supposed" about it. She's extremely good.

BUT. . .

Sometimes I've tried to divert criticism about presenters, on the grounds that they were merely obeying orders. However, the difference between last week and this week would appear to suggest I was in error.

I've never heard her play so cannot comment on how good she is but that was obviously not the point of my reference to her being a violinist; Michelangeli himself was a violinist in his youth (as well as an organist) and you'd have thought that someone with CB-H's practical musical experience ought to have known better even if she had been handed a misleading identity for ABH for whatever reason although if, as underthecountertenor informs us, "she referred to 'Arturo Mikel-Andy Benedetti,' but subsequently corrected it to 'Arturo Mikel-Angie Benedetti'", the double gaffe would appear to be her responsibility alone.

As an aside to (not to say a relief from) this, it's interesting that Michelangeli's study of the violin and the organ reflects that of Alkan who apparently acquired considerable proficiency on both and the same may be said of Jonathan Powell.

[ahinton]

Not sure whether to or - fortunately my electric toothbrush masked the mangle-within-a-mangle nuance.

Well, at least the shock that you got was not from that toothbrush! Perhaps CB-H's "mangle-within-a-mangle nuance" better deserves to be on the Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge thread, although it might not have occurred in the first place had a more caring and knowledgeable presenter been filling in for her (Flossie might disagree, though); if this example typifies CB-H's lazy treatment (of subject matter), it might only be a matter of time before she announces Elliott Carter's Three Occlusions for orchestra or Caries Variations composed and performed by pianist Marc-Arm-and-Hammer-lan, from which nadirs it would be hard to imagine the possibility that her presentation manner could decay much further.

With instances like this as referred to n this thread, it's surely no wonder that breakfast for me rarely involves anything more than a cup of strong coffee? Its purported status as the most important meal of the day has surely been wholly undermined by certain folk at BBC R3...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Would there ever be even the remotest chance of any Carter being played during the Fastbreak programme?

[antongould]

Oh come on ferney you just have to go back 18 months .......

[cloughie]

Would there ever be even the remotest chance of any Carter being played during the Fastbreak programme?

Not unless they do an Uncle Mort retrospective!

[french frank]

If anything should set anyone against Ms B-H's 'inclusive style' : http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...s-9387557.html

I'd guess this was a deliberately well-timed article to coincide with good listening figures for Breakfast ('Figures released this week, showed that the breakfast show has added 130,000 new listeners since the arrival of Ms Burton-Hill'). Garbage. Nothing has been said here about the most recent quarter's figures released last week. Breakfast had one of its worst figures ever, so clearly Ms B-H has not been getting her full share of the broadcasts. Presumably.

What grates is the air she exudes in articles like this that she is some sort of expert gently nurturing timid new listeners so that they can share her passion for classical music. Coming from someone who twice in the same programme got the name of one of the 20th c.'s most revered pianists wrong and, yes, don't forget, confused Arthur Butterworth,'killed in the First World War' before playing a piece by George Butterworth, again, twice …

If that constitutes an 'attack' , then she should think twice about attacking the 'gatekeepers of some mystical classical high culture' and publicly creating straw men of these gatekeepers wanting nothing to change and calling for a Breakfast programme with 'a 45-minute piece followed by a long exegesis about it'. That is an abuse of her privileged position in having a platform for her personal views and promoting herself.

[cloughie]

S11

If anything should set anyone against Ms B-H's 'inclusive style' : http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...s-9387557.html

I'd guess this was a deliberately well-timed article to coincide with good listening figures for Breakfast ('Figures released this week, showed that the breakfast show has added 130,000 new listeners since the arrival of Ms Burton-Hill'). Garbage. Nothing has been said here about the most recent quarter's figures released last week. Breakfast had one of its worst figures ever, so clearly Ms B-H has not been getting her full share of the broadcasts. Presumably.

What grates is the air she exudes in articles like this that she is some sort of expert gently nurturing timid new listeners so that they can share her passion for classical music. Coming from someone who twice in the same programme got the name of one of the 20th c.' most revered pianists and, yes, don't forget, confused Arthur Butterworth,'killed in the First World War' before playing a piece by George Butterworth, again, twice …

If that constitutes an 'attack' , then she should think twice about attacking the 'gatekeepers of some mystical classical high culture' and publicly creating straw men of these gatekeepers wanting nothing to change and calling for a Breakfast programme with 'a 45-minute piece followed by a long exegesis about it'. That is an abuse of her privileged position in having a platform for her personal views and promoting herself.

She got it wrong I want 55 minute pieces but I'll accept a brief exegesis. Actually C B-H makes KD sound good!