Whole works internet station

[Edgy 2]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004s77

six hours a day, seven days a week.
Really recommend this. Whole works, English presentation, no trails, good reception

Best thing on the wireless

[Bella Kemp]

Hooray! I love Virgil Thomson. I was in the school film society when I was 14 in 1954 and we saw 'Louisiana Story'. Beautiful film, gorgeous music. Didn't have a record player then and didn't know you could buy film music. Fast forward to 1958 and someone's birthday at the library when my friend (Alma Cullen - 'Morse' scriptwriter) brought some records. She played Copland's 'Red Pony' and I stopped dead in my tracks in amazement and told her it reminded me of Louisiana Story. I hadn't heard it in those 4 years. Silently she showed me the sleeve showing L.S. on the reverse. I still have that LP - Thomas Sherman and the Little Orch. Society.

I wrote to Mr. Thomson when he came over here to conduct the Proms saying I hadn't found many recordings here. I got a handwritten reply by return of post, listing various outlets in America where I could send for his works. It's a really nice, friendly letter, not what you'd expect from someone who's said to be a bit snippy! Worth a fortune, of course

Wonderful. Mr Kemp and I had one of our first dates going to see Lousiana Story at some tiny film society where a dozen of us sat on hard chairs in a cramped room. Virgil Thompson was a fine composer. The Plough that Broke the Plains is worth seeking out. it is a regret that he never wrote a score for Huckleberry Finn!

[Master Jacques]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't know of any bad Virgil Thompson film music. Of the American inter- and post-WW2 "vernacular modernists", he is one of my favourites, preferable to Copland.

Forgive me a moment's ranting grump, Serial_Apologist. The score which got my goat on Sunday Morning was The River, which is note-spinning of the worst kind, in my opinion: uninspired, derivative, dull, overblown, badly stitched together and technically threadbare. Don't misunderstand me, as there are some Virgil Thomson works (especially the Gertrude Stein operas) which I love to distraction. But he was very uneven, wrote some stinkers ... and this score is certainly one, I think.

Bryn, thank you for the stats: by my count there were in fact 4 out of 15 (did you miss dear old Moondog??) This is a typical count for these wretchedly middle-of-the-road playlist programmes, and the usual over-representation, don't you think? Where in this case was Spanish music? Slav music of any brand? The Scandinavians? Oriental classical composers? Total count for that lot = one (a Suk intermezzo, very beautiful too, and of the highest quality).

There was more American than German, or Italian music. And that is par for the course. It is the lack of adventure which gets me riled, and the subservience (compare that lovely Finnish station, which I have now bookmarked big time).

Does R3 sell these American-biased playlists on to American, mid-west easy listening outfits? I can't see any other explanation for the bias.

[Master Jacques]

Originally Posted by doversoul1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004s77

six hours a day, seven days a week.
Really recommend this. Whole works, English presentation, no trails, good reception

Hear, hear! If Through the Night were to be extended to Through to Midday I don't think we'd have any cause for complaint!