Originally posted by Lat-Literal
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Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate
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Originally posted by vinteuil View Post.. if Beecham is to be Artist of the Week or some such ....well, I don't often listen to EC - but if only for this reason I will be certainly not be tuning in...
Luckily, they have a tray called Marmite.
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A double blessing on Essential Classics, a follow-up after the joy of listening to broadcaster, Hugh Sykes, last week; to select Simon Callow as guest from 6 Feb - a fine, distinguished actor, director, as well as an enticing writer! My book collection has shelf room for his biographies, My Life in Pieces, Shooting the Actor, as well as his fastidious research for his biographies of Orson Welles and Charles Laughton, and an informed scribe on NT productions.
I first made casual acquaintance with Simon when he was a box office assistant at the Old Vic in the mid 70s - a shrewd move which kept him in the eye of NT casting directors - and you certainly couldn't miss him. Even when seated out-front, his laugh could be instantly identified! He was trained at the Drama Centre at Camden which specialised in the principles of Laban notation by two foremost practitioners, Yat Malmgren and Christopher Fettes. I've always deeply regretted being indifferent to their tuition when they taught at the RADA,early 60s, before they left to establish the Drama Centre.
Simon Callow came into the limelight in Peter Hall's 1979 production of Peter Shaffer's, Amadeus at the NT, now well established at the South Bank. Paul Scofield, a master of human complexity, played Salieri, probably his major performance before his John Gabriel Borkman in the 90s. Useful reminisce about the rehearsals in Monday's programme. A key scene is a duo between the two men when Mozart thanks Salieri for his march - but, running over to the keyboard, "...if you changed this phrase here? altered the rhythm a little? used a little harmony?" - before he turned the Italian's anonymous exercise in note-spinning into what the world will soon know as 'Non piu andrai' from Le Nozze di Figaro', the dynamic of the play in a single scene, mediocrity mocked by genius. The anger and hatred of Salieri, blood freezing and electric moment which rippled through the auditorium.
Lively broadcasting with a couple of days to go.
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Originally posted by Stanley Stewart View PostHowever, the real teaser,today, was the performance of Tchai 6, CSO/Solti,...
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How refreshing to have a stimulating guest on EC for the third week running, the inimitable Maggi Hambling! Happy reminders of visits to Aldeburgh and the anti-Britten undercurrent which bars any prospect of a statue in his name. However, the main attraction for me here is MH's experience and directness in discussing her creative juices, today the conflict between light and colour, alongside her musical choice between Beethoven and DSCH. A treat.
R3 in fine fettle.
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Originally posted by Stanley Stewart View PostR3 in fine fettle.
Half an hour focusing just on Maggi Hambling the artist would be more my idea of 'R3 in fine fettle'. If there are to be celebrated 'guests', surely it's better for them to discuss, in more depth, what it is they're celebrated for rather than drag in snippets of their musical choices? And the whole of the Beethoven string quartet and Shostakovich violin sonata.It 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.
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Originally posted by french frank View Post
Half an hour focusing just on Maggi Hambling the artist would be more my idea of 'R3 in fine fettle'. If there are to be celebrated 'guests', surely it's better for them to discuss, in more depth, what it is they're celebrated for rather than drag in snippets of their musical choices? And the whole of the Beethoven string quartet and Shostakovich violin sonata.
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Originally posted by Stanley Stewart View PostHappy reminders of visits to Aldeburgh and the anti-Britten undercurrent which bars any prospect of a statue in his name.
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Originally posted by Sir Velo View PostInteresting; is that feeling still rife? I would have thought the town would have had much to thank B&P for, but that's gratitude for you!
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