Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[cloughie]

Listened briefly this morning - asking for something to follow Monteverdi Vespers - on a bright blue sky sunshining morning I thought Montepython ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ would be a good fit - no I didn’t trouble my email!

[antongould]

Listened briefly this morning - asking for something to follow Monteverdi Vespers - on a bright blue sky sunshining morning I thought Montepython ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ would be a good fit - no I didn’t trouble my email!

Next time cloughers ...... you know it makes sense and E_A’s day .....

[Serial_Apologist]

Listened briefly this morning - asking for something to follow Monteverdi Vespers - on a bright blue sky sunshining morning I thought Montepython ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ would be a good fit - no I didn’t trouble my email!

Never mind Monty Green- it's a timely number for today!

[Richard Tarleton]

Came in through the front door to hear the opening strains of the Kodály cello sonata. First thought: that's nice (I have Natalie's CD, along with Janos Starker's, and indeed saw her play it live around the time she made the CD). Second thought: Isn't this rather long for the EC attention span? It was . What, exactly, is the point of playing just 9 minutes of this marvellous work?

[Bryn]

Came in through the front door to hear the opening strains of the Kodály cello sonata. First thought: that's nice (I have Natalie's CD, along with Janos Starker's, and indeed saw her play it live around the time she made the CD). Second thought: Isn't this rather long for the EC attention span? It was . What, exactly, is the point of playing just 9 minutes of this marvellous work?

Clearly the aim is to get you to switch over to Radio 4 for Can Hip Hop Save Ballet?

[french frank]

What, exactly, is the point of playing just 9 minutes of this marvellous work?

I suppose it could be to stop people recording the work off air. Play 9 minutes of it and people who find it attractive will go out and buy the CD, won't they? Play single movements from five works and they'll go out and buy 5 CDs. Simple …

It's a strategy for those listeners who want as much musical variety in a programme as possible - the 'entry point' listeners who aren't yet ready to concentrate on a 30-minute work. [Don't blame me for being patronising - it isn't my strategy!]

[Serial_Apologist]

Came in through the front door to hear the opening strains of the Kodály cello sonata. First thought: that's nice (I have Natalie's CD, along with Janos Starker's, and indeed saw her play it live around the time she made the CD). Second thought: Isn't this rather long for the EC attention span? It was . What, exactly, is the point of playing just 9 minutes of this marvellous work?

Especially given that the whole work only lasts about 15: the slow Debussyian first movement being followed by a shorter movement exposing a number of attractive folkish themes interpsersed by dreamy intervals.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Playing all of the Building a Library choice (except extensive works, opera etc) didn't last that long. I imagine the recording industry lobbied against it......

[LeMartinPecheur]

Especially given that the whole work only lasts about 15: the slow Debussyian first movement being followed by a shorter movement exposing a number of attractive folkish themes interpsersed by dreamy intervals.

Which Kodaly cello sonata are we talking about? The solo sonata is 30+ mins.

[Serial_Apologist]

Which Kodaly cello sonata are we talking about? The solo sonata is 30+ mins.

Oh, I apologise if I've got the wrong sonata!

[LeMartinPecheur]

Oh, I apologise if I've got the wrong sonata!

SA: I don't know that you have! Mine was a genuine question as I didn't hear the programme. But since there were no pianists credited in RT's original 'gripe' I'd assumed on first reading that it was the solo one, a work very dear to my heart.

[Richard Tarleton]

SA: I don't know that you have! Mine was a genuine question as I didn't hear the programme. But since there were no pianists credited in RT's original 'gripe' I'd assumed on first reading that it was the solo one, a work very dear to my heart.

The solo one it was. Starker 30:42, Clein a fraction slower at 33:52 (she takes nearly 2 mins more over the slow movement, packing even more gran espressione into it ). I'm sure you're right ff but it seems such a dreadful place to stop. I didn't hear what SK played next, but...couldn't she have just let it play out?

[Serial_Apologist]

SA: I don't know that you have! Mine was a genuine question as I didn't hear the programme. But since there were no pianists credited in RT's original 'gripe' I'd assumed on first reading that it was the solo one, a work very dear to my heart.

Often people refer to violin sonatas or those written for other instruments as if they were featured alone. I myself have probably referred more times than I should ever have done to Bartok's two violin sonatas, whereas I know that he composed two sonatas for violin and piano in 1921/22 and his only solo violin sonata in 1944!

[Serial_Apologist]

The solo one it was. Starker 30:42, Clein a fraction slower at 33:52 (she takes nearly 2 mins more over the slow movement, packing even more gran espressione into it ). I'm sure you're right ff but it seems such a dreadful place to stop. I didn't hear what SK played next, but...couldn't she have just let it play out?

Yes, absolutely agree: such practices are cruel and amount to an equivalent of coitus interruptus: musicus interruptus, perhaps?

[Richard Tarleton]

Yes, absolutely agree: such practices are cruel and amount to an equivalent of coitus interruptus: musicus interruptus, perhaps?

Exactly!