Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Thropplenoggin]

I do wonder whether there’s some machiavellian plot by intelligent announcers to push the whole ‘interactivity’ thing to its absurd limit, in the hope that listeners will switch off in droves (if they haven’t already), the ratings will plummet and the suits will cry ‘enough!’. Maybe, even, some of these tweets/emails are spoofs? Wishful thinking, perhaps.

Sir Herbert Gussett? Outraged of Tumbridge Wells? What a delicious idea! We should all put fingers to keyboard and type the most inane request we can thing of! Perhaps for the 'musical map' we could nominate a choir of church mice in the loft of St. Swithens in Devizes.

[antongould]

A bit of civilisation and culture restored this week, esp. appealing perhaps for Welsh Forumites - Welsh actor Paul Rhys. An appealing and modest character, judging by this morning's outing.

(Good actor too - amazing as Edgar / Poor Tom in the Ian Holm 'Lear' I went to several times at the NT )

Yes he has been an excellent guest with a nice varied choice of pieces.
Switching if I may to Thropps beloved music map of Britain - today's caller was, to me at least, interesting about a piece Herbert Howells composed for a particular church who felt their choir wasn't up to it but HH refused to compromise. The caller, who I think was the present vicar of the church and SMP got very excited that the score was in biro. Sara dropped in that she had sung in a recording of the work and then audience participation kicked in and we learnt the scores for several of Brian's symphonies were also in biro..........

[Nick Armstrong]

today's caller was, to me at least, interesting about a piece Herbert Howells composed for a particular church who felt their choir wasn't up to it but HH refused to compromise. The caller, who I think was the present vicar of the church and SMP got very excited that the score was in biro. Sara dropped in that she had sung in a recording of the work

Interesting to me too, anton It's the first time for ages I've heard one of these 'put a pin in the map, children' phone-ins... but I was pleasantly surprised - indeed, I learnt something. I thought I was pretty au fait with Howells's services (St Paul's and Gloucester being my favourites) - but I'd never even heard of the St Augustine's Service, still less heard it. Not top Howells from hearing the Mag... but an interesting addition to the old knowledge bank

[amateur51]

Sir Herbert Gussett? Outraged of Tumbridge Wells? What a delicious idea! We should all put fingers to keyboard and type the most inane request we can thing of! Perhaps for the 'musical map' we could nominate a choir of church mice in the loft of St. Swithens in Devizes.

Of Thee It Is I Squeak by Sir Herbert Gussett Bart, sung as above

[JFLL]

I notice that on the 'Essential Classics' web page this week the guest is one 'Prof. Germaine Greer'. The BBC these days seems to have an obsession with the title 'Prof.' (sic). On TV almost every presenter of a factual programme, it seems, has to be a 'Prof.' to give the programme credibility. They don't seem to have noticed that with academic inflation almost anyone these days is a 'professor' at some 'university' or other. (Will Self is soon to be a 'Professor of Contemporary Thought'; Tracey Emin is a 'Professor of Drawing'.) Will Sarah Walker greet Germaine Greer with 'Good Morning, Professor'? Laughable. Many of my most inspiring and learned university teachers were not even a 'Doctor'.

[Lancashire Lass]

So what is this "Baroque Bite" segment that suddenly appeared today around 11.40? There I am enjoying the Schumann Violin Concerto, only to be jolted immediately afterwards by a cheeky little featurette on castrati, (which has been done to death over the last couple of weeks). I switched off pretty quickly -- yet another interruption to the dwindling flow of music. I wish I didn't get so angry about it, but I still have vestiges of feeling for this once great station.

[meles]

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to tomorrow's Baroque japes on R3 for Red Nose Day...

Oh yes, I can. Not at all.

[Thropplenoggin]

I see Rob's got that Great British charlatan, Alain Lobotomy on this week. No doubt the unthinking man's 'thinking man' has a new book to flog.

An execrable fraud whose profound philosophical insights make my navel fluff look well-read. Keep churning out the cod-philosophy long enough, though, and the Establishment will surely award you an OBE, even if it is for "services to omphaloskepsis". You can always help yourself to his nuggets for free here: https://twitter.com/alaindebotton Caveat Lector: Kafka's diaries, it isn't.

[Nick Armstrong]

I see Rob's got that Great British charlatan, Alain Lobotomy on this week. No doubt the unthinking man's 'thinking man' has a new book to flog.

I didn't know you had quite such trenchant views on M. Le Botomy....

However I did have the misfortune to catch the two 10.30 slots so far this week. The discussions did seem to be the most vacuous we've so far had, poor old Rob raising random 'concepts' resulting in meaningless abstract blather, the connection with the music being obscure to me. I found it very strange.

[teamsaint]

I didn't know you had quite such trenchant views on M. Le Botomy....

However I did have the misfortune to catch the two 10.30 slots so far this week. The discussions did seem to be the most vacuous we've so far had, poor old Rob raising random 'concepts' resulting in meaningless abstract blather, the connection with the music being obscure to me. I found it very strange.

Philosophically speaking, Mr Monitor, how is it possible to catch 2 whole half hour slots by " Misfortune"?
were they playing in , say, a dentists waiting room,or similar?

Just asking, like!

Have a nice day now.

Edit: Makes my Schumann box set look like a good investment. poor old Rob Cowan. What a Waste, as Ian Dury one said......

[Nick Armstrong]

Philosophically speaking, Mr Monitor, how is it possible to catch 2 whole half hour slots by " Misfortune"?
were they playing in , say, a dentists waiting room,or similar?

Just asking, like!

They were on at a time I wanted to listen to Radio 3.



I stuck with them in the hope of something more illuminating ... coupled with a sort of fascination which developed, as to how bizarre and vacuous they were.

It is my misfortune to be optimistic, and fascinated by the bizarre, it would seem....




PS Thanks for asking, like!

[teamsaint]

They were on at a time I wanted to listen to Radio 3.



I stuck with them in the hope of something more illuminating ... coupled with a sort of fascination which developed, as to how bizarre and vacuous they were.

It is my misfortune to be optimistic, and fascinated by the bizarre, it would seem....




PS Thanks for asking, like!

A beautifully constructed defence,if I may say so, though perhaps practical rather than philosophical .
I am almost tempted to tune in tomorrow after that, although it coincides with my main appointment of the morning.....work eh?....
[B]"optimistic, and fascinated by the bizarre...."[/B]
Is there not some pithy german word/phrase that covers this state of mind?!

[Nick Armstrong]

"optimistic, and fascinated by the bizarre...."
Is there not some pithy german word/phrase that covers this state of mind?!

Using 'pithy' in the Germanic sense of 'very very long and multisyllabic'...

But I know what you mean. Don't they just make it up as they go along and jam stuff together? So I reckon you'd get away with:

Optimismusundabsonderlichkeitfaszination

[Anna]

I've just had a look at Alain de Botton's latest Tweet and it says "Paradox of the sulk: 'If I have to spell this out to you, you're not someone I want to be understood by.'

And, children, we all know a song about that, don't we?

[teamsaint]

Using 'pithy' in the Germanic sense of 'very very long and multisyllabic'...

But I know what you mean. Don't they just make it up as they go along and jam stuff together? So I reckon you'd get away with: Optimismusundabsonderlichkeitfaszination

That will do nicely...oh to be a linguist !

I have loved those words since my grandparents returned from a nice holiday in Germany in 1974 with a gift to love for ever .....a genuine adidas bag with the wording "1974 Fusballweltmeisterschaft" emblazoned on it. Perfection.