Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Nick Armstrong]

How does 'portly prognosticator' grab you?

[Richard Tarleton]

Actually the nadir of RC's interlocutory imbecility was when he asked a guest - can't even remember who it was - for a yes or no answer to the question whether someone who did not believe in god could have composed the Goldberg Variations. The sheer intellectual vacuity of such a question defies...any further comment.

[Sir Velo]

Today's brainteaser: "Which opera has a climactic scene in which the heroine accuses her mother of killing her father to the accompaniment of high pitched wind instruments, squawking like wild beasts?"

Answer came there: "something by Janacek?" "Great answer", says Sarah, "but not the right one on this occasion".

[Sir Velo]

Just as a matter of idle curiosity I checked the Twitter feed to see how many replies the brainteaser got. Using the hashtags, "Essential Classics" and "Brainteaser" it appears that a grand total of six (including a very excited individual, calling himself "StephenFry") bothered to respond. This tells me that the audience are either composed of halfwits with nary a smidgeon of classical music knowledge, or are totally nonplussed about the whole phone-in farrago.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just as a matter of idle curiosity I checked the Twitter feed to see how many replies the brainteaser got. Using the hashtags, "Essential Classics" and "Brainteaser" it appears that a grand total of six (including a very excited individual, calling himself "StephenFry") bothered to respond. This tells me that the audience are either composed of halfwits with nary a smidgeon of classical music knowledge, or are totally nonplussed about the whole phone-in farrago.

With only 6 replies, you would think theyd have got the message by now.

Today's guest, Fiona Shaw, turned out to be better than I expected, though I admit to always expecting the worst on Radio 3 mornings. A fine actress and director.
She is a better actor than her typecasting as Mrs Reed in Jane Eyre and Petunia Dursley in Harry Potter would suggest, though I suppose she was given the HP role as a result of her success in JE.

[Lento]

[QUOTE=Sir Velo;394557the audience are either composed of halfwits[/QUOTE]

Oh DEAR! Well, there are an awful lot of us out there.

[french frank]

his tells me that the audience are either composed of halfwits with nary a smidgeon of classical music knowledge

The answer was apparently Strauss's Elektra. So, given that a proportion (possibly not substantial) of the R3 listenership would have known it, either they weren't listening (perhaps at work &c), or they weren't interested in tweeting/texting/emailing, posting on Facebook. Though I'd guess 2.9478m didn't know the answer anyway. I wouldn't have known, though neither was I listening or even likely to communicate an answer by any means even if I wanted to guess. ('Puccini?' 'Good guess, but, no, not Puccini.')

[Sir Velo]

I wouldn't have known, though neither was I listening or even likely to communicate an answer by any means even if I wanted to guess. ('Puccini?' 'Good guess, but, no, not Puccini.')

Come on FF! With your knowledge of Classic drama, I'm sure that the Oresteia myth is engraved in your grey matter! I think the clue also mentioned something about 20th century as well;, so, as clearly an opera, it doesn't take much deduction to work it out, even if one hasn't heard a note of the score!

[french frank]

Come on FF! With your knowledge of Classic drama, I'm sure that the Oresteia myth is engraved in your grey matter! I think the clue also mentioned something about 20th century as well;, so, as clearly an opera, it doesn't take much deduction to work it out, even if one hasn't heard a note of the score!

I'd forgotten there was a clue - I thought you had to identify the music

Don't forget there would have been floods of listeners texting and emailing their answers...

[teamsaint]

no, but seriously, what on earth, (look at me keeping it clean !) is the point of a quiz without a prize?

There are THOUSANDS of unsold concert tickets every month,which would make great prizes. The BBC really needs to get its ar.....act together, get one of those interns who won a talent competition on the phones,, and getting some freebies from concert halls who can't be ar.....bothered to advertise or sell their events properly.
Genuinely feeble all round, and sadly indicative of the lazy attitudes to business in the arts sector.

Phew, I feel better for that.

[french frank]

the point of a quiz without a prize?

Having your name read out on BBC Radio 3 is prize enough, even if you got the answer wrong. Apparently.

[teamsaint]

Having your name read out on BBC Radio 3 is prize enough, even if you got the answer wrong. Apparently.

Things are worse than I thought.

Perhaps FoR forum members could help , and send in duplicate CDs offer as prizes.
The daily prize could have its own little catchphrase, like, oh I don't know, maybe " Have a rummage in Robs Rucksack", or something.

[Sir Velo]

Having your name read out on BBC Radio 3 is prize enough, even if you got the answer wrong. Apparently.

Ah, well you get the kudos for being told you came up with an "intelligent answer", including those who thought the story of a woman accusing her mother of mariticide was either "Lulu" or "The Rite of Spring".

[cloughie]

no, but seriously, what on earth, (look at me keeping it clean !) is the point of a quiz without a prize?

There are THOUSANDS of unsold concert tickets every month,which would make great prizes. The BBC really needs to get its ar.....act together, get one of those interns who won a talent competition on the phones,, and getting some freebies from concert halls who can't be ar.....bothered to advertise or sell their events properly.
Genuinely feeble all round, and sadly indicative of the lazy attitudes to business in the arts sector.

Phew, I feel better for that.

Bet you needed that - got your ar...typing fingers going there .. but the ticket prizes would have to be given with train tickets to 'the Smoke' and a 'b and b' otherwise it would be an expensive prize 'ere out west! Reminds me that in this RSt Anniversary year I ought to buy a copy of Elektra and try again to get near it! I reckon the Solti with Nilsson the one I fancy.

[teamsaint]

Bet you needed that - got your ar...typing fingers going there .. but the ticket prizes would have to be given with train tickets to 'the Smoke' and a 'b and b' otherwise it would be an expensive prize 'ere out west! Reminds me that in this RSt Anniversary year I ought to buy a copy of Elektra and try again to get near it! I reckon the Solti with Nilsson the one I fancy.

Long day at work, Cloughie, taking out my frustrations on the Arts sector as usual.

But of course you are right about the B and B and a few bob for petrol needing to go into the mix.