Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Richard Tarleton]

I only listen to bits of EC by accident these days, yet I've long since lost count of the number of times RC has played Schwanda the Effing Bagpiper - it really is a particularly annoying piece of music. What is it about this piece that he keeps playing it?

# weirdobsessions.

[cloughie]

I only listen to bits of EC by accident these days, yet I've long since lost count of the number of times RC has played Schwanda the Effing Bagpiper - it really is a particularly annoying piece of music. What is it about this piece that he keeps playing it?

# weirdobsessions.

Richard, just think how more annoying it would be if it had actually been scored for bagpipes.

[Richard Tarleton]

cloughie, having Highland bagpipe music in my genes I'd be delighted if a daily pibroch (at, say, 10.30) became part of Rob C's routine instead of some of the rubbish he plays. Better still, start the programme with it

[underthecountertenor]

Richard, just think how more annoying it would be if it had actually been scored for bagpipes.

Even that couldn't be as bad as the tune played on recorders supposed to be, but not in fact, in unison, as heard in my school classroom circa 1977. When Rob plays it (and yes, Richard, he plays it often) it sends an extra shudder through me on that account.

[Bax-of-Delights]

I only listen to bits of EC by accident these days, yet I've long since lost count of the number of times RC has played Schwanda the Effing Bagpiper - it really is a particularly annoying piece of music. What is it about this piece that he keeps playing it?

# weirdobsessions.

Perhaps you missed the other old friend of Breakfast and EC yesterday - Copland's Rodeo.
Although this time, before playing it, RC apologised for the "un-PCness" of the ballet's plot (the guy only becomes interested in the gal when she wears a dress and puts a bow in her hair). Bonkers.

[kernelbogey]

next up - "Sumer is icumen in" on Building a Library

Schwanda the Effing Bagpiper

These lifted my morning... thanks!

[Nick Armstrong]

Thank heavens they gave the interviews with Ken Loach, a top-drawer guest, to the increasingly impressive Sarah Walker, and not to the increasingly out-of-his-depth-in-interviews Rob Cowan.

Looking forward to catching up with the podcast of these conversations

[Richard Tarleton]

I don't know if it was just me, or my car radio, but that Gilels Schubert D850 sounded like the clangiest, bangiest Schubert I've ever heard. Perhaps it was the piano, or the recording....RC waxing lyrical made me wonder how others found it. I did see Gilels live....

[vinteuil]

...RC waxing lyrical made me wonder...

... for me it's a fairly safe bet that if Rob Cowan waxes lyrical over a piece it'll be a work or a performance that I find dire in the extreme.

Tho' I usually like Gilels...

[Paulie55]

RC is a poor interviewer

RC is ssssoooooooo bad at interviewing people naturally and places ssssssooooooo mmmmmmmmmmuuuuuuuuuuccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh emphasis on ccccccccceeerrrrrrrrtain words. He is on the radio fffffffffaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr toooooooooooo much.

This morning Radio 3 was still tuned in on my radio after last night's Chailly concert.

I had the serious misfortune to catch ten minutes or so of this programme. It was like the worst sort of dumbed down schmaltz on Classic FM.

Rob Cowan whilst highly knowledgeable comes across as oily and irritating and there was an absurd " Who am I " segment - with Stephen Johnson doing his impression of the Mystery Voice from I Am sorry i have't a clue and then all manner of gooey e-mails read out about Rossini .

What is this trash doing on radio 3 ?

[Serial_Apologist]

RC is ssssoooooooo bad at interviewing people naturally and places ssssssooooooo mmmmmmmmmmuuuuuuuuuuccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh emphasis on ccccccccceeerrrrrrrrtain words. He is on the radio fffffffffaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr toooooooooooo much.

Ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffli ppin' hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheck!

[ahinton]

Schwanda the Effing Bagpiper

Should have been Squander the Bagpiper, surely?...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The two poles of the programme were encapsulated for me at around 9:20 this morning when, after a superb performance of the Bach Triple Concerto BWV 1044 (complete) which really got me in a good mood, RC read out an assinine (no - that's not a spelling mistake!) tweet from a listener claiming that he didn't understand how someone who liked Bruckner could also mnngyer like listening to nnngye nnngyer this plinky-plonky-tonky-wonky mmnninniynggg harpsichordy wehinghymingey fnukfnnaaarrr gurgle stuff.

And THEN RC commented that this was a "fascinating" opinion!!!!!!!! No it wasn't - it was a public declaration of imbecility. What other fascinations might the chap shared - his perplexity with other matters beyond his intellectual compass - like spoons f'rinstance???!!!


Put me in a foul mood, I tell ye ... FOUL!!!!!

[vinteuil]

... ferney - I feel your pain.

The only consolation - you had to put up with that imbecility and arseininity from the 'listener' (and from RC ... ) for a moment or two - whereas said 'listener' has to endure being an imbecile and an arse all his ( I bet it was a him ) silly life...

And Bach is always here to save us

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]