Originally posted by antongould
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A case of making Haydn while the sun shines! -
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I hoped that Saturday Classics might be taking a new direction too, as the description of today's programme looked interesting enough.
Writer and historian Dr Amanda Foreman takes a personal journey through the musical history of Britain, introducing works which have inspired her over the years and which reflect different aspects of what it is to be British….
Alas, it was indeed ‘a personal journey’ and nothing very much about music (and the choice of the music is not very original to put it very politely). The presenter says something like ‘I live in New York and when I hear Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for string orchestra, I hear what I miss’. Well, do we? And ‘this is what Hamish MacCunn’s music does to me’. What might that meant to us?
(I’m afraid this is as far as I’ve got. I’m not patient enough to find out if it will improve)
Please can we have Waldemar Januszczak or Simon Butteriss again? Or someone who can talk about music and its context?Comment
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I thought today's Saturday Classics was slightly unusual and very imaginative:
One thing not mentioned on the playlist. Al Jarreau performing a song by Jeremy Lubbock.
Think it was somewhere around John Cage, Gerald Barry, Jeremy Nicholas and Delius!Comment
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Caught the end of this programme today which was the second of two on Ravel. I will probably listen to the two programmes in full.
I am in no way a fan of Simon Heffer but I thought his conservative presentation here was unobtrusive, apt and actually pretty good.
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Agreed!Originally posted by Lat-Literal View Post
It certainly helped pass the time yesterday on a car journey from York back down to Oxfordshire.Comment
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A case of 'Principles & Prejudice'. Heffer's Radio 3 programmes have been discussed before. Generally agreed that they are well prepared and well presented, so he comes over as someone who knows what he's talking about. The Principle of Fairness dictates that that should be firmly acknowledgedOriginally posted by Lat-Literal View Post
The only nagging point is one like the guest spot on Essential Classics: series either have this kind of 'celebrity' slot or they don't. If they do, you get the occasional very good one, but on balance they are poor, even palpable ego trips. Do the good ones somehow 'validate' the whole concept of celebrity guests?
But that's a more general point: on record that Heffer is a cut or two above the Classic FM-type personality
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.Comment
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Having been away for 2 Skellers packed weeks I have a lot of catching up to do - but these will be added to the list ... caught a bit of yesterday's in the car and it sounded excellent .......Comment
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Interesting points - thank you.Originally posted by french frank View PostA case of 'Principles & Prejudice'. Heffer's Radio 3 programmes have been discussed before. Generally agreed that they are well prepared and well presented, so he comes over as someone who knows what he's talking about. The Principle of Fairness dictates that that should be firmly acknowledged
The only nagging point is one like the guest spot on Essential Classics: series either have this kind of 'celebrity' slot or they don't. If they do, you get the occasional very good one, but on balance they are poor, even palpable ego trips. Do the good ones somehow 'validate' the whole concept of celebrity guests?
But that's a more general point: on record that Heffer is a cut or two above the Classic FM-type personalityComment
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Ye Gods! This was the first time I've listened to Saturday Classics for some time. James Rhodes was the presenter, and he's a lively, persuasive sort of person.
But he was as OTT as certain Proms presenters. Everyone was the greatest this and that. Excess knew no bounds.
Enthusiasm - yes. But let's aim to have a tiny bit of realism in the "facts" being issued.
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Strange goings on this pm. James Rhodes announced a Bach piano transcription of an organ work, the St Anne Prelude in E flat major [sic - no mention of fugue] and went on about what a challenge transcriptions from the organ where you could sustain notes, use your feet, etc., to the piano, where you just have 10 fingers, were, and how you'll never hear a better performance than this, by N Demidienko - and proceeded to play the Bach/Busoni Chaconne. I listened anyway, as I like it, but sort of expected him to correct the mistake afterwards - but no, he again said that was the Bach St Anne Prelude, etc. etc. . I dropped the programme an email, no reply as yet. The website playlist gives it as the St Anne Prelude and Fugue....
Looking at the Hyperion discs in question, it's not even a case of playing the wrong track on the same CD, as can happen, as they're on different CDs (of ND playing Bach transcriptions).
Which makes me wonder how these programmes work. Can the presenter nip out for a loo break, and thus not hear what's being played? And if he does, surely there's a producer present? You expect the producer to know even if the presenter doesn't.
In fact the Busoni transcription illustrates the exact opposite of what he was saying about transcriptions, being from the violin to the piano.....
All very odd. James Rhodes is a pianist (isn't he?) and must have known/realised?Comment
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Is Saturday Classics a Live broadcast? If not, JR might simply have recorded his intros & outros and left one of the elderly archivists to fill in the (ir)relevant CD tracks?[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]Comment
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Let's hope that's the explanation! I'll let you know if I hear any more. The timings are different, apart from anything else....Comment
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My understanding is that no programmes on the weekend afternoons and evenings are now live. And that includes the elderly archivist input!.Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
[No presenters, no producers, no production assistants, no studio managers.]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.Comment
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