Private Passions

[cloughie]

Anybody who can write a best-selling book called 'Reasons To Be Cheerful' about a weird dentist is unlikely to come across as boring or depressing!
(We didn't hear The Beatles, by the way, we heard a post-Beatles song by Paul McCartney).

The real Beatles was on Graham Nash’s Desert Island Discs!
Incidentally I wonder if the Jenkins work made me wonder if he had heard some C19th Cornish carols!
Also interesting that Nina felt that for family reasons the need to to return to London after 20 years in Cornwall but then found that she didn’t fit in there.

[LMcD]

Beatles? Utter rubbish. I did find her quite entertaining. Her choice of Brahms Second PC, Handel's Eternal Source of Light Divine and a duet from Magic Flute didn't really support your general point.

Anybody who can write a best-selling book called 'Reasons To Be Cheerful' about a weird dentist is unlikely to come across as boring or depressing!
(We didn't hear The Beatles, by the way, we heard a post-Beatles song by Paul McCartney).

[gurnemanz]

Another depressing programme today featuring someone with no real interest in classical music. Today we had the Beatles, Karl Jenkins, some contemporary ephemera and one or two classical “greatest hits”. What’s the point? There are plenty of notable people out there with a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music. Can we have one on one week?

Beatles? Utter rubbish. I did find her quite entertaining. Her choice of Brahms Second PC, Handel's Eternal Source of Light Divine and a duet from Magic Flute didn't really support your general point.

[french frank]

it's surely not beyond the realms of possibility that Nina Stibbe (whose life and mine have certain things in common) might develop 'a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music' as a result of appearing on the programme.

It may in fact be the result. But surely that isn't the point of Radio 3? A programme to serve the purpose of one (probably) non listener?

Or are private passions that are supposedly worth hearing the preserve of those who might have nothing to gain from such an experience?

I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be for the benefit of that one guest!

What I would question is not so much the guest's choice of music - or only secondarily - and which is their business, as much as the choice of guest which is R3's business. It becomes Radio 4 if the guest is chosen because they're an interesting person and have had an interesting life.

[LMcD]

Another depressing programme today featuring someone with no real interest in classical music. Today we had the Beatles, Karl Jenkins, some contemporary ephemera and one or two classical “greatest hits”. What’s the point? There are plenty of notable people out there with a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music. Can we have one on one week?

I was anything but depressed by it, and it's surely not beyond the realms of possibility that Nina Stibbe (whose life and mine have certain things in common) might develop 'a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music' as a result of appearing on the programme. Or are private passions that are supposedly worth hearing the preserve of those who might have nothing to gain from such an experience?

[Pulcinella]

Aww, that's a little unfair. And mentioning the divine Ben isn't always a bonus. Who was it went to lessons with Lizzie Lutyens and when she said 'you haven't got much talent' said 'I've been helped by Benjamin Britten'?

Lutyens: You can take that smile off your face for a start.

You're probably right, but in the days when I used to listen there was rather too much name-dropping from the host for my liking!

[smittims]

Aww, that's a little unfair. And mentioning the divine Ben isn't always a bonus. Who was it went to lessons with Lizzie Lutyens and when she said 'you haven't got much talent' said 'I've been helped by Benjamin Britten'?

Lutyens: You can take that smile off your face for a start.

[Pulcinella]

What never? Time Michael Berkeley was retired to make way for Harry Styles?

I wonder who Harry Styles' godfather is: not Benjamin Britten, I assume.
As I no longer listen to PP though, perhaps MB has stopped reminding us of his heritage every programme.

[smittims]

I'm with Philidor here. Unlike Desert Island Discs I do believe this programme is supposed to be part of a Radio 3 and indeed BBC tradition of leading the layman in to classical music. Predecessors included the rather archly titled Man of Action and I Know What I Like. Ideally it should enourage the listener to think 'well, if so-and-so can enjoy Stravinsky I'll give it a try'. It follows that it shouldn't be dumbed down into the general morass of 'hey, there are no barriers on Radio 3. Here's some Barry Manilow for you snobs to digest.' .

[french frank]

Private Passions was never intended to do that though.

What never? Time Michael Berkeley was retired to make way for Harry Styles?

[kernelbogey]

Another depressing programme today featuring someone with no real interest in classical music. Today we had the Beatles, Karl Jenkins, some contemporary ephemera and one or two classical “greatest hits”. What’s the point? There are plenty of notable people out there with a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music. Can we have one on one week?

There was no mention of the usual outside production company. I wonder if it's been brought in house. I thought the subject was much less interesting than many many previous guests.

[oddoneout]

Another depressing programme today featuring someone with no real interest in classical music. Today we had the Beatles, Karl Jenkins, some contemporary ephemera and one or two classical “greatest hits”. What’s the point? There are plenty of notable people out there with a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music. Can we have one on one week?

This might explain why the programme doesn't deliver what you want.

Guests from all walks of life discuss their musical loves and hates, and talk about the influence music has had on their lives

The kind of approach you mention is what I had expected "Inside Music" would deliver when it started but sadly didn't. Private Passions was never intended to do that though.

[Philidor]

Another depressing programme today featuring someone with no real interest in classical music. Today we had the Beatles, Karl Jenkins, some contemporary ephemera and one or two classical “greatest hits”. What’s the point? There are plenty of notable people out there with a genuine passion for, and interest in, serious music. Can we have one on one week?

[smittims]

Thanks for alerting me to that; I'd have missed it otherwise. Quite an interesting discussion.

I'm always wary of people telling me what Shostakovitch's music 'means', especially since he himself was very reticent on the subject, and the doubt that has been cast on the veracity of the book 'Testimony'. Maybe it's because I only want to listen to the music as music: I find that quite interesting enough. But also I suspect that many commentators want to be the one person with the truth : 'I alone hold the key; listen to me (and buy my book)'.

Still, it's good to hear classical music being brought into a general programme and treated seriously. So many people in the media today go on as if it never existed .

[eighthobstruction]

....just after 24 minutes into the programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qm0k The Hundred Year Ego,,,,there is an arresting sequence about Shostakovitch....