Tárrega watch

[Guest]

Susie Klein, who ought to know better, has joined the Tarrega club.

I'm beginning to think they only do it to annoy.

[Richard Tarleton]

Martin Handley has joined the club

[french frank]

Martin Handley has joined the club

I suppose it's because Radio 3 doesn't bother to indicate accents. No matter if people already know the correct pronunciation but it matters if they don't. (Is this what you mean?)

[Richard Tarleton]

I suppose it's because Radio 3 doesn't bother to indicate accents.

Do you mean in presenters' scripts, ff? They appear to on the website (can't find Tárrega, but plenty of others), and it appears as Tárrega on the CD covers

No matter if people already know the correct pronunciation but it matters if they don't. (Is this what you mean?)

I think it's just that there is a composer largely famous outside plucking circles for one work which is played quite frequently whose name not a single R3 presenter can be bothered to pronounce correctly. Even ones you might have expected to know better. It's not a difficult name. Call me obsessive but I think it's sloppy and lazy. I've drawn their individual attentions to the matter but it makes no difference.

I played this work myself in Granada some 40 years ago, on a Ramirez guitar, but it was in the youth hostel, not the Alhambra - an American guy turned up with this beautiful guitar in a case in the back of his van amongst all his dirty washing.

[Richard Tarleton]

Andrew MacGregor has just joined the TarrEga club, in a trail for a forthcoming programme about Julian Bream (for which much thanks).

Andrew of all people

[french frank]

Do you mean in presenters' scripts, ff? They appear to on the website (can't find Tárrega, but plenty of others), and it appears as Tárrega on the CD covers

CD covers are usually fine (as is Wikipedia ). But Radio 3's playlists are hit and miss. I think there is someone who takes trouble, others who don't.

It's hard to understand how presenters can disregard a TÁRREGA if it's written in.

[However, people can get confused. I wrote TÓRROBA the other day and, to my puzzlement, seemed to have been the only person to have got the accent 'right' . Feet of clay!]

[french frank]

Actually, I think relatively well-known names are correct on the playlists themselves because they're recognised by the software and linked to an existing article. It's when text is added that the accents are missed off. Today, the playlist has Tárrega but also the lesser known Tekla B?darzewska [sic].

Ah, the Polish nasalising hook: Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska - thanks Wiki!

[Richard Tarleton]

I thought of dropping Andrew a line, but (not having studied the R3 website for a while) realise it's now cunningly organised so as to make it impossible to email a programme - the "contact us" link simply leads you round in circles. All designed to push you towards twitter I suppose. Does CD Review have an email address?

[french frank]

Does CD Review have an email address?

cdreview@bbc.co.uk

Scroll down here and you get the programme email addresses. I think this will normally go to the producer.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Try snail-mail. It takes longer, but can be very effective. Keep a copy of the letter, in case they ignore it and then blow it up to A3. That usually does the trick.

[french frank]

Or send multiple copies to Roger, with a covering letter asking him to circulate them around Radio 3 producers and presenters.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks both!
R

[Richard Tarleton]

For all those (both of you ) who have been following this saga, an update, indicated by Sarah Walker playing Tárrega's Jota Aragonesa just now, performed by Narciso Yepes (for which much thanks), but then ruining it all by calling him TarrEga. In fact Essential Classics was the only programme to respond personally to my original round robin. They forwarded my comments to the Pronunciation Unit who replied as follows:

You'll be pleased to know that the Unit’s recommendation for Francisco Tárrega is that Tárrega be pronounced with first syllable stress, TARR-eg-uh (-arr as in marry) and this is what they advise if a broadcaster contacts them about this pronunciation. They also maintain a searchable online pronunciation database which is available to broadcasters within the BBC.

So far so good. But rather than a quiet word in their presenter's ears, or a quick circular email, or a note pinned to the studio wall (2 minutes max), they suggested I write to Complaints in Darlington. Feeling that this was rather cracking a nut with a sledgehammer, I did so.

The eventual reply relayed the following comments from Graham Dixon, R3 Managing Editor (I summarise):

The correct pronunciation is counter-intuitive

Tárrega is played rarely, about 5 times a year (according to their records) so my records must go back several years.
[Well, three different presenters have got it wrong in the last 10 weeks - Martin Handley on 06.07, Andrew MacGregor in a trail used multiple times from 07.07 and Sarah Walker today. The other TarrEga Club members are Suzy Klein (23.03.12), Sean Rafferty, Rob Cowan (multiple times, with 2 wrong pronunciations), Petroc T (sometimes) and Michael Berkeley. There were, for example, multiple playings of Recuerdos by several presenters when Milos was in the classical charts]

The Pronunciation Unit is responsive rather than proactive, and they have more important things to do.
In other words, having suggested I go through the BBC bureaucracy route, the full weight of BBC bureaucracy has been brought to bear to dismiss my complaint and make me feel ridiculous for making it. They said that "the information will be circulated to our editors, and thank you again for helping us correct this error". Except, they haven't.

We've been told that Sarah W does not look at this forum - I wonder if any presenters do, apart from the sainted CB.

[Sir Velo]

We've been told that Sarah W does not look at this forum - I wonder if any presenters do, apart from the sainted CB.

I share your annoyance and frustration RT. One would think that both presenters and producers would want to get the correct pronunciation, if only to stop them from looking like a bunch of ignoramuses.

However, I have tweeted the good Dr Walker (they're all on Twitter don't ya know?) and await a response with interest. Jonathan Swain has also dropped in here from time to time, although his visits are infrequent to say the least. AMCG and Rob Cowan were members on the old boards, so may well look in, although neither has posted here AFAIK.

[Richard Tarleton]

Many thanks, Sir V! Keep me posted!