Far too much Schubloke

[Guest]

So, Radio 3 is now off-limits to me because of wall-to-wall Schubert. What an appalling idea. Did he really write 200,000 songs? Certainly feels like it. Poor old bloke, what a terrible way to treat him. I'll bet he wouldn't have wanted this saturated coverage. He just doesn't merit it. I can just about stand it when he gets played in amongst lots of other music: inevitably I'm going to like some pieces and dislike others. That's why I work with the remote control handy. But what started as a mild dislike has now become a violent allergic reaction. Every time I turn on the radio these days I hear strangulated warbling. The songs remind me of nothing as much as Norman Wisdom and Hattie Jacques in that brilliant scene from The Square Peg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VisbcbDsQ58. This is a parody - but only just. Rob or Sarah should just play that, and have done with it.
Surely I'm not the only person with this opinion. Really? Oh. I'll shut the door on my way out.
Can someone let me know when it's all over please?

[cloughie]

Yet another Schubert thread - before long we'll have one for each lied!

[Don Petter]

Yet another Schubert thread - before long we'll have one for each lied!

Yes, but we do seem to be gaining a number of new members who have been driven here to express their thoughts and attempt some sort of catharsis!

Welcome badmoodbear!

[Norfolk Born]

Welcome badmoodbear! If our leader French Frank were to combine all the anti-Schubertathon comments, the resultant thread would give Alphabet Associations a run for its money You're probably starting to realize, I hope, that you are far from alone in your reaction to the whole 9-day extravaganza. I've listened to a grand total of 20 minutes - that was enough.

[John Skelton]

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[Pianorak]

Norman Wisdom and Hattie Jacques in that brilliant scene from The Square Peg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VisbcbDsQ58.

Welcome badmoodbear and thanks for posting that link. There is also NW is given singing lessons from HJ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl7-I...eature=related which is hilarious!!

[gurnemanz]

Did he really write 200,000 songs? Certainly feels like it. Poor old bloke, what a terrible way to treat him. I'll bet he wouldn't have wanted this saturated coverage. He just doesn't merit it.

I can see why the "Spirit of Schubert" does not appeal to everybody but other views are possible. I have got annoyed about some naff aspects of the presentation but ultimately I applaud the Beeb for trying something different, which does admittedly pander to one my musical obsessions. I would probably also enjoy a Wagner week or a Parsifal fortnight.

That this obsession got going might have had something to do with William Mann in The Times famously referring to The Beatles as the greatest songwriters since Schubert. Not knowing a single song of his, I went out and bought a mono LP of Die Schöne Müllerin with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore. It was late Sixties and I was a student who listened exclusively to rock and pop. Virtually from that moment on, not only was I hooked on Schubert Lieder but also converted to classical music in general.

I would be quite happy if there were 200,000 songs but the "poor old bloke" never did go on to be old and managed only about 600. The ongoing delight for me is that within such a large output it still remains possible to make discoveries. (The same applies to Bob Dylan who has written about the same number of songs - and actually has grown old). During the current Schubert event, I have listened mainly to Lieder and discovered some new songs and some familiar songs anew.

[Roehre]

Though I don't think wall-to-wall presentation of a composer's (or for that matter: any artist's) work in a short period of time is a good thing, I find myself now listening more to R3 than normally as the many bits and bobs, and large works as the operas (or the Symphony D.708a in Newbould's completion), are enticing and otherwise never broadcast.

I am certainly not a Lieder-fan (in general), so I hardly listen to any of these, but there is so much "new" and otherwise "unknown" music offered, that any real music lover would find something to enjoy; obviously using the play lists, to avoid the inane nonsense, trailers, news items, tweets of long dead composers and other rubbish with which the Beeb seems to prefer to present Schubert's works.

Short: I don't like wall-to-wall, but I do take the opportunity to listen to an otherwise unavailable selection of works.

[cloughie]

Yes, but we do seem to be gaining a number of new members who have been driven here to express their thoughts and attempt some sort of catharsis!

Welcome badmoodbear!

I'll follow your lied - welcome badmoodbear

Just listening to The Archers - guess what Trout in background - Robert Snell wanting to take in as much of Schubert week as possible - is there no escape!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Welcome badmoodbear! If our leader French Frank were to combine all the anti-Schubertathon comments, the resultant thread would give Alphabet Associations a run for its money .

I've considered merging some of the 8 Schubert threads. Any preferences on which should be joined? I think the Dickens one and the Favourite Schubert Song thread should be left to stand, but the others could usefully be merged.

[Don Petter]

I've considered merging some of the 8 Schubert threads. Any preferences on which should be joined? I think the Dickens one and the Favourite Schubert Song thread should be left to stand, but the others could usefully be merged.

That might be a good idea, but at least the forum is a good reflection of R3 - You can't get away from Schubert, it's everywhere you look.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That might be a good idea, but at least the forum is a good reflection of R3 - You can't get away from Schubert, it's everywhere you look.

[Norfolk Born]

I'm tempted to ring in and and ask them to play a movement from a Schubert quintet in memory of arguably the greatest female singer of American popular song - yes, it would be for Ella.

[Old Grumpy]

Not sure it's really worth the effort joining them. You could may be have a "Love Schubertfest" thread and a "Hate Schubertfest" thread or just pull them all into one Schubertfest subfolder.

Anyway it's nearly over, thank goodness (nothing if not impartial, me).

I think these fests do encourage new people to join the boards here - I joined as a result of one of FF's links to the site in a comment on the BBC Mozartfest blog.

[badmoodbear]

I don't think it's brilliant. I think it's puerile and ignorant.



Try getting your ears syringed?

Heh heh. Great repost Skelton. Rapier-like wit.