"La Tribune des Critiques de Disques" - France-Musique

[Nick Armstrong]

New look (and transmission time) for the classic 'blind tasting' review of recordings on France Musique.

They've junked the 'Jardin des Critiques' theme and have returned to the title

"La Tribune des Critiques de Disques"

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/la-tribune-des-critique

It will go out at 7pm CET from this evening (but I'll be listening via the podcasts, subscription link on the above page)

Not clear yet from the website which work will be the subject of the first programme today

[Alain Maréchal]

Thank you for the alert, Caliban, but it looks as though they have dropped the idea of including "real" musicians in the team.

[PJPJ]

I think you can listen now here:

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/la-tribune-des-critiques-de-disques/2013-2014/symphonie-ndeg4-de-franz-schubert-du-08-septembre-2013-09-08-2013-01-00

It's Schubert, Symphony No 4

[Nick Armstrong]

I think you can listen now here:

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/la-tribune-des-critiques-de-disques/2013-2014/symphonie-ndeg4-de-franz-schubert-du-08-septembre-2013-09-08-2013-01-00

It's Schubert, Symphony No 4

Thanks PJPJ.

Alain, I wouldn't rule out there being 'real' musicians as the series progresses - but I agree with the implication in your post that it would be regrettable if not: the programmes with e.g. Serge Baudo, Christophe Rousset and François-Frédéric Guy having been among the best of the past year.

I'm pleased though at the return of MM Merlin and Hoffelé, who make for knowledgeable and witty listening (the programme is apt to become a bit wordy and 'po-faced' with the wrong team, imo).

[amateur51]

Thanks PJPJ.

Alain, I wouldn't rule out there being 'real' musicians as the series progresses - but I agree with the implication in your post that it would be regrettable if not: the programmes with e.g. Serge Baudo, Christophe Rousset and François-Frédéric Guy having been among the best of the past year.

I'm pleased though at the return of MM Merlin and Hoffelé, who make for knowledgeable and witty listening (the programme is apt to become a bit wordy and 'po-faced' with the wrong team, imo.

... a phenomenon not unknown here

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

New look (and transmission time) for the classic 'blind tasting' review of recordings on France Musique.

They've junked the 'Jardin des Critiques' theme and have returned to the title

"La Tribune des Critiques de Disques"

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/la-tribune-des-critique

It will go out at 7pm CET from this evening (but I'll be listening via the podcasts, subscription link on the above page)

Not clear yet from the website which work will be the subject of the first programme today

Trop tard! I was about to post a new thread about le retour of la tribune, but found Monsieur Caliban had beaten me to it by days! I listened to the Schubert 4 podcast yesterday, over a leisurely breakfast of croissants and coffee. What a joy to have Hoffelé and Merlin reunited, but where, oh where, is François Hudry?

Very interesting listening. I thought that, apart from No.3, they all had something to offer. Definitely need to investigate No.2...

[Nick Armstrong]

"La Tribune des Critiques de Disques" - France-Musique

The rebranded France Musique programme is on a new website page, and all programmes since the relaunch in September seem to be permanently available to listen to (well, until 2016 anyway)

You go here to browse the list of works covered in the season so far:

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/la-tribune-des-critique/re-ecouter

then click on the work title to get to the detailed page when the 'listen again' link is available.

CAUTION: If you want to hear it 'blind' like the critics and radio listeners, only scroll slightly down the page for each work, until you get to "ECOUTER L'EMISSION disponible jusqu'au 11/06/2016" If you scroll further down you'll get the list of the 6 versions played and spoil the surprise!

For similar 'spoiler' reasons, can I suggest that a suitable delay is respected after the transmission date before runners and riders are revealed in any discussion here? It takes me a month or so sometimes to get round to finding the time to hear the programme. I've not yet finished the Bartok VC2 edition yet (Tx 15 September), for instance....

[Nick Armstrong]

I've at last finished the Bartok Violin Concerto #2 programme.

As mentioned earlier, Chung/Rattle and Faust/Harding fell at the first fence.

Next to go were Mullova/Salonen and Steinbacher/Janowski.

Mutter/Ozawa fell at the last, leaving Ms Kopachinskaya with the Frankfurt Radio SO under Eötvös as the winners - with some interesting 20th C couplings (Naive V5285)

[Petrushka]

I've at last finished this programme!

As mentioned earlier, Chung/Rattle and Faust/Harding fell at the first fence.

Next to go were Mullova/Salonen and Steinbacher/Janowski.

Mutter/Ozawa fell at the last, leaving Ms Kopachinskaya with the Frankfurt Radio SO under Eötvös as the winners - with some interesting 20th C couplings (Naive V5285)

It's a great disc! The Ligeti Violin Concerto is worth the price of the disc alone.

[Barbirollians]

I've at last finished this programme!

As mentioned earlier, Chung/Rattle and Faust/Harding fell at the first fence.

Next to go were Mullova/Salonen and Steinbacher/Janowski.

Mutter/Ozawa fell at the last, leaving Ms Kopachinskaya with the Frankfurt Radio SO under Eötvös as the winners - with some interesting 20th C couplings (Naive V5285)

This strikes me as the problem with this French programme - where were Menuhin, Chung/Solti, Kelemen, Gitlis etc.

[Thropplenoggin]

This strikes me as the problem with this French programme - where were Menuhin, Chung/Solti, Kelemen, Gitlis etc.

I'm not sure if you have listened to the programme. Each one deliberately opts for a small selection so that they can examine each recording in great detail, far more so than BaL can. It strikes me that there is also a reason behind the selected recordings. The Bartok would all appear to be fairly recent recordings. The programme on Mozart's Jupiter Symphony were all HIP recordings. It is, I believe, an excellent approach.

I should also add my gratitude to Caliban for flagging its existence here on these boards.

[Nick Armstrong]

This strikes me as the problem with this French programme - where were Menuhin, Chung/Solti, Kelemen, Gitlis etc.

It's true that the arbitrary selection of just 6 versions occasionally annoys - but it's the premise of the show, it doesn't purport to be a comprehensive review of the whole catalogue, just an opportunity to listen in depth and without preconceptions to 6 leading and/or recent versions. Sometimes they do pit 'classic' older versions against more recent ones. Currently starting a programme about Scriabin's 3rd piano sonata - historic v modern, absolutely fascinating...

T-Gin: cross-posted, to similar effect!

(Thought the latest posts were worth copying to this general thread)

[MickyD]

It is indeed an excellent programme, and I'm happy to say that the quality and substance of all programmes on France Musique has remained consistently high, with no need for phone-ins or other such nonsense.

[HighlandDougie]

It's true that the arbitrary selection of just 6 versions occasionally annoys

Listeners' comments in its previous guise as "Jardin des Critiques - a feature which seems to have disappeared although it might just be my technical incompetence in being unable to find it - were frequently along the lines of, "Where is X? Where is Y? Where is Z"? In his French guise as, say, Cluytensiste, Barbirollians would not have been alone in demanding to know why certain classic recordings weren't included. But, that aside, it is, as Micky says, an excellent and entertaining programme, even without the likes of Serge Baudo and other 'professionals'.

[Nick Armstrong]

its previous guise as "Jardin des Critiques - a feature which seems to have disappeared although it might just be my technical incompetence in being unable to find it

No, your skills are fine - it's just morphed back to "TCD" and been placed in an evening slot. The "Jardin" thing was a blip - the "Tribune" programme had been a fixture on France-Musique since 1946 - here's a documentary I've just found from the 60s about the programme: http://www.ina.fr/video/CPF86625879