BaL 25.06.11 - "Essential Light Music"

[vinteuil]

Concentrating on composers rather than performers makes some sense but in a genre like light music, the period performers certainly bring a very different style from the modern, large orchestras, however polished. Hearing the likes of Campoli in light music is a totally different experience and none of today's performers comes close.

Mike

... at long last - a call for the Early Music - Historically Informed Performance Practice - approach...

[MickyD]

But we do at least have the "authentic" sound from some recordings made from the time when this music was first written. Would that we HIPP enthusiasts had the same luxury from the 18th century - sigh! If you had the possibility to hear one performance from then, Vinteuil, what would it be, I wonder?

[BBMmk2]

I enjoyed BaL yesterday. Quite a change for the norm. Continuing with the R3Light Fantastic Weekend, this afternoon, R3 have the famous premier Welsh brass band 'The Cory Band' giving a concert in the Sunday afternoon slot. First half is of our serious repertoire and the second half is what you would find typically on a outside bandstand concert. This band is currently World Champions!

[ardcarp]

Having dipped in and out of this Light Music weekend, I find myself wholly accepting of the genre. All the writers of it seem to be incredible musicians, craftsmen and yes, even inspired. It isn't that easy to write excellent tunes with excellent counter-melodies and to clothe the whole lot in orchestral colour that is so 'right'.

I am intrigued however by the politics (yes, politics) of some of the well known light music composers. Do you think they were all a bit Conservative with a big 'C'...maybe even jingoistic? I just get a feeling they may have been, but have no (well not much) personal knowledge.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Would that we HIPP enthusiasts had the same luxury from the 18th century - sigh!

I wish that too, if only to put a stop to the constant guesswork and rewriting of history

[Flosshilde]

I wish that too, if only to put a stop to the constant guesswork and rewriting of history

If it's geusswork, how do you know that it's rewriting history? It could equally well noit be.

& even if it is guesswork, it's informed & supported by research & evidence, rather than the guesswork involved in the 'Bach would have wanted his music to be performed on the modern grand piano if he'd known about them' view, which can only be supported by a seance!

[Serial_Apologist]

Having dipped in and out of this Light Music weekend, I find myself wholly accepting of the genre. All the writers of it seem to be incredible musicians, craftsmen and yes, even inspired. It isn't that easy to write excellent tunes with excellent counter-melodies and to clothe the whole lot in orchestral colour that is so 'right'.

I am intrigued however by the politics (yes, politics) of some of the well known light music composers. Do you think they were all a bit Conservative with a big 'C'...maybe even jingoistic? I just get a feeling they may have been, but have no (well not much) personal knowledge.

I agree with that second paragraph, ardcarp; what you claim has been inherent I thinkin much of the subtext of the commentaries between the music played. It's a big discussion I'd like to follow up on this thread; suffice for the moment to say that I find it hard to get much aesthetic satisfaction from music that seems to smug in some way and presents such a cosy view of the world, and I wonder what precisely is or was the ideological function of so-called light music. There are so many other musical genres which are capable of offering the much-vaunted feelgood factor - which can be gained by being challenged by music, rather than having ones complacency preconceptions confirmed at every turn.

S-A

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

If it's guesswork, how do you know that it's rewriting history? It could equally well not be.

The whole vibrato debate is guesswork. All we can be sure of is that it has been around for 400 years, and that Leopold Mozart was critical of its overuse. The rewriting of history comes into play when all music from the 18th century is played by some ensembles with none at all.

& even if it is guesswork, it's informed & supported by research & evidence

It should be, but Roger Norrington plays his Elgar with no vibrato, even in the face of the evidence provided by the composer's own pre-electric recordings. His evidence for the performance practice of the pre-war Vienna Philharmonic is that "he says so".

...rather than the guesswork involved in the 'Bach would have wanted his music to be performed on the modern grand piano if he'd known about them' view, which can only be supported by a seance!

I'm in complete agreement over this, though performers such as Angela Hewitt should continue to play Bach on her Fazioli without HIPP fanatics turning their nose up with an air of moral "superiority".

Oops! This has become a very heavy posting on a "light music" thread.

Let's talk about Mozart's Divertimenti. They were the light music of their time.

[Norfolk Born]

One of them is a Hyperion disc of British Light Music with Ronald Corp and the New London Orchestra. It starts off with a bracing rendition of "Calling All Workers" by Eric Coates which took me straight back to my Fifties childhood (The Home Service, rice pudding and school caps). Maybe, in its way, it is kind of essential, after all.

There are 4 Hyperion discs of British, and 1 each of European and American, Light Music.
Much, but by no means all, of the music on these 6 CDs is indeed associated with radio and TV programmes, but is none the worse for that. And it often certainly makes for better listening than bleeding chunks torn from 'greater' works.
Listening to CotW confirmed my long-held view that it was a mistake to get rid of Brian Kay's Light Music programme.

[BBMmk2]

I have listened to some of the programmes to, over the weekend as well. Mainly on iplayer.I have come to the same conlcusios as well, likewise from Ofcachap and aand someone else on the previous page of this thread, apologies for not remembering your name! Brian Kay's programme and also generally, I think Radio 3 should be promoting more of this genre. John Wilson has made a fantastic contribution as.well, a great champion for the light music cause.

[Panjandrum]

I think Radio 3 should be promoting more of this genre.

I'm not sure radio 3 is the right place for prolonged exposure to this genre. Radio 2 would appear to be its natural habitat.

[vinteuil]

I'm not sure radio 3 is the right place for prolonged exposure to this genre. Radio 2 would appear to be its natural habitat.

Agreed. Radio 2 is, after all, what was 'the Light Programme'...

[StephenO]

Agreed. Radio 2 is, after all, what was 'the Light Programme'...

True, although Radio 2 appears to have become more of a home for 'grown up' pop these days, not that I know much about such things. Light music doesn't really seem to have a home on the BBC any more. Perhaps half an hour a day on Radio 4 after the Archers would be the best place.

I listened to snippets and quite enjoyed some of it. I've got a bit of a spot for Ketelbey (all those Persian Markets and Monastery Gardens) but can't see light music tempting me away from Wagner and Mahler any time soon.

[vinteuil]

... can't see light music tempting me away from Wagner and Mahler any time soon.

... nor me from D'Anglebert or Brumel.

[arcades]

... nor me from D'Anglebert or Brumel.

:). Am I the only one (as it were) or is the UK (England perhaps especially) addicted to NOSTALGIA? Lots of TV programmes seem to be set in a decade distant enough to have become a code of appearances/themes as dramatised; there's the Heritage Industry. For the 'earlier' stuff on TV there's costume drama. Not to mention the Royal ... not to mention it. Is the Light Music Festival another manifestation ...