The Brahms Experience

[teamsaint]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...s-martin-lorde

Thought up by a Murdoch BBC mole, in order to get people to refuse to renew their licence ?


Absolutely bloody pointless.

[Flosshilde]

God only knows indeed

[cloughie]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...s-martin-lorde

The Guardian got it wrong - God only knows/ Wouldn't it be nice was a double A side. Whilst Children in Need is a very worthy cause why oh why do they feel the need to maul a great pop song for the cause?

[Nick Armstrong]

who's completely insane idea was it to have all - ALL - the evening concerts this week featuring Brahms - AND Composer of the Week! I turned to CFM for some relief.

(As if the Brahms wasn't enough, I listened to a couple of episodes of The Archers, to find that it has got even more bonkers than it was during the BolloxFest saga.)

There's one aspect of The Brahms Experience that has been shamefully neglected, in my very frank opinion!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9KKQZqQoW0

[Roslynmuse]

There's one aspect of The Brahms Experience that has been shamefully neglected, in my very frank opinion!

[Frances_iom]

No, it's NOT 'borderline', it's over it. I commented the other night
Service is deliberately, arrogantly, obtruding himself between us and the performers / music. he clearly sees himself as some sort of musical stand-up comedian.
Appalling behaviour.

It's listen up time again - wreck-a-concert week it seems -tho must admit I've never been an admirer of TS as found he was always too full of his own opinions to listen to any other contributor

[kernelbogey]

It's listen up time again - wreck-a-concert week it seems -tho must admit I've never been an admirer of TS as found he was always too full of his own opinions to listen to any other contributor

Notwithstanding the convention on these boards of not criticising individual presenters, i have to agree with Frances here, and with DracoM. Of all programmes, we have in The Brahms Experience an opportunity for some considered, moderately scholarly, historically informed comment on the music - as we are getting, as ever, in COTW. The performers being interviewed by Service are wonderful - considerate, fluent with language, musically informed, scholarly without being dull. I'm afraid that Tom Service is taking - most inappropriately in this context - a kind of 'infotainment' approach, which many of us have come to abhor, as delivered notably by Breakfast and In Tune.

If anyone (FF?) disagrees with this stance by me and others I defend these comments as being in defence of professionalism on Radio Three.

And THEN, Tom Service was clearly on some kind of management ukase to not merely introduce, but effuse over, the ghastly warmed-over God Only Knows track the now impossibly narcissistic BBC has chosen to advertise its commitment to music:

And now, oh dear oh dear oh dear, we are being subjected to some very strange pan-musical promotion for music from the BBC featuring a totally inferior set of interpretations of a Beach Boys number...! Twenty-seven musicians - Katie Derham, no less, playing the violin - involved. I even have a second or two of compassion for TS having to actually announce it.

The 'Children in Need' connection reminds me a little of the way in which supermarkets bribe local communities over their plans (it's happened in my back yard) by offering to include a community centre, doctor's surgery or whatever in their supermarket development.

Whoever insisted on inserting this trailer into a Brahms concert should be made to listen to every cover version of this Beach Boys track on a continuous loop for 24 hours.

[Nick Armstrong]

I hae' me doots, Calibs. If it's a management diktat, why aren't John Shea, Ian Skelly, Petroc Trelawney, Jonathan Swain et alia - not to mention all but one of the women presenters - gabbling manically when presenting?

That's true. I wouldn't personally include Trelawney in the top drawer with Shea, Skelly, Swain and 2 or 3 of the women, but I catch your drift.

Anything with TS's name against it is systematically avoided here now. The buffoon spoils anything with which he is associated

[kernelbogey]

That's true. I wouldn't personally include Trelawney in the top drawer with Shea, Skelly, Swain and 2 or 3 of the women, but I catch your drift.

Anything with TS's name against it is systematically avoided here now. The buffoon spoils anything with which he is associated

Point taken about PT. Mind you, if he pronounces 'violin' as 'vahlin', you're meant to know he's from the top drawer.

The buffoon spoils anything with which he is associated...

...even the Beach Boys.

[muzzer]

TS is plainly trying to make his name. Wish he'd not do it with this season tho.

I daren't not search the trailer referred to here for fear of nausea

Back on topic, does anyone have a recommendation for a box of JB's chamber works?

[Nick Armstrong]

Back on topic, does anyone have a recommendation for a box of JB's chamber works?

Much pleasure to be had here: http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/gb/cat/4790378

...including the pianism of my delightful upstairs neighbour Tamás Vásáry...

[muzzer]

Many thanks - looks great. Unlikely to be ejected ;)

[kea]

Much pleasure to be had here: http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/gb/cat/4790378

...including the pianism of my delightful upstairs neighbour Tamás Vásáry...

The Hyperion one's a pretty good alternative as well, you get the gorgeous Raphael Ensemble versions of the Sextets & some lovely Piano Trios from Susan Tomes & her boys. Plus some other stuff I haven't heard. I don't remember how 'complete' it is though.

[Barbirollians]

[QUOTE=muzzer;434786]TS is plainly trying to make his name. Wish he'd not do it with this season tho.

I daren't not search the trailer referred to here for fear of nausea

Back on topic, does anyone have a recommendation for a box of JB's chamber works?[/QUOTE

The 9CD Rubinstein set can be obtained for as little as £11.71 from an Amazon marketplace seller . It includes 6 Cds of chamber music as well as the piano concertos and some solo works . A musical treasure trove .

I have always loved the Raphael ensemble record of the String Sextets and the Hagens in the quintets.

Add Suk and Katchen in the violin sonatas with Starker thrown in in the piano trios and the Thea King clarinet sonatas and quintet versions on Hyperion and you are done !

[muzzer]

Looks a great bargain - thanks!