"Ten Pieces"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Watching the film again, I've been wondering whether the "arty" presentation of the performers in semi-shadow might give the impression that this kind of music is rather gloomy.

Further to one of my previous comments, our music service is now pushing forward with plans to give live performances of these works in schools - at the suggestion of moi.

[french frank]

Further to one of my previous comments, our music service is now pushing forward with plans to give live performances of these works in schools - at the suggestion of moi.

Troublemaker!

Who would give the performances?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Who would give the performances?

The music service teachers (apart from yours truly - I'm retiring at the end of December ).

[french frank]

The music service teachers (apart from yours truly - I'm retiring at the end of December ).

So they would be school teachers/peripatetics?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So they would be school teachers/peripatetics?

Yes; the peripatetic team forms an orchestra from time to time. Whether or not we are large enough to perform "Mars" remains to be seen, but I'm optimistic.

[Old Grumpy]

Ten Pieces II

Teenagers this time - a whole different kettle of fish!

Laudable aspiration - and so sad about Katy Jones


OG

[french frank]

Ten Pieces II

Teenagers this time - a whole different kettle of fish!

Laudable aspiration - and so sad about Katy Jones


OG

Well done, OG. I meant to flag up the press release yesterday but is slipped my mind. Leaving aside the 'Ten Pieces' concept, it's an initiative that the BBC MUST continue with in some form or another. It has to be ongoing in a world where they wouldn't experience the music other than in the odd 45-second commercial break on television. Not the right context.

[french frank]

But spot the oddity:

"For two weeks starting on Monday 28 September, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 2 join forces to present a special Ten Pieces season at the time of the cinema screenings." Not on BBC Radio 1, where the younger listeners hang out? What is the BBC afraid of?

[subcontrabass]

But spot the oddity:

"For two weeks starting on Monday 28 September, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 2 join forces to present a special Ten Pieces season at the time of the cinema screenings." Not on BBC Radio 1, where the younger listeners hang out? What is the BBC afraid of?

Perhaps they are just trying to get at the parents.

[MrGongGong]

But spot the oddity:

"For two weeks starting on Monday 28 September, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 2 join forces to present a special Ten Pieces season at the time of the cinema screenings." Not on BBC Radio 1, where the younger listeners hang out? What is the BBC afraid of?

Playing this music on Radio 1 would be (IMV) a waste of time.
For anyone to "get" it there needs to be some contextualisation, i'm sure Radio 2 will do that well
The presentation style of Radio 1 (at least in the daytime) mitigates against this for most of these pieces (some could work).

[french frank]

For anyone to "get" it there needs to be some contextualisation, i'm sure Radio 2 will do that well

I'm sure they will. But the average age of Radio 2 listeners is 50. They left secondary school behind some while ago.

Isn't it for Radio 1 to look into its presentation style? The whole aim should surely be to make classical music an integral part of musical life, not have people declaring it elitist, just for the posho snobs, and the wrinklies. It either IS or IS NOT for everyone.

[MrGongGong]

I'm sure they will. But the average age of Radio 2 listeners is 50. They left secondary school behind some while ago.

Isn't it for Radio 1 to look into its presentation style? The whole aim should surely be to make classical music an integral part of musical life, not have people declaring it elitist, just for the posho snobs, and the wrinklies. It either IS or IS NOT for everyone.

I don't think anyone used the E word?
I do think that it needs the right context (and won't bore you all again with too many stories of working with youngsters for whom music starts and ends with Hip Hop !)

The thing that was/is really good about the first 10 pieces project is the emphasis on LIVE music.

Some of these would work well on R1 but others would simply be dull no matter how much the presenter 'bigger' them up

[french frank]

I don't think anyone used the E word?

Au contraire - people frequently use it.

I don't think you can have it both ways and declare (as people do) that 'music is just music' or 'there no such thing as classical music' but then put up barriers to discourage people from hearing it.

It may indeed be that people perceive barriers which make it difficult for them to find their way in: I just don't think that is exclusively the fault of those on the 'classical' side. Is there really no place for some sort of (broadly) 'classical' music that could be played on Radio 1 by someone with credibility on both sides of the divide?

The thing that was/is really good about the first 10 pieces project is the emphasis on LIVE music.

That was part of the 'really good thing'. There are plenty of opportunities for young people to hear LIVE music. The other part of the 'really good thing' was that it was the kind of music it was, the 'classical repertoire'. And that was the main point of the initiative - and of the new one. I was just sceptical of the restriction to Radio 3 (average age 59) and Radio 2 (average age 50) for a project specifically aimed at teenagers.

[MrGongGong]

Au contraire - people frequently use it.

I don't think you can have it both ways and declare (as people do) that 'music is just music' or 'there no such thing as classical music' but then put up barriers to discourage people from hearing it.

I know they do
I think this initiative is trying to tackle the C word head on, which is fine.
I think that (even though CLASSICAL music IS a thing) that thinking there is a 'divide' is part of the problem.
When I hear people on the radio either talking about how much they 'love' Franz Ferdinand 'even though' they write music for church choirs OR how much they 'love' Mahler 'even though' they sing in a pop band it always comes across as fake and inauthentic EVEN if it is true.

I recorded the Heath Quartet with a group of teenagers who make hip hop, when they met them they absolutely loved their playing and the music (it was mostly Haydn) when their teacher played them some Haydn string quartets in preparation they thought it was cr*p music for 'old' people.
It's all about context.... in fact it's ALL about context (and Tony P was saying at the RPS awards the other day)

There is, of course, "Classical" music on Radio 1 , i'm sure they played some of the Cradle of Filth album with Lincoln Cathedral Choir a while ago?

[Old Grumpy]

There was an interview with Nicola Benedetti concerning this on In Tune the other evening - sorry can't remember the details at present.

OG