BBC Young Musician 2016

[pastoralguy]

I had the opportunity to ask Nicola Benedetti about her choice of the Szymanowski concerto for her finale YM performance, wondering if she'd met with resistance about playing a relatively esoteric work as opposed to, say, the Mendelssohn concerto. She replied that there had been a little bit of hinting that it might be better to play safe but the conductor and orchestra wholeheartedly supported her decision and did their very best to ensure a superb performance.

(I should say that this was a public Q&A session so I'm not breaking any confidences here!)

[Barbirollians]

A big ask of the orchestra, and I wonder if, now that more 'modern' and/or unfamiliar repertoire appears it is too expensive in terms of rehearsal time and money to do 5 these days?
I seem to remember that the/a( was there more than one?) European YM competition had an orchestra(Vienna Phil?) which seemed less than enthusiastic about what was required of it, in marked contrast to their British equivalents.

I think it was a Mitteleurope radio orchestra not the VPO !

[ardcarp]

Did anyone see the jazz final?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07b39zx

I listened to the first two finalists (piano and sax+recorder) and, yes they are both very talented and musical. I had to stop watching because, broad-minded though I am, I just don't 'get' the finer points of jazz. A certain harmonic and melodic orthodoxy* seemed to pervade the idiom, and I was frankly a bit bored by it. Go on, shoot me down in flames, someone!


*eg harmony (a load of shifting tritones in the piano left hand) melody (a flourish, a breath, then another flourish)

[MrGongGong]

Did anyone see the jazz final?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07b39zx

I listened to the first two finalists (piano and sax+recorder) and, yes they are both very talented and musical. I had to stop watching because, broad-minded though I am, I just don't 'get' the finer points of jazz. A certain harmonic and melodic orthodoxy* seemed to pervade the idiom, and I was frankly a bit bored by it. Go on, shoot me down in flames, someone!


*eg harmony (a load of shifting tritones in the piano left hand) melody (a flourish, a breath, then another flourish)

I did watch the end of it by accident rather than by design
I sadly missed the recorder player who I then remembered from a group I worked with a few years ago
BUT was delighted that the winner was the daughter of someone I shared a room with as a student and haven't seen for nearly 30 years so that was nice

Not sure musically, I think I only saw the last Sax player who I thought was predictable and dull but then mainstream "conserverwtoire" jazz aint my thing...

[pastoralguy]

I'm trying desperately hard to enjoy this but the chunter is doing my f****** head in.

JUST PLAY THE MUSIC

[pastoralguy]

Oh, another fantastic guest...

And more talk...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm trying desperately hard to enjoy this but the chunter is doing my f****** head in.

Now there's an episode of "Worzel Gummidge" that never reached the schedules!

[pastoralguy]

At this rate, these young musicians will be of pensionable age before they are heard in this competition...

[Cockney Sparrow]

I'll be watching (parts) on the DVD recorder and fast forwarding (the chuntering) from 8pm.

[Bryn]

The sound a pictures are both better on Radio 3 via the iPlayer.

[pastoralguy]

Super horn playing, IMHO.

[Dave2002]

Seconded. I hope our resident horn experts will agree. Superb.

Is the chuntering exactly the same on R3 as on TV? Are the presenters the same, or are they different but equally chuntery?
I'd have to look at the details to check. At first "glance" R3 seems better.

Battery ran out as I was typing - so now having another go.

Now done some checks. Presenters on R3 different from TV, and seems rather less chuntering. However overall programme length still seems long - delayed start does give opportunities for on the fly editing, and less guff along the way. Not sure if R3 will have the interview with John Harle at the end of the saxophone piece.

Just seen pg's comment - on R3 the sax piece sounds really good. Usual apples and pears stuff though - I thought the horn player was superb too. Great playing so far.

[pastoralguy]

I don't like the saxophone as an instrument and I don't like Michael Nyman's 'concert' music but I thought that girl was fantastic!,

What a performer!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I don't like the saxophone as an instrument

What do you like it as?

[pastoralguy]

What do you like it as?

One on either side of the front door with bulbs in the bell...