Music Matters today

[peterthekeys]

On "Music Matters" today, there was an item featuring the Endellion Quartet. I missed the opening of it, but pricked up my ears when it was mentioned that they played Bridge before each session. I wondered whether it was Bridge's music in general, or if there was a specific piece that they used to warm up.

Then light dawned. They played bridge - the card game!

I was a bit surprised that whoever scripted the interview didn't notice the possible ambiguity. But then - after all, we're talking about a British composer here. Unlikely that most of the BBC personnel working on Music Matters would have even heard of Frank Bridge - let alone that he wrote some of the finest chamber music of the 20th century.

[Bryn]

On "Music Matters" today, there was an item featuring the Endellion Quartet. I missed the opening of it, but pricked up my ears when it was mentioned that they played Bridge before each session. I wondered whether it was Bridge's music in general, or if there was a specific piece that they used to warm up.

Then light dawned. They played bridge - the card game!

I was a bit surprised that whoever scripted the interview didn't notice the possible ambiguity. But then - after all, we're talking about a British composer here. Unlikely that most of the BBC personnel working on Music Matters would have even heard of Frank Bridge - let alone that he wrote some of the finest chamber music of the 20th century.

Oh, you are a card. Such games you play.

[Roslynmuse]

Could have been worse. They might have been playing Snap - the sound of a bridge breaking...

[Bryn]

Could have been worse. They might have been playing Snap - the sound of a bridge breaking...

Tricky.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Could have been worse. They might have been playing Snap - the sound of a bridge breaking...

No. no, just a Bartok pizzicato or two, surely?

[Serial_Apologist]

No. no, just a Bartok pizzicato or two, surely?

Or just a bit of string-pulling - on the fiddle.

[Bryn]

Well, today's today it's West Side Story. Did I miss a reference to the original Broadway production's orchestration being by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, rather than Bernstein? Was the decision to omit violas their's or Bernstein's?

[pastoralguy]

Well, today's today it's West Side Story. Did I miss a reference to the original Broadway production's orchestration being by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, rather than Bernstein? Was the decision to omit violas their's or Bernstein's?

There’s an interview, possibly in The Gramophone, where Bernstein was asked by the first viola of the New York Philharmonic if he could play in his DG recording of WSS. ‘Sorry, the pit was too small so I had to leave the violas out’ was Bernstein’s reply. The player ended up contributing in the second violins.

[Bryn]

There’s an interview, possibly in The Gramophone, where Bernstein was asked by the first viola of the New York Philharmonic if he could play in his DG recording of WSS. ‘Sorry, the pit was too small so I had to leave the violas out’ was Bernstein’s reply. The player ended up contributing in the second violins.

Ah, so Bernstein chose the instrumentarium, then left Ramin and Kostal to allocate who played which of Bernstein's notes.

[Serial_Apologist]

Ah, so Bernstein chose the instrumentarium, then left Ramin and Kostal to allocate who played which of Bernstein's notes.

That night, that night, wouldn't be just any night.....

[makropulos]

Ah, so Bernstein chose the instrumentarium, then left Ramin and Kostal to allocate who played which of Bernstein's notes.

Yes. There are some nice stories about the details of the orchestra (I got to know Sid Ramin when I was working on a book about WSS and he was a lot of fun to talk to). Among other things, LB wanted a bassoon in the band as he had a bassoonist friend who wanted to play in it (and did).

[Ein Heldenleben]

There’s an interview, possibly in The Gramophone, where Bernstein was asked by the first viola of the New York Philharmonic if he could play in his DG recording of WSS. ‘Sorry, the pit was too small so I had to leave the violas out’ was Bernstein’s reply. The player ended up contributing in the second violins.

The story I heard was that there was a second violin from the Phil who was so keen to play in the DGG recording he offered to play viola when he learnt all the fiddle places had gone. I think it’s all in the BBC doc.
Interesting that, from Music Matters yesterday Jose Carreras bears no ill will following his “feedback” session from Lenny…