Music for the Coronation

[Petrushka]

I see JEG is on Radio3 quite a lot this week and next. Is it his birthday or something? It happened also about ten years ago, I recall. Granted, we aren't as deluged with him as we are with Michael Parkinson et al, but other conductors are available.

As mentioned in the article linked to by Pulcinella, JEG turns 80 on April 20.

[smittims]

Ah, thank you; I guessed it might be that. My laptop wouldn't produce the article; I'll try again later.

I wish him many happy returns, if only for his 1970s Monteverdi recordings.

[Petrushka]

An article from JEG in today's Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/j...18a910d255f972

JEG's memory is playing him false in attributing the Karajan recording to the BPO. It's a bit if a strange hybrid of a recording, made in 1952/53 with the Philharmonia playing for the arias (recorded in London) and the Vienna Philharmonic accompanying in the choruses (recorded in Vienna with the Wiener Singverein). I have the recording but haven't heard it!

[smittims]

Thanks, Pulcinalla. Now I've been able to read the article, which I wouldn't otherwise have seen.

I was interested to see that the King had 'pressure on him' to 'tick diversity boxes'. I suspected as much when I first heard of the music to be aired in the day. In his place I like to think I'd have been a bit more stubborn.

On a purely factual note, I think the Karajan recording of the B minor Mass Gardiner's parents bought when he was ten would have been the Columbia version with the Vienna S,O. (choruses) and the Philharmonia (arias and duets), rather than the Berlin Phil, a recording which came oiut when JEG would have been about thirty.

[smittims]

Sorry, Petrushka, our posts crossed.

[Petrushka]

Sorry, Petrushka, our posts crossed.

No problem. However, recorded in 1952/3 it was probably issued in 1954 so JEG would have been 10 or 11.

[Pulcinella]

If anyone gets wind of the order if service becoming available, could they please post a link here.

I have a couple of friends in Rome who are likely to be giving live commentary for RAI, and some advance warning of what's going on would be very useful.

They were very grateful for what I sent for ER's funeral, though it led to several follow-up questions about Lords Pursuivants and suchlike!

[cat]

The Coronation is surely supposed to be a visible ceremony of religious significance where the King takes his oath for life. Music isn't essential at all. I know there's along standing tradition of it but it's curious that there should be such a fuss about the choice of music this time; I don't think that's happened before.

Music is more than a mere long-standing tradition, it is surely an essential element. I'm not sure you can credibly separate the visible from the audible aspects of the ceremony, or view the whole thing as a simple oath-taking.

To take one example, the anthem Zadaok the Priest is instructed to be sung in the Pontifical of Egbert of York (732-766) in the section "The Mass for Kings on the Day of their Hallowing" which is the earliest record of a coronation order we have. By the singing of this anthem at the anointing, the visible ceremonial act of unction is linked directly to the anointing of Solomon.

[smittims]

Good point, cat. So maybe we should have only the music specified in the early coronation service. I'd be content with that. Itwould save me the bother of deleting Andrew Lloyd Webber, Judith Weir and Debbie Wiseman from my video.

[Pulcinella]

The May 2023 issue of BBC MM (just dropped through the door) has extracts of last year's Music for royal occasions Prom (22 July 2022: BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth replacing Bramwell Tovey) recycled as A Coronation Celebration.
The world premiere of Cheryl Frances-Hoad's Your servant Elizabeth is included.
I don't recall listening to the concert and don't remember how that was received: I might see if there are any comments on the relevant Proms concert thread.

PS: Here's that thread:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?24124-Prom-10-Music-for-Royal-Occasions-(22-07-22)

Oh dear. It would seem from the comments that the BBC Singers were not at their best, so this might not be that well received in light of what has happened since (their imminent death and subsequent reprieve).

[Master Jacques]

Good point, cat. So maybe we should have only the music specified in the early coronation service. I'd be content with that. Itwould save me the bother of deleting Andrew Lloyd Webber, Judith Weir and Debbie Wiseman from my video.

Whatever you think about the Master of the King's Music (and I think rather a lot of her work), at least she does her own orchestrations!

[smittims]

Oh yes. It's all relative. I regard her as a knowledgeable, skilful, accomplished composer. I just don't like her music. I have tried hard to give it a fair hearing but always feel I've been wasting my time.

[Master Jacques]

Oh yes. It's all relative. I regard her as a knowledgeable, skilful, accomplished composer. I just don't like her music. I have tried hard to give it a fair hearing but always feel I've been wasting my time.

Have you tried her chamber music, such as the Piano Trio and Piano Quartet? They both feature (along with the delicious Piano Concerto) on my personal favourite Weir set (NMC D090). You've quite probably already sampled the contents of this double-album CD, but if not... why not risk wasting a little more time on Our Judith?!

[Old Grumpy]

The May 2023 issue of BBC MM (just dropped through the door) has extracts of last year's Music for royal occasions Prom (22 July 2022: BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth replacing Bramwell Tovey) recycled as A Coronation Celebration.
The world premiere of Cheryl Frances-Hoad's Your servant Elizabeth is included.
I don't recall listening to the concert and don't remember how that was received: I might see if there are any comments on the relevant Proms concert thread.

PS: Here's that thread:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?24124-Prom-10-Music-for-Royal-Occasions-(22-07-22)

Oh dear. It would seem from the comments that the BBC Singers were not at their best, so this might not be that well received in light of what has happened since (their imminent death and subsequent reprieve).

Listening to the BBCMM CD as I browse - thanks for the link to the previous prom post - love this from one of the Forum stalwarts:

"I've just checked it out and it sounds truly dreadful. It sounds like a football team of Ronaldos all doing their own thing

Edit: just got to the Parry - the vibrato is outrageous (almost comic in effect).

[smittims]

Thanks for your considerate encouragement, Master Jaques. Yes, sadly, I have indeed listened to Judith Weir's chamber music, with the same result, and as for 'delicious', I'm afraid it was like eating cardboard when I was expecting Vanilla Cheesecake.

I'm trying to be fair; I don't say she's 'rubbish''. But she seems to me to be one of a group of living composers much favoured by Radio 3 (Judith Bingham, Cecilia McDowall, George Benjamin , Thomas Ades) who (again this is a personal reaction) strike me as being products of a generous liberal education system: they're intelligent, knowledgeable, skilful and I'm sure they've worked hard and diligently. But the result is lifeless to my ears. I imagine Stanford saying 'Dull as ditchwater, me bhoy!'

At the 2016 Proms four works were either premiered or given their British premieres and they were examples of what I like to hear from living composers:

Malcolm Hayes: Violin concerto
Huw Watkins: Cello Concerto
Thomas Larcher: Symphony no.2
Bayan Northcott: Concerto for orchestra.

This is music I want to hear again and again. It's full of life and colour.