Kildea's book on Britten

[Mary Chambers]

Today's Music Matters is worth listening to. Both Kildea and Neil Powell (whose new biography of BB I'm just beginning) are interviewed, and the books discussed. First item, lasts for over half of the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01qdy5j/Music_Matters_Britten_Biographies_Brass_Bands/

[Nick Armstrong]

Today's Music Matters is worth listening to. Both Kildea and Neil Powell (whose new biography of BB I'm just beginning) are interviewed, and the books discussed. First item, lasts for over half of the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...s_Brass_Bands/

Was interesting, wasn't it Mary? Robert Saxton did a pretty convincing and forensic demolition job on the 'syphilis' suppositions, based on first-hand evidence. Impressive.

[Nick Armstrong]

what Mr Kildea has actually written

A chance for those of us who are unlikely to shell out for this book, to get a better handle on the above this week on Radio 4: 5 readings from the book at 9.45 and 00.30 each day (reader: Alex Jennings, who played BB in Alan Bennett's play at the National a couple of years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qdsml

[amateur51]

Whilst this is indeed true in principle, what's under the microscope here is what Mr Kildea has actually written and what he's subsequently said and written in defence thereof rather than what might have been seized upon noisily by some opportunist PR person at the publishers.

An unhappy phrase perhaps given that it's the surprising lack of pathological evidence that keeps Mr Kildea's 'theory' alive

[ahinton]

An unhappy phrase perhaps given that it's the surprising lack of pathological evidence that keeps Mr Kildea's 'theory' alive

Oh, mon Dieu! Yes! Point indeed well taken. I could and should most certainly have phrased that differently.

That said, it might be instructive to consider Kildea's assertions and the context and the justifications that he seeks to offer for publishing them by examining the extent to which biographers past and present of other deceased composers have or have not sought to obsess over the deep details of their deaths and how they came about. As a composer myself, it's almost enough to make one want to prepare detailed plans for one's own death in such a way as to ensure as far as possible that any future muckrakers are provided with as little as possible means with which to conduct their muckraking...

[JFLL]

As a composer myself, it's almost enough to make one want to prepare detailed plans for one's own death in such a way as to ensure as far as possible that any future muckrakers are provided with as little as possible means with which to conduct their muckraking...

It’s no good, AH, some people are no doubt at this very moment hoarding your deeply incriminating posts on this board and, on the news of your sad demise, will be sending them like a shot to the Sun, Daily Mail etc.

[amateur51]

Oh, mon Dieu! Yes! Point indeed well taken. I could and should most certainly have phrased that differently.

That said, it might be instructive to consider Kildea's assertions and the context and the justifications that he seeks to offer for publishing them by examining the extent to which biographers past and present of other deceased composers have or have not sought to obsess over the deep details of their deaths and how they came about. As a composer myself, it's almost enough to make one want to prepare detailed plans for one's own death in such a way as to ensure as far as possible that any future muckrakers are provided with as little as possible means with which to conduct their muckraking...

I've now listened to the Tom Service interviews with both authors and Robert Saxton, and as Caliban has suggested, Robert Saxton appears to have shot Mr Kildea's syphilitic fox.

Having heard the interviews & Saxton's reviews I'm inclined to want want to read both books because Powell seems to be more interested in (and better equipped to deal with) Britten the human being while Kildea is more interested in (and better equipped to deal with) Britten the musician/composer. I was particularly impressed with what Neil Powell said about Britten's having been 'dealt a difficult hand ...his knotted-upness ... and how he made something creative out of all of it' - a fascinating idea, I think.

[ahinton]

It’s no good, AH, some people are no doubt at this very moment hoarding your deeply incriminating posts on this board and, on the news of your sad demise, will be sending them like a shot to the Sun, Daily Mail etc.

...but, like Lat's elsewhere - albeit on the different (and now mercifully closed) topic of a single item on one edition of CD Review - the vast majority of the Sun and Mail readership will have heard nothing of me and care less about what I've done, so such mailings and forwardings will likewise fall flat on their ugly faces...

[ahinton]

I've now listened to the Tom Service interviews with both authors and Robert Saxton, and as Caliban has suggested, Robert Saxton appears to have shot Mr Kildea's syphilitic fox.

Having heard the interviews & Saxton's reviews I'm inclined to want want to read both books because Powell seems to be more interested in (and better equipped to deal with) Britten the human being while Kildea is more interested in (and better equipped to deal with) Britten the musician/composer. I was particularly impressed with what Neil Powell said about Britten's having been 'dealt a difficult hand ...his knotted-upness ... and how he made something creative out of all of it' - a fascinating idea, I think.

Indeed; good thoughts here, for which many thanks.

[JFLL]

...but, like Lat's elsewhere - albeit on the different (and now mercifully closed) topic of a single item on one edition of CD Review - the vast majority of the Sun and Mail readership will have heard nothing of me and care less about what I've done, so such mailings and forwardings will likewise fall flat on their ugly faces...

You're too modest ... Hereford Times, then?

[Mary Chambers]

Having heard the interviews & Saxton's reviews I'm inclined to want want to read both books because Powell seems to be more interested in (and better equipped to deal with) Britten the human being while Kildea is more interested in (and better equipped to deal with) Britten the musician/composer. I was particularly impressed with what Neil Powell said about Britten's having been 'dealt a difficult hand ...his knotted-upness ... and how he made something creative out of all of it' - a fascinating idea, I think.

This is very much my impression of the two books. I've finished Kildea's and started Powell's, which so far seems to have a much more intuitive and sensitive understanding of the man and his background.

[MrGongGong]

I just found this
which isn't really about the book but as this seems the most "live" discussion about Britten i'll put it here

Chris Watson (who seems to be everywhere these days !)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jan/30/benjamin-britten-composing-walks

[amateur51]

I just found this
which isn't really about the book but as this seems the most "live" discussion about Britten i'll put it here

Chris Watson (who seems to be everywhere these days !)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013...omposing-walks

Thanks MrGG - makes sense to me.It was a bit of a shock when the bells started, and I can understand his horror of the jet planes

I loved the newt story

[Barbirollians]

He would have struggled to get onto Orford Ness - it was only handed over to the National Trust in 1996 !

[Mary Chambers]

The serialisation (or rather snippets) of Kildea's book on Radio 4 has omitted Turn of the Screw, Midsummer Night's Dream and War Requiem! The announcement at the start of this final part did at least say that Kildea's syphilis theory was 'hotly contested', which is putting it mildly.