Britten-fest...the aftermath

[Stephen Whitaker]

Please explain to me why avoiding the actual music in the weekend's Radio 3 Brittenfest can confirm one's opinion of it.

Similarly, how is blaming the centenary for the loss of one's favourite regular features not pusillanimous?

In any event these single composer indulgences are unlikely to replace the quotidian fare
and BB is certainly not likely to repeat the offence any time soon.

The missed point off the Dudley Moore parody is that the Beyond the Fringe audience recognised its object without need for explanation.
Do not successful parodies have a basis in affection and understanding of the material being parodied on the part of parodist and audience?

[hmvman]

The missed point off the Dudley Moore parody is that the Beyond the Fringe audience recognised its object without need for explanation.
Do not successful parodies have a basis in affection and understanding of the material being parodied on the part of parodist and audience?

I've always thought the Moore parody an affectionate one rather than an attack. It was a bit of fun enjoyed by many (even if not by BB himself) and demonstrated, as Stephen said, an understanding of the subject.

Moore also parodied Schubert lieder. Does that mean he was rubbishing that as well?

[Quarky]

Similarly, how is blaming the centenary for the loss of one's favourite regular features not pusillanimous?

I had to look that word up! But I don't think the explosion of vitriol on the Jazz board could be classified as lacking courage. More a case of one not stepping on one's blue suede shoes (and by the way I never did get Elvis - Carl Perkins a far better musician IMV).

If the whole weekend schedule is replaced, then clearly there is a call from Radio 3 to look again at this famous composer, rated one of the best of the 20th Century. There will be negative views, as well as positive views, which appear to consist mainly of dotting the i's and crossing the t's, and emphasising details of the works.

There were plenty of clearly expressed and reasoned negative views, including a very scholarly review I picked up from the Opera Critic of the Guardian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NvhhZG4IBA

He has a similarly posh accent, but then so do most people in the Classical world. I guess the point is for us non-posh persons is that we have to work at the music in order to get results. But in the case of BB's music, how much effort is it worth?

[Mary Chambers]

I've always thought the Moore parody an affectionate one rather than an attack. It was a bit of fun enjoyed by many (even if not by BB himself) and demonstrated, as Stephen said, an understanding of the subject.

Moore also parodied Schubert lieder. Does that mean he was rubbishing that as well?

I think he parodied Beethoven sonatas, too. He was a brilliant musician. He and Flanders and Swann ( 'Guide to Britten') all said it was done with affection. Nobody could be keener on Britten than I am, but the Dudley Moore parody still makes me collapse with laughter every time I hear it. He must have known a lot about Britten (and Pears) to get it so absolutely spot-on.

[Sir Velo]

There were plenty of clearly expressed and reasoned negative views, including a very scholarly review I picked up from the Opera Critic of the Guardian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NvhhZG4IBA

I would hardly call it a scholarly review! More like a hatchet job done by someone with a clear agenda of their own to stir things up. Few of the participants have much of a standing in the serious music world, and there are clear cases of quotes being taken out of context to bolster his own polemic (rant might be the mot juste).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've always thought the Moore parody an affectionate one rather than an attack. It was a bit of fun enjoyed by many (even if not by BB himself) and demonstrated, as Stephen said, an understanding of the subject.

Moore also parodied Schubert lieder. Does that mean he was rubbishing that as well?

Good point - I think I read in one of the Britten biographies that BB was upset (if that's the right word) not by the parody of his own Music, but by that of Pears' voice (a very sensitive subject for him).

[Mary Chambers]

There were plenty of clearly expressed and reasoned negative views, including a very scholarly review I picked up from the Opera Critic of the Guardian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NvhhZG4IBA

That Tom Sutcliffe 'documentary' dates from 1990. It's described by Nicholas Kenyon in his introduction to Mark Bostrdge's book Britten's Century as a 'period piece denunciation'. Although of course he has the right to his opinion, it shows a sad lack of comprehension, and I feel that (as with many who attack Britten) his reasons are not entirely connected with music.

[Mary Chambers]

Good point - I think I read in one of the Britten biographies that BB was upset (if that's the right word) not by the parody of his own Music, but by that of Pears' voice (a very sensitive subject for him).

I read that he was offended by the title 'Little Miss Britten', but I'm not sure we have any proof that he ever heard it, and Flanders and Swann said that he didn't come to hear their Britten piece, much to their sorrow.

[Bryn]

... I feel that (as with many who attack Britten) his reasons are not entirely connected with music.

Indeed not, it deals more with with a critique of Britten's character flaws, and their perceived influence on his music. A useful counter to the all too prevalent hagiographic approach, I feel.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But I don't think the explosion of vitriol on the Jazz board could be classified as lacking courage.

"Explosion of vitriol"? If only - at most, half-a-dozen respected Forumistas saying they prefer Granville Bantock to Britten ('cos he had a funny voice, dinnee) amounts to a collective fart of whinging.

More a case of one not stepping on one's blue suede shoes (and by the way I never did get Elvis - Carl Perkins a far better musician IMV).

But of course. And the removal of Jazz programmes during the London Jazz Festival Week was as crass as abandoning Hear & Now during the Huddersfield Festival (to say nothing of EMS and World Routes. I don't think Britten's Music is done any favours by this sort of saturation programming - special focus between Nov 23rd and Dec 6th would have been far more in keeping with Britten's own beliefs as expressed in the Aspen Award speech - but the claims that "he wasn't worth it" did the case for Jazz none, either.

If the whole weekend schedule is replaced, then clearly there is a call from Radio 3 to look again at this famous composer, rated one of the best of the 20th Century. There will be negative views, as well as positive views, which appear to consist mainly of dotting the i's and crossing the t's, and emphasising details of the works.

Indeed; and a couple of "old style" Discovering Music programmes on, say, the Sinfonia da Requiem, the Third String Quartet or whatever would have demonstrated the reasons why so many Musicans believe that Britten's Music is - whether one likes it or not - worthy of celebration.

There were plenty of clearly expressed and reasoned negative views, including a very scholarly review I picked up from the Opera Critic of the Guardian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NvhhZG4IBA

That documentary (from over twenty years ago) was from a series called J'Accuse on Channel 4, the purpose of which was to provoke. (Other figures in the series included Shakespeare and Dickens IIRC). Since its broadcast, performances of BB's Music throughout the world have increased, suggesting that, for Musicians and audiences alike, there is still much in the Music to enrich and inspire - and to do so not just for the audiences who first heard the works and/or knew the composer, but for those born after BB's death. That is the Music's most eloquent response to its critics, one "answered" only by mealy-mouthed, patronizing and derogatory comments on the nature of people who so love it.

He has a similarly posh accent, but then so do most people in the Classical world. I guess the point is for us non-posh persons is that we have to work at the music in order to get results. But in the case of BB's music, how much effort is it worth?

Depends on how you value "worth". For the unique voice of anger, solace, compassion and insight that this Music has given me since I first heard it in about 1975, well worth, I'd say.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Indeed not, it deals more with with a critique of Britten's character flaws, and their perceived influence on his music. A useful counter to the all too prevalent hagiographic approach, I feel.

I agree - Britten's significance is as a composer. As a man, he was as capable of acts of astonishing pettiness and extraordinary generosity as the rest of us.

[amateur51]

I read that he was offended by the title 'Little Miss Britten', but I'm not sure we have any proof that he ever heard it, and Flanders and Swann said that he didn't come to hear their Britten piece, much to their sorrow.

In the 1950s and 1960s the formulation 'Little Miss Britten' would have been understood as code that Britten was at best homosexual and at worst paedophile. Thus I'm not surpised if Britten was upset.

[amateur51]

I agree - Britten's significance is as a composer. As a man, he was as capable of acts of astonishing pettiness and extraordinary generosity as the rest of us.

As so often with great creative artists, it is the works that gradually reveal the inner person of the creator, and that knowledge gradually increases our respect for and enjoyment of the work, I'd suggest.

I'm grateful to the BBC for their efforts in revealing this to me about Britten over the past few weeks.

[Sir Velo]

I agree - Britten's significance is as a composer. As a man, he was as capable of acts of astonishing pettiness and extraordinary generosity as the rest of us.

I think this point was addressed by John Bridcut over the weekend. If we rule out every composer who wasn't a saint in their private life, there'd be precious few we'd end up listening to. When one realises that the quality of performances can make or break a composer's reputation it should be no wonder that Britten was intolerant of slapdash approaches to his music.

However, we British really do seem to have a problem in celebrating our own composers. It's hard to imagine the Danes laying in to Nielsen, or the Finns Sibelius, in their centenaries. In fact it's impossible to imagine the level of vitriol and sniping levelled at BB these last couple of weeks. While I can understand that he may not be everyone's personal cup of tea, surely in the year of his centenary a week or two of commemoration is not unreasonable. Let's be fair: the blanket coverage only lasted for two days - not the seven we got for Mozart and Schubert!

[amateur51]

Dame Janet Baker summing up her experiences of and her views on Britten rather eloquently, I thought.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4lD1m0uBTE