Orlando Gibbons

[smittims]

I'd agree with you, oddoneout, if by some miracle Radio 3 were able to brodcast all music by all composers. But they clearly, in my view, select according to criteria other than the quality of the music, so they are not even addressing your point about subjectivity in assessing quality.

I think they perceive that classical music is under attack for being 'white' and male, and , like all other parts of the BBC they've been told to do what they can to counter that, however low the quality of the music that results. . Orlando Gibbons , despite the high quality of his music, is through no fault of his own a very 'dead, white male' so maybe were lucky to have him as COTW. Next year he may be 'canceled'.

And that, I promise you, is my final word on the subject!

[oddoneout]

I'd agree with you, oddoneout, if by some miracle Radio 3 were able to brodcast all music by all composers. But they clearly, in my view, select according to criteria other than the quality of the music, so they are not even addressing your point about subjectivity in assessing quality.

I think they perceive that classical music is under attack for being 'white' and male, and , like all other parts of the BBC they've been told to do what they can to counter that, however low the quality of the music that results. . Orlando Gibbons , despite the high quality of his music, is through no fault of his own a very 'dead, white male' so maybe were lucky to have him as COTW. Next year he may be 'canceled'.

And that, I promise you, is my final word on the subject!

The way R3 is going, never mind dead white males, CotW itself will be cancelled. That would solve the "worthy or not" question, but leave a wet bruised baby at the mercy of social services, so to speak.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'd agree with you, oddoneout, if by some miracle Radio 3 were able to brodcast all music by all composers. But they clearly, in my view, select according to criteria other than the quality of the music, so they are not even addressing your point about subjectivity in assessing quality.

I think they perceive that classical music is under attack for being 'white' and male, and , like all other parts of the BBC they've been told to do what they can to counter that, however low the quality of the music that results. . Orlando Gibbons , despite the high quality of his music, is through no fault of his own a very 'dead, white male' so maybe were lucky to have him as COTW. Next year he may be 'canceled'.

And that, I promise you, is my final word on the subject!

I tend to agree with this point of view. While it is difficult and as much a matter of subjective judgement as received aesthetic criteria, there are so many truly worthwhile enriching composers who get ignored by Radio 3 - a number of whom I championed here a few years ago in drawing attention to French composers contemporary with Jolivet and Messiaen.

[silvestrione]

One of my favourite discs of all time is Jordi Savall's of Gibbon's three-part consort music.

[Mandryka]

One of my favourite discs of all time is Jordi Savall's of Gibbon's three-part consort music.

Very sensual. He changes the order - and I've never worked out why. I don't know if 1601 fantasias are a real cycle, where the order matters.

[Padraig]

Just a reminder that he's This Week's Composer, at 1600 BST: a bit of a step up in quality, I think ,from last week's offering (where do they find them?).

I tried hard to discover what Tom McKinney and Donald MacLeod found (repeatedly) so 'extraordinary' about her music, but all I could hear was a rather decorous imitation-Mendelssohn, just like hundreds of other minor 19th-century composers. I could suppose only that the reason for devoting five hours of programming to this nonentity was Doctor Johnson's comment about a dog walking on its hind legs: 'one marvels, not that it is done well, but that it is done at all'.

Some fine contributions were emerging on the thread of this week's CoW, but were overshadowed, for me, by a different agenda from that implied. I shall continue to listen to the programme on Orlando Gibbons, and read with interest selected comments, but will not contribute further to the thread.

[Simon Biazeck]

Orlando Gibbons - a divine talent. Pure balm, this COTW, and some very fine singing and playing. I don't get to sing enough of his works but that was remedied a little at St Paul's Cathedral recently.

[MickyD]

1. Classic 1975 L'Oiseau Lyre LP Madrigals & Motets 1612 from The Consort Of Musicke - Anthony Rooley, young Emma Kirkby and friends. Still around second hand. I have the v good value 3LPs on 2CDs English Madrigals set which includes Wilbye and Morley. Still available.

There was another nice Oiseau Lyre LP of Gibbons...Christopher Hogwoood playing his keyboard music, some of it on an original small virginal, the other on a beautifully rich sounding harpsichord. It was reissued briefly on CD by the short lived Explore label, which thankfully I snapped up at the time.

[vinteuil]

There was another nice Oiseau Lyre LP of Gibbons...Christopher Hogwoood playing his keyboard music, some of it on an original small virginal, the other on a beautifully rich sounding harpsichord. It was reissued briefly on CD by the short lived Explore label, which thankfully I snapped up at the time.

... the same works as on this CD?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gibbons-Keyboard-Music-Hogwood-Christopher/dp/B000EQHV9S

.

[Pulcinella]

I go to work across a lake which is home to both swans and geese, so I think of this one very frequently indeed.

Sounds idyllic: do you paddle your own canoe?

[MickyD]

... the same works as on this CD?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gibbons-Keyboard-Music-Hogwood-Christopher/dp/B000EQHV9S

.

Yes, that's the very one. The only CD incarnation it had. Pity about the cover! And fetching a ridiculous price now, I see. Here's the original LP cover...even this is commanding a high price now...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keyboard-Music-Orlando-Gibbons/dp/B07DWHQNSJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=16AU9VE3793MS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.T1cLI_Vuu0JeMNyEgaGY65LrOsu8QtX4bPv49AYuf7HBLkzOJg6qCpsnEKhLn2itHB5n6hOcJQrauKWpuJ_qxzNVkFy8e1PBi8ttQdYYfr8oK3g5LxyOn6U4sfFxAuTPVZXKumg2lvBkIDERruz_Mg.FxrIO4l2mYrnvAMBhwS3ltj5tLhuamgKgQu6NKe6jJk&dib_tag=se&keywords=Orlando+Gibbons+LP&qid=1718361302&sprefix=orlando+gibbons+lp+%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1

[vinteuil]

Yes, that's the very one. The only CD incarnation it had. Pity about the cover! And fetching a ridiculous price now, I see.

£9.29? - seems reasonable to me - I paid £9.99 plus P&P back in 2018....

.

[MickyD]

Ah, didn't see that, just a price of over forty pounds when I looked this morning....

[oliver sudden]

Sounds idyllic: do you paddle your own canoe?

Some kind soul took the time to provide a handy bridge, thus saving me the trouble of choosing between taking a detour and getting soggy feet!

[Mandryka]

Ah, didn't see that, just a price of over forty pounds when I looked this morning....

Worth hearing I'd say. He uses a harpsichord, an organ and a virginal.