Suggestion for Show Subject

[NatBalance]

Ennio Morricone - I reckon it is time Radio 3 gave some air time to this supreme composer. It surprises me that time is given to pop music composers such as Hoagy Carmichael and jazz composers but not to a composer who's music is generally more classical orientated than theirs. Do not missunderstand me, I am perfectly happy with jazz and show music being included on R3, and I am not one of those who consider pop music inferior to classical, but when a composer of such class and quailty as Morricone is never heard on a classical music station and they are, it all seems a bit odd to me.

According to Wikipedea "Since 1946, Morricone has composed over 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as over 100 classical works."

It was Morricone's 90th birthday last November so I reckon at least that should spark some R3 celebrations this year. Who agrees that he is long past deserving to be the subject of this show? (I have emailed the show with this suggestion some weeks ago. No reply yet). Let's put it to the vote.

You probably know his music but here's a taster of his brilliance:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOr0na6mKJQ

PS. I've looked through the list of composers featured but he's not there.

[Bella Kemp]

I too am a fan of Mr Morricone and he is a film composer of great genius. Few could enjoy spaghetti westerns so much were it not for his music, and he has written other haunting melodies for different films and tv dramas. I believe his music does pop up from time to time on Matthew Sweet's Sound of Cinema which is usually an agreeable background to Saturday afternoons here at the Kemps. But I wonder if an entire programme devoted to this composer might not be better suited to Radio Two. Film scores - however wonderful and moving - will generally be, by their very nature, inferior to the classical music which Radio 3 should be promoting. There is rarely room for a development of ideas in this music and what one often gets instead is a musical padding - a sort of vamp till ready - before the resurgence of the same theme perhaps with minor variations. I sometimes fear that one day Radio 3 may have its identity as a serious and reflective radio station dissolved and will become like the hundred other stations out there offering an endless diet of easy listening. But I'm happy to compromise: when Radio Two relays Parsifal from The Met and Radio One plays some of the lighter moments of Berg, then let's open up Radio 3 a little bit more.

[Richard Barrett]

Indeed so, and let's also not forget his earlier work as trumpeter in the experimental music collective Nuova Consonanza, which no doubt inspired some of the more unusual orchestrations in his western soundtracks... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN6M8FjoiTw

[teamsaint]

Indeed so, and let's also not forget his earlier work as trumpeter in the experimental music collective Nuova Consonanza, which no doubt inspired some of the more unusual orchestrations in his western soundtracks... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN6M8FjoiTw

Ah, thanks for that link Richard, I don’t think it was there last time I looked.

This was a great Morricone recommendation from Beef Oven

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TqFWsCF5mmA

[NatBalance]

Bella - presumably you disagree with the likes of Hoagy Carmichael being a subject of this show.

Film scores - however wonderful and moving - will generally be, by their very nature, inferior to the classical music which Radio 3 should be promoting.

I disagree with the term 'inferior' here. I do not think complexity and length have anything to do with whether a piece of music is good or superior or not. A piece can be as complex as an Einstein equation but yet sound rubbish. Another piece can be as short as just one page of sheet music and have not much, if any, development and yet be much more enjoyable to the musical ear than the complex one. In that case the complex one would be inferior. (By 'enjoyable' I do not mean that it has a good melody. I like many types of music, even the non melodeous and avante-garde).

I understand your fears Bella and if I were to have such fears it would be the jazz and folk music that is included that would give me that fear rather than Morricone's music. I love the inclusion of jazz, folk, or show music every so often, but one evening a few years ago I remember Radio 3 filled completely with jazz. Now that is Radio 2.

Morricone has apparently written over 100 classical pieces. I have no idea what these pieces are like and how long they are, but it would be great to hear them. I imagine they would be longer and have more development of ideas.

Richard - that link's interesting. Sounds like some of the effect music Morricone composed for certain film scenes.

Teamsaint (and Beef Oven) - Wow, thanks for that. I've never heard any of this stuff. I look forward to listening to all 1hr 42 mins of it. Keep 'em coming folks, and let's see if we can put a case for him being a worthy composer to be included in the Radio 3 repertour and subject for this show, and let us also be aware that an interview with him is still possible. Let us not wait untill the moment when he cannot be interview to then decide his music does come under the Radio 3 radar.

Rich

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Bella - presumably you disagree with the likes of Hoagy Carmichael being a subject of this show.

This particular programme is definitely NOT a "show". It's the first Radio 3 programme for intelligent humans to be broadcast on weekdays.

[NatBalance]

This particular programme is definitely NOT a "show". It's the first Radio 3 programme for intelligent humans to be broadcast on weekdays.

Oooops! Sorry. What's the difference then, or is yet again the English language being corrupted, like it has been in the terrible change in the meaning of the word 'billion' and 'unisex'?

[NatBalance]

So, tonight we are getting a whole evening of jazz on Radio 3 (no complaints), but yet Morricone is not considered a suitable subject for this R3 programme (and Hoagy Carmichael is - again no complaints). I just don't get it. What am I missing here?

[Ein Heldenleben]

I would query how much ‘jazz’ there is likely to be in tonight’s ‘celebration of the jazz voice ‘ (whatever that is but presumably we won’t hear the latter day Satchmo’s, Billy Ecksteins or Jack Teagardens because that mould has been well and truly broken ) . There will be a lot of no doubt very talented singers backed by a very talented big band largely playing to charts with very limited opportunity for improvisation - maybe they’ll get to riff on the odd chorus of a standard they’ve played countless t8mes before in between the vocal gyrations but that’ll be it...
The great Enrico is regularly featured by the national treasure that is Matthew Sweet in his excellent Sat pm prog - it is only a matter of time before he is COTW surely...

[NatBalance]

The great Enrico is regularly featured by the national treasure that is Matthew Sweet in his excellent Sat pm prog - it is only a matter of time before he is COTW surely...

I hope you're right (it's Ennio actually, but you were close). Yes I agree about Matthew Sweet, I don't get around to listening to his programmes enough. I sent the suggestion to CotW last May in the hope that he would do him during his 90th year but now he's in his 91st year, doesn't have the same ring to it. I approve of R3 occasionally venturing into the world of pop (although a whole evening of jazz is really more suited to R2), but not at the expense of music that is far more suited to R3:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJhax7Jmxs

I wish I could find some of his non film music. I'm hoping CotW would find some, plus the avante garde and effect music he does, as linked in an above post.

[Serial_Apologist]

I hope you're right (it's Ennio actually, but you were close). Yes I agree about Matthew Sweet, I don't get around to listening to his programmes enough. I sent the suggestion to CotW last May in the hope that he would do him during his 90th year but now he's in his 91st year, doesn't have the same ring to it. I approve of R3 occasionally venturing into the world of pop (although a whole evening of jazz is really more suited to R2), but not at the expense of music that is far more suited to R3:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJhax7Jmxs

I wish I could find some of his non film music. I'm hoping CotW would find some, plus the avante garde and effect music he does, as linked in an above post.

Then you may be disappointed to know that the whole of next week's COTW is devoted to jazz... as will be possibly those who hold narrow definitions of what constitutes "jazz".

[LMcD]

I suspect that, if requests to JRR are anything to go by, many jazz fans are too old to be of interest to Radio 2 programme planners.

[Serial_Apologist]

I suspect that, if requests to JRR are anything to go by, many jazz fans are too old to be of interest to Radio 2 programme planners.

Well Radio 2 does have its Jamie Cullum Show, which I mention in my weekly samizdat of forthcoming jazz programmes, but only if something or someone important is mentioned in RT as being on. I have to say I rarely listen to this programme, which is targetted at "the young", I understand.

[NatBalance]

Then you may be disappointed to know that the whole of next week's COTW is devoted to jazz... as will be possibly those who hold narrow definitions of what constitutes "jazz".

Good grief! I've never understood the particular connection between jazz and classical. I have no objection to Mary Lou Williams being the subject of CotW BUT ….. I bet Rick Wakeman will never be a subject will he?

I'm not sure it's true that jazz is dieing (as stated in the film La La Land - love that music) or as I have heard being used as a reason why jazz is played on R3, it's a minority genre, like classical. We used to have a local pub where Thursday was jazz night, trad jazz, the place was packed. There's loads of music from the pop genre that are not in the main domain, where's house gone? Hip hop? Heavy metal? They're about, just like jazz is, they're just not up there in the charts.

Anyway, here's my vote for Morricone as a subject some day.