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It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world. -
I find Percy Grainger, the man, quite fascinating in his early years, with the kangaroo pouch machine and innovative compositional techniques long before Ives and Cage used them. However, his easy-listening stuff like Country Gardens and Molly on the Shore leave me absolutely cold because of their twee whimsyness as does his chocolate box folklorique (I do realise on the MB he has devoted fans!) I do hope the programme on his early years focuses on his innovation and early electronic music, his psychological makeup and obsessions. He was also an amazing looking person. -
I have huge amounts of time for PG too, Anna. I love a lot of his stuff. And if well-performed, his 'easy listening' music can be exhilarating I think! I love the way he chucks an occasional (or sometimes not so occasional) harmonic cluster or hair-raising dissonance into the middle of quite open, diatonic music. I recently invested in the first volume of the PG series conducted by Richard Hickox on Chandos - the Colonial Song was on repeat play for a while - sentimental, twee... maybe, but then as it goes on, pangs of feeling are conveyed by dissonance, and at one point there's a great chromatic glissando upwards for lots of instruments inc. orchestral piano...Originally posted by Anna View Post
And I never understand why one of my favourite pieces by him is not better known (I learnt what it was thanks to an old R3 message boarder who brilliantly identified it, after a plea by me and about 10 years of trying to find out what the music used at the end of a BBC drama series was). It's PG's arrangement of John Dowland's song "Now, oh now, I needs must part"... I can play most of it but the bit where the wonderful melody really goes through the harmonic hall of distorting mirrors defeats me!!
Here is a rather good performance of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-dhxIr7oqc
PS: FF, how can one tell whether COTW is a repeat or not? I've looked before where I know for a fact it IS a repeat, and have found no sign of it on the website. Is this PG series a repeat?"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Scroll down to the bottom of the page to the section Broadcasts. It will give the date of any previous airings. In this case there are none, so unless they're lying ...Originally posted by Caliban View Post
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Oh come on, french frank - lying or incompetent, please!Originally posted by french frank View PostScroll down to the bottom of the page to the section Broadcasts. It will give the date of any previous airings. In this case there are none, so unless they're lying ...
It has been known ...
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R3 has so far this year given a one-sided view of Grainger, concentrating on a few of his folksong settings. This series looks like being a useful corrective.Comment
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I think you may need to subscribe to a non-terrestrial channel broadcasting out of Amsterdam for that sort of content, AnnaOriginally posted by Anna
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For the record, I don't think there's any reason to think it's a repeat ...It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Oh Blimey! His whips? No, I am back to being the the LCD and orff to watch StrictlyOriginally posted by amateur51 View PostI think you may need to subscribe to a non-terrestrial channel broadcasting out of Amsterdam for that sort of content, Anna Oh, it's GHARSTLEY, Darhling!
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I do like some of Graingers music but have very little in my collection so I will catch up with these on listen again.
Sounds like Classic FM !Originally posted by french frank View PostComment
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I don't see any mention of his electronic music in RT. It usually gets left out. I wonder: is the equipment no longer extant; hasn't anybody sought to reconstruct it? are there no recordings?
Ah well - an interesting week looks to be in store anywayComment
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There was a brilliant drama-doc by Australia Broadcasting Co., about Grainger, warts 'n all, regarding the pouch machine and his many foibles and electronics and you could hear the machine at work. I have it still, I think, on the computer. It was indeed insightful about the man, I must try and find it it and if poss, post it here.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View PostComment
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I thought that might spur you on......Originally posted by Anna View PostOh Blimey! His whips? No, I am back to being the the LCD and orff to watch Strictly Oh, it's GHARSTLEY, Darhling!
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Grainger is an intriguing fellow. In many ways I admire him for writing what he wanted to write; sometimes I struggle to understand whether his lighter works (folk-songy things, for instance) are faux naive...or just naive. In our last orchestral concert the second half consisted of Ravel's Tombeau de Couperin which our players sweated blood over... and they gave a very stylish account. We rounded the procedings off with Grainger's Mock Morris (the version with full wind) which we more or less sight-read. It was, I suppose, slightly galling that the audience was stirred to rapture of several orders of magnitude greater for Grainger than for Ravel....even allowing for the 'end-of-concert' factor. But hey (Shepherds' Hey) what's wrong with writing stuff people like?Comment
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